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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Bento week # 20

Some asked if i no longer doing bento
Some commented so long never see my bento updates

i'm drowning in guiltiness !!!

The answer is of course i'm still doing bento but it has obviously gone a different direction now with the transition the boys faced from attending kindy to the primary school since beginning of the year. Time was also trying very hard on me lately bcoz i had a super paranoid huby that 'forced' me into spending more time on the boys' homework & studies!! As much as he was happy with my blogging & bento life, he has no choice but to pressure me in foregoing my precious time spent on these 2 hobbies, as his boys' education is above anything !!! To a certain extend, i even felt 'stress' from the pressure he enforced albeit in an indirect mode!!!

I wasn't sure if it was officially a 'problem' but Scot has been reluctant to eat in school, for reason i've yet to ascertain despite much effort!! The same problem was not heard during his time in the kindy. His teacher as well as the 'cook' aunty used to tell me & my mom how many bowls of noodles/porridge both my boys ate. So meal time was never a worry.

Now that in their primary school, we enrolled the boys in the school meal for RM40 per month. With the school preparing meals to them (same way like in their kindy), apart from not wanting them to face much different from their life in kindy, i also do not want the boys to feel left out if they see their friends eating school foods & they are not.

At the same time, i would also prepared a light bento (mostly snack) :

- just as "add-on" should the school meal is too light or;

- serve as an "option" should the food on that particular day is rejected by their taste bud or;

- serve as "tummy-filler" during the 30-45mins after school
(with the traffic congestion during dismissal time, plus extra time spent searching for the boys who would run around & the journey travelling back home, my mom said it could easily takes this long to reach home before the lunch is serve) By then, it could already be 2pm or later.

I thought in that way, i need not have to worry about their meal. However, my recent discoveries proved me wrong. For the past whole month, everyday after work without fail, i would diligently question my boys separately what was the food served on that day. When both boys told the same answer, it means there was no lie. Next, i would asked if they finish the canteen food. Luckily my boys were franked in this regards (much to my surprise), they would tell how they disliked the food hence, did not eat them. Sometimes, there were also other excuses/answers provided. Then obviously i expected them to have eaten their bento instead but to my SHOCK, Scot DID NOT also touch his bento !!! It means this fella has been starving his little tummy from 7 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, a time when he would whacked a whole big plate of rice !!!

I'm fine if the bento came back intact but they finished the canteen food. But it was not so in my little Scot's case!! My heart really broke into pieces when again & again i came home to receive the same news. Sometimes i would rather he be not so frank....sigh!!! Kakak has been assigned the critical task of checking their lunch box first thing upon reaching home. Anyway, his big brother Sean would there to protest should he hears any lies from his little brother!!

Usually i would check Sean's comment & most of the time he would says:
" Neh Scot lar, he said he is full so he push his plate of food to me " and Sean whalloped them at times, slaphead!!

I felt extremely bad with what Scot has been enduring, i wonder if the food by the canteen COOK was really that SUCKS !! I wonder if Scot was not feeling easy with the adjustments he has to endure!! See the poor fella is getting more & more skinny as compare to that MEATY Sean !!!
I need not have to tell who has rounder face, do I??

Anyway, with the restrictions faced in the current situation, i don't have many choices in the selection of food for the boys' bento!! Anything too cheesy, too milky would not be tolerable. Anything is to be consumed fresh is totally out. Time endurance is an important factor. That maybe why my bento also sucks in taste lately.....

To combat his recent problem, during bedtime, i would even threaten them & began telling 'liar stories' on how his stomach would be visited by all the worms & insects if there are no nutrients, and how his stomach would started to break if there are no food for it to work which leads to gastric and such....LOL LOL, terrible liar mom !!!

Anyhow, as a mother, i can only try, try & try again....giving him a simple bento to encourage Scot to eat. I'm going to show a whole list of the simple bento for the boys & you tell me if they r really such dampening to the appetite !!??

Chocolate bread slice alternating with butterscotch bread tied up in a gift with cheese slice, with quill eggs & baby mandarin oranges!! **too bad untouched too **
Btw, i bought these 2 TOMICA lunch boxes recently from NST's booth at Desa park city Waterfront....that was a lovely place to stay man ....!!

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Fried rice la

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Sweet French toast, gummy sweets, almond chocolate & baby mandarin orange!!

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The above green box was obviously for SCOT as i've purposely slipped in 2 bbq driedmeat sandwiches for him with loads of other tummy fillers!!

Unlike the below blue box which was meant for SEAN, i didn't gave him the sandwich as i knew he eats canteen food, just some 'extras' !!!


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more snacks here

sausage, kiwis, fried fillet & car shaped rice

dipping biscuit sticks, seaweed rice crackers & edamame

yoghurt drink, grapes, fried fillet & macademia nuts

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At one point, i felt so unmotivated until i had to resort to making SUPER MINI SANDWICHES like the below.....it was only a triangle sushi mould (now....am sure u know how small it is)

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Even, yummillicious cakes like the below also were not appreciated. A customer bought them to our office last Thursday & each of us had 3 pieces. I only dare to take a bite of each, can die if i eat them all. So i cute them into smaller pieces for the boys but also untouched. They were only whacked after their piano & drama _ speech class which ended at 9:15 on Friday night. The class started at 7:30 pm, a time their stomachs said too early for dinner so they went to the class empty stomach too (as they ate their lunch quite late)


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That's THE END of the snack bentos for the boys !!!

