Chicken and Ham Onigirazu

The Onigirazu has returned! This time it's chicken breast and ham. Yummy~

Onigirazu - Ham and Corn

With Japanese cucumber and the best grapes I have ever eaten, courtesy of a friend.

Sandwiches for Midweek

I found a new type of sandwich bread by Gardenia called Extra Fine Wholemeal bread so decided to give it a go. Kids reported "ok!" about the texture, maybe since it went with their favourite honey baked ham.

I am loving these sandwich packs from Daiso! They are just the right size for my sandwiches.

French Toast is a great way to use up stale bread

Especially homemade bread, which, without all those additives in commercial bread, doesn't stay soft as long. I have some sourdough bread which is perfect for turning into French Toast to feed those hungry wolves of mine.

This is Takoyaki's box, which consists of French toast, cherry tomatoes, cuke sticks and some ham cones. RM has the exact same foods in the Lego box, but in my half asleep state, I accidentally deleted the image on my phone instead of uploading it. Boohoo!

Strong start to a new term... Let's Bento!

After a brief hiatus, this blog is alive again! Well, there was really little chance to bento these last June hols, as quite a number of things happened. But here I am again, as the first day of school is a nice long one for Takoyaki, who always has CCA on Monday and needs some lunch.

She had some yummy furikake with rice, and oooh, her favourite chuka kurage (Japanese seasoned jellyfish). I added a slice of ham to up the protein factor.

Full steam ahead for this term!

And we come to our second bento staple... Onigiri

This is why it is important to cook extra rice for dinner the night before. So easy to just mix in some furikake and pack into a riceball wrap.

Snack box: 

Prawn rolls and cheese

White and round Mystery item

Recess box:

Jack Skellington apple

Ham flower

Cuke sticks

White and odd-shaped Mystery item

Onigiri

Bento Mojo Cranking Up

And so we take on the second day of school with a simple bento of sandwiches, ham flowers and tamagoyaki. I achieved a(n almost) round tamagoyaki! Will share in another post later.

Finally Friday - (Just a simple) Bento

It's the end of the week and I'm just looking to use up some of my stash. Like the Viennese sandwiches from M&S (RM's favourite and I won't deny I'm rather partial towards them), the cucumber rounds and the apple. Added a ham flower (last seen maybe two years ago?), a wedge of cheese and some pistachios in the green foil.

Let's call it an individual-picnic bento.

Finally Friday - Fly Lice and Fruit-Veg Salad

For Roast Meat. 

Traffic Light Bento

Although the theme wasn't planned.

Takoyaki asked me for a bento (this doesn't happen often) so I happily cooked everything from scratch since I didn't have any planned-overs. Another reason I was pleased to cook is that my new kitchen is designed for better workflow and also windy so it's really a breeze (pun intended) to culinarise in it.

Unintentional Traffic Light Bento

If it was for Roast Meat I could insert some of my traffic signs picks but I'm pretty sure the Secondary School girl wouldn't appreciate it d:P

Today's Lunch Menu:

Honey baked ham over rice

Kimchi

Tamagoyaki (first tmgyk in new house!)

Grapes

Very eclectic.

Easy Riceballs to start the week

With ham and cheese rolled up flower buds and the usual sides.

Sandwiches Are So Easy

Ham and cheese sandwiches with fruits and apple wedges.

2014 Term 2 Week Two - Releasing the bonds

I agree that it takes some time to get the momentum going again after the holidays. Usually I'm ridden with a sense of guilt if I have been sloppy in bentoing, and flagellate myself into putting in more effort for the next week.

Hence, it is with some pride that I present, for the first bentos of this week, Fly Lice. Did more grocery shopping over the weekend so I'm a little more prepared for this week. Don't expect any fancy stuff though - that's only going to be possible after we haved settled into our new home (expected end Jun).

Ham for Takoyaki and Prawns for RM

Why make two bentos when you can make three? This will be lunch for Mouse and me today.

Ham AND prawns for me and Mouse muahahaha!

Fussy Friday for Two Fussy Children

It often happens that when I have plan-overs for bentos the next day, one of my two jokers will tell me s/he does not like it/want it for bento. If I'm in a good mood I just try and dig out other foods for the fussy feller. If I'm not, I scream and throw a pot at them and tell them to make their own bento or go buy their own food. Nah, I'm kidding d:P 

 

Takoyaki loved the Korean ginseng chicken soup we had for dinner so that was her lunch, good to go!

The fussy one got some (slightly deformed) mini buns and ooooh, his favourite - cheddar cheese cubes. On hindsight, I realise I forgot to pack some ice packs with them. Must ask him whether they were all melted or not, but recess time.

Okra Mini-don

Okra, this edible green seed pod, is high in vitamin C, folate, fibre, and a good source of Calcium and Potassium. But the reason it's one of my favourite vegetables is that it's so delicious! I enjoy the slight crunchiness when it's raw or quickly blanched, and also the mucilaginous texture when it's cooked longer. Alas, both Takoyaki and Roast Meat do not like that slimy texture, so I have never been able to put okra in their bentos.

 

But along comes Minnie, who absolutely adores okra! It gave me incredible pleasure to place these beautiful star-shaped okra "flowers" on her rice that has been mixed with some homemade salmon flakes.

Carb Stirfry Variety

Today is the first Monday of the first full school week of the year (quoted from mrbrown, adapted to school).

Simple fare for both Takoyaki and Roast Meat - kimchi fried rice (kimchi bokkeumbap) with leftover Christmas ham, and the usual fruits and veg.

Kimchi fried rice bento

But today we have a special, recurring guest! Minnie, who has begun Primary One, will also be receiving recess bentos occasionally (possibly even more frequently). For the very first bento on the first Monday of the first...... ok, forward. She had Fusili Napolitan (Spaghetti Napolitan is supposed to the authentic Japanese dish but I had to clear out some fusili) and I'm still waiting for reviews from that quarter. Not sure whether tomorrow I get to bento for her or not. It is enjoyable to bento leisurely in the late morning since she leaves for school at 12noon.

Spaghetti, er, Fusili Napolitan bento

Do two types make a variety? Well, who cares.

2014 - We Bento On!

The first bento of the new year always causes me to heave a sigh... because I can finally tell myself to burn all them previous year's bento pics into a CD. It's a pleasant way of "closing" the previous year's hard work as well.

 

This year, we begin a new phase in our journey as a family - Takoyaki enters Secondary School. She is excited to try out all the new foods available in her new school canteen, but I was very pleased when she accepted a bento for the first day of school, as it is stated in her timetable that there will be two recesses.

Hence today's bento for both kids consists of a simple nori-wrapped onigiri with furikake filling, and a ham-apple-tomato salad.

Chapati Wraps Bento

Chapati wrap bentos

Takoyaki made a batch of chapatis two days ago and they were just the right size to make wraps for bento! Here I rolled the chapatis around ham and cucumber strips, after I spread the chapatis with some cheese spread.

Kids declared them a keeper!

Wednesday - Ham and Cheese rollups

Roast Meat requested for Oreos so I rolled a slice of shaved ham and a slice of cheese around a cucumber stick, then secured it with a long piece of cucumber skin for the protein factor.

I will not be packing a bento for RM or Takoyaki tomorrow because they will be having Children's Day celebrations and from experience, the teachers will be giving out a lot of goodies.

Day Two of PSLE for Takoyaki

And I confess - I am so much more stressed than she is. Worry that she is not prepared enough, worry that she will be careless... argh. I gotta stop worrying and start believing.

So here are two very simple sandwich bentos for both RM and Takoyaki.