Thursday 30 April 2015

Flower Sausage Tutorial


I manage to snap few shots for the sausage step by step. This is using half of the sausage to create a flower. It also apply to whole sausage with the same step to create another flower patterns. Click HERE to visit my flower bento using whole sausage. For this half sausage, I follow the steps from one of the Japanese Sausage Book that I purchased during my Japan trips. To view the "Lion Bento" click HERE ^_^ 

 
  • Boil the sausage and after cooked just cut into half.
 
  • Use knife to cut each gap in 1cm or less. Is up to you and make sure the gap line not near to each other.
  •  After you have cut the lines will look like the above photo.



  • Turn into circle to get flower design. 

I shared the above tutorial at my Instagram. Hope you have fun making or you may check out this Japanese sausage book that can get it from Kinokuniya Bookstore. To view the book just visit my Flower Bento LINK.

Bento2015#Apr30~Lion Bento

Is been quite long that I don't purchase sausages. I might just give them one sausage for their bento once awhile won't harm right? Today I'm sharing some tutorial sausage too and you can visit at HERE. I managed to snap some step by step with poor quality =_=" Hope you able to understand. I get this lion sausage ideas from one the Japanese sausages tuturial.
  
Here the close up lion sausages. The head make from fishballs, sausage, crabstick and nori. I didn't secure the sausage with spaghetti since it stay so firm after I arrange on top of the rice :p 
 
For side dishes have gyoza, pea sprouts, pan-fried quail egg and checker apple at another lion container.  

I hope you today's bento sharing and I'm using Monbento lunch box ^_^ Have a nice day!
 

monbento bentos & accessories

Wednesday 29 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr29~Miffy Thermos Bento

Quick and easy bento for today using thermos set, my sweetie girl always love to use separate container thermos set ^_^ But give me a headache due to limited space for decoration  =_=" 
Luckily I have Miffy cookie cutter! Yay, help me a lot that I don't have to think at all or create! haha....
 
Here's the close up Miffy ^_^ I use cheese since the bottom are rice. Add furikake at side and lay the Miffy cheese on top. For red dress, I use crabstick (red part). Easy right? Cut out nori for Miffy face details. All done!
 
As for side dishes have pea sprouts, eggplants and minced meat. Some grapes for dessert ^_^

Gosh..... Makes me hungry after took the pictures :p

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr28~Tomato Rose

It's Tuesday again! Quick and simple fried rice for her lunch ^_^ I didn't make any cute character but just simple tomato rose for decoration :p 

In my fried rice, I stir-fried the garlic and oinion then add in overnight rice, fishballs and eggs, some soy sauce and ketchup for flavours.

For decoration: Cut out the tomato skin by just turn around with the knife or you may check the tutorial from YouTube ^_^ I learned from there! As for cucumber leaf can just hop over my tutorial pictures HERE or search from YouTube ^_^ 

Monday 27 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr27~Jackie The Bear School

Yesterday was my daughter's 11th Birthday and I didn't host big party celebration. Just eat out together with my side of family and my in-law side ^_^ How time flies that in my heart I treated her as my baby :p Since her birthday was yesterday no school no bento so I replaced this cute birthday bento for today's lunch. Oh why not Hello Kitty? Hehehe..... she already got a Hello Kitty birthday cake so I thought for a change making this cute Jackie bear instead. I have the cookie cutter so just make use of it! Simple and quick!

Here is the close up Jackie the bear school ^_^ Just fill up the rice and add the cookie cutter for each side. The top left Jackie, I fill up with minced meat. As for the top right Jackie opposite way ^_^ I don't add all minced meat for the right side, at the bottom is rice and cover up with some minced meat. Lastly, add on the nori details.
 
For side dishes have broccoli, carrots, egg rolls and Jackie make from mashed potato :)
 
Finally add some birthday decorations and balloons for birthday girl ^_^ 

Hope you like today's sharing :)

Friday 24 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr24~Bento&Co Sandwich Bento 2015 Contest

Did you see the result from Bento&Co Sandwich Bento Contest at FB? My sandwich bento are among the 10 finalists! I was so excited to spot my sandwich at FB and couldn't believe it! This is my 3rd times to participate Bento&Co contest. Is a challenging and fun making whenever I decided to joined in the contest each year. 

