Girlet's Piano Mini-Concert

Girlet had been busy practising her piano the past 2 weeks in preparation of today's mini-concert at her music school.

The concert started at 7.30, so we had dinner first at a Japanese restaurant near the premise. Girlet was a little nervous so she didn't eat much, even though we ordered her favourite dishes.

After a few other performances, it was Girlet's turn. She started with a duet with her teacher playing 'Firefly'. Being her first performance, her teacher thought that would calm her somewhat. Which it did. Then she played three solo pieces, The Juggler, Kite in the Sky, and Lightly Row, all with only a couple of mistakes. She didn't pause but just continued playing. Look at her very serious expression. When I asked her later why she was so serious, she said she was concentrating very hard, and forgot to smile. With some of the other performers.

Anyway, she was very motivated to see the older kids playing so well, that after her concert she continued practising the piano pieces. Let's hope she maintains the momentum.

Edit : Finally found out how to download the video to the blog. Actually, downloading was easy, it was the getting around to find out that took a long time.

Bento # 59 - Maki and Fishies swimming around

This bento was from yesterday. No bento today as Girlet's friend was celebrating birthday in school and food was provided.

Top: Fish shaped watermelon

Left: Maki with Ebbiko, crabstick and cucumber, with egg maki in the middle. Edamame stuffed at the sides, and soy sauce in a fish shape container.

Right: Fish shaped sausage, and sausage that I tried to cut into a fish, and fish shaped cucumber.

I found out that Girlet would eat cucumber if if was rolled up in maki. She left the fish cucumber untouched.

How-to : Make flower egg/ham

To Lisa: Sorry for the late reply. I've been busy the whole day. Anyway, how I made the flower egg may not be the proper way. Like your dumpling sandwich, I saw the pic, and did it my way. Please feel free to improve on it.

First, beat the egg with salt and pepper added (you may want to add milk, suspect Japanese add Mirin and sugar).

Fry paper thin. I used a rectangular pan.

Lay the piece of egg flat on chopping board and make parallel slits about 1/4 inch apart in the middle of the egg (not all the way through). If you make long slits, the effect will be like mine, the 'petals' will open up wider. I didn't have time to fry an egg, so am showing you pics using ham instead.

Fold the egg/ham in half, perpendicular to the slits. I found out the hard way that if I cut after folding the ham, the ham tend to break.

Roll the egg/ham up and secure with a toothpick. For girlet's bento, I left out the toothpick, just wedge it tightly among other food so it doesn't unravel.

You probably would want to experiment with wider/narrower slits, longer/shorter slits, thicker/thinner egg, all of which will affect the final product.

Bento # 58 - Inari-zushi

One dish that we always order at Japanese restauraunt or sushi bar is the orange fish roe or ebbiko. It is Girlet and Boylet's favourite, next to the red baby octopus. So, when I saw ebbiko at the supermarket, decided to get for the kids.

I was thinking of making ebbiko maki, when I remembered the balance of the aburaage/fried beancurd pouch bought a few weeks earlier in the fridge. Decided to make inari-zushi instead. In the end, I made two fillings - sushi rice mixed with flavoured korean seaweed, and sushi rice topped with a very generous portion of ebikko.

For Girlet's bento, she had one of each inari, edamame, potato croquette stuffed with sweetmeat/bakwa, fishcake roll, , egg flower and grapes. there are more edamame behind the dog divider. Her only complain was that I stuffed the inari so full that it was hard for her to eat. Oops, talk about kiasu. It was a good thing I packed a small fork. She used the fork to eat up some of the fillings first, so that the inari could fit into her mouth.
Since I still have more tofu pouches, decided to make a bento for myself too. Mine had two inari with seaweed and one with ebbiko. Saved the rest of the ebbiko for the kids' dinner. Made another egg flower, from the balance of the egg from girlet's bento. Laid them on top of a bed of green and red baby butterhead lettuce, accompanied by red & yellow capsicum, cherry tomatoes, edamame and a fan shaped strawberry. Had the salad with French vinaigrette. Delish!
A different view of my bento.

