June 2013 - Page 2 of 3 - Little Bento World

Replacing 2 minute noodles

Bento Lunches 7 Responses »

Jun 112013

My little ones ask for noodles.. all the time!! And i know they mean the 2 minute noodles.. however using different styles of noodles can get them out of that habit and when they ask for noodles, they get a selection of various sizes and shapes. When I went looking for different types of pasta and noodles I came across this wiki page.

OMG I know about 10% of the names of different noodles in there! And I am going to hunt down ones I think would be cool to cook with – Like Fusilli bucati, Ziti, Biángbiáng noodles, Mafaldine, Shahe fen, Cavatappi, Ditalini and Gigli.. I am off to my speciality deli stores in town.

Yesterday they chose glass noodles. Four minutes in a bowl of hot water and they were ready! A little wash with cold water to keep them from sticking and to cool them down for the lunchbox.

On the menu:
Noodle Salad with Carrot, Cheese and Ham (using an Apple shaped cutter)
Natural Yoghurt with sprinkles
Orange and Watermelon Slices

What are your favourite noodle alternative to 2 minute noodles?

Mini Pizza makes a great lunch!

Bento Lunches 4 Responses »

Jun 072013

Thats right! Mini Pizza makes a great lunch! You can even get them to make their own pizza, at lunch, while they are at school! Just like an American style lunchable!

I made pizza dough in the bread maker, halved the dough – put one in the freezer and then rolled out the other half and used CuteZCute cutter and a Dinosaur Cutter to make mini pizza bases!

These are great to freeze, for quick lunches, lunchboxes and also perfect for “Make your own Pizza” parties!

Little Bento Pizza Recipe:
1 ¼ cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 sachet yeast (7 grms)

Place in breadmachine in order of ingredients – set to dough.
Roll out flat (about 5mm thick as it will start to rise as you cut)
Use a pizza docker to stop from rising while cooking.
Cut out shapes.
Place on baking tray in oven at 180 degrees for 8 minutes.

Notes: You can cook in oven with pizza toppings, cook without toppings and freeze in gladwrap, or place in airtight container and use within two days. Great for lunchboxes to make their own pizza.

Make your own Pizza Lunchbox:
3x Mini Pizza Bases
Grated Cheese
Sliced Ham
Cream Cheese spread (or use bbq sauce or tomato sauce – sweet chilli is nice if your children like it too!)

Serve with yoghurt (in a My Lil Pouch).

What is your favourite Mini Pizza Topping?

It’s a me Super Mario Cake

Bento Lunches 11 Responses »

Jun 042013

Hey Luigi, it’s me Super Mario Cake! If you have ever been on pinterest.. you would know you can put in any keyword and you will come up with hundreds of inspirational pictures to help you out!

So when deciding on my husband’s 30th birthday I really – and I mean REALLY – wanted to make him a Tardis Cake (as apparently his is a massive Dr Who fan – ok the Whovian is me but he loves Dr Who too). After many discussions over how to make it – 4 layered mud cake with fondant not icing and then draw on the doors etc.. dying the fondant the right blue colour with dye dust not watery dye.. leave it to dry for a few days.. and well just not knowing how to use fondant (I really need to do a cake course!) I thought… it can wait til my birthday next year!

Since we just made the for my son’s birthday, and although it turned out great – my cake baking skills are not as good as they should be (But my MiL loved the sponge.. I did not feel the need to tell her it was shop bought hehe). We needed to find something equally as cool for my husband.

Super Mario!!

Pinterest brought up Super Mario Cupcakes – different colours to represent Super Mario.

We thought PERFECT!!!

Until we realised that it would be 143 cupcakes to decorate and then arrange on a big plate – that would probably be 60cm by 150cm! And we were only having a small party…

Then the husband came up with the idea of just using M&M’s!!

and this was the result..

143 m&m’s and white mints.

Yes it is a shop bought cake because I purely ran out of time to make a cake!

Would you like a Super Mario Cake for your birthday?

Happy 30th Birthday hubby!

Linking up with Trish from My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

Love a Chicken Wrap

Bento Lunches 3 Responses »

Jun 032013

Do you have a favourite style of Chicken Wrap? Mine is chicken, avocado, lettuce, red onion and cheese with a little bit of mayonnaise. I also like that in a Tiger Roll!

My daughter’s favourite at the moment is a Chicken Wrap at the moment with cheese and a little string around it holding it all together. I can not serve it without the string in a bow she can untie.

I will be experimenting with different flavoured sandwiches/wraps/rolls recipes over the next 6 months. This is to help my daughter get out of the Peanut Butter Sandwich habit. She starts kindy next year and she may not be able to have peanut butter sandwiches for lunches (something I serve almost daily at the moment).

On the menu:
Chicken Wrap with Cheese and Mayonnaise.
Celery, Raisins and an Apricot Bite
Yoghurt with sprinkles