So this year theme is about creating sandwich. If you follow my blog, I hardly make sandwiches bento for my daughter lunch. Pretty hard to think or create and the rules that Bento&Co looking for.... really need to do some homework on it! So this round, I focus on the sandwich. I love my sandwiches with eggs fillings so I get the idea of creating "EGGS" sandwiches ^_^ Different kind of eggs such as hard boiled eggs, century eggs and quail eggs! Yums! I toasted whole wheat bread and trim for the perfect sizes. Here's my sandwich ingredients:
  •  6 pieces of whole wheat bread (toasted)
  • 1 hard boiled egg (large and I use kampung egg)
  • 1 century egg
  • 2 quail eggs (for extra touch to make chicks)
  • lettuce/tomatoes/cheese/mayonnaise
  • orange and grapes as well cut out tomato rose for decoration
Not forgetting create some cute chicks but I focus on the sandwiches for taking photos. Because that's the main contest. Well, to create yellow quail egg simply soak at turmeric water and remember to stir. As for the other two-tone quail egg, I soak half and leave some white part. The dark brown color, I mix water and some black food colouring but after soaking the color wasn't black =_="

Arrange neatly for each sandwiches into the Monbento box and filled up the rest of the side dishes. Next, is the photo takings! I took countless shots.... really a lot and only can pick ONE for the contest. Oh gosh.... how I wish can submit more than one with different angles... hahaha....

Thank you for reading my posts and if you like my sandwich bento or view more delicious sandwiches bento from other finalists. Just click HERE to vote. Only one vote for per person and will end on April 27th (Monday). Thank you so much for your support and appreciate bottom of my heart. Hugs!

Congratulation to all 10 finalist and click HERE to view two winners ^_^ Super amazing!

Thursday 23 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr23~Rilakkuma & Friends

Bought some eggplants so today's bento I add some eggplants for kids lunch ^_^ They love it! I spend quite some time on cooking so to make a theme bento, I just use mashed potatoes to decorate as Rilakkuma & Korilakkuma. It was pretty rush but luckily still manage to get it done before send them to school. Phew!
 
Here is the close up Rilakkuma & Korilakkuma make from mashed potatoes/nori/ketchup. As for Kiiroitori make of quail egg soak with turmeric water to get the yellow touch :)

For side dishes have pan-fried salmon, eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower and grapes ^_^ 

Gosh....makes me hungry too! Lol! Bon-appetit!

Wednesday 22 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr22~Dear Daniel & Hello Kitty

Don't have enough overnight rice for my girl lunch bento so I cooked Hello Kitty pasta instead. All rice go to my son's lunch box ^_^ I'm using this two-tier Hello Kitty lunch box that I think kept inside the cabinet for so long..... due to two-tier, I can't decorate my Hello Kitty theme big so I make two mini Dear Daniel & Hello Kitty mashed potatoes for it. Fit nicely into the lunch box.
 
Here is the close up Dear Daniel & Hello Kitty mashed potatoes. After cooked the Hello Kitty pasta mix with tomato puree, I pour all to the lunch box and decorate broccoli and cauliflower along the side. Lastly, I add Dear Daniel and Hello Kitty on top. I make Dear Daniel mashed potato holds a flower to give Kitty-chan ^_^ Well, I will removed the food picks after I've took the photos because my girl prefers to eat straight away rather than removing the picks during her lunch break :) 
 
This is the 2nd tier container, I add pan-fried fish fillet (one piece fillet and cut into half for my son's lunch box), broccoli, cauliflower and tamagoyaki. Punch out Hello Kitty nori using puncher. Luckily have the puncher that can save me a lot of time for cutting the nori. Haha...

Ta-da..... hope you like this cute couple ^_^ Thank you for reading and have a lovely day!

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr21~Hello Kitty Fishball

Quick and easy lunch for today ^_^ I cooked fried rice and just decorate the fishball as Hello Kitty. To make it cute, I add small My Melody mug miniature to beautify the whole theme bento. Lovely right? 
 
Here is the close up Hello Kitty fishball. I cut the fishball into half and use the white part for Hello Kitty. Punch out the nori details and just add onto the fishball. Cheese for nose or you may use eggsheet. Filled up the body and ears and arm to hold the mug ^_^ Simple and quick!  By the way, the Melody miniature mug is Re-Ment toys that I bought during my Japan Trips :)
 
It's Tuesday so I don't have to prepare a lot of foods for her. This kawaii Hello Kitty fried rice surely brighten up her day! Hope  you like it too!

Monday 20 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr20~Doll Girl Bento

Recently bought online mipad case for my 小米mipad ^_^ So today's lunch inspired by the cute doll mipad case. Pretty easy to make and just need to create two huge eyes for the doll :D

To make the doll, I mix some ketchup to the rice for the face onigiri and wrap nori as part of the hair. Make another two onigiri for the hair bun and body. The huge eyeballs make of kombu (freehand scissor cut out) and I add white rice as the inner eyes to make it sparkling :) Fill up the nori details for the rest of the eyebrows and body details. I didn't follow the exactly picture from the mipad case. Just modify it as simple as possible ^_^

For side dishes have pea sprouts, gyoza, two-toned tamagoyaki, carrots and oranges.

