Little Ballerina

Actually this was yesterday's bento, the idea behind this bento is because recently Elaine is really into ballet things. I think it is because she is practicing for her annual school concert which will be held March 16. Every night, she also ask me to put her on her Ballerina's pajamas but she only has one actually. When she saw her lunch, she was thrilled, so glad that she like it!

Angry Bird Trilogy

This is my third time making Angry Bird Bento theme, you can see the previous bento here angry birds and angry birds the sequel.

I made this bento for Elaine's classmate whose celebrate her birthday yesterday. The birthday girl use Angry Bird backpack, so i decided to make the bento for her. Hopefully she enjoyed her lunch. ^^

In the box: Angry bird onigiri ( i used tomato ketchup for the red color ), homemade chicken nugget,flower sausage, blanched broccoli, and stir fry noodle with green peas and star egg. 

It's Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day, my friends...

Yesterday i made this Red Velvet Cupcake because i'm curious about the taste. For the color, i put beet juice instead of red food coloring, and the result is there isn't any red color in it. After i search in some of the blogs, Red Velvet Cupcake made by beet juice won't have a bright red color but the color will become brown. Well, maybe next time i will try to bake another batch with beet puree as the coloring, hopefully it will make the cupcakes become red. Surprisingly, the taste is very yummy and there isn't any beet taste in it.

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing
Source: Wilton Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine , softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Red-Red Icing Color ( i used 9 table spoon of beet juice )
1 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoons white vinegar ( i used lemon juice )
Cream cheese icing (recipe below)

Methods:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray two 8 in. pans with vegetable pan spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and red icing color; mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir baking soda into vinegar and fold carefully into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

To Ice: Spread a thin layer of cream cheese icing on bottom cake layer. Top it with the second cake. Icing cake with the remaining cream cheese icing. Cover it with rolled fondant and decorate as your desire.

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese , softened
8 cups confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
1 tablespoon milk

For Cream Cheese Icing:
In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and milk. Beat on high until smooth (30 – 60 seconds). If icing seems too thin, add confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. If it seems too thick, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until icing reaches desired consistency

I only make half from the recipe above and it yields 10 cupcakes 

 

 

 

Be My Valentine

 

Traditionally, people will express their love on Valentine's day by giving chocolate, roses or teddy bear  to their loved one. Actually, i want to make a happy bear couple but it turned out their face seems a little bit upset. Let's hope that Mr. Bear can overcome the problem with Miss Bear, so they can celebrate Valentine's day that just around the corner. ;)

I'm so excited to receive the news that this bento received most vote in Bento Blog Network host by Diana Hansen, there are so many interesting bento there. You can go there to get some inspiration. ^^

Love Is In The Air

It's already February now, usually people associate this month with the Month of Love. I think i will see many Love theme bento this month. Do you agree with me? Today i tried to make one too, it's about a girl and a boy who filled with lots of love. Inside the box: Rice onigiri, pork woku, sausage flower, blanched broccoli and carrot. I put mango yoghurt in the pink cup and love cupcake sprinkles on top of it.

Mama El's Pork Woku Recipe.

Ingredients: 

3/4 kg Pork

4 pcs lemon grass

1.5 handful Basil

Lime juice

10 pcs lime leaves

2 leeks, cut 3cm

1/2 cup water

salt

Ground Paste:

15-20 pcs shallots

8-10 pcs candle nut

1 tsp ground turmeric

5 bird's eye chili ( could be substitute with 1/2 paprika for those who doesn't like spicy )

Direction:

1. Cut cube the pork, sprinkle with lime juice.

2. Mix the pork from step 1 with ground paste, lime leaves and lemon grass.

3. Put the pork in the pan, put water and simmer until tender ( Stir occasionally to prevent the pork sticking to the bottom of the pan)

4. After tender, put in the leeks and basil and cook it for 10 minutes more.

I will enter today's bento to a bento contest held by Japan The Wonderland. Wish me luck, friends..