Bento #111

I bought a packwich maker from BHG toys (!!) department. It allows me to make really cute sandwiches! However, you need to buy the right bread. Your normal Gardenia and Sunshine bread won't work because you will be wasting half the bread. I found the right size in a neighbourhood confectionery. Each slice of bread is also thick enough for me to half it so that I can make the packwich. For the ones you see above, one of them has tuna mayo (left over from yesterday's baguette) and the other was kaya filling. I still wasted 1/4 of the bread although I got the most suitable sized ones. But they are really quite cute, aren't they? I need to press the roller really hard in order to get a clean cut. Otherwise the bread will have some untidy edges as I need to tear them away from the mould.

The biscuit cookie with a girl's face was also from the same confectionery I bought the bread.

Check out your neighbourhood shops! You may just get the unexpected things you need for your bento!

Bento #110

I have been eating quite a lot of bread lately because, strangely, I can manage my weight better if I take bread for lunch! Most nutritionists frown at too much carbo intake but it works for me. Well.

So I made a tuna mayo baguette sandwich today. The NTUC I went to didn't have fresh butterhead so I bought some chinese lettuce to substitute. Yucks. It tastes awful! In the future I would prefer not to have any greens in my bento if I cannot find fresh vegetables!

Other than the lettuce, the Gardenia baguette tastes good! Just pop into the oven and heat them up for 3mins at 210deg Celsius. Inside the baguette was some Japanese cucumber, a slice of tomato and some baco bits. I forgot to add pepper. Aiyah. In order to keep the bread dry, I wrap them up so that I can put the fruits in the same box. It is also quite a good idea because it'll be less messy when you eat the sandwich.

Top: Clement's bento. Bottom: mine. I had my fruits in another box because it was a big portion. I take fruits during my morning tea break. After so much food during CNY and partying with friends, I need to clear my intestines.

Bento #109

I am simply too tired to come up with new bento designs. I am posting this just to prove that yes I am still making bentos but they are repeat/ boring ones so there's no big deal.

I need some motivation to create new bento designs... maybe I need more new bento boxes?

Oh, by the way, have you tried sugar prunes? They are delicious!!!

IN-the papers

The interview that was conducted 2 weeks ago is on the Straits Time today. It is in the centre page of the students' section "In". It stirred up some level of INterest among the students and my colleagues.

Hurhur.

Bento #108 -- Straits Times Interview

I was approached by Straits Times to be interviewed for bento making. It is for the students' section which comes along with the Monday papers.

The task for me is to make a healthy bento for Jaimie. I didn't have time to think about what to do except that I will be making cheese sandwich for her. In fact, until I cut out the bunny and bear shapes from the bread, I was still unsure of what to do with them! As I was arranging the bears and bunnies in the box, and putting in the greens, an idea struck me. I shall make a bento called "Friends of the Jungle"! I used my food picks with jungle animal heads to poke onto the fruits and tomatoes. Then, I further decorate it with some accessories with animal theme.

See! You should not just buy what you need. You should stock up your stuff (Read: No Guilt Shopping) and they will come in handy when you need them. :D

This is the bento for Jaimie.

Finally I get to take a picture with Carmen, the person whom I have been corresponding with for the past few months for the bento-making sessions with Health Promotion Board and Razor TV. Thanks, Carmen! It's really nice to know you!

Jaimie and Carmen taking a photo together before Jaimie ran off to polish off the fruits in her bento box. I was rather surprised that she chose to eat the honey cherry tomotoes first.
The next bento-making event should be in June. It is going to be an in-house parent and child bento-making session for an organisation.

It was really beyond my imagination that I will be conducting bento making sessions. It all started off with my book. I merely used my bentos to link up my stories in the book but the attention now is focused on my bentos rather than my writing. Hmmm... in fact, I think I write better than I make bentos. :D

HPB & Angie's Bento Making Session

Finally, the day we have been planning together with Health Promotion Board is HERE! The bento making session is held at Cairnhill Community Centre from 10.30pm-1pm.


