Keep Sliced Apples Fresh

Source: Michelle's Journal

Just wanted to share with you what I discovered while googling how to make apple slices fresh for school, picnics or snacks on the go.  I usually would pack them in an airtight container, such as Ziploc bags.  I squeeze out as much air as I could that leaves the bag hugging the apples tightly.  That works really great.  But you would just have to re-seal it back (as tight as possible) for some leftovers.  For kids, they can't do that unless you train them.

Another easy way is by soaking the apple slices in ginger ale for 10 minutes, or any lemon-lime soda.  Most moms suggested apple juice since it's apple.  It doesn't alter the taste at all.  They still taste apples!

Thank you everyone!! Have a great thanksgiving holiday.

Bento Weekly - Round 6

It'd be a short week this week because of Thanksgiving Holiday.  My son's school would have only 2-days of school for the week.  Wednesday would be their school's first Furlough day.  A good time to spend extra-day of Thanksgiving holiday with the kids at home.  I could use extra help completing my shopping list for Thanksgiving dinner.  More little hands to help prepare for lunch & dinner, which means lesser time in the kitchen, or maybe not.  But tons of wonderful time with the kids.  For working parents, it might mean more time for the kids to spend at daycare or with grandma.  Whichever it is, I hope they would have a great deal of fun.  

Nov 21 (Monday): Corn kernels with bacon bits, chicken strips,
and red grapes.  BBQ on smidgets.

Nov 22 (Tuesday): My home-made pizza bagels with bacon bits.
Oven-baked cheese crackers and oranges on the side.

See you next week!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) - Tutorials

As I was searching online for bento ideas, I have come across of Onigiri.  They are Japanese Rice Balls with Nori sheets.  My children loves Nori with rice.  They love sushi rolls.  But I'd like to create new items and shapes to their lunches to make it more interesting and appealing to their appetites.  I think Onigiri might be a good twist/alternative to the usual sushi rice they are bringing in school.

Bento Weekly - Round 5

Nov 14 (Monday): Cheese Pizza Bagels, Red Grapes
and baked cheese crackers.

Nov 15 (Tuesday): Beef Quesadilla, rolled turkey deli,
and mandarin orange.

Nov 16 (Wednesday): Beefballs and steamed rice,
and diced kiwi.  Ketchup on smidgets.

Nov 17 (Thursday): Chicken Nuggets with BBQ,
baked cheese crackers, plum wedges.

Nov 18 (Friday): It's Sack Lunch for FieldTrip day.
He brought his Luncheables to fieldtrip this time.
They're not allowed to bring any container that needs
to be brought back home.  He brought with him bottled
water too.  Everything must be in a disposable container.

I would have to apologize for posting this late.  I have been very busy with my daughter's upcoming birthday party.  Been moving around to shop for stuffs for hand-made and home-made party favors.  She's planning on dressing everyone fairy so that's pretty difficult to put together especially if you have limited resources.  But I'll see what I can do.  I'll post if it turned out pretty good.  Wish me luck!

I'll see you this Friday to post the rest of my bentos for this week.  It's not that too many, since their Thanksgiving holiday starts on Wednesday.  So I'd probably post it earlier if it wouldn't get too busy with the preparation & all.

Have a happy thanksgiving if I don't catch you before thanksgiving is over.   I'm so grateful to have you as support for my preparation & packing healthy lunches for my family.

Ginger Ale

Ginger Ale is a carbonated drink that has the taste of a beer or wine.  It provides several medicinal benefits, which can be seen below.

Ginger ales come in two varieties: "golden" and "dry". Golden ginger ale is dark colored, generally sweet to taste, with a strong ginger spice flavor. It is the older style and there is little or no difference between this and nonalcoholic versions of ginger beer. Many believe golden ginger ale is a form of ginger beer brought into North America by migrants from Eastern Europe, where it had been known for centuries. Golden ginger ale, like ginger beer, is mainly consumed as a soda type drink in its own right.

An Afternoon Tea Party Playdate

Every little girl's dream is to become a princess and dine in royal parties and waltz all night long.  So why not give them a chance to be princesses for a day to celebrate their big dream and imagination all together.  Tea parties are for girls who love dress-ups and teas.  We threw a tea party playdate for our little girls and their preschool friends at another's mom's place last Saturday afternoon. It was not just any ordinary tea party.  We had them dressed-up with Sunday clothes and shoes.  Invitations were sent. Place cards were placed on a table of 8 with mantels and napkins.  Teas were served on hand-painted porcelain tea-pots.  Each girl had their own porcelain tea cups and saucers.  Fancy, isn't it?

Tea table set-up for our 8 little girls.  Complete with porcelain tea-cups and saucers, napkin wrapped utensils on porcelain plates, place cards and a flower bouquet centerpiece.

Quinoa: Not just another grain.

Quinoa as a Chenopod

Have you ever wondered what Quinoa (pronounced as KEEN-WAH) is?  Well it did hold my curiosity up.  I was thinking what are quinoas?  Why do all recipes call for it?  I asked around and even looked for one.  I was surprised they use it as a replacement for rice in some meals.  Interesting isn't it? Let's get to know Quinoa first, then its health benefits.

Bento Weekly Round 4

Monday (11/7) for Teriyaki Beef served over steamed rice, some oranges
to neutralize the beef flavor after meals, and some edamame
for the greens.

Tuesday (11/8) for mini corndogs with ketchup and mustard on those
mini smidgets, snowflake Ritz crackers, and some sweet red grapes.