I hope you like today's sharing :) Have a lovely day!

Thursday 16 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr16~Baymax Hello Kitty

My daughter requested Hello Kitty pasta so instead of decorate the quail egg into Kitty-chan, I make Baymax!!! Hahaha....trying to make Baymax quail egg disguise as Hello Kitty but look weird right or can't see the difference :)
 
Here's the closer look of my Baymax Hello Kitty quail egg. Just add nori for all the details and add red ribbon as HK ^_^ Tomato Hello Kitty pasta for her lunch and extra sauce will be at another sauce container.
 
Side dishes hav pea sprouts, chicken star-shaped nuggets and grapes.

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr15~Tigger Bento

Hello I'm Tigger but I don't have extra alphabet "G" for the alphabet picks =_=" So I just add it anyway since Tigger look like tiger right? Haha.... 
This is my first attempt making Tigger kyaraben. Quite tricky while shaping the rice but I think I get a "PASS" for it ^_^  

To make Tigger, I mix the rice with tomato ketchup and start to shape. First, I make the white face then add the nose on top. Slowly add the orange rice on top to create Tigger. Freehand scissor cut out the black stripes and other details. 
After done Tigger face, I put the face first then add the body and arms. Next, fill up the holes with pea sprouts and other side dishes at the side.
 
For side dishes have homecooked chicken fillets, pan-fried potato Tiggers and ketchup scramble eggs. I also use Tigger cookie cutter to cut the apple since the potato Tigger not clear after pan-fried.

I hope you will like today's Tigger Bento ^_^ Normally, I will pack my son's lunch box first since is non-kyaraben :D I don't cooked other dishes but just use whatever dishes that I pack for my daughter.

Here's the simple lunch box bento for my son. I just arrange neatly onto the thermos lunch box. Looks like few more years, I'm going to pack the exactly same non-kyaraben for my daughter's bento too! Sob sob.....

Thanks for reading my blog ^_^ Have a lovely day!

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr14~Little My & Moomin

Today's simple lunch I make sushi rolls. Lack of motivation to follow the sushi foodart recipe book =_=" So just create simple one for their lunch :p To make it nice, I add Little My & Moomin using cheese for decoration on top of the sushi rolls.
 
For my sushi rolls, I mix the rice with furikake, Japanese cucumber, tamagoyaki, maoyannaise and nori.
For Little My & Moomin, I freehand scissor cut out nori for all the details and trim out the cheese with toothpick.
*Note: To cut out the nori, I use trim eyebrow scissor. You may view the tools HERE.
 
Along the side dish just cut out pan-fried chicken fillet (I use chicken breast marinate with soy sauce, cornflour then pan-fried it by dipping the egg wash & breadcrumbs)
Some grapes (my girl never get bored with grapes and my son prefers oranges) I pack sushi rolls for my son as well except with decoration :D

Hope you like today's sharing ^_^ Have a lovely day! 

Monday 13 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr13~My Melody Mashed Potato

Kids request for fried rice so I cooked tomato egg fried rice ^_^ To create a theme, I use mashed potato to make My Melody as decoration since I'm using the Melody lunch box. I prefer to follow the lunch box character unless the box is plain then I will create other theme.
 
Arrange the tomato egg fried rice into the box first then add My Melody mashed potato on top. I mix some sakura denbu and little bit of ketchup together with the mashed potato to create pink touch. Shape it by using hands (wet hands) then add the original mashed potato as face. Punch out some nori eyes/mouth and cheese for nose. Lastly, I add some broccoli to brings out My Melody more stunning ^_^ 
 
For side dishes have broccoli, meat patties and oranges.
 
I hope you like this My Melody bento and pretty easy to create simple cartoon by using mashed potato. Have fun making when you've potatoes at home :)

Thursday 2 April 2015

Bento2015#Apr02~Easter Kumamon

This will be final Easter Bento because next week my kids will have their mid term school holidays break and that will be my bento break as well ^_^ I'm counting the days..... hahaha.... not to said I dislike to make bento but I just want to have a longer sleep without morning call at 5.45am =_="

Back to my easter bento, I make Kumamon Bento with mama chick and baby chicks for easter theme. 
To create Kumamon, just add rice onto the box and I sprinkle some furikake on top before I cover with seaweed. I use Kumamon cutter to cut out the cheese details and finish up with ketchup for cheeks ^_^ Also make two ears for Kumamon by freely using toothpick to cut out the cheese.
 
Mama chick make of scallop fishcake, nori and carrot. 
Baby chick make of tamagoyaki, nori and carrot.
Some prawns and pea sprout for side dishes.
Grapes as dessert.
 
Here is the Kumamon cutter set that I've use. Bought it during my Japan trips ^_^

I hope you like this simple Easter Kumamon Bento.