LUNCHBOX BENTO: Even a Kid Could Do It

Carrots and Ranch Dip, 1 mini flower-shaped Coconut Mochi, Flower and Leaf shaped ham sandwiches, Strawberries and Grapes

Lunchbots Quad Bento Lunchbox: Floral Fun

Ham sandwich flowers, baby carrots with ranch dip (in round container), blueberries,cantaloupe flowers watermelon flowers and a pineapple skewer.

CAKE WALK: CHOCOLATE QUINOA CUPCAKES WITH LAVENDER BUTTERCREAM (GF)

Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes with Lavender Buttercream

PASTA SALAD AND FOOD HANGUPS

fusilli, tuna, corn and egg salad

CHOCOLATE CHIP RICE KRISPIES SQUARES

chocolate chip rice krispies squares!

JELLY BELLY FACTORY, FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA

Belly Flops, from the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, California

Each visitor to the factory tour receives a bag of jelly bellies upon leaving the factory.  The factory requires you to wear their little paper hats during the tour and does not allow photography of the factory facilities.  You can take pictures of the shop and surrounding area though.

In the Jelly Belly shop, I found these interesting jelly beans.  They’re like those energy drinks, except they’re in jelly belly form.  How cool is that?  I bought a few to see if they’d give me “quick energy”.  I imagine the sugar would be doing that anyway, right?

GLUTEN FREE TASTY TEENY TINY CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Yeehah!  Gluten Free Cake Ecstasy!

Lookit me ma, I CAN bake a really good Gluten Free cake that doesn’t even taste Gluten Free!

GF EGGBALL WAFFLES! (GAI DAAN JAI)

The BEST Eggball Waffle recipe yet!  AND it’s Gluten Free!  Guten Tag!  Oh Joy!

ZOKU ICE POPS MAKER

It's summer and berry season! 

What better way to showcase fresh local fruit than in a homemade ice pop? 

EASTER MINI CHICK CAKEBALL DECORATIONS

                                                                               Peep! 

So cute, eh?

I was contemplating making white chocolate chicks, but felt that my chocolate plastic tutorial posts that people have been visiting like crazy since I posted them a while back were done to death around the foodie world.

I needed inspiration.  I hate the taste of fondant and royal icing isn’t any better.  I love buttercream but making buttercream roses are so Safeway!   I’ve seen the craze peak with the famous Cakeballs and Cakepops that have been popularized by Bakerella.  The other day, on a stroll past a Starbucks, I saw Cakepops displayed along with Gargantuan Cupcakes in the glass display in front of the baristas.   You know food trends have peaked when they hit Starbucks and now that I’ve seen macarons at Costco,  you know they are so passé!

But I do wish I could start a trend.  hee hee!

Last night, while brainstorming ideas to bake before Easter weekend, I had an epiphany of sorts.  Of all the trends, I thought about  how yummy cakeballs really are.  They’re moist and they’re quite sturdy with the chocolate coating.  They are easy to decorate.  They’re cute!   How could I go wrong with that?  I was going to bake a batch of cupcakes and mash them with buttercream to produce a whole flock of chick cake balls like I did last Easter.   But I’ve done that already.   I was waffling between baking cupcakes and making cakeballs.

So I decided to sculpt tiny cakeballs into teeny chicks that would perch on the cupcakes.  The little balls of cake were so tiny I only had to break down 3 cupcakes to make enough to make these decorations.  Decorating the chick faces was not the easiest.  You need a steady hand and tweezers.  But I had so much fun making these tiny cakeball sculptures!

And there you are…my personal contribution to the food blogging world:  Mini Cakeball Sculptures--THE NEW WAVE for cake decorating!    They are deliciously edible, very sturdy and you can make them ahead of time.  You are only limited by your imagination, your patience and possibly,  fine motor skills!

Yes, cakeballs are not new and neither are chick cakeballs, but the fact that they are sculpted into incredibly tiny forms for cake decorating is!    What a concept! decorating a cake with more cake! yah!

