Bento #68

I took time off work today because Ashley didn't feel like going to school. She is still sniffling and coughing.

So having some extra time before Kimberly goes off to school, I packed a bento box for Kimberly instead. I figure she could have a break from school's food today.



It's 3 bite-size battered fillets dredged in flour and fried. Quite large pieces too, this time.

I added a new food item for her. Peppers ! I layered the battered fish with slices of red pepper and yellow pepper. I am hoping that she may be tempted into taking a bite of them.



I also gave her some green grapes and purple grapes. Layered the green grapes with slices of carrots, one more slice of yellow pepper and one more slice of red pepper.

At the bottom is a small ear of corn, steamed in the morning. See, when you don't have to rush for work and/or rush to send the toddler to kindergarten, you even have time to fry fish and steam corn. haha!

The fish fillets were cut and frozen by MIL. She normally would buy fresh fish from the market, cut them into bite size and freeze them in little containers for me. It's usually 6 fillets in a box, just enough for the 2 kids or just enough for dinner dish. MIL would prepare about 3 boxes of these at one time.

If it's whole fish, MIL would skin the fish's innards and freeze the skinned ones in containers for me as well. She knew that I couldn't skin a fish to save my life. Sigh..I had only learn cooking sometime last year when Kimberly came back from MIL to live with me to start her Primary One here.

We had housekeepers cook for us during our childhood and I had never thought to learn cooking then.

But now that I have kids,I have to learn, by hook or by crook. BIL's wife taught me how to stir fry vegetables, MIL taught me certain dishes like Tau Yew Bak, an aunt taught me braised chicken, and other bits and pieces I learned from books, the net etc cos my mom don't cook.

Anyhow, I took a box out last night to leave it to defrost in the refridgerator. I normally lay out all the stuff I need the night before as well, flour, bowl, salt and pepper, ready on the kitchen table so that all I need to do is shake those flour into a bowl to dredge for frying.

Kimberly finished everything except the green grapes and the red pepper. The red pepper, I understand, because it is not a familiar item to her.

But the green grapes, I don't understand. She has always been the type who would eat berries, cherries, peaches and green grapes without qualm. Quite unlike my Ashley who would only eat Asian savoury dishes and sweet fruits like rambutans and watermelons.

Kimberly said it was too much food. I guess it was. I have always been minded to pack small portions for both kids, but got carried away today, in view of my ample time to spare. haha.

I love those little flag foodpicks. Got them from the bento gathering last Saturday. They were also long enough to skewer quite a number of food. I could skewer several grapes on one skewer for Ashley this morning.

So that's the bento for today. Have a great day today, all !