Natto again

So Takoyaki came home yesterday to discover that the boys had natto and she wanted HER turn today. Ok lah, I give lah, as long as I have. And Mouse was just too happy to get it again with his rice.

Takoyaki brought some leftover Mille-Feuille Nabe in her thermal jar. This is something we love, that is in our regular rotation of soups/stews for dinner. It takes a little time to prep, but the steps are really easy. And leftovers are always fought over the next day!

Natto. Cos there's nothing else.

When Natto makes its appearance it's usually because I really have nothing else to give my kids. In this case, Mouse doesn't like egg (much), but he'll gladly wolf down a whole box of natto. And I made myself go to the minimart nearby at 10pm to get some spinach just so I could give him some veg other than corn. The green looks so appetising, don't ya think?

I must be fair to RM too - he gets some natto on his rice, together with some scrambled fried egg (which I smuggled some of into Mouse's rice) and the spinach. Love the colours.

Slimy Chasoba Bowl

And again it's natto, cos I've run out of suitable proteins that BOTH kids will like.

Tossed together with the cooked and washed soba are enoki, natto, cucumber and tomatoes. And of course, the dipping sauce, which has become tossing sauce.

Natto Salad Don

Very balanced meal today. With probiotics included too.

It's the September school holidays but poor RM has supplementary classes (what to do? PSLE just round the corner), and he told me that yesterday only the drinks, Malay food and sandwiches stalls were open, so he didn't eat much. So I set my alarm and got my butt up early to make him this bento.

I was reminded of his first day of primary school five years ago, when he was so shy that he didn't dare to go buy food at the canteen till almost everyone else had gone, by which time he only had time to eat only one mouthful of his noodles before the bell rang. That was when I decided to bento.

Natto et al Don

I love being able to prepare bentos like this once in a while... Don't they look pretty?

Takoyaki has some fried winged beans, while Roast Meat has a peeled cucumber salad.

Two Bean Udon

Natto and Edamame. 

Healthy and delicious.

And long time no see apple bunnies.

Unexpected bento

This was unexpected. It's the school holidays and we had a playdate at a friend's house and  I completely forgot to check the menu (kindly provided by the host) for foods that Mouse would be allergic to. I only remembered the day before and decided to pack him a bento to bring along. I'm so thankful for my bento skills!

Menu:

Steamed rice (leftover) with Kimchi

Simple Chawanmushi

Natto

Lovely Stink to start the week

Roast Meat will be over the moon today when he opens his bento and sees the natto.

Menu:
Cold somen tossed with kaeshi/mentsuyu, natto and corn nibblets
Salad kosong (no dressing)

Stinky Bento

Aka Natto Don. Roast Meat's eyes lit up when he saw me preparing this bento last night. This boy will eat Natto with anything, anytime.

Served with cucumber ribbons and mandarin orange wedges. Oh, and a snack box of homemade kueh lapis legit.

Finally Friday - Natto Rice

Today's main feature is the slimy, stinky Japanese food that some like and some hate - Natto. Natto packs a lot of good bacteria and also protein, plus it keeps outside the fridge till lunchtime, making it a perfect food for bento. We all love it d:)

On the side are some checkerboard apple wedges, broccoli and tomatoes.

And Takoyaki asked for a light box as it's "Hokkien Prawn Mee" Friday at her school d:\ 

But she only eats the noodles and passes the prawns to her friends. Chey. So that's why I have to pack in the protein, fruit and vegetable factor.

Frightful Friday - Cold Natto Udon

And that's the last one made in this house because tomorrow we are leaving this house. I'd contemplated getting him to buy in school so I can pack the bentos away, but he's going for a field trip after school so he'd be sick of eating the same food twice in the same day (doting Mummy talking). 

Truth be told, I'm glad to close up this chapter with a bento I'd be pleased to eat d:)

Yummy Slime Bento - Fly Lice with Natto

I used to produce horrible fried rice (in my opinion), but that all changed when I moved to my current place and met my neighbour, who is an awesome home cook. She taught me the importance of a very hot wok before adding any ingredients, especially the oil. This prevented the foods from sticking to the wok (even if it's not non-stick) and brought out the aroma of every single piece. It never made sense to me - how could foods not stick to a wok/pan which was superheated?? But it works, and that's all that matters now. 

Takoyaki's Fried Rice Bento with Natto

Natto is a fermented soybean product from Japan which is chock full of protein and good probiotics. Many people can't deal with the smell and slimy texture though, so I'm thankful all five of us do d:) Like Korean kimchi, it's suitable for putting into bentos and keeping outside for a few hours, although if I knew my kids would only eat it more than 6hrs later, I'd probably include an icepack.

Roast Meat's bento