Birthday Boy's Bento Box

 

This is my version of the Kiddie Meal, served in my youngest son's birthday party in school last year.

Buying party meal packs from Jollibee or McDonalds would have been simpler and less taxing for me, but I went the DIY route because:

1) I wanted to serve smaller portions, because I saw how kids often had leftovers from JB/MD packs, and
2) I had wanted a meal-lootbag-souvenir in one, to simplify distribution, and of course, to cut down on costs.❤️

I also think the Bento Box is a practical souvenir, one that can be used and reused long after the party is over. To personalize it, I scanned the lid to get the actual size of the stickers I need to make to cover the existing ones, and made my own on Photoshop.

What's In It?

• Homecooked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, with star-shaped cheddar cheese 
• Jelly-marshmallow strips that I shaped into an M, my son's initial
• Cocktail hotdogs
• Chocolate and jelly cups
• Ham and cheese mini-sandwiches

I cut out star-shaped holes on the mini sandwiches to allow the kids to see the filling, and entice them to eat.
I wanted to make the contents as colorful and kid-friendly as much as possible as I do not want any of the food to go to waste.

Based on the reactions of the kids (and the teachers), the birthday bento box idea is a success. :)

Pizza Muffins

I originally made these pizza muffins as part of the menu for my youngest son's 3rd birthday party in school.
I had wanted something popular with kids, something that's already portioned and easy to distribute, and something that can be in kid portions.

I got the recipe from an issue of Yummy magazine, and tweaked it to suit my taste.

I think these pizza muffins are also good as baon for both schoolers and their parents. :)  It's also a quick snack you can whip up if you have surprise guests, or something your kids can make by themselves. :)

What's In It?

2 cups flour
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
1 cup sour cream (1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar)
2 eggs
¹⁄₄ cup butter, melted
¹⁄₂ cup bell pepper, finely chopped
¹⁄2 cup sweet-style pizza sauce
¹⁄₂ cup shredded quickmelt cheese

Toppings: Small slices/bits of Italian Sausage, Salami and Ham


 Kitchen Conjugations:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs and butter until smooth. 
2. Add in flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir until all the flour and sugar have dissolved.
3. Stir in cheese cubes, Italian seasoning and diced bell pepper.
4. Spoon mixture into muffin cups, until three-fourths full.
5. Spoon a tablespoon of pizza sauce on top of each muffin, top with shredded cheese and other toppings of choice.
6. Bake at 200C for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. 
7. Cool on on a wire rack and remove from molds.

Enjoy!

I bought these disposable foil tins from Japan Home, P88 for a pack of 12 tins.

Starbites Cake Pops

One night in April 2014, apart from the Espasol, I also made Brownies...but from a mix. I don't know why, but while I followed the box instructions to the letter, the brownies didn't turn out as I expected...they were more 'cake' than brownies...more crumbly than fudgy. Fail! 

So I crumbled the cake, stuffed it into silicon molds and turned it into cake pops. Presenting...'Starbites.'

You could do the same for stale cake and similar cake fails. :) I think this is a good idea for kiddie parties or bring-to-school goodies to share. It's also a quick pop-in-the-mouth sweet tooth craving. :)

What's In It?  

Two pouches of Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix + water + vegetable oil + 2 eggs, mixed and baked according to package directions.

Multi-colored M&Ms or Nips

Kitchen Conjugations:

Crumbled the cake and pack them into silicon molds. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the cake pops to set.

Unmold and top with M&Ms.

I think this would also be a good base for a Rocky Road cake pop. :) For that you only need to put marshmallows and nuts and maybe drizzle with sugar glaze.