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    Thursday, July 5, 2012

    Pocket Sandwich and Sausage Rolls

    One of my favourite little tools I found in Japan was the pocket sandwich maker. I love this thing so very much, so keep an eye out for it in the future! What does it do? Removes the crust AND seals the edges to make this cool little pocket. It is easy, quick and makes filling sandwiches so much easier! For example, in Japan I purchased a Yakisoba pocket sandwich. Yakisoba is soba noodles stir fried. So in Aussie terms you could put spaghetti in this sandwich, and it will hold all the contents and be super delicious!

    In Miss A's sandwich I put a little avocado and mayo concoction. Her kindy lunches are refrigerated so be careful with mayo in an uninsulated lunch box.

    Monday, July 2, 2012

    Brrrm Brrrm Home Lunch

    One thing I think we forget is bento isn't just for out and about, we can make fun lunches at home too! At home lunches are more fun, because you have more time to make it (well I find I do, rather than the 20 mins I have in the mornings). So for the school holidays I have tried to make lunches similar to those they take to school. Master D loves his cars so I made them both car themed lunches today. Did you know girls like cars too? Mine does ^__^

    So here is what I put together.

    Pink milk, car shaped sandwiches, beans, snowpeas, rice cracker, mini marshmallow, carrot, grapes and kiwi fruit. A very colorful and healthy lunch!


    Need some more inspiration? How about this wonderful lunch?


    For more see: http://www.funkylunch.com/gallery.htm




    Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Home full of sick...

    I'm sorry I have been very quiet recently. Life has been a whirlwind since we got back from Japan. I got sick on the airplane home, then my son split his head open (don't even ask about that!) and picked up a lovely virus from the hospital. It's now gone through everyone except me, and I am not looking forward to it. So I am sorry things have been slow. I am hoping to start putting up my previous lunches to catch up and also to share the new lunches I will make for term 3. I also have some bento goodies to sell soon! If you would like anything in particular let me know!

    Lots of love to all my wonderful readers! I appreciate the time you take to read my little part of the web.

    x Neko Mama
    Thursday, April 26, 2012

    FreeNut Butter and Celery Bento

    While I'm still excited with it I thought I'd try something different! Here I out FreeNut butter in the bottom of a silicon cup and put in some celery sticks. This wasn't a bento I had planned on either, completely last minute have-to-make-lunch-in-10-minutes type of lunch. But hey! If you have your fridge and cupboard stocked you can while up this in no time!

    Corn thins and babybel cheese, grapes, FreeNut butter and celery, mini wafers (a very special treat!)

    As you can see, not the best bento I've made, but it's not rubbish either! This one came home empty! Hitting the right notes lately!

    Take care!

    x Nya!

     

    Wednesday, April 25, 2012

    Anzac Day

    Today is Anzac Day, a day we remember those brave soldiers that fought for our country.

    I would like to share this poem that brought a tear to my eye. I have relatives, like most Australians, that fought in the war. I had grandparents that served in hospitals and on the battlefield. I am weary of watching the news, as I can't bear watching the world at arms with each other. I fear for war again, fear for the safety of my family and friends. I hope if that day comes, I can stand strong and be brave. But for now, I will remember those who were lost, those who wept and those who returned without their companions.

     

    A Poem for Remembrance Day

    poppy

    "The inquisitive mind of a child"

    Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
    Selling poppies in town today.
    The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
    For the men who marched away.
    But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
    Why not a beautiful rose?
    Because my child, men fought and died
    In the fields where the poppies grow.

    But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
    Why are the poppies so red?
    Red is the colour of blood, my child.
    The blood that our soldiers shed.
    The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
    Why does it have to be black?
    Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
    For the men who never came back.
    But why, Mummy are you crying so?
    Your tears are giving you pain.
    My tears are my fears for you my child.
    For the world is forgetting again.

    Author Unknown

     

    Tuesday, April 24, 2012

    Vegetable Pancakes!

    My daughter requested pancakes for dinner, to which I was willing to comply. I then had a fleeting thought midway making said pancakes, "what if I added carrot and zucchini?" I passed on my thoughts to Miss 4 and she said it was a good idea. So I had to last minute alter the recipe and pray that the vegetables didn't cause the batter to become too runny. Well, the result was amazing!! They were so yummy the kids ate them all up and asked for thirds! Even husband loved them! So I quickly wrote down the recipe to share. Please remember I was going to make normal sweet pancakes, so they do have sugar and a dash of maple syrup (subbed for the vanilla extract that's gone missing). Seeing as I was going to make them sweet, adding the veges made it healthier and OMG so much tastier! I will be doing these again! I have to make another batch though as there is nothing left!

    Think of the bento opportunities with these also! A sweet but healthy snack in the lunch box. If you've packed not other sweet things than why feel guilty for the small amount of sugar in the pancakes? It looks like an odd recipe, but try it out! For bento I'd make them piklet sized to fit into the lunchbox. Because of the self raising flour they don't roll at all. If your clever and have some egg frying molds or even pancake molds you can make them in cute shapes!

    Ok, so here is the recipe - http://nekomama.com.au/index.php/recipes/bento/52-vegetable-pancakes

    Enjoy!!

    Monday, April 23, 2012

    Not-So-Peanut Butter Jelly Roll Bento

    Today's bento is a bit of an experiment! We aren't allowed nuts or eggs at kindy so I have found a wonderful product from Coles called FreeNut Butter. It's made from sunflower seeds. To me, it looks, tastes and smells the same! But I'm not fussed on peanut butter. I can't remember how much it was but it was about the same price as peanut butter anyway. So to test it out I made a scroll, which is crust less bread flattened with a rolling pin. Added the freenut butter and strawberry jam then rolled it into a scroll. Verdict? Miss A says, Delicious!

