Santa doesn't eat cupcakes....

So my girls have decided that Santa doesn't eat cupcakes so we need to make him some since everyone makes him cookies. So does anyone have a recipe for chocolate cupcakes they wanna share?

Gifts for teachers.

So I was asked if I give gifts to my daughter's teachers. I thought it was an odd question since I thought everyone did. I have come to find out from several people and teachers I know personally that many do not give gifts of any kind to their kids' teachers. So I have put together some of the gifts I will be delivering tomorrow morning. For the most part I make baskets with school supplies, since that is what my mom and I did when I was little. I didn't take any pictures since the cellophane is already on them and it is hard to see what is inside. So for some of the administration and the other teacher aides I made coffee mugs with three chocolate covered spoons, coffee, and hot chocolate on some I have Coffee Mate. if you shop around right you can make these cups for as cheap as $2.35 but like I said you have to shop around right. As you can see in the background there are two of the baskets I made. Once again if you shop around right you can make a really nice basket for $5.00 to $6.00. So I know you are dying to know how I made those really yummy looking spoons, right? Forget it I'm not telling :D :D :D :D




Okay now I feel bad. So here is what you'll need:

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup each white and semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vegetable shortening
double boiler
cookie sheet
parchment paper
toppings if desired

I like to use the double boiler method. This method is when you have one pot filled with water and place a bowl or another pot on top so that the hot water will heat the second pot. Some like to nuke it but I don't like that method. If you would like to use your microwave just nuke the chocolate and shortening in a microwave safe container in 30 second intervals at 50% power. So all you do is place the chocolate on the top pot/bowl and stir until it is melted. I really do not like to turn the heat up too much because chocolate can ruin very easily. After the chocolate is smooth dip your spoons into it and place on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper now you can top with crushed peppermint, butterscotch, marshmallows, bits of caramel, anything you want really. Now let them set for 6 hours or so until the chocolate as solidified. Ta-day super easy gifts!!!

So when it rains......

a 30-40 foot tree will come crashing down and destroy my fence and threaten my house. Yep I've been a little busy with this and all that has been going on soooooo I didn't get a chance to post my elf coat tutorial. I also don't have to photos to complete the tutorial (oh when children get a hold of the camera). So fun. I will post some tutorials about gifts I am making later. Thanks for understanding TTFN!

So like I said, “Clutter.” Emotional clutter will become physical clutter if you allow it. Every flat service in our home has some kind of clutter along with most drawers and other places of storage. When my husband field day his room (cleaned his barrack room) he use to throw all his stuff in a foot locker or closet. His version of cleaning has been and is stuffing things away so it can’t be seen and if it doesn’t have to be clean leaving everything out and about. I have let it go because I have other things to fight about. I have cooking, laundry, helping him with paperwork, making lunches, volunteering at my daughter’s school, the list goes on and on, literally. I do not have the time or energy to fight my husband to down size his stuff, to organize our things or keep things in their proper place. After taking several photos of our house and sending them to him he finally saw how bad it’s become and has finally agreed that it has gotten out of control especially after seeing photos of our house when I first moved in years ago. Now please forgive me I forgot to take some photos along the way. So here are the steps.

1)      Buy containers or things to organize your space. I bought 2 new shoe boxes at $2.35 each and 2 over the door shoe organizers at $6.48 each. (I bought those things Wal-mart) I also bought one vanity organizer from The Container Store for $20. (I still can’t believe I paid that much) I also had some other containers around the house that I decided to put in the bathroom. After that make a note that everything will fit in those organizers and that’s it.  

2)      Downsize. Downsize. Downsize. Take the things that are almost empty or things that you have never used and get rid of them. I know but it is a half bottle of Bath and Body works lotion, its something I got on my wedding day, it was a gift from my aunt. If you haven’t used it in a month get rid of it. It isn’t that important.

3)      Place the items where you feel they need to go and where you’ll remember to place them. J’s big problem is that he picks something up and just sets it down on any flat surface he finds. By getting these organizers, which are clear, he can see where it came from and put it back. So here are some before and after photos of part of our bathroom.

So here we have the linen closet which has 4 shelves the top two shelves had only towels, the bottom two had extra toiletries and the floor has our dehumidifier and other junk. So I took one of the shoe organizers and put our extras in it instead of the containers I had in the closet. Why, because J would take things out since he couldn't find what he was looking for in the bathroom, use it and place it on the vanity, dresser, bathtub, just about anywhere. Now we shouldn't have that problem. 

