Ever since school reopen early of this year, kiddos have been bringing bento to school for their lunch. Prince is the one that set such a routine that Friday is canteen day and I gladly obliged as I get a day rest from all the nerve wreaking too. They used to buy “yee meen” or “cheng tong meen” every friday till one day, the word ‘nuggets’ came to existance.

Left to right: Fried rice (left over), chicken nugget with ketchup on the side, celery & carrot stix with kewpie mayo on the side and dragon fruits.

Well, here is my Motto – “Never Buy Food That Mummy Can Prepare”. Moreover, RM1.00 for 2 pieces of nuggets is a bit over priced. Next day, the kiasu and kiamsiap Mummy went and bought chicken nugget to be included in their bento (since they like it so much).

And you know what I hate the most? That darn smelly and oily kitchen at 6am! Grrr….

If you ask me what is my resolution, one of them would be conquering all the places listed as the 7 Wonders of the World. Impromptu, I have been to Grand Canyon, USA during my Vegas vacations in 2006 and Angkor Wat, Cambodia (nominee) when I won a photo contest organized by www.asiayak.com in 2007  . The place that I very much want to conquer now or in near future is The Great Wall of China before I get older and can’t walk the wall collapse and also The Great Pyramid of Giza.  To cross out another country on my list will be none the less, *drum rolling*…..

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Holy cow! I didn’t know we need to get a China Visa. If I were to book my own flight, I will surely get stranded in the airport. Good thing we book the tickets via a tour agent and finally I get my Visa done at RM40.00. Unlike US Visa, China Visa is only valid for one month and for one miserable entry only. Boohoo!

For the above shots, I have to tried about 12 times before getting that result – a very deep bokeh so that I do not have to mosaic any info in the pix. Isn’t it a very beautiful Great Wall? 😉

Sometime ago, I received a forwarded email (I’m sure most of you received that too) that shows what triangle number is make out of which grade of chemical that was used to produce plastic. It was said the WORST ONES are Nos: 3, 6, and 7. I’ve never bother to check the numbers in my household as I always go for the branded ones (Instinct tells me that branded ones are more reliable. Duh!)

One fine day, Princess came home and told me, “Teacher say my water tumbler is no. 7 (pointing at the triangle number). Very poisonous.”

Then I quickly refer back to the email and very true, no. 7 is the most poisonous!

The above picture was taken 2 years ago. Spot that High School Musical (HSM) water tumbler. I don’t blame Disney for producing the product. Maybe it’s that trademark “Made In China” product is all not reliable! And I quickly went and check her HSM bento box.

Fuyoh, luckly it was no. 5!  I  gave Princess two options:

1. You want to use nice stuff but poisonous or
2. You want to be healthy and throw away all your HSM stuff

No doubt, she go for option 1. Then I thought to myself. How harmful is those chemical? After this incident, I have been very careful and always check the bottom of plastic food containers. The next round, I am going to buy only rock tumblers or stainless. It’s time to educate her on safety rather than beauty. (Hey, they rhyme!)

The Photobook voucher I bought last year is nearing it’s expiry date and I have started compiling pictures and scarp elements before CNY so that I do not have to rush on the LO (layout).  During the long CNY break, I managed to do 6 LO only.  And right after the long break, I was burning the midnight old to complete 2 books with a total of 104 LO.  I’m walking like a zombie now O.O  I was so relieved when I finally submitted my 2 books to Photobook which means back to my usual blogging and hijacking!

While going thru tons and tons of my photographs, I realised I have never send any of them for printing since I own a digital camera in year 2003.  Since EOE Online (a first online photo printing in Malaysia) is having a blogger’s review campaign, I decided to jump in the bandwagon.   This is what it is all about if you want to get your photographs print for FREE.  FREE!!!!

1. Place a print order via eoe Online for 50x4R and 2x8R photos. At the payment page, please select ‘Bank-in’ option. You do not have to make any payments.
2. Publish your review on our online photo printing service with a link back to the eoe Online website.