Here’s a close-up of the mini chick cakeball sculptures before I dunked them in the candy coating.

I added yellow food colouring to white candy melts to get this shade for my chicks.  Notice how un-chicklike they are right now?  Not so pretty.

In fact, as they are drying on the parchment here, you can see how much of a mess I made with the dipping.  I must admit this is my least favourite part of the whole cakeball- making process.  The mini sculptures have definitely got bird-like features though. 

Precious!

Once dry, I used a Food Writing Pen to make eyes and I crushed a few orange flower sprinkles for the beaks.  

From the batch of 24 cupcakes, 3 were used to make the mini cakeball sculptures and the rest were decorated as usual with Swiss Meringue Buttercream swirls.  I perched the finished chicks on the cupcakes and voila!

The little chicks were so popular with my daughters and I imagine they would be at any Easter kiddie party.   Have a good Easter Holiday everyone!

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Longan & Ginger Tea with an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie. 

Sometimes you just need to bake a batch of cookies. 

Today was such an occasion.  Bebe is 7 years old (almost 8!) and still has all her baby teeth in her mouth.   Her little baby teeth are hanging on like the dickens and two new teeth have come in on the bottom behind the baby ones but the little buggers are hanging on for dear life.  When she opens her mouth she looks like a fish…the two front bottom baby teeth are all wonky looking as they jut forward and the permanent teeth are peeking out behind them.  The effect is not unlike looking into a  shark’s mouth.

Though the thought of the tooth fairy coming is enticing, Bebe is not inclined to yank her loose teeth out.  One of them is so loose the tooth can flex forward almost horizontally.  The dentist had said this is quite common and to encourage her to wiggle it for 10 minutes every day.  We did that, but I have a feeling she isn’t putting too much energy into the wiggling.  When she eats, she manoeuvres food to the sides to bite and when I brush her teeth with the Oral B, she moves her mouth around so that I don’t end up brushing the bottom ones too long.  I make it a point to brush those loose teeth as well as I can as well as those new permanent ones erupting, but for some reason, they’re still stuck really good! 

Two weeks ago, Stomach decided that we had waited long enough.  In the background, my mother was vocally reminiscing about the good ol’ days when parents would tie a string to the child’s loose tooth and the other end to a doorknob…you can guess what happened next! or giving a candy apple or corn on the cob to the child to eat.   There were anecdotes about pliers that I won't divulge at this minute...

These are the same stories she threatened me with when I was young and they didn’t make my teeth come out any sooner nor did they reassure me.  I think she was merely entertaining herself by scaring the heck out of me.  I do recall vivid dreams about losing my teeth and having them all fall out in my mouth.  I also remember nightmares of swallowing my teeth.   I wonder if her stories had anything to do with the dreams.  Well, though I myself was reluctant to “help” pull out Bebe’s loose tooth, my husband sure was game for it.  He fetched a small towel and thought that he could grab it and pull it out.

Boy was he wrong.

After 2 unsuccessful attempts and lots of struggling and whining from Bebe, he gave up and said it was stuck in there really good.   That is until today, when Bebe showed us just how loose the tooth had gotten.  She could flex it all the way down!  Surely that’s loose enough to pull out he thought.

Again, with the small towel, he tried to grab the little tooth.  “It’s hard to grasp!” he muttered.  Meanwhile, Bebe was contorting and trying to cover her mouth.  She was so not into this scenario.  A little drop of blood oozed out and she started to cry.  The little tooth held fast.   He gave up.

I felt bad for her.  I told him to stop trying and just let it fall out.  I mean geez, there really isn’t any need to traumatize her!    She knows she’s the last kid in her Grade 2 class to lose a tooth.  Everyone else, including kids way younger than her, have lost at least one tooth and some have lost way more…8!   So, how does mommy make the owie and tears go away? A freshly baked batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!  It took me about 25 minutes from mixing bowl to her plate.  The episode was soon forgotten and even Stomach had a small piece of one of the cookies.  As you know Stomach doesn’t eat any sweets and ironically all my baking is left untouched by him because he doesn’t like desserts at all.  He’s a weird one but he maintains that in a household with all this baking, it’s the only way he can keep his boyish figure.  Yeah right.  I think he’s a freak of nature.  I mean, who doesn’t like dessert?