Now I placed everything on the door. Everything has its own bag and that is its home. 

Now for the vanity. Good gravy the vanity. I have tried to organize it by giving J a side and his things like tweezers, nail clippers and the like but once again he'll use his while walking around the house and set it somewhere else. Since his are now lost mine become usable. Do you see the plastic drawer near the wall? Yep most of my stuff is in there since all the other drawers are taken. Now granted some of my things are out but that is because I can't put them anywhere. 

Pretty, yes? Holy crap we had an electric razor, a blow dryer and other things on the vanity? 

Look all of my cleaning supplies are in one box instead of scattered all over the bottom of the sink.

All the medication is in two containers with labels and it isn't everywhere.

Now we threw away almost 2 bags of trash and you see how much we have left. A lot of things were half used bottles of things or expired medications or used things, like razors. I would like to downsize more but I think if I were to do that J may freak. It is a baby step, one that was greatly needed. While I was doing this J took it upon himself to unclutter his closet (I finally have more shirts then my husband) as well as gather up the laundry in our room and put his clean clothes away in his dresser, since I don't do it right. Well there you go. I hope to do the girls' playroom next. It use to be very organized and neat but for 3 months I had fainting spells and was very sick so they got use to a cleaning style called, "loco cleaning," where they shove everything in boxes and drawers and call it clean. I am going to buy a book case, one plastic shelving unit and 2 pop up hampers to organize their playroom. So wish me luck! 

I hope you enjoyed the beginning of our unclutterization journey and will continue to check in. Why am I so serious about this you may ask? This is a serious subject that involves no jokes and little sarcasm. Ever since I moved in with my husband I have been fighting with his emotional clutter which became physical clutter. I do own a lot of things, don't get me wrong, but mine are put away for the most part. Hopefully my journey and triumph over these will help you in someway to remove the junk in your life. 

Chicken of Garliciness!!!

So this is my all time favorite recipe to make on those days that I am going to be busy. A stay at home mom that is busy. Phsst. I'll believe it when I see it. It is so super easy and I keep all the ingredients on hand for those occasions when I won't be in the house, busy with chores, or just plain lazy. Today I was just too busy to be in the kitchen all day so I made our chicken dish. I've made this for potlucks, other gatherings and to use the leftovers in many different dishes. So here we go:

Like most people say simplicity is the key to any great dish and this dish couldn't be simpler. You'll need

3-3 1/2 pounds of chicken (I prefer legs and thighs which you can cook longer. If I use white meat I change the cooking time to 5 hours.)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP plus 1 tsp paprika
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 1/2 TBSP black ground pepper
1 large onion sliced
20-30 cloves of garlic with the skins on

1) Slice the onion and line the crock pot, like this. Now depending on the size of the onion you may need two.  For some reason lining it ensures the meat doesn't get over cooked.

2) Mix together the spices and the EVOO to make a paste. Mine was a little thin this time but it was still pretty thick. Next you need to coat the chicken in the seasoning paste. It really doesn't matter how you coat it as long as its coated. I like to layer the chicken and the paste alternately in a bag and then shake to coat, which every is your preferred method. After the chicken is coated place it in the crock pot.

3) Separate the cloves from the bulb, be very careful not to rip the skins on the cloves. I like to wash them after separating them.

  4) Now spread the garlic over the chicken, cover and set on low for 6-8 hours. Ta-dah! That's it. It truly is a very simple recipe. 

Now I served this with mashed potatoes and broccoli and cheese tonight but tomorrow I might turn the leftovers into nachos, burritos, chicken sandwiches, salad, really almost anything. I hope you'll enjoy this recipe. This is Ronnie, signing off. 

 

Clutter......

Let's talk about clutter. Every person has some form of clutter be it a dirty car, a junk drawer, too much clothes, scraps of sentimental things or a house full of stuff and no where to put it, all of us have some form of clutter. I have a girlfriend that calls it a "collection," another that calls it "crafts I have yet to make" and another "who doesn't have the time to go through it."