Wednesday (11/9) for romaine & broccoli florets salad with  real bacon bits,
raisins, crab sticks, and cheese.  Dino nuggets on the side
and young corns on a toothpick for easy finger-eating.
Ranch and BBQ sauce on the smidgets.

Thursday (11/10) for fried eggrolls that has been drained and
 blotted off really well to prevent it from being soggy later.
Lined it with lettuce strips to help sip up the grease.
With red grapes and baked cheese crackers on the side.  Ketchup on smidgets.

Friday (11/11/11) for Veterans Day Holiday!
No school to honor all those who served
for our country.
Thanks a bunch!!

See you next week!
c",)

Quiche

Quiche (KEESH) is a savory, open-faced pie of vegetables, cheese, or meat in custard, baked in a pastry crust.  It derives from the German word, KUCHEN, meaning cake.  Today, quiche is considered as typically French.

Looking at the different kinds of quiche recipes vastly found online seems quite complex to make.  But once you've started, you would agree with me that it's as simple as learning to count.  Blame it all to its name.  Its name sounds more difficult to say than make it.  For me, it's just a variation of a baked omelette.  Let me share with you some recipes I have stumbled upon on our quest for the easiest but yummiest quiche around the web.

My Plate

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a Nutrition seminar.  And I would like to share with you what I have learned.  Do you know that the FOOD PYRAMID has been replaced by MY PLATE? It's a better guide to watch what we're eating since it's more realistic.  We eat on a plate and not on a pyramid.  Also, it has a better picture on how  we should exactly pack our lunches to school or work, or serve our meals at home.  And this made my Bento container perfectly align to the guidelines of MY PLATE.

Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more informations.

Daylight Saving Time is over!

Just a friendly reminder from HESH:

Don't forget Daylight saving time will end this Sunday at 2 a.m. 

Remember to set your clock back an hour 

when you go to bed Saturday night!

Bento Weekly - Round 3

My Bento item for WEEK 3!

Monday (Oct 31): Yummy Halloween Bento

Hotdog slices on a stick with marshmallows, kiwi slices,
sushi rolls, fruit roll-ups.

I know I need to be more creative next time.  I ran out of time to decorate my bento this year.  I couldn't find my edible marker pens to decorate & doodle on his lunch.  I was supposed to draw happy faces on his hotdogs, and decorate the mallow tops to look like a hat.  And doodle HAPPY HALLOWEEN on his sushi rolls.  I was supposed to unroll the fruit roll-ups and wrap it into toothpicks that would look like broomsticks.  But didn't have enough time.  SO I sent it in as is.  I also gave him a pack of goldfish for snack.  And my 3rd grader was as satisfied as ever.  He said he doesn't mind not having a dressed-up lunchbox.  He didn't want his lunch to draw much attention to other kids in school.  Or he might end up hungry again.  Good point!

Tuesday (Nov 1): Quiche & Toast Bento

Quiche & Toasts, edamame & strawberries on the side.

Request finally granted!  He's been asking for quiche for the longest time.  I finally had the chance to whip it up for him this morning for breakfast, and the rest ended up on his lunch.  I lined the bottom with lettuce, and noticed that too went down his tummy when he went back from school.  Good job, son!  Keep eating healthy :-)

 Wednesday (Nov 2): Fruits & Salad Bento

Salad of Romaine, raisins, broccoli, ham, crab sticks,
and Ranch bacon on smidgets.  Grapes on the side.
Plums for snacks.  Fruit roll-ups for treats.

I call it Salad days when I couldn't think of what to send for school.  Actually it's easier to prepare it coz you just have to toss everything you have in hand that your kids eat.  Just cut it into bite sizes.  Salads don't have to be all greens.  You can always add dried fruits, nuts, meat, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruits, croutons or toasted buttered bread crumbs.  Just send in the dressing coz that's what put them all together neatly and yummy.

Thursday (Nov 3):

Gyoza, sushi rice rolls, crab sticks and watermelon balls.

I would say these are some of his favorite bento items put together.  I saw him flashed big smiles when he saw all these into his bento box. 2 compartments for watermelon balls to satisfy him even for snacks. He loves watermelons! The layers of Romaines at the bottom were used to prevent the steamed gyoza from sticking at the bottom of the bento.  And they don't go to waste coz he loves munching on Romaines after gobbling everything up. 

Friday (Nov 4):

Fancy garlic rice with crab sticks, mixed veggies, and eggs.
Chocolate crinkle muffins with plums on the side.  

To wrap up my Bento Weekly, I sent him something comforting on a rainy day.  Rainy days for school mean a rainy day schedule as well.  They would be eating inside their classroom.  So I sent him something easy and quick to eat, and not messy.  He also brought 2 fruit roll-ups for snack.

See you next week!

c",)

Hummus - Another food-buddy!

What is Hummus?

According to Wikipedia,  it is a Levantine Arab food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is popular throughout the Middle East and in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe.

There are varied versions around the web, but its base is made of chickpeas and olive oil. 

It is good with pita breads, tortilla chips, crackers, dips for vegetables like carrots, celery, and cucumbers.  The possibilities are endless. Some served it with falafel as a spread with salad on the side.

Here are some home-made recipes to explore and enjoy.

Homemade Greek Hummus

By Momables

Ingredients:

2 cups canned chickpeas,drained

1/3 cup tahini or sesame paste

2-4 garlic gloves

1/4 cup water

6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsps kosher salt

Directions

Place the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of water, the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until coarsely pureed. The hummus should be moist and thick; add more lemon juice and water slowly to make it creamier.  Repeat if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings. Yield: 2 cups.