Celebrating my youngest son who turned 7 with the Inside Out birthday-themed. It is inspired by the Inside Out movie that showcases the emotions inside the mind. There are joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust. A very good movie by Disney Pixar, highly recommended.
For the birthday cake, I made a White almond sour cream cake with marshmallow fondant icing.
To make Joy figurine from fondant, you may find the tutorial here.
For a surprise, I made a polkadot pattern inside the cake. You may find the tutorial here.
Not to forget his birthday bento, with the Inside Out-themed as well :)
Inside the box :
1. Joy onigiri (white steamed rice coloured with tumeric powder, blue egg sheet for the hair and pupil, and also nori for the mouth and pupil).
2. Corn on the cob
3. Roast turkey
4. Roast carrots and celery
5. Red seedless grapes for recess
For the birthday decorations, you may find them here :
These are my kids favourite lunchbox filler. Many recipes use puff pastry, such as sausage rolls, mummy dog, and puff pastry rolls.
For my eldest son, I prepared:
1. Scotch egg (recipe here) with herb mayo
2. Puff pastry rolls
3. Corn on the cob
4. Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Carrot sticks
6. Green seedless grapes for recess
For my youngest son, I prepared:
1. Sausage roll with ketchup
2. Mummy dogs
3. Milk jelly with nata de coco
4. Carrot sticks
5. Banana for recess
The chicken, bacon, and leek pies are definitely our favourite pies. I make them quite often and they freeze well too. You may find the recipe here
Details as below :
For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Chicken, bacon, and leek pie
2. Corn on the cob
3. Milk jelly and nata de coco
4. Brocolli and cheese
5. Carrot sticks
6. Crab meatball
7. Orange wedges for recess
For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Chicken, bacon, and leek pie
2. Corn on the cob
3. Milk jelly and nata de coco
4. Carrot sticks
5. Crab meatball
6. Green seedless grapes for recess
I packed the boys' school lunches in Easy Lunchboxes. These lunchboxes soon become my favourite because it is spacious and very easy to clean.
I tried the scotch egg recipe from My Kitchen Rules 2015 contestants, Will and Steve and quite enjoy the flavour. Here I share you the recipe :
Scotch Egg with Herb Mayonnaise
by Will and Steve (My Kitchen Rules 2015 Contestants)
Ingredients :
Salt and pepper, to season
4 eggs, plus 1 extra, lightly beaten
400g pork sausage meat
1 tsp ground fennel
1½ tsp English mustard
15g (¼ cup) fresh breadcrumbs
Plain flour, to dust
90g (1¼ cup) fresh breadcrumbs, plus extra, to coat
Thinly sliced fennel and radish, to serve
HERB MAYONNAISE
3 egg yolks
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
250ml (1 cup) light olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp finely chopped sage
1 tsp finely chopped parley
1 tsp finely chopped dill
Method :
To make mayonnaise, process egg yolks, vinegar and lemon juice in a food processor until well combined. With the motor running, gradually add oil, drop by drop at first, then in a thin, steady stream until thick and emulsified. Stir in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until required.
Place eggs in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil, then boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place in iced water to cool completely. Peel. Combine sausage meat with fennel, mustard and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Divide into four portions.
Using slightly moistened hands, roll one portion into a ball and flatten evenly in the palm of your hand. Place 1 egg in centre and fold in sausage meat, shaping and moulding to form an even layer around egg. Repeat with remaining sausage meat and eggs.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Dust meat-wrapped eggs in flour, dip in extra egg and then coat in breadcrumbs. Dip again in egg and breadcrumbs to form a double layer.
Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds).
Dust each meat-wrapped egg in four, then dip in extra egg, allow excess to drain off, then coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat to form a double layer.
Gently drop eggs into the oil and fry, turning halfway, for 2-3 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
Add to an oven tray and roast for 8-10 minutes or until extra crisp.
Serve scotch eggs with mayonnaise, fennel and radish.
For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Scotch Egg with herb mayo
2. Risoles ragout
3. Broccoli and cheese
4. Carrot sticks
5. Green seedless grape for recess
For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Sausage roll with tomato ketchup
2. Risoles ragout
3. Milk jelly with nata de coco
4. Corn on the cob
5. Carrot sticks
6. Green seedless grape for recess
You may find Easy Lunchbox here :
The boys had ham & cheese croissants and Chicken, bacon & leek pies for their lunch. You may find the pies recipe here.
For extra cuteness, I put my favourite fun eyes bento picks to the croissants. I also add black sesame seed for the noses and tiny pieces of red crab sticks for the mouths.
You may find similar eyes bento picks, here :
For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Ham and cheese croissant
2. Chicken, bacon & leek pie
3. Hard boiled egg
4. Asparagus wrapped with ham
5. Carrot stick
6. Mandarin for recess
For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Ham and cheese croissant
2. Chicken, bacon & leek pie
3. Milk jelly with nata de coco
4. Asparagus wrapped with ham
5. Carrot sticks
6. Green seedless grapes for recess
I tried the banana muffins recipe from Kidspot and I'm so pleased with the result. It was so moist and delicious, perfect for school lunch or snack after school. Here is the recipe :
Sour Cream Banana Muffins
Adapted from Kidspot
Ingredients:
2 cups flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
12 pecans (I omit due to no nuts school policy)
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Place patty pans in a 12 cup muffin tray.
Mix flour sugar and baking soda together.
Beat egg and add bananas, sour cream, butter and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon.
Pour flour into wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour 1/2 cup measures into each patty pan place a pecan on each cup.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
For my youngest son, I prepared:
1. Sour cream banana muffin
2. Pork siomay
3. Homemade fruit jelly
4. Sausages
5. Apple cuts for recess
His elder brother had the same lunch, but he had watermelon cuts for recess instead.
This time I used recipes from my previous posts. I prepared mushroom, leek and bacon mini quiche, homemade fruit jelly (inspired by Nami - Just One Cookbook), and ham & cheese pinwheel sandwiches.
Details as below :
For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Mushroom, leek, and bacon mini quiche
2. Ham and cheese pinwheel sandwich
3. Corn on the cob
4. Homemade fruit jelly
5. Watermelon cuts for recess
For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Mushroom, leek, and bacon mini quiche
2. Ham and cheese pinwheel sandwich
3. Corn on the cob
4. Homemade fruit jelly
5. Roast diced beetroot
6. Kiwi fruit cuts for recess
Another variation of quiche, this time I made spinach and feta quiche. Here is the recipe :
Spinach and Feta Quiche
adapted from www.food.com
Ingredients :
1 package frozen shortcrust pastry dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and washed thoroughly
4 large eggs
2⁄3 cup creme fraiche (you can also use heavy cream or milk)
1⁄3 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
fresh ground black pepper
Method :
1. Two hours before making the quiche, take the dough out of the freezer to defrost.
2. Lay the dough into either a 10 inch quiche or springform baking pan, make sure to have enough dough to form a crust around the edge.
3. Crumble the feta cheese onto the bottom of the crust.
4. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan and, when it is heated, throw in the spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Spread the spinach over the feta cheese.
6. Beat the eggs, garlic and creme fraiche together. Pour over top of the feta cheese and spinach.
7. Place cherry tomatoes on top of the quiche.
8. Sprinkle chives and ground pepper on top.
9. Bake at 350 F or 180 C for 45 minutes.
For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Ham and cheese sambos
2. Fish drumstick (recipe here)
3. Corn on the cob
4. Sausages
5. Kiwi fruit for recess
And for my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Spinach and feta quiche
2. Fish drumstick
3. Corn on the cob
4. Sausages
5. Carrot sticks
6. Apple cuts for recess