For those who know me in person know that I have had a lot of emotional issues about our move, personal problems and dealing with changes in my life physically, emotionally, and mentally over the past 5 or so years. Those who have been there for me have known that the clutter in my house was driving me insane. Besides the ECMC (emotional clutter mental clutter) I've been dealing with, my husband has had his share of everything, literally. His dealings with PTSD, changes in his life and having ghosts of the past haunt his present, his clutter and "buying to fill in his emptiness" has turned our house into a "trash can." Since he has been getting help and dealing with his inner demons he has granted me the ability to purge the house. Which I couldn't be happier/sadder. Sad? Yes, sad. I could have saved a lot of money and bought a new refrigerator with the money he has spent on things to fill the void he didn't want to deal with. Don't get me wrong I have added to our clutter and I do own mine but now that he is finally on board, I am going to let you into my house. Am I proud of it, no. Am I posting here for your judgment, absolutely not (those comments you can keep to yourself). Am I posting here to give you hope that you can de-clutter your house, yes. Hopefully this will help those who need inspiration. Pictures to follow soon. I'll keep you all posted.

Fall colors.

Once again I love October, autumn, fall. Totally love it. Today I packed Lily a red, orange, yellow and brown lunch. 

 

Going clockwise we have red Roma apples, carrots, Baby Bel cheese, a banana, a home made pretzel, and a mandarin orange. I also packed her a little container of queso con salsa. The recipe I used is from the FoodNetwork.com by Alton Brown. How I love that man and his recipes. Here's the link to his recipe. Once again I didn't have any pictures for this recipe. It kinda slipped my mind. All right until next time my dears. Remember enjoy family, friends and food!!!

(reader 1:....... What the heck? That's it? No long winded post? No sass? No sarcasm? Is this even Ronnie posting? I mean come on that girl doesn't know the meaning of the word serious. I really wanted a laugh today, too. Boo to you Ronnie and your "serious, short" post! Boo I say! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!!!)

Ghooooooooost!!!!

So I didn't cook anything this time. :( Sorriness! But I did make ghosts for my little ones. After the conversation yesterday I was a little upset about making lunch today. I was going to skin some radishes and make some hard boiled eggs but that TA really discouraged me. So For Lily almost 1/2 a banana with chocolate chip face, a peanut butter sandwich also with a chip face and string cheese cut in half and slightly flared on the bottom for ghostiness. I used Wilton food writers to make the faces on the cheese. (My food writes will become ghosts soon...) Here is a link to see the ones I used. 

For Boo I packed one whole banana ghost and a peanut butter and strawberry ghost sandwich. This child doesn't really like jelly which I am totally glad about.

 

Bruce after reading your comment today I think I am going to make a fall colored lunch.
Tune in tomorrow. Same Ronnie time. Same Ronnie channel.

Pumpkins!!!!

Well some of you may know that October is my favorite month/time of year. The smells, the weather, the food and the preparations for the holidays. Don' get me wrong Christmas and Thanksgiving are great. I love getting together with my family and our mixture of Filipino and American cuisines and cultures. My mom getting out our old decorations (my favorite being this Jack-in-the-box that has a bunch of Christmas things in it and plays a melody), the Christmas edition Barbies my G-ma gave me, and just the simple time we spend together. The goofiness of my brothers, my dad's cooking and laughter, my mom's radiant smile, my little sister and all that she is. I enjoy the holidays but October for some reason is my favorite month. I don't know, it may be that dark, goth, emo, punk, "anti-conformist" side of me that loves this month so much but whatever it is I LOVE IT!!!!

Well 2 things append today 1) I was super excited about packing my Lily October/Halloween lunches and 2) I was completely embarrassed by one of the teacher aides. Let me say that I am well aware that I pack my daughter a fairly large lunch. Why? Sometime she is hungry enough to out eat her daddy and other times she isn't so whatever is left over she can have as a snack. She opens the car door and says, " I didn't finish my lunch all gone." M: "What? Oh that's okay now you can have a snack before we go grocery shopping! YAY! Snack!" Teacher Aid: "Yep Lily always has such a large lunch and she rarely ever finishes it. Out of all the students I have she usually has the largest." I explained that sometimes she eats a lot and other times she doesn't so I just pack enough so that if she is hungry she has enough food. I bolted out of there! Here I am the immovable object the large lady trying to cram food down my poor daughter to turn her into a fat kid. No, not what I'm trying to do. So my October happiness was squished by a teacher aid today. Even now I'm not real excited to post this blog but post I shall.