The rest of the terms and condition can be found in their website.  After doing step 1 and 2 on the above, you get your photographs print for FREE and delivered to your doorstep for FREE too.  FREE! Another condition is you need to own a blog for at least 6 months and have at least a minimum of  30 posts. Of course frre thing come with a price la.  Sis, if you read this, let me use your blog if you are not interested in the free prints hor.

For the past few years when my Sister became our neighbour, she has been playing prank on my kids especially during their birthday.  She will leave presents outside my house and sign off as Optimus Prime or Troy Bolton (Zac Efron).  Now I regretted I did not take any pictures of the past presents especially the lastest one for the Prince as Sis really deco the box and drew a big Optimus Prime on it.

Last Saturday being Valentine’s Day, there was a red envelope address to the Princess with postmarked postage from U.S.A. I have to hold back my laughter when I retrieved them from the post box.  I called out to Princess, “Kharsyn, there is a letter for you!” She came running, “Yes!  My friend send to me wan.” She tore the envelope and pulled out a Valentine’s card of Troy Bolton on the cover.  That’s very nice!  Of course the silly girl was so thrilled she was totally speechless.

My Sis is always very creative but this time, she had gone TOO creative! Suddenly I felt like photoshopping my own face next to Troy Bolton.  The 9 years old is not easily tricked now after the past few years prank.  But we still keep the true identity from her.  It takes a reality to know Troy Bolton won’t send her a card, that is for sure and she kept on asking me who send them.  “You see, it was signed by Troy Bolton wat.”

To spice things up, there is a postcard size photo attached *rolling eye*

My kids love to compliment their rice or porridge with chicken floss.  It is even a bigger hit with Baby Princess who is a very picky eater.  She doesn’t mind eating white rice and chicken floss everyday.  Even when we are out of chicken floss, she doesn’t mind white rice.  Sometimes, I nicknamed her ‘White Rice Baby’.  To me, as long as she is willing to eat, I’m fine with just anything cos she only drinks milk and refuses solid when she turned one.  I know, that is very weird.  She started eating solid willingly when she joins the daycare at the age of 2 yrs 9mths.

To make the onigiri, I opt out the rice vinegar.

I preferred to use a onigiri mould.  Make a well at the centre of the mould.

Placed chicken floss on the centre.  Cover them with rice again before pressing the mould together.  Turn them out and you get a triangle shape.  You can use your hand to shape the rice but it is messy work plus you get odd sizes which I don’t like.   Not forgetting, hot too.

For the older kids, they have homemade sui mai.

Method:  Season minced meat & prawn meat with soya sauce, pepper, sesame oil and corn flour.  Wrap them in wanton skin.  Snip away remining wanton skin. Optional, garnish with some crabsticks.  I put them in moulds again so that I get even sizes.  LOL.  I am quite particular about sizes.  Oil your plate before steaming so that the wanton won’t stick to the plate.  Steam them for 5 mins or till done.

I have different types of eater at home.  This is Prince’s Bento as the Eldest Princess doesn’t like green.  I do give her optional like cherry tomatoes (Prince hate it) or carrot sticks (Prince hate it too).

Place a sheet of baran in between the onigiri so that they won’t stick to eath other.

Early of the year when the kids goes back to school after their final term holidays, I set out some rules for them. I know it required lots of discipline and has to be very stern to make sure it work:

1. Back from school, no TV
2. Take a shower before dinner
3. No eating dinner in front of the TV
4. Homework by 8pm
5. light bulbs off at 10pm
6. Wash your own school shoes on Saturday

And how do I fair?  Bear in mind that I have a very obedient 9 years old girl and a mischievous 7 years old boy.

Rules no. 1 – The first thing when they (usually no.1) stepped in to the house, I gotta put on my loud speaker, “NO TV!” – Yay, it works!

Rules no. 2 – Failed. Cos the kids took such a long time (usually no.2) in the shower. Too much time was wasted.