Bebe had 2 hot-out-of-the-oven cookies before getting ready for bed.  I brushed her teeth and lingered with the brush over that little loose tooth and she shot me a look.    I let it go.  It is quite like a huge zit begging to be popped.   I guess you just have to leave it alone but it’s so hard not to poke and prod it!

I made myself a piping hot cup of my new favourite tea:  Longan and Ginger.  You get dehydrated seedless longans (they’re like lychees), fresh slices of ginger and water and bring it to a boil; simmering it in a saucepan for 20 minutes.  You can add sweeteners like cane sugar, a simple syrup, Stevia, honey or agave nectar to taste.  It’s more authentic with the unprocessed cane sugar bricks that I like to make into a simple syrup.  It’s so gingery hot and goes down really well if you have a dry throat.  After the kiddies were in bed, I had this tea with a cookie and thought it was a divine combination:  chocolate, ginger, nutty oatmeal and that feel-good warmth you get from making someone feel better with a cookie.

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(adapted from Cooks Illustrated Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies)

• 1 cup (5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 14 tblsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed (1 3/4 oz) light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups Callebaut Chocolate chips

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 3 large (18- by 13-inch) baking sheets with parchment.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute longer.  Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the bowl again.  With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth, 10 seconds.  With the mixer still running on low, gradually add the oats and mix until well incorporated, 20 seconds.  Give the dough a final stir with the rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Add the Chocolate Chips and mix to distribute.
3. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoon (or use a #30 cookie scoop), then roll between the palms of your hands into balls.  Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8 dough balls per sheet.  Using your fingertips, gently press each dough ball to 3/4 inch thickness.
4. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are deep golden brown, the edges are crisp, and the centers yield to slight pressure when pressed, 13 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.  Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack; let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

BAKED MINI DOUGHNUTS

I have lost my food blogging mojo.

PURPLE CUPCAKE BALLS

I have rediscovered the joys of cakeballs.

Since Daylight Saving time, it’s been such a drag what with such little sunshine during waking hours.  My little ones are constantly asking if it’s time for bed yet because it’s dark so early. 

I have little inclination to bake (as you can see from my lack of posts) because I’m so tired from just the daily grind of work and household management.  What I have found time for is cakeballs.  If you're not a baker, or you're too lazy to make a cake and frosting from scratch,  turn to my trusty pal, Betty Crocker (or Duncan Hines).  Horrors!  Yes, it's perfectly fine for cakeballs.  In fact, it's preferable because you'll be expending most of your energy on cakeball decorating--the fun part.

FEED A COLD: ANCIENT CHINESE CURE FOR A SORE THROAT

Ancient Chinese Secret Clay Steaming  Cups…

haha! actually, they’re only a few years old.  I purchased them in Chinatown in Vancouver and they merely look rustic.

My maternal grandmother had a set of these and my mother has her own set.  They are a distinctly southern tradition and can be found in Asian bakeries around town in Metro Vancouver. BTW, check out my paternal grandfather’s heritage village area (our particular village in Kaiping (Hoiping) is called Xicun( “Shrimp Village”)…it made the UNESCO list of heritage sites!  cool eh? 

These clay molds, or “buut jai” are similar to muffin tins and are specifically designed for a Chinese sweet made of rice flour and sugar.   When I was young and living with my maternal grandmother, Poh Poh,  during the summers after my grandfather passed away,  I ate many a confection made entirely of sugar and rice flour.  This particular sweet is close to my heart as it is comforting.