Today I made a pumpkin themed lunch for Lily. going clockwise she had "mini pumpkins" (carrots), a pumpkin marshmallow, pumpkin bread, "candles" (string cheese with a cheddar flame), a Jack-O-Lantern (Mandarin orange), and pumpkin seeds.

So here is the recipe for pumpkin bread I don't have any pictures so you will have to use your imagination.

1 pie pumpkin                                                  2 teaspoons baking soda

1 2/3 cups white sugar                                      1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce                      1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup milk                                                     1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla                                           1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs plus 4 egg whites                                   1/4 teaspoon ginger

3 cups flour                                                      2 tsp oil or melted butter

1) Move the oven racks so that the top of the loaf pans will be in the middle of the oven. Cut the pie pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet and cover with foil bake at 350 degrees F for an hour. Remove from the oven, scoop out the pulp and mash or puree in the blender. All you need is 15 ounces, just a little less then 2 cups.

2) Grease the bottoms of 2 9X5 inch loaf pans with shortening of spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl shift spices, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another mixing bowl, mix sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, milk, vanilla, eggs and oil or butter. 

3) Make a well in the dry ingredient bowl and mix in the wet ingredients. Mix well. Pour into pans. Place on the oven rack and bake for an hour to and hour and ten minutes or of course until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes before removing from the pans. Place on the cooling racks until cooled completely. 

4)  Tadah! Yumminess!

Creamy cheesey cheesey cream potato-y goodness!

Nikki and Brandon (my lovely former tea boy) I have finally posted my potato and cheese soup.I know you are dieing from total shock! Call 911 to resuscitate you then make this soup! Bruce I have made this soup with a vegetable stock made from:
3 carrots
4 stalks celery
3 cloves of garlic
2 onions quartered
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1 rosemary
and water of course

I also used vegan "cheddar cheese" and it tasted about the same. I know I probably don't have to tell you this since you have been meat free for years but this is what I used for a vegan friend (Holy cow Ronnie cooks Vegans!!! Run Veggie lovers! RUN!!!) and it tasted almost the same (OH MY GOSH!!! Ronnie thinks people taste like potatoes!!!).

So here is what you'll need:

2.5 lbs potatoes cut in 1x1 inch cubes you to measure or the soup will turn on you and run away
1 1/2 cup milk
8 oz cheese (I use 6 oz of medium cheddar and 2 oz of sharp. The leftover of medium I use to garnish)
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup onion, sliced
1 tbsp garlic, sliced
1/2 cup flour
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
48 oz chicken stock or vegetable stock

So what do we do?

1) Heat the EVOO in a pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add onions and garlic and sweat them. Do not try to brown them it makes the soup taste burnt. Well let me rephrase that, every time I brown the onions and garlic it has a burnt taste to me. You can try if you like. Back to sweating. Sweating, as I understand it, is to cook the vegetables until they are transparent or limp and liquid is released. (Now that was an intelligent answer, considering)

Before sweating

After sauna sweating

2) Next add the 1/2 cup flour and mix.Yes, it will look like a lumpy, clumpy, sticky monster that wants to destroy the world. Trust me it will be okay.

3) Add the stock and mix very well; make sure to scrape the bottom.

See it will look like this. Yummy cloud soup. That's it you're done. Wait we are only on step 3? Oh onto step 4.

4) Now it is time to make it look like a pond. You know the type with little leaves and nefarious floating things? So add the potatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Mix the pond and bring to a boil, not the type that is going to explode all over your kitchen but the nice type that has little bubbles. Cover the pot and after 2 or 3 minutes then lower the heat to lowish. 

See it looks like a pond.

5) Simmer for 25 minutes. I usually check the potatoes at 15 minutes and then make a judgment call based on the doneness readyness softness of the potatoes.

6) My favorite part! Take the bay leaves out of the soup. Why? I really don't know. I just know we do. Google it. Take your device of soupyness and blend the lumps out!!!! BWHAHAHAHA! Sorry about that. Let me explain when I had a glass blender I would use my blender, when I had a food processor that didn't have this weird spout on the side I used it. Sadly both are in appliance heaven. So I now have a blend wand which is the technical term. So just blend away however you see fit. Oh and if silky, creamy soup if not something you enjoy you can use a potato masher for a clumpier heartier version. If you decide to go with the masher I suggest mincing the garlic and onions instead of slicing.

