My First Ever Bento-Making Workshop!
Okay.
Let me start by saying … yes, I cook. I cook because I need to. Not quite because I LOVE to cook.
I’m not adventurous when it comes to cooking. And I’m constantly amazed at those who can regularly come up with different variety of meals and yummy cakes, who regard cooking / baking as a form of stress-reliever too!
Now. Some two weeks ago, I received an invitation from Edelman (on behalf of the Health Promotion Board) to attend a parenting event where bloggers get to learn more about healthy eating for children through creative Bento making.
And upon reading that email, the first thing that popped in my mind was, ‘Hmm … Me? Making those cute Japanese-style lunch boxes? I totally have NO idea how and have NEVER done it. I’d most probably be one of the clueless people in the workshop too, but … hey WHY NOT!’
Anyway, I wouldn’t have known what bento making (or anything for that matter) is like, if I had never given it a try, yes?
So there I was last Saturday, attending my first ever ‘food-related’ workshop at Cairnhill Community Club.
Here’s how the whole 2-hour session went, … in pictures.
[Warning: there are HEAPS of photos in this post! Get ready to scroll down a lot!]
[Angie, our bento instructor, showing the different kinds of bento themes one can make, and explaining how it’s important