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I'm sorry if i had already blurred your vision with the bento marathon above!!
But i'm not about to finish yet. As i really dunno when i would have time & energy to post these if i don't skali do it now.....continue posting more bentos photos for you to drool.....

I'm way far out from calling myself a bentoist as i don't follow the rules at all.
No recipes, no instructions .....no tutorials!!
All i mind was to make FUN with bento then post them up here (lest there are ppl who appreciate them)

Again, these are ADULTS BENTO (not for my kids, ok!!!)


Easy peasy LYCHEE Fried rice with "Ah Pek" & "Ah Moi" (fishballs & taufu skin) sitting on a pool of ladies fingers


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Yam rice with sweet & sour meat ball, some filamen sticks & flower egg sheets!!
Some macademia nuts (thks unc.Bob for this) & raisins as appetizer!!



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Sweet potatoe rice, weiners with brocollis!!
a buffalo wings & some curry potatoes on a pool of stir fried cabbage!!

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Macademia nuts + raisins + lettuce = GREAT SALAD
Bitterguard chickens to go with the moulded rice
I was clearly seen clearing off my DENBU (the pinkish thingy on the pooh cheeks)


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On days i needed more GREENS .....


This time, i'm really ending this super long bento post !!!
Hope i've contributed some ideas there.....

Happy Bentoing !!!

Happy Valentine's Day !!

HELLO,

Here's wishing everyone (be it single, attached, married couple, young or old) be showered with
LOTS & LOTS OF LOVEssss
not only today but through out this 'ox'spicious year!!!

With the recent spending in the various greeting seasons/festives together with the current economy turmoil, i am in no mood of throwing any celebration for this unimportant date, hahaha
Thank god, we both has the same consensus of dropping this event from our celebration plan as there are simply many more important dates to cherish !!!
Some more, with those 'sponsors' made on my recent "vacations saga", i've no heart to ask for more....blek !!!

But am still glad that my 'ah beng' still took some trouble to get this super pinkish & sweety card, though he kept nagging how expensive cards are today, grrrrr .... :(

Wonder if it was because of this simple VALENTINE's BENTO i made for him yesterday??? it was rare to see him burst into a laugh over my bento
**wink wink**
*** so easy to please him ***
(left over rice, unfinished raisins by kids, long overdue sausages....tsk tsk tsk)

STAY LOVELY DOVEY today yeah.....

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !!


Thursday, February 12, 2009

More CNY BLOGGERS gatherings......

It was Mar-07 that i started blogging and in a short span of 1 year++, i managed to befriend many beautiful women (i think mostly mummies except min-min 'siu cheh')!!

They may be different in their own style & character....from funny, humourous, gila-gila, cheerful, super friendly, serious to even quiet but all of whom are genuine people seeking for true friendship....just like me!!! i'm so glad that i found my fellow blogging friends!!

This CNY, i had 2 rounds of bloggers gathering, some whom i had met before & there were also some for the first time.

Peggy & Christene mentioned about a picnic sometime back during our earlier meet-up & that eventually led in one during the CNY, on the 7th ('yan hat' i.e. everyone's birthday) at
Taman Rimba Kiara located at TTDI !!

Apart from peggy family, chris & annie-q with their kids, Barbara also came with her huby & lil Ashley whom i met for the 1st time. Great that our friendship officially started from here....haha


Everyone was to contribute a dish or something but as it was a brunch session (around 11 a.m.) i wasn't convinced to be able to cook in that short morning, some more have to think of a dish that was friendly to be consumed at the park!! So safe that i just 'tapao' / packed something over.... less stress & less hassle!!
So it was 'dim sum' that i brought.....fish balls & siew mai!!

btw, sorry for d styrofoam yea....kittycat, i tapao wan ma & hardly thot of bring own container for that purpose, haha

Superwoman peggy cooked 'lor mai farn'/glutinous rice despite that she had to go church before proceeding to the park....phew, wonder what time she had to start cooking, super or not??
Barbara brought char siew pao....thank god i didn't duplicate (only got a few 'paos' to fill my boys' tummy in the car on our journey)

superwoman amah looked veli sslim in this pic...so i gotta post, haha
Annie brought drummets, chic wings & wedgers....good snack for the kids PLUS some cute tulip & flower carrot...the only bento styled dish seen, hahaFinally, Christene brought a basket full of fresh fruits but i forgot pic ....