Blendy goodness

7) Add cheese (yes I have a photo) and the milk then mix until cheese is melted and milk is incorporated.

8) Spoon that sucker into some bowls and garnish with some cheese. DO IT! CHEESE IT!!!!

Honey cornbread of deliciousness. Yummers!

9) Enjoy!!! This is for my baby, Marikia! Don't be mean to Mommy and she'll feed you this. If not Auntie Ronnie with rescue you from the mean Mommy and feed you yum yums! Loves yous Nikkis!!!!

Not what I wanted but.....

Not really what I wanted to make but hey why not? While we were at Earth Fare Lily tried their chicken salad and said she enjoyed it. Well I am NOT paying $7 something for the little container they wanted to sell me. So instead I bought a whole rotisserie chicken and made my own using a sprinkle of lemon pepper, mayo, onions and celery. Sadly I forgot to pick up more bread and all I had was this white wheat kind. I now know this bread photos badly. It may look a little weird that is because I used this sandwich cutter to seal the sides and remove the crust. Cool, huh? I also packed her "favorite treat" carrots and hummus with radishes and green bell pepper. Normally I pack her different fruit but she insisted she wanted grapes, blueberries and mandarin oranges. I was not in the mood to argue with her. So there you have it simple and nutritious lunch. See you next time.

Reader 1: Wait no witty comment, no smart aleck, no sarcasm? That's it! I'm going to a different blog!

With this unusual cold front that has kicked in I decided to make potato and cheese soup. Nikki I know you love it so the recipe will be here soon. Good bye my adoring fans!

A thank you and a bento... well 3.

So I finally was able to get online to update this sucker! for you my dears. It has seriously been a long couple of weeks for me and for those who have given me emotional support as well as a listening ear. For all of those in my life thank you so much for understanding my situation and for giving me the support I needed in the past and am continuing to need now. Thank you, Daddy for being more then brutally honest and respecting me as an adult. I know there are times I want to give up but you hold me accountable and remind me that I can do what needs to be done. Thank you Momma, my Demow, you have shown me to improvise and over come obstacles that feel like there is no solution. I wish I had more of your outward grace and your ability to be alright when everything is so wrong.

Thank you Melissa for your children and the distraction they bring, thank you for listening, for letting me feel understood, and giving me your opinion. I truly treasure it and I really appreciate it. Thank you Tara for letting me confide in you and being there for my girls. I'm sorry that you happen to be their "best friend" because I know they can be very intense. Thank you for the laughs and new inside jokes and for introducing me to Downsy. Thank you Megan, Spoon, Linda, Jessica and all of my other friends who have given me the emotional support to hold my head up high for my girls over the last several years. Thank you, Rachel for teaching me what it means to love someone, more than myself, and want to protect them from things big and small. I still thank God for giving me the strongest, one of the funniest, and the sweetest little sister anyone could ever ask for and didn’t deserve. Lastly thank you Nikki for everything you do and everything you are. You know that you mean more to me then words could ever describe. You have been an amazing sister, a cherished friend and my foundation in more trials then I can count. You are my own personal cheerleader and my couch in so many challenges. I hope as you enter this journey into motherhood I can be there for you as you have been there for me.

Now onto less mushy and emotional matters:

Captain's log: It has been 18months since I arrived in "Charlotte" and I am assimilating rather well. I have experienced many customs since my arrival and I have grown fond of several including the "play date."

 The glorious play date. All mommies that partake of this ritual know that it is a wondrous thing when children entertain themselves long enough that all mommies involved can communicate with one another for brief periods of time without too many interruptions. For my first offspring, who is currently in the educational program with the local government, I made her a "lunchable" type lunch with thinly sliced rolled animal flesh, cheese, crackers, a couple of Late July cookies, grapes and the innards of Actinidia chinenesis, Citrullus lanatus, and Prunus persica. She consumed this lunch in its entirety. Which made me quite pleased.

While my older offspring was diligently being brainwashed learning my younger offspring and I enjoyed a sunny day at our local park equipped with water fountains available to the indigenous balls of copious energy. When it came time to replenish our energy source I refueled with a pastry known as a "ham sandwich," roughage, a root and a sugary substance known as "wat-er-mel-on."   

