The Apprentice

I was just reading a post by Angie abt her little apprentice for bento making!! I decided to borrow that same title for this post... ok Angie?

Ezra was Jac little apprentice!! I was busy cooking tonight dinner in the kitchen and was asking Jac to take pictures. He took out his BIG camera & got Ezra to hold the sheet to reflect the lights!! I can hear Jac telling him "Ezra, hold it higher, yes yes come nearer!"
These are the pictures of the burger Jac took with Ezra's help!!
This is my dinner - beef burger without the bread! Just as yummy!!

Ezra did such a good job and very soon he was promoted to be the photographer with daddy holding the sheet.
This is the picture of the burger Ezra took!! Not bad... gives a different perspective of the burger!

Yes these burgers were our dinner for the evening!! YUMMY!!

I made our own beef patty - minced beef with chopped onions, button mushroom, salt, pepper and dash of basil.

In our burger, I added egg, butterhead, cheese, sliced cucumber and tomato. I made 6 burgers - Jac, Ezra, my dad, my mum, Siya & even one for Josephine!! But I run out of burger buns & poor Jose had to settle for just white sandwich bread.
Hahaha, amazing this post alone has pictures taken by 4 different persons!! Below are from me!!

Sorry son, you have to eat your veg... like it or not!!
Our burger meal is complete with chilled diet coke!! Oh this picture was taken by Siya...thanks

Bento # 8 & Bento # 9 & Durian Swiss Roll

Jac's dinner for last evening was brown rice with hairy veg. I used 2 prawns to decorate it a little. I also tried cooking this 1st time dish chicken a la king which asked for cream of mushroom but since I dont have that in my cupboard, I substituted it with milk and a slice of cheese. I stir fry some chopped garlic, added in the carrot and sliced button mushroom. Add in the chicken breast meat and a dash of basil and salt. According to Jac, it was very yummy!!


Tonight dinner is rather unhealthy!! Spicy stir fried noodles, fried chicken wing, prawn with jap mayo and china cabbage with 黑木耳.
I was in a baking mood and since I still have durian puree in the fridge I decided to make yet another batch of puffs and even durian swiss roll!! Very happy with the result... taste is great but somehow the colour does not stand out cos too close in colours!! I brought most of my baking to school for my teachers and church staff!!

Bento # 7

I was still thinking if I want to prepare bento on sun evening for Jac but guess I still did!

Today dinner bento was brown rice with beef rendang and 小白菜. Beef rendang was easy but takes a lot time to simmer until the beef is tender. I marinated the beef cubes with some salt and pepper. Cut lime leaves, lemon grass, big onions and tomatoes, stir fry and add the beef cubes. Fry the cubes until brown, add the Brahim's beef rendang mix and simmer the beef until tender.
My lunch was the same 小白菜 with tomato based sauce sotong. I fry big onion, garlic and a little ginger slice with chopped tomatoes, added the sotong & voila a new dish!!


Ezra saw me preparing all the bentos and uploading the pictures and he was very excited and happy. He asked me "Mummy, do you think you can make the same for me someday?" It was at that moment that I felt really bad, feeling somewhat that I have neglected him in my food preparation! I woke up extremely early last Friday and prepared a nice cute shaped bread to surprise him! I was changing and Aunty showed him the bento. He was very excited and ran into my bedroom saying he was very hungry and wanted to eat his breakfast NOW!! I stopped him, saying he can have it in the car ride instead as we were running short of time! Once in the car, he immediately asked for his bread and in the short ride from my place to church (abt 5-10 mins) he finished all his bread!!
I am having some strange orientation of the pic!! it shld be in landscape but don't know why turned out like that!!

Bento # 6

Jac enjoyed yesterday's mee goreng bento but true enough it was too much for him!! Being the nice him, he did not want to waste my efforts and kwai kwai finished all!

So today, I made a conscious effort not to pack too big a portion for him... i tried!!

Today bento is brown rice, stir fried 苦瓜 and stewed chicken thigh with sea cucumber and mushroom! I marinated the chicken thigh with oyster sauce, pepper and seasame oil. Put a little oil and fry the chinese spices, ginger and garlic, add the mushroom and chicken, simmer for 1/2 hour, add sea cucumber and simmer for another 1/2 hour. Volia... another delicious dinner for my darling!!

My lunch was a simple stir fried 苦瓜 with sliced beef... also very yummy but not very filling cos I was hungry by abt 4pm!!

Bento # 5

I am very excited about today's bento.

I brought home some uncooked yellow noodles from school and decided to cook mee goreng for Jac's bento. I remembered Jac telling me that the spicy noodles were tasty but a bit dry. So I added more water to make it more moist but hopefully not too soggy when he eats. Stir fry the sliced big onions, egg, shredded carrot, cai xin, add the yellow noodles, tomato ketchup and chili sauce and mix well. I spicy up the dish with his name using the mini alphabet cutters from Angie, turned out pretty right?

Besides mee goreng, I also cooked sliced beef with seasame seed and big onion. Vegetable was cauliflower and broccoli with flat beans.