Rules no. 3 – Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I’m too soft hearted 🙁

Rules no. 4 – Successful!

Rules no. 5 – Unfinished (usually no. 2) homework to be continue the next day at the daycare.

Rules no. 6. Up till today, they only wash twice. The rest of the time was Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!!!! That too, I am soft hearted. Double whammer! Not that Mummy hand wash their school shoes. The washing machine takes care of the job. But one thing I make them do is to apply the shoe white before putting them under the sun. Kids just simply love that chore very much.

Since some of the rules did not work out for me, I tried the other way i.e.

7pm – Reached home. Had dinner. Sometimes at the dining table, sometimes on the couch. I gave up on that, really. Watched a little cartoon on TV.

8pm – No. 1 will shower first while no. 2 still hook on TV. Then no. 2 turn to shower while no.1 continue TV.

8.30pm – Homework.

10pm – Off to bed.

Not the way I’ve planned out initially but this way, everyone is happy and I don’t get too stress up yelling at kids to do this and do that.

The more I look at Hubby’s bento, the more I want to snigger at it.  I cooked a whole bunch of the Bunashimeji mushroom with Hong Kong Kailan.  When come to presentation, just a few strand of the mushroom is needed and yours truly wacked the remaining whole lot of it cos I don’t need presentation!  Fyi, I am a Mushroom Mania!

I marinate my own Turmeric chicken aka satay.  The ingredients:  I used deboned chicken drumsticks as I hate breast meat.  Marinate them overnight with a little sprinkle of sugar, salt, honey, pepper and turmeric powder.  Grill them on high for 20mins or till done.

A visit to a temple called FGS (Fu Guang San) Dong Zen in Jenjarom has been a tradition to us since 2006 (I have blogged about it in 2008). Not for praying but for photoshoot. Every year, they put up decoration from different theme to attract tourist. How to get there? If you are coming from Kesas Highway, exit in Banting. There is only one road leading to Banting. You won’t get lost. Trust me. Along the way, you will spot 3 to 4 signboard indicating you are on the right track. Just follow the signboard and take a right turn at a traffic light. The journey is about 30mins after exiting the Kesas Highway.

Usually the flowers is the main attraction but this year, I somehow find them so-so only. The thing that excite me is the artificial cherry blossom. I am so thrilled! This is the attraction that bought me to FGS Dong Zen in 2006. What are we waiting for? Pictures of course!

They shift the little monk every year from one location to another to make them looks like new.

The Wishing tree

Last year the bamboo is still young but has now grown so bushy they almost block the Kwan Yin Buddha’s view.

The mascot of this year – Moo-moo cow sponsored by Dutch Lady o.O Spot the grass. This year they are brown. I like it this way. Even if it rains, they won’t be muddy at all.

Something new this year. The past 3 years they kept using the same ole lantern.

The 12 Chinese Zodiac sign. Co-incident the three of them get to stand next to each other. The lantern zodiac sign is also from previous year but was shifted to a different location to make them looks new. Smart ass.

Daddy is very fond of anything that is ‘Rooster’. He bought this Rooster at RM50 since the money will proceed to the Old Folks Home fund.

I saw this horse but Daddy did not approve it so I say, “Buy for Di-Di la. He is born in the year of Horse ma.” Immediately he approved it! So easy to manipulate man hor.

Their theme for this year other than the moo-moo cow, they display some miniature wat (temple).  Take the spot light as comparison to see how small is the clay monk.

My best shot for that day, the lantern pagoda.

Usually I will braised the leftover roast duck with salted vegetable.  But this time, I have them cut into cubes and add them to the pasta salad with cheese dressing.

I just throw in what ever I have – weiners, lettuce, carrot, wheel pasta, tomatoes and cheese dressing.

Another version for the kid’s bento as the left over duck is not enough to go round.  What you see is the Prince bento as the Princess dislike broccoli.

What is it like coming back to work after the week long break?  GOOD!  I’ve never felt so rejuvenated!