My younger offspring refueled with a baked good that contained some berry of straw and a thick sticky glue call peanut butter. She also had the same sugary substance, little balls known as blueberries and a mix from different trails. These foods were unusual to our normal consumptions but was interesting all the same. If you have a chance to visit the continent known as North America these are some of the various foods I suggest you try.

What the first day? Really?

Alrighty today is technically my daughter Lily’s first day of school. Kindergarten….. Oh-My-Gosh! My little girl has grown up right before my eyes and I feel as if just yesterday I was feeding her solid food for the first time. I had no idea what I should have packed nor if I should have gone all out. Well after hours of internal debate  second guessing myself and banging my head against a wall I decided not to be too creative and what I wanted to pack. I went with my Sterilite square box and a few of the smaller pieces of plastic ware that I received as a gift from my friend Megan.

Secured with a napkin is a chicken wrap with tomato, lettuce, and onion. For the vegetable sides I packed carrots, broccoli and sliced radishes. The half circle container is filled with watermelon and cantaloupe balls, grapes, and kiwis. I gave her roasted red bell pepper hummus to dip her veges and in that yellow thing (it is a bear shaped sauce container) is some ranch dressing for her wrap. As a treat I gave her two little dark chocolate truffles one being a spearmint infused truffle while the other is a pure chocolate truffle. I rarely give my children treats but the benefits of dark chocolate are so numerous how can I refuse.

I bought these delicious truffles from a local chocolate boutique called The Secret Chocolatier. For my local Charlotte dwellers these delicacies can be found at the Yorkmont farmers market as well as their shop on 2935 Providence Rd Suite 104 Charlotte, NC. For those who would like to order via online you can visit their web site. I love this family as well as their chocolates and I am so excited my little girl can enjoy them on her first day of school.

Hopefully inspiration will hit you as I continue to add more and more bentos to my blog. Speaking of inspiration my dishes from the International market didn’t turn out so well. L I have decided to do some research on basic recipes and tweak them to fit my Americanized particular tastes. Until next time my vast audience I bid you farewell!  

Animal Bento Lunch Box Set Giveaway

Animal Bento Lunch Box Set Giveaway

The moment I saw this my imagination started to turn (I know a dangerous thing). I really hope I win this. If you would like a change to win simply click on the link above! Good luck!!!

Inspiration

Yesterday I had to go to a wonderful, distant land full of amaze-ment, deliciousness and delight. While in this magical land I rediscovered things that I miss and remember so lovingly. Yes, I am talking about an International supermarket. Super G Mart is a combination of Eastern Indian, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander groceries in one grand store. As I was wondering the aisles of yummines I was inspired to make gyoza (commonly known as pot stickers), Japanese curry, and lumpias. Here shortly I will make these savory creations and hopefully enjoy them. I will warn you, I have never made curry or gyoza but I have a rough idea of what goes into both dishes. I am very tempted to look up recipes online but I don't want to give in just yet. I would like to see if I can figure it out myself. I have "made" this dishes before, "made" as in bought some idiot-proof version and "made" it at home. Funness and cursing will ensue in Ronnie's house over the nest few days. :D

Wal-mart Bento??????

So we have been super busy. I do have the meat ready to make the Sio Poa and hopefully I will get to it this Monday. Besides that I have a gal pal (Ms. M) that has seen the bentos I make for the girls and really wants to make one. The problem with bentos and the supplies for them is that they are EXPENSIVE!!! Since I live in a predominately non-Asian community/city it is super hard to find supplies in our area which leaves the net which, once again, cost a lot. So the Wal-mart bento is awesome. Most of the items I have came from Wal-mart or other local stores like Dollar Tree or Target. So here we go:

 Both of the boxes are by Sterilite and I think both products are called "Ultra Latch." The square one has a 5.2 cup capacity and the rectangle one has a 3.4 cup capacity. Each box has roughly the same amount of food. The only items I didn't purchase at my local Wally World were the pig container, which I bought at Dollar Tree, and the square containers with the purple tops were a gift from my friend, Megan. I still can't remember were she bought those from. The number cutters are actually from a Play-Doh set I bought in the clearance aisle. A little odd but it was much cheaper then the real cookie cutters. I decided half way through I wasn't going to use them since I didn't have enough crackers for both girls. The sandwich was cut with a sandwich punch that I found a while ago hanging off an impulse a display clip. All the picks you see here are for hor d'ourves and the long ones are actually drink stirrers. The "baran" (a food divider in Japan) was something I printed out from here and I covered it with press and seal.