Peggy was there early & when we arrived, kieran was already playing badminton with his dady. I should have thought of bringing my boys' racket too.....sigh.....as my notty scot was seen 'fighting' over for the racket with poor kylie, sorry girl, kor-kor very notty!! Good thing lil kylie was strong too....didn't let the kor-kor bully!! Scot cried a little but the episod got over very quickly coz he was then seen running about in the park again with Sean & Kieran! Bet the 3 bigger boys had a great time monkeying together!! I wonder if annie's boys (fearles n cruz) could get along with the big kor-kors? But the seemed to enjoy the nature of the park!!

Initially my ah beng lou kung was shy to join in (as we thot it was all ladies ma) though he was a bit worried over the idea of having picnic at the park.......

he said: "not sked of robbery ahh" hahaha....my huby just thinks too much!! After i told him that peggy's & barb's hubbies also around, then only he crawled over!!! So there were 3 men guarding us the angels !!

There was a pond nearby to the shade where we settled and i guess all mummies like me do worried over the kids playing by the side. Luckily there were several 'kakak' around to mind the kids so we can at least had a peaceful mind eating & chatting !!! When there wasn't any topic that we would avoid, it means the 'click' was there!!!

Here are the 2 Ashleys of Chris & Barb. Despite having met Chris 2 times earlier, i have never met her lil Ashley as her mumy claimed she can only managed 1 without the maid, so it was Kimberly that she brought along each time :P) So finally had a chance to meet this cutie pie.....both Ashley(s) are such sweety in their own way, aunty here dropping saliva, slurrrrp !!!

Unfortunately, i had to made it short & left around 1:30pm as i had another full moon lunch party to attend...thank god not too far away at B.U.

here's the group photo


It was a great outing, i certainly enjoyed it.

Most of them had already blogged about this & here i seemed to be the laziest one!!
barbara's , annie's , christene's different versions

more photos from my camera here:








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The following Saturday, i attended another bloggers' gathering at WEN's place. Some of you might have know this pretty tai-tai has recently renovated her house!! During that period, i casually teased her if she gonna show us her newly transformed home and little that i expect that our initial conversation would turned into a fun & enjoyable bloggers' meet-up!! Your place was great for hosting btw.....esp. the playroom that kept the kids busying!!

We agreed on a pot luck session & in order to gather a good combination of dishes (for both adults & kids), there were series of emails exchanged to finally arrived at the menu list!!

With the exception of ginie & wen, it was my first time meeting Paik Ling, JO-N & Chanel. Only JO-N & myself brought our hubbies along ..... guess they survived the boredom!! Naturally men took longer time to "boil" than we women, agree??


I brought along yee sang from spring garden, klcc as without it, the atmosphere wouldn't be that CNY which always associate with noise !!!!

... you can see the face of the 2 hosts below ...


our potluck dishes

Since i read that none of the rest actually published the beautiful dishes the ladies cooked up/bought, i shall take up this pleasure task :

wen jokingly said that the theme of the pot luck was "chinese lunch" so i ma followed the theme & cooked up a pot of "LAP MEI FARN" ..... geee.... good that u guys helped me to clear my stock of chinese sausages, 'lap ngap', 'yun cheong'!!! I so freaking scared that we had to finish them all by ourselves (these unhealthy stuffs were bought by my mom actually) , hahaha

WEN cooked "LONGEVITY NOODLE"...the main food that kids survived in !!

The 'leng lui' host also fried chicken drumsticks for all.


next is a HIGHLIGHT.....

GINIE bought ROTI JALA from kajang, near her place which i suppose must be a famous delicacy over there.... coz it was so DARN DELICIOUS lar (roti so soft & curry so rich). My fussy mouth huby whacked so much of them, they tasted even tastier the next day (too much of food until all of us have to pack home some). My huby agreed that we can consider getting this for any party in d future, haha



Paik Ling mui despite not feeling too good can also fried some NUGGETS...the kids' all time favourite!!


Some treats for the kiddos....!!
coconut agar-agar, gummy sweets, chocolates & cookies


JO-N made us some rich FRUIT SALADS


some familiar faces
THE pretty HOST & Iris

Chanel & her kids

sorry...i really can't resist but to comment here, this lady is such a funny & talkative lady (just like paik ling & wen)...... except that it was VERY VERY MUCH opposed to the impression she gave by just reading her blog.....hehehe

now, how true the phrase "never judge a book by its' cover"....hahaha

i super like this shot......so candid & these 2 shy-shy & 'si man' mummies (JO-N & Ginie) were seen laughing so happily (your basket bag so cute.....)


arghhhh...... look so engrossed the boys are!!!

I reckoned that all the kids were very angelic that afternoon as there were no sign of fighting/screaming/crying seen or heard......phew isn't it a relief??

That certainly left all the mummies chatting their way out peacefully......so much of laughter & noises heard from the dining table where the ladies gathered instead.....LOL !!!!


Before dismissing.....we managed to snap a few shots of the group ....courtesy of kakak!!



awwww.....see the 2 pretty sweeties !!! (thks jo-n for d honour...u know wat i mean!!)

That was a memorable time for us & like everyone else, i look forward to many more of such wonderful moments in the future!!

HAPPY BLOGGING FOLKS !!