Mooncake Festival

Olivia school invite us to attend the first moon cake festival held at her school. At first, we thought of going there to see the ready make by them,hm....we are wrong actually cause the principle invite us to join and have fun in making lantern with our little one. Ahem, is new to me ^-^'

 

This is one of the moon cake - taste sweet.

After it is done, children could not wait to bring theirs and walk outside the road in gang. This is one of my girl gang.

Chang E and Jade Rabbit Bento, Chinese Mythological

月亮传说- 嫦娥奔月 

I am not sure my paper cut 'kungfu' able to cut out the extraordinary, gentle and pretty lady - Chang E and jade rabbit. Well it is my good try. ^-^

The bread spread with nutella hazelnut. I use round mould to have round shape of BBQ cheese. Placed the cut out Chang E and bunny (rabbit) from nori and placed in it. I cheat and cut the tiny cheese instead of cut from the inner of Chang E. (Hm....m not brave enough =.=')

She also had her mini snow skin red bean moon cake and grapes for her. 

Adding little cupcake sprinklers on the surface of bread and bunny picks. 

Remarks: Olivia said mummy had cut out wrong creatures that I should cut bunny instead of cockroach. Oh....

Picks I used for the day: 

New Tools

I was eyeing this tools long time ago now I manage to grab new picks and tools.

 

From L to R: Fruits and vegetable silicon cup & Onigiri/ Rice Mould Animal

From L to R: Pop Silicon Baran/Divider Sheet, Lettuce Leaves Silicon Baran &   Happy Bento Silicone Baran

My lovely baran

From L to R: Bento Picks

Picks you couldn't resist to bring it home!

From L to R: Food Cup - Animal Donburi, Obento Bucket & Polka Dots

Useful Food Cup to store liquid type or sauce for the lil one.

From L to R: Multipurpose Cutters Okazu set & Sandwich Cutter/Stamp (animals) 

Source: Little Noble Baby or you can go to My Noble Baby her online store.

Bunny girl holding her lantern

Moon Cake festival* will be falling this coming Sunday and Olivia school had send invitation to us that this coming Friday night will have activities reacted to this festive. 

Strawberry jam filing for bread and with grapes. I use rabbit mould to mould out 2 type cheese and use another round shape to mould on BBQ cheese so that I can adding facial on it and look like the girl is wearing bunny costume. Same process goes to lantern as well. I have added 2 sugar deco heart shape as ribbon. 

Remarks:
Moon cake festival known as Mid-Autumn Festival, 中秋节. During this festive, eating moon cake with tea, fruits pomelos in family gathering and kids playing the lantern that handmade by them walking in front of courtyard.Why pomelos? According to my grandma that pomelos is round fruits are offered as the shape symbolize the fullness of the moon and family harmony.I guess orange will do as well. ^-^

Picks I used for the day:   

 

Moo Moo Bento

I receive complaint from little one that mummy always make the animals don't really look like the initial plan. She used to say I do not follow on track however she like it. Phew....

Moo Moo facial is made by 2 type cheese i.e. normal and BBQ and adding nori expression. I apply the bread with nutella and also with red grapes which she say want more maybe she can share with her friends.

This is her skill that used to melt my heart. 

This is another Pop Flower Picks that I couldn't resist not to buy from Daiso.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad

No charaben for today, mummy overslept and make this old fashioned potato salad for Olivia, Daddy, Lawrence, mother in law and of course include me as well. 

Mummy prepare the potatoes part late mid-night and next day morning boil the egg and marinate others for final touch.

I deco it using simple picks same as earlier day I used for Forest Brown Bear Bento. Grapes and one small oat cookies in case she feel the portion is too small for her.

Feedback: She love it! She Ask For MORE!
Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Serving: 4 adults & 1 child 
Ingredients:-

• 5 to 6 potatoes
• 4 to 5 Eggs
• Butter * option
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Mayonnaise
• Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely diced
• Raisins
• Strawberries

Methods: 

1. Peel off potatoes and cut into cubes. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Drain and place cooked potatoes in a large bowl / colander,and let cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and mashed and butter as preferences.
3. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, onion, salt, raisins and mayonnaise. Mix together well and refrigerate until chilled.
4. Lastly, parsley and strawberries add it in.  

Forest Brown Bear Bento

Sandy was inspire by one of bento friend that by using meatball to make this forest brown bear for Olivia. 