By the way, I bought more aburaage at 100 yen shop yesterday because it was only RM4.90, compared to RM6.90 I paid at Jaya Jusco. It was the same brand and same packaging. Also must add that from the making this bento, I've acquired a few Japanese vocab along the way. *_*

Bento # 57 - Dinosaur Pasta

Today was speed bento day, as have to rush for Babylet's music class. Last night, we had bakuteh for dinner and girlet requested to pack that for her lunch today . But how to pack that? If put in thermos, I'm sure the teacher wouldn't be impressed with the aroma wafting through the classroom... hehe... Her second request was for egg mayo sandwich.

I thought about what other carbs I have in the freezer and remembered the leftover dinosaur pasta from last week, which was frozen without the sauce. That's how she ended up with egg mayo pasta with mixed veg today. Boiled the eggs last night so today will be cold to keep the mayonnaise fresh until lunch. This morning just heat up pasta and frozen mixed veg, wash some grapes, and mash the eggs. And assemble. Included a dino biscuit to complete the theme. Accidentally broke the stegosaurus in half, replaced with T-rex. All in took almost 15 mins.
After taking photo,
Girlet: T-Rex is boylet's favourite.
Me : So how, I broke the stegosaurus. No more left.
Girlet: Never mindlah. Let boylet have the T-Rex.
Me : You don't mind the broken one?
Girlet: It's okay. Maybe I eat it first?

And she ended up with this bento instead. Fortunately, as now the spoon can fit in.
The dinosaur pasta may be a novelty item, but boylet really eats more and faster too when we have this for dinner. Gotta ask BIL to buy some more when he comes back from Australia.

My busy day

Been busy the whole day. After Babylet's music class, dropped her off, and went shopping at 100 yen shop in Damansara Uptown, near the HSBC bank. Found the 'facial' quail egg moulds, car/fish & rabbit/bear egg moulds being sold there for RM4.90. Felt upset cos bought them 3 months ago at a premium. Being 'buaykamwan' /dissatisfied, bought more for friends. Now have to think who to give to.... hehe.... or anyone up for a swap?

Bought a whole lot of stuff at 100 yen shop, after multiple phone calls from my sis in Johor who in turn was online with Emily and conferencing with her colleague on the other phone. They ended up getting a whole lot more stuff than I did! My head was spinning after the umpteenth calls to add more things. *_^

After shopping, went to pick up Boylet from his nursery and to send Emily her purchases at her workplace nearby. She was so sweet to buy us Banana Pie and Triple Espresso Brownie. Super duper YUM!!! Thanks Emily. Muak! I was too busy shopping to eat lunch, so didn't feel guilty to indulge in a quarter of the Brownie and a quarter of the Banana Pie.
In the afternoon, supervised the older kids' homework, and off to their music jamming class. Return home in time for Girlet's piano practice and dinner.

After dinner, went to visit a friend who just had her first baby after 8 years of marriage. She wasn't desperately yearning for a child. Just if it happens, fantastic, if not, she'll just enjoy her life first. Great attitude there. After honeymooning for 8 years, she managed to conceive naturally. How great is her faith!! The baby boy has got very chubby cheeks, being 3.9 kg. And very amiable, just like the parents. Congrats!
And now I have insomnia, so am babbling on the blog instead of sleeping. Ha! Must the caffeine in the Brownie.

Bento # 56 - More Lormaikai

After a few days of bread for bento, thought better change the menu before girlet gets bored. So made lormaikai, this time went easier on the dark soy sauce unlike the previous effort. Wanted a change from my normal onigiri moulds, so tried a mushroom cookie cutter, using a cling wrap to prevent rice from sticking to the cutter. From there, the bento evolved to a sort of garden theme, with another rice flower, sugarpeas as grass and carrots as butterflies. The butterfly cup contained shredded chicken, and added the siumai for more protein and fill up the space, hehe.... The siumai were frozen leftovers from weekend-bought as I'm yet to master making it.
The top container had pulasan and lotus paste pandan angku kueh. Finally found a place selling very sweet pulasan. Every weekday, there's a lorry in front of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara selling fruits from 2+pm onwards. The fruits are from Thailand. Of course the fruits vary according to the season, but they are all quite consistently sweet.

Verdict: Girlet finished everything except some of the vegies and half the angku. She came home and asked for more pulasan, so it was that good.