I must admit, today's portion maybe too huge but since all cooked liao don't waste it!! Sorry darling, tomorrow will be a more manageable portion!!

My lunch was chicken nugget with the same veg. I chopped the chicken breast, water chestnut, a little of big onion and parsley. Marinate them with a little salt and black pepper. Shape it and pan fry it with little oil! Yummy!!

Bento #4

Today is a school holiday & I got up to prepare fresh (no overnight) dinner for Jac.

Today menu is spicy fried noodles with prawn, egg omelet, minced meat patty and green spinach. I soaked the Koka noodles in cold water until soften. Add some sliced big onion and chili flakes to the noodles and fry until cooked. The minced meat were marinated with chopped water chestnut, chopped carrot, parsley, salt and pepper than shaped and pan fried with the prawn. I bought some interesting food picks and make a flower with the prawn!!
I arranged the food into the new microwavable lunch boxes and fork and spoon (all newly purchased!) so that it makes it easy for Jac to heat up in the office.
Today bento comes neatly packed into a black carrier (again newly purchased!) with a nectarine! And its all ready to be brought to office!!
After sending Jac off to the door, I cut up some fruits as breakfast & Ezra joined me!!
My dinner is black pepper beef steak with cabbage and black fungus!! Yummy!!

Bento #3

I think you really need to be creative when doing this!! I am still at this stage where its more of putting food together in a nice manner rather than creating a picture.

Tonight's dinner is left over x2 chicken rice, pork chops, garlic prawn with jap mayo and stir fried veg. I simply pan fry the butterfly prawn and drizzle a little mayo over it. The pork chops are marinated with oyster sauce, pepper and some oil, coated with crushed Meji crackers and flour and deep fried (oops no healthy)
As I am writing this, i hope Jac is taking time off to eat his dinner!!

Dinner # 5

Well this is my 'last' dinner this week cos we are heading for Austin Hill, JB tml with all my Hun family troop (total of 26 pax). Its a farewell trip to send off my third sis, Nancy & family. Its really sad & we are going to miss them BIG time...they are so much a part of our lives! My brother in law had a posting to Shanghai & they are leaving in Oct once Neville finished his PSLE.
Since its my last dinner, decided to make it elaborate with 3 dishes...
1. Sweet corn soup
2. Herbal chicken tigh
3. Chinese cabbage w beef (left over)

Ezra was really hungry & asked to be seated on his high chair QUICK!! I opened his portion of herbal chicken & he went "Wow, thank you mummy" Hearing that just melts my heart, he has been so appreciative of the effort I put in. We all finished our food & Jac did the washing up of dishes which i hated!! Thanks darling.

I really enjoyed getting into the kitchen & cooking meals for my loved ones...

Dinner # 3

Jac met his friend to discuss some biz opportunties at Funan. So off to IT Mall once Ezra got up from his nap. We walked ard & I bought a Sharp fax machine for my office. It was good that we remembered we need to buy a suitcase the usual one we used is now in Japan & will not be back in time for our Hun family retreat to Austin Hills this Friday!! So we got a 25" suitcase & hoping that all our stuff can be packed into it!

We headed to Bt Merah Library to return & borrowed more books! Daddy chose most of the books. We even got him a Time for School book to prepare him for sch next week!

Here's Ezra's catch!!

I also borrowed to fiction books & 2 cook books for more ideas!!

Menu for dinner @ Tuesday
1. Fried Udon with musroom

2. Stir fried beef with snow peas & onions

3. Fried dumpling

It's my 1st attempt at cooking udon, a little too dry & thank God for the yummy sauce from the beef.

Ezra's complete bento!! Jac took a very nice udon pic but the 2nd pic can see the beef & dumpling!!

Jac is off work for now and we are really enjoying family time together. I think Ezra's love language is quality time cos he is always looking forward to spending time with us & he will be very happy & excited!! hahaha maybe that's with all kids his age!!

Bento # 3

Since I am home today, I shld try my hands again on bento. The last thai rice did not hold as well so this time I got Jap short grain rice. Cook it in microwave but the results not as tasty. Just checked with Angie if there is seasoning required.

Again copied Meekfreek's cute piggy egg...

Here is the menu... 1) pan-fried Salmon 2) pork balls 3) Jap beans 4) cherry tomato 5) plain rice
Ezra is excited abt his lunch & all ready to EAT!!

Bento #2

Got up early this morning & was preparing breakfast for oursleves & Ezra cos he is following me to sch & to Yiyi Lydia's place as the kids are home due to PSLE oral.

So dashed out all my tools & started making simple ham & cheese snadwich. While I reaching to get the second slice of bread, something moved in the loaf. On closely look, YUCKS... it was a live lizard!! I sceamed & jumped so high. Jac had to dispose of 'visitor' & whole loaf of sweet bread.

Good thing there is a fresh loaf in the fridge which I toasted & start all over again.

Here is the humble bento breakfast....... Ezra refused to wake up & we left him at home & his bento become Jacky's with an added "J".