As with all homey desserts, this one lacks in pizzazz and beauty.  However, it is a favourite among children.  The rice pudding cakes are slightly chewy if made properly and a little sweet but not cloyingly so.  The little cakes must have a belly button in my opinion—signifying that is has been made properly.  Otherwise, it’s a fake.  A farce.   haha.  Some people put red beans in theirs (uck!) or use brown sugar (meh!) but in our household, the clean lines, the empty belly button and the pure white Buut Jai Goh is da BOMB!

My daughters have a sore throat and dry cough right now and there’s not much I can give them other than Manuka honey for the throat, green tea and some cough drops with even more manuka honey.   I recall when I was young, how eating Baak Tong Goh ("White Sugar Cake", a fermented kind of super sweet rice pudding cake) or a Buut Jai Goh would alleviate my sore throat.  The sticky rice pudding would coat the throat temporarily and it would make me feel all better for a little while.

My maternal grandmother is no longer with us, and my mother was never one to make something from scratch if it could be purchased easily at a local bakery; but I sure have a passion for reliving the good ol’ days!   In a matter of an hour, I had these on a plate ready for my daughter to eat.  Bebe loved it and ate 2 right away.  Bib didn’t think much of it and declined them.  Her loss. 
click on for the recipe...

EASTER CHICK CAKE BALLS

Here’s a cute treat to make for kiddie Easter parties and will totally please adults too! 
These were so fun to make!  The googly eyes, beaks and feet are simply glued on with white candy melts.  I used Wilton candy sprinkles: the feet are orange maple leaves; the beaks are orange or yellow coloured sprinkles the shape of mini-chips and the eyes are white confetti sprinkles coloured with a black food writer pen.

 
I just happened to be at Safeway today and spied a sale on cake mixes and frostings.  I picked up 3 boxes for $5 and the cream cheese frosting in the can was only $1.29
I think the quickest way to bake off the mix is to make cupcakes.  That way my kids get to eat the leftovers too.  For every 8 large cupcakes, I used approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the prepared cream cheese frosting.

After baking the cupcakes, let them cool and then proceed to crumble the cakes in a large bowl.  I used a spoon to help it all along.  Then add the frosting a tablespoon at a time.  Don’t go overboard with the frosting as a little goes a long way.  If you put too much, you might have issues with the cake balls setting properly (especially if you want them on sticks).

This time, I chose not to employ sticks for my chicks.  Instead, I made truffle balls and refrigerated them on a sheet pan. 

RICE PUDDING

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics is fast approaching, and the weather is not exactly cooperating.  It’s so mild you can walk outside in a t–shirt!

However, during the evening, it’s still quite nippy…enough to warrant a warming comfort food my daughters simply love.  They get all excited over puddings.  Warm rice pudding is their absolute favourite. 

I rummaged around my “rice bin”, which is simply a drawer filled with close to 100 pounds of practically 20 different varieties of rice.  I’ve got black rice, red rice, wild rice, Jasmine, Basmati, Brown, Semi-brown, glutinous, sushi rice and the list goes on. 

DIVIDED BENTO CONTAINERS ROCK!

white chicken nuggets, mini sausage roll, potato smile, edamame, strawberries, and a huge container of ketchup!

We visited Daiso in Richmond the other day and I must say, $2 is a pretty good deal for a bento box!  The one I bought above though, is $4.  I really liked the fact it had a divider and it had a tighter fitting sealed lid than some of the other ones.  That being said, you can still buy a decent bento box for $2.

MINI SANDWICH BENTO

Mini soft dinner roll stuffed with ham, sliced strawberries and a wedge of orange

I think I am starting to get the hang of preparing bento for Bebe.  The key is to make stuff the night before and pack it.  That way, in the morning, when I'm rushing off to work, I'm not freaking out trying to make her something cute so she'll eat it.

VENTURE INTO BENTO

grape skewer, surimi impaled with a giraffe-pick, edamame, mini broccoli and cheese quiche, 2 white-meat chicken nuggetts, one mini pizza, one potato face, ketchup in the green chicken container

Bebe's in Grade 1 and it's tough coming up with lunch ideas that she'll eat.