The bear is made by chicken minced chicken, marinate with pinch of salt, oyster and flour and leave it about 30 minutes. After that, shape up the bear by few round shape and deep it with little bit of dark soy sauce. ( I was putting too much dark soy sauce already =.= ) Slight grill the meatball with low fire and leave it cool at temperature room.

Use the Spaghetti stick to install the round ball you make in earlier to get the bear shape. I use cheese and nori to add on facial, ham for bear cheeky blush face.

It is serve by corn porridge and broccoli.

Picks I used for the day: 

Popeye, The Sailor Man Bento

Sailor is part of Olivia occupation syllabus and she tells me anchor is used to stop the ship the first cartoon character flash into my mind is him!

Popeye ~
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

It is my childhood favorite cartoon, ha...reflect my age already but it is fine with me. ^-^ He captured my heart, he is a good-guy underdog with bulging forearms, a mean uppercut and a penchant for canned spinach. The only thing he loves more than spinach and the sea is his flighty, flirty girlfriend, Olive Oyl.

The bread spread with Nutella, Popeye made from cheese and sailor hat made by bread. The skin bread made his corn cob pipe and nori to outline the face feature. The anchor is made by cheese and nori, anchor tattoo on his muscle arms.

Lastly, 2 smiley face marshmallow to reflect though the popeye finishing is not really as I expected but it rewind back my childhood time. Thank You, Olivia and Popeye!

Fireman Bento

Bread with jam fillings, serve with fruits and pastilles Appeton.

The bear is made by bread skin, helmet is made by crab stick and its shirt is made by cheese. Maintain its position by using spaghetti sticks. I cheat and using the sugar deco heart shape to reflects is water. lol

X-ray for you Bento

Word of the day: X x

Olivia said X for X-ray which by using this device it help us to see our bone. :) Without thinking too much, I made this for her.

I use parchment paper to trace out bone picture from the Internet. Cut out the bone shape from the parchment paper.  Abstract out the outline by toothpicks or sharp knife. Wrap it back and store them in the fridge. (same process goes to wording of X)

I apply strawberry jam for the bread, grapes and strawberry. Placed the cheese bone onto the seaweed which I layer with cheese and use girls pick to show the girl is having x-ray process and see her bone. ;)

Lastly, spread over the bread with little cupcake sprinklers. 

p/s: Can you spot out my wooden tray? ^-^

New Wooden Tray

I was searching this tray long long ago. ;p Thanks to one of Facebook Singapore friend who is always keen to share where she bought and where she get and how much in Singapore sell. She got hers at SGD 2 each. I was trying my luck to check whether I can get this from Daiso. Yes! Yes! My eyes suddenly went sparkling and so heart blossom that I saw one of it. Without thinking much, these are 2 pieces I grab and bring back home and now is MINE. :)

William saw it and ask where I got these and its cost which I ask him take a wild guess. ^-^ I told him I use this as part of my bento tools (Photograph purposes) which give me the motivation 'heart' to continue charaben* (キャラ弁) for my girl. 

Remarks: charaben*, a shortened form of character bento

Panda Bento

Something was missing...yes the meatball. Olivia cannot wait and start ate some before I noticed it. ;(

Panda is made by rice and ears wrap with seaweed.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Bento - Marty with Miso Soup

Amongst all the character in the movie, her most tip top preferences is still.....Marty! It is her first movie in the cinema. William and I thought she will admire Alex the lion or Gloria the Hippo but I guess we can never know why she love Marty the Zebra. We asked her why she love Marty instead the other character, she told Marty though sometime look silly and give a lot trouble (trouble maker) but he always make sure his buddies never feel alone and be cheer!

Zebra is made out of white and brown rice. Nori to make its strip and not to forget it facial expression. It serve with meatball,rolling egg meat,baby carrot, some grapes and strawberries.

Remarks: Today is holiday for me as Malaysia Day and it fall under Sunday,subsequent day (Monday) will declare as Public Holiday. Malaysia Day which is celebrated on Sept 16 to mark the formation of Malaysia when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the federation of Tanah Melayu in 1963.

Naughty Whale splashing Water Bento

Word for the day: W w
Water and Whale

I used to sketch before I start bento. I sketch out the whale look so cutey and sweet and and bringing it into food type it end up the whale look so funky and naughty.  

I made pocket bread filling with egg mayo. 