    What's inside? FreeNut butter and jelly scrolls, pork and tofu meatballs, grapes and strawberries, carrot, cucumber and a babybel cheese.

    I have to admit, this one came home almost empty! With just a few extra bits of carrot and cucumber left over. It's a satisfying feeling when they've eaten it all!

    Take care!

    x Nya!

    Friday, April 20, 2012

    Website Update!

    Hi there lovely friends, I have been nutting away getting my website all sparkly and new! I have still been bento-ing and have lots to share very soon! www.nekomama.com.au is now integrated alongside my blog and if you look closely you'll see my store in the making! Please note everything is just testers, so unless you would like to send me donations, please don't use the cart system just yet!

    Hope you all had a wonderful Easter holiday! We enjoyed our time together as a family, and thankfully avoided the chocolate overload. Im ashamed to admit I am one of the very few women who doesn't love chocolate! We all enjoyed BBQ's and gummy lollies instead! I've also shared up a very yummy chocolate chip cheesecake that I made for my husbands birthday, so have a sneaky peek! I'll also have to back date Miss A's Pony Party and the fun food we made including jelly oranges and rainbow fruit kabobs. The pictures aren't overly wonderful, but they are documented non-the-less! Oh and I will have to share the marshmallow fondant I made for her birthday cake! First time making fondant and honestly, was so much easier than I had thought. I expected hours upon hours of work and mess, when in reality it was pretty simple!

    So lots to look forward to, the future is always bright! Take care friends and you'll see me around soon!



    Sunday, March 4, 2012

    Happy Birthday to My Little Man! - Choo Choo!!!

    It's that time of the year again, I have 3 birthdays within 2 months. My sons, then my daughters and then my husbands. My children are only 51 weeks apart so birthdays have always been joint, however, this year I decided they were old enough to have a separate birthday celebration. I put my sons a week ahead, and put my daughters a few days after her birthday so I had some breathing space! Thankfully they don't know it's early or late. Who knows what's going to happen when they are older!

    Friday, February 17, 2012

    Be my Valentine <3 Hubby Bento

    An, valentines lunch for the husband. He does adore his lunches, even when they have hearts plastered everywhere. I try most days to send love in his lunch, but tried especially hard this morning to show how much I love him. <3 He really enjoyed his lunch and even sent me a pic of how the lunch had fared in the trip to work.



    Tuesday, February 14, 2012

    Be my Valentine <3 Kindy Bento

     I'm going to separate all my super awesome valentine bentos into their own posts over the next few days! I think they deserve their own posts. I am also going to attempt my first video tutorial! Maybe, if I can get the iPad to record properly. 
    So, this is today's love filled bento for my gorgeous little girl. 


    Tuesday, February 7, 2012

    Little Girls Sandwich Bento

     This morning I wanted to try and be a bit more typical Aussie with my lunch and use the sandwich. I ask the Missy every morning sandwich or rice, and she chooses rice most mornings. But today, sandwich it was because shes not eating her rice lunches as much as the sandwich ones. She'll eat all her rice but leaves the rest. Which is unusual as she eats it at home! 

    So here it is, I can wholeheartedly admit I went a bit overboard. And that the whole thing will be a shambles when she went to school. I have to find a way to 'stick' everything down. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated! 

    I added her name, as she is learning to write her own name, she even recognized and told me it was her name ^__^

     

     Chicken loaf and cheese sandwich. Devon, tomato, chicken loaf and cheese little girl. Cheese letters. All leftover cut out prices have been added on the left side. Pickles on the bottom. Peas and corn in a cup and a cherry tomato. 

    Now, what did I learn about today's Bento. Well, kyaraben takes a lot longer than I planned on. While its hot the cheese doesn't come out of the stencils as easily as they should. I had to punch so much cheese to get those letters to work! Let's hope she eats all her lunch today!

     

    Tuesday, January 31, 2012

    Monday Morning Madness - 3 Bento's in one Morning!

     Monday is the only day that we are all out of the house. Mummy and daddy go to work, Missy goes to kindy, and Little Man goes to grandma and grandads house. We need to all be ready and out the door by 8am to get everyone dropped off at the right location. It requires a 6am start, short showers, lots of team work and a night of preparation. But once it is set in motion, we are becoming a well oiled machine! 

    Wednesday, January 25, 2012

    First Day of Kindy Part 2

    First day of kindy, the pressure was on to make an appetizing bento to make her feel special at her new school. I tried to keep it basic, but also fun! I was a complete and utter mess making this bento. Sobbing and tearing up along the way. I was positive to get the tears out of the way so I could be big, brave, mummy on the day. I think I did rather well. I kept it together on the morning! 

     

    First Day of Kindy Part 1

    Im separating this into 2 parts, personal and bento. So skip to the next part for write up on Little Miss' lunch. 

    So when did this happen? It seems like only yesterday I had my ultrasound photo and video of this squirming little baby growing so contently inside me. Now, she is this compete little human being, complete with giggles, curls and non-stop chattering. She loves and laughs, cries and demand comfort, creates stories with her toys and loves to paint and draw. I'm so proud, as any parent should be, of this little girl. We have tried our hardest to nurture and encourage her behaviors, and life skills at home, getting her ready for the next stage in her life. I hope we have done enough to prepare her.