It's Official

So we are leaving Japan for good in a couple of months and going back to Brunei. Our stuff will be shipped via sea freight, and I want to pack bit by bit starting now so that I don't get frustrated later on. Guess what were the first things that I decided to pack last Sunday? All my bento boxes, tools and stuff. Therefore, my sabbatical is hereby official. From making charaben, at least. I predict I may not be able to completely stop myself, and will need to vent out some creativity every now and then, so hopefully I'll have the time to do simple food art, MTMs and as such.

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I've been looking for natural food colouring in liquid form and finally found them at a new store in Lalaport Toyosu. Bringing them back for my bento adventures in Brunei.

Speaking of food art, check out Ida Frosk who makes super adorable, healthy breakfast. Inspiration!

Hop Hop Hop!

250113 Bunny boy idea is copied from a bento book

This bento consists of:

- Bunny Boy made from rice, a little bit of soya sauce, furikake, cheese, nori, and fried spaghetti stick.

- Beef rendang.

- Yellow cauliflower, mini tomatoes, and grapes.

- Carrot-shaped shiratama deco.

- Sago powder mixed with some Milo chocolate drink powder for the dirt.

P/S: This may or may not be my last bento for the time being. I predict I may need to go on a hiatus, as I need to start packing. Yes, packing. We are leaving Japan in a couple of months. Yes, we are leaving.  My bento stuff will be shipped via sea freight, so I may not get hold of them until after the middle of the year. Yes, I am sad. Please pray for their safe arrival.

Panda Invasion

I went on a small shopping spree last weekend, and it happens that all the things I bought share a panda theme. 

Cookie cutter (980Y) & sandwich maker (1260Y) were from Tokyu Hands and the Shiratama Dessert book (1200Y) was from Kinokuniya

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I made the panda mochi using the same shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) I used in yesterday's Hanami Dango bento. I also found the pagoda cauliflower during our weekend outing; it is the first time we have ever tried it and I have to say it is delicious! It tastes exactly like normal cauliflower, but sweeter. Yum!

Hanami Dango Mochi

One of the most popular Japanese dessert which we see all the time sold in the stores here is Hanami Dango Mochi. They are made from glutinous rice flour and is only very slightly sweetened. I bought a packet of the glutinous rice flour for the first time yesterday, and made mini-sized Hanami Dango Mochi. I think my daughter ate 6 sticks of them.

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Shiratamako (Glutinous rice flour)

A Birthday Cake Pooh You

Here's a joke:

A little boy goes up to his dad and says: "Dad, where does poo come from?" 

Dad explains that food enters the mouth and passes down the oesophagus to the stomach. There are digestive enzymes that induce a probiotic reaction in the alimentary canal to extract protein before the waste products descend via the colon and rectum to emerge as "poo." 

"Crikey!" says the little boy, "Where does Tigger come from then?"

180113 A birthday cake bento in honour of A.A. Milne's birthday today

Thank you for the cutest, hungriest, yellow bear ever!

While I was making the bento...

Join the party hosted by Biting the Hand That Feed You!

Because It's Been Too Cold

Tokyo rarely snows. Last year, it snowed (the not so heavy type) probably three times in mid February. So last weekend we went to Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata and had a great time. The very next day, Monday 14 January, the whole of Tokyo suddenly snowed. The heavy, snow-storm kind. For more than 24 hour straight. Pffftt. 

170113 Idea copied from a bento mag

The cold weather has been unbearable since it snowed. Makes me want to be at a warm, sunny beach right now, drinking some fresh coconut juice.

Miniature Fruits for Lunch

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The fruits are made of:

- Long beans for the grapes and cucumber for the stalk

- Baby corn, long bean and the leaf from broccoli for the corn

- Yellow pepper for the banana bunch

- Red pepper and cucumber for the cherry

- Orange pepper and the top of a cucumber for the orange/persimmon

While I was taking pictures of this bento, my daughter took hold of one of my bento magazines and went into the kitchen. She instructed my husband to do some chopping, and assembled this bento especially for me :D 

She tried to copy a Christmas tree bento from the mag

And yesterday, she made me a Thank you card.

She is so sweet, I think she is made of sugar. And just a little bit of vinegar :D

HERE COMES 2013

Apologies for being missing. Please don't ask whether I have been lazying around and thus not making any bentos. (Ashamed! >.<)

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Hello Kitty Snowman Sandwich is made of:

- Bread

- Cheese cut into shapes using a sketch as a guide, and coloured red for the bow, scarf and mittens

- Cheese cut using mini oval cutters and coloured black for the eyes and yellow for the nose and buttons

- Nori cut using a nori puncher for the whiskers

080113 An unplanned bento

The squirrel is made of:
- Carrots
- Black sesame seed for the eyes
- Pink denbu for the rosy cheeks

Have a great year ahead!!!