As usual, I hired my buddies as my part time maids. On my left is Wolfgirl, otherwise known as Yati during the session. On my right is Joyce, who prefers the name Maria. :D The third maid was late because she was making seaweed egg rolls at home and shelling 20 eggs and 15 quail eggs. We set up the stations for bread, vegetables, fruits etc and stick the bento pictures on the window panes for "teaching purposes". Well, I am a teacher by profession what. :D

Preparing the food before the event starts.

The lovely organisers from Edelman and Health Promotion Board. From the left: Farhana, Letty, LiRu, me, Vanessa and Suelyn. Such nice people they are! Angela was busy so we didn't ask her to join in the picture. Carmen was the main person who corresponded with me and she is on annual leave during this period. Pity that I do not have a picture taken with her. :(

My 3rd helper was finally here with the rice and the eggs.

First to arrive, LEVINE AND IVAN!! Levine is also the FIRST person to place her order for my first book and first to collect it from me. THANK YOU, Levine, for giving me so much support!

2 major groups of my friends came for the session-- my mommy/ blogging friends and my ex-colleagues. These 2 groups of friends are frequently mentioned in this blog. They are no stranger to one another and now they meet the real person!

Letty giving a 15 mins presentation on healthy eating.

My turn to take over to conduct the hands on workshop. I was a little nervous. Forgot that I should introduce myself a little more, forgot to mention about my blog, forgot to emphasize on the 2+2 part...

Oh well.

Being a teacher, I am quite good at "smoking" my way through. Heehee.

Showing the participants how we can "make fun" from the eggs.

Each participant gets a goodie bag with lots of goodies! 2 nice bento boxes, some bento making tools, a recipe book from HPB and my book. :D

Idy checking out the bento kit. She had bad a allergy reaction and her eyes were completely swollen. Yet she still came after going to the doctor for a jab. Thanks for your support, Idy! Hope you are okie now!

Sharing my bentoing experience and my favourite tool.

Showing (off) my collection of bento tools. :D

Hands on time! Some participants have bentoing experience while some are totally new. For those who had no idea how to start, I showed them how to make rice cubes with cute faces.

The only male participant, Philip, aka Koropok Man. He is GOOD at making bentos!

Leonny's kids enjoyed helping their mommy too!

I went around to help and to give some suggestions on how to enhance their bentos or showed them how to use the bento tools. Most were very fascinated by the nori punchers.

Viv and Joyce with their creations.

Nice bentos, aren't they!

From left: HappyPig, Violet and Jessica.

From left: Ai Wei and Merlin, the 2 beauty queens. Merlin is not in her top form now because she is 7 mths preggie. She is THE fashion diva, I tell you!

My wonderful, wonderful friends!

We cleaned up the place by 1pm, took a few group shots and went for the lunch reception.

I had a lot of fun doing this workshop and it is definitely an unique experience for me! I hope those who turned up had fun too! It would be great if we can have a slightly longer session and I will be able to share more of my bentoing experience. Nonetheless, I hope more people will enjoy making bentos for their loved ones, sharing food, sharing joy, building love and friendship!

Bento #107

My Mayday buddy YH came back for her summer break and bought me this unique and oh-so-prettyyyyyyy bento box! I am using it as my fruit box for today's bento.

I made 3 simple bentos for my dept colleagues. They have been so nice to me since I joined the new school. This is just my way of showing appreciation and building friendship.

Last but not least, this is for Clement. Lots of fruits to start off the day healthily. I always love the contrasting colours in the fruit platter.

Bento #106

Simple hotdog bento. My next 2 weeks are going to be really busy because of CNY and some deadlines. I hope I still have time and energy to make bentos!

Bento #105

Bento east meets west.

Wholemeal spiral pasta with chicken cubes, mushroom and jalapeno fried in oyster sauce. I added water into the chicken when they were 3/4 done and thicken the sauce with corn starch. That makes my sauce for the pasta.

It tastes oriental. :) Another easy and quick recipe.