So what did I pack you ask?

 Pretty, huh?

Carrots, cucumber, strawberries, blueberries, chocolate graham crackers, yogurt, hummus and a ham and cheese sandwich cut in a heart shape. 


I only spent a total of 20 minutes cutting and packing both bentos. The differences between the two; Lily likes hummus for her carrots while Boo does not, so she gets Greek yogurt with strawberries. I didn't make them too elaborate because really I was just plain lazy. It can be a little overwhelming to start making cute or nifty lunches for kids. With all the fun things to buy, ideas and pressure we put on ourselves to make it perfect (I know I am not the only perfectionist) I wanted to show you how easy and cute it can be. I did make one for a girl friend using my other "toys" but this was simple, fast and still cute, plus everything was something that was readily available and I didn't waste time or money hunting on the net or cursing around town. Happy Bento-ing!!!

Plans of mice and Ronnies.......

Sadly enough I became sick and then had an almost 2 week stay with family. Once we get resettled I will make another post. I am hoping to do so sometime before next week. As I promised I will be making Sio Poa. Yes for those who have eaten sio poa fresh out of my steamer it is a true treat. I apologize to the hundreds few following this blog. Once again I will hopefully get on the horse soon.

National Doughnut Day!!!!

Holy disks of fatty deliciousness! I did not know that today was National Doughnut Day. Imagine that.... So I was in the front yard letting the girls play in the sprinkler when a "neighbor" walked by. (I have no idea if it was a neighbor or not. I have never seen them before and she was walking a boy, possibly her son, to the park just past our house.) The girls dragged asked if the boy wanted to play too. As the kids played we mommies talked. Somehow Lily (baby #1) offered the boy pretend beignets which she had seen in Disney's The Princess and the Frog. As we talked more she told me about a recipe for beignets. Since it is National Doughnut Day why not try them.

A little background:  Beignets are French in origin that is loosely used for a deep fried pastry with fruit filling (I think we Americans put our own twist on it down in the Melting Pot known as Louisiana).

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups cake flour
4 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
Oil  which should be heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
A lot of powdered sugar

 You will need a sauce pot, measuring cups and spoons, a sifter (I do not own one so a sieve it must be), a spoon to mix wooden/plastic, and a pot to fry the beignets in or in my case a deep fryer.

 In one sauce pot you need to add the butter, water, salt and sugar and bring to a soft boil. I wish I had a picture of that but I don't sorry. Once the mixture as come to a boil, remove the pot from the stove and add the flour. It will clump like this. Do not fear the clump!

 Next you need to add one egg at a time and mix thoroughly. For some reason it was still clumpy.....

 After you add all 4 eggs the mixture will be sticky and clumpy but that large scary clump will be just a bunch of little ones. I tried very hard to remove the lumps but I failed. So maybe it is suppose to be lumpy.

 Drop spoonfuls of dough into the preheated fryer. It literally took 1 minute for the beignets to float to the top and turn golden brown.

 Flip beignets so the other side can continue cooking. Once again it took less then one minute.

 Sprinkle with a ton of powdered sugar. Ta-dah! Beignets!












What did I think?

Let me prep this with I have NEVER had a beignet before and had no idea what it should taste like. Since my "neighbor" said it was like a doughnut I was thinking Krispy Kreme or doughnuts in general. Well the insides were a little eggy (yes I know that is not a real word). I turned up the heat to 375 degrees and cook them for a couple of minutes on each side. This did not change anything. The beignets were still egg-like and tasted vaguely like a funnel cake but not as yummy. I would have to say this recipe was a failure..... I know what will happen though, the same thing that happens every night Pinky I always do with a recipe I don't like. I'll fiddle with it until I like it. I will say the girls thought it was yummy and enjoyed pretending to be Princesses serving beignets. If any of you have had a beignet is this what they are suppose to be like? *sigh* This weekend will be Sio Poa which I KNOW how to make and have a time tested recipe that is delicious.