Snippets: Bento Box

Girl put up with "bad" school catering since January 2015. We had asked her to try new tastes (spicy) and textures (oily) but she often just ate plain rice, fruits and not much else. On days when the food is not that spicy, she eats more.

Every car ride on her way home from school will be filled with her witty remarks about her day. Coupled with soft smacking of lips and chewing sounds as she devours her "second lunch" usually consisting of cucumber maki, cut fruits, assorted nuts, sandwiches and a drink. By and by, this 2.10 pm mini meal replaced her school lunch, I suspect.

Last Thursday, she politely requested for bento box with breakfast and lunch from home to be brought to school next week onwards. I guess the rigours of Year 1 demands more food and drinks of her, as 3/5 days of the school week has a sport element to the timetable.

I have seen many kawai bento boxes but never had to create one. Necessity calls for resourcefulness/desperation. Luckily for me, many mothers have posted their experience and skills online for me to emulate.

Lunch boxes, checked!

Accessories, checked! 

Food preparation and packing skills, errrrr. Let's work on this as we go along, OK? Be prepared to witness "failed" bento boxes in weeks to come. I dare not imagine the 6 am disasters I am capable of, just yet.

Rehearsal/food tasting:

Stay tuned, my lovelies! Wish me luck, I will be needing lots of it.

Snippets: Pancake

"Mummy, I remember the kitty cat pancake you made for me when I was a little girl."

She was referring to this:

Check out the time and date stamp!

3 plus years ago back when it was just the 2 of us at home and The Other Half was working from his office...we spent so many hours perfecting our pancakes for teatime. We finally settled on the simplest  recipe of 1 cup flour/1 cup milk/1 egg/1 pinch of salt/1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well and 1/2 ladleful onto non-stick frying pan.  Flip over when bubbles appear. It is so easy Girl can almost do this under supervision nowadays.

Since I had donated all our Teflon non-stick frying pans and cookware away, I had to purchase a new Green Pan 10" non-stick frying pan (just for this project of love and devotion). Thank goodness for the Isetan sale!

I worked on granting her wish while she was completing her homework on Friday. Lo and behold! Was she was thrilled beyond words or was that a joyful gasp when she saw her kitty cat pancake.

An "upset" cat for her. Side note: Her favourite character from Inside Out is Sadness, because once you have felt sadness you can better appreciate joy. 

And an almost-Gruffalo for Bean. We will use dried apricots for orange eyes next time, inshaAllah.

They both polished their plates clean. 

Syukur alhamdulillah!

Easy Peasy Recipe: English Muffin

Cold Storage sells English muffins which we sometimes would buy for a quick lunch. Smoked salmon with dash of pepper. 

Really wished I had capers to go with this, but the apple slices, cherry tomatoes, kyuri slices and golden kiwi provided the myriad of tastes with just the right juiciness and flavour.

Which is your favourite sandwich with salad for lunch? Please do share!

Bean'sTalk: All Night Long

Bean now speaks using short sentences and I am going to try typing, recording and/or penning down some of the things he says, for keepsake. 

That is, before, he grows up and start speaking using longer sentences like the rest of us do.

One of the cutest phrases he has been using is "all night long".

Very useful phrase, and a ready description, to his advantage. Applicable  for almost any situation my 27 month-old son would encounter, in our household.

"I want lulu, all night long."

Lulu, is his baby lingo for "susu" aka breastmilk direct from the source. 

"I want Mummy (to) hold me tight, all night long."

I melt into a puddle, right there.

"I want McQueen and Trukov, (to) play (with) all night long."

Characters from Cars and Cars 2. 

Boy!

School Closure, Repeatorama

Haze has officially caused our Big School and Playschool to close for the next 2 days.

Again.

Stop Go. 

We received the notices for closure while we were out for lunch with a visiting relative from London, at Cyberview Lodge & Resort. The haze drove us to lunch indoors that Sunday.

Those who face the same predicament would understand why I would not let my children out in this thick smog, allegedly a deadly concoction from corporate greed and bottom line.

Unfortunately, there is no escape (The Other Half has to work, it being month end and all) other than staying at home with some activities for my children. This has forced me to be resourceful and creative yet again. 

*going to verify some of our baking, arts and crafts ideas*

What is in your stay-at-home with children plan? Please do share!

Childhood Tastes

I spent the first 7 years of my life in Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia. A slow-paced, clean and humid place.

Every now and then, my late Thai Grandmother and Mrs. H would introduce me to new food. Some were successes, others miserable torture for us all.

I remember the following "unique" tastes:

1. Petai

Petai beans served raw. I learnt to peel them off their green bean "tangkai", peel their white skin off, and split each bean into halves to check for worms. Fine motor skills training without formal Playschool, haha! 

Girl recently saw bunches of freshly plucked Petai in Cameron Highlands and could not imagine the trouble I took to enjoy such stinky delights. Halloween food, she said. She might be right.

2. Acar Ikan

Little Penang Café serves this halal dish and I am so thankful they do it well because this taste brings me right back to Kakak Asiah's wedding circa 1982. The wedding lunch included this dish and I remember its distinct pickle of turmeric, ginger and garlic taste.

3. Durian

Oh, this is one taste and smell I do not enjoy to this day. The Other Half and both my children do not enjoy this King of Fruits either. Lucky me! I would still obligingly treat my PIL to slices of durian cheese cake from Secret Recipe, but not eat any myself. I do not mind the smooth cheesy texture, and it stops there.

4. Budu/Tempoyak/Jering/Belacan

Acquired tastes, and I have yet to develop any liking for them.

5. Tapai

How and why on earth did they serve me a dessert containing alcohol?! It was sweet. And intoxicating. I did not know about the fermentation turning alcoholic if left too long until my FIL told me about it. Which is why we do not consume this now. Better be safe than sorry. 40 days of our prayers not being accepted is  ...just not worth it.

6. Steamed Sweet Corn with Coconut Shreds

A tasty tea-time treat! All of the corn kernel is picked off its cob then steamed. Mixed with coconut shreds and a pinch of salt. Served warm. Brings me right back to my childhood house where I last ate this.

7. Nasi Pulut with Thai Mangoes

The secret is in the coconut cream dollop, and Absolute Thai nailed it! I feel like I am in my late Grandmother's embrace/dodoi sarong when I eat this treat.

8. Kari Ikan Masin

Yums! I must look up this recipe! The prawns and long beans were magical. I remember having this packed lunch with rice one Friday afternoon after we moved to Penang. The school's old hall, flame of the forest blooms that had fallen onto green grass, vast blue cloudless skies, and my tasty lunch. It was a Friday, and school started at 2.30 pm!

What are your childhood comfort foods, my lovelies? Do you have specific memories attached to particular dishes or drinks too? Please do share!

School Run

School run at home time.

With 2 kids.

On my own!

*pats self on back*

Syukur alhamdulillah it went safely and smoothly.

I have neither energy nor confidence for groceries and shopping with them without The Other Half. Maybe in 3 years' time!