Portion: 4 adults 1 child

Ingredients:-

~ 4 eggs

~ Mayonnaise

~ Butter

~Salt (Salted butter will do)

~ Pepper

Method:-

1) Boil the egg with low fire about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the flame and pour out the water.
2) Peel off the egg shell and placed the egg into another bowl.
3) Smash the egg and adding butter, mayo and pinch of salt and pepper. I use butter instead of salted butter as senior citizen are encourage not to take salty food. 
4) Filling the egg mayo to the bread. If you have pocket mould, it help you to seal up along the sideline so that our little one can eat it in easy way. Cut the bread into half (showed as picture above)

Tip: Olivia always love to help mummy but I normally will let her peel the egg inside the water at least it will not hurt her.

Woof Woof

Woof Woof

I am dog lover,especially big dog like doberman, rottweiler and German Shepperd.I admire its loyalty and there always gives us uncountable sweet memories. Maggie, Lobo, Captain, Oscar & Jojo, there are always my tip top guardian angel dog! They are helpful helping my mom to eat those cook mango and after eating they will throw to dustbin, they take care our house 24 hours without any complaining and they are also good partner in jogging. ^-^ Gosh....rewind back my memories to them, I missed them a lot.

I spread new filling of sesame seed paste. Roll up the bread and wrap with cling wrap for few minutes. There are 2 version i.e. flatten type and puffy type and this round I make this have puffy look.

I usually do not flatten my bread before rolling because I like the puffy look. But if your bread keeps breaking after rolling, you can flatten them first.

 I also use the side bread and mould out to make it as its ears and attach it with pasta. (I prefer pasta rather than tooth picks as pasta is edible item and it is more secure compared tooth picks) I used to remind Olivia that I used pasta to attach the ears on the bread so that she is aware it too. 

Final touch is adding the nori for doggies eyes and nose.

Rabbit is jumping on the Marble Bento

Rabbit is jumping on the Marble

Arghh...mummy overslept! It is because:-
1) Raining
2) Mummy last night late to bed
3) Daddy did not wake me up (Oh, make sure William did not see my post ^-^')

I had quick flash to my mind that I can use my new picks - Usagi Rabbit. ^-^ The butter and marble cake was bought from bakery shop. (Sorry, I have not throwing myself in bakery yet due to no oven. What a weird excuse for me not to learn. Well, it is just matter of time.....Shh, William knew I am trying to learn something he will jump again)

Strawberries for her and some pastilles. 

Happy Raining Day!

Classic Watch Bento

Classic Watch Bento

As usual I will asked my girl what she learn from school or any fun or new things to share during her shower time. Below is our conversation....

Mummy: Anything new from school?

Olivia: Oh yes, today teacher taught us W.

Mummy: W, then you do know about W?

Olivia: W for Window, for Watch, for Water and many more (cant recap)

Mummy: How many watch you have?

Olivia: 1, 2 & 3! I got 3!

Mummy: Oooo (I suddenly got some idea what to prepare for her)

Strawberry jam with bread and I brought her favorite marshmallow and few pastilles vitamin C for her and the edible classic watch. The watch is made by nori and cheese. 

She love it when she saw it and she said mummy, I got the fourth (edible) watch! ^-^

Simpsons Family Bento

Simpsons was actually is one of my to do list. Hm...not really well cut on cheese. :( It is really eating lots of time in simpsons character.

The bread filling with pork floss which in 'hokien' dialect mom in law call 'bahu',taste good. 

I forgot insert fruits for her but another dry oat cookies for her.

Police Bento

I made another role play character which school taught - Police. Bread with egg mayonnaise and her favorite red grapes

Origami

Pattern: dragonfly (pink),rabbit (orange), boat (orange), ball (turquoise) & Snake head (beige).

All this is made by grandma which Jiu Jiu brought this back from holiday. Olivias' grandma tried to make all this whenever newspaper got this articles post up.

Olivia so treasure this and she never expect this her popo can made this for her - I guess it melts her hearts lol.

Bee Bento

After watch the Bee Movie, Sandy try to make this with rice wrap with egg sheet. She is so happy and say yeah, Beezzz!

It is so simple till I forgot to add on the bees' sting. lol The rice wrap with egg sheet and wrap up by the nori and not to forget its facial expression. Besides, I also use tooth pick to deco as its antennae.

I use the remain rice to make the sushi roll but maybe not roll tight enough and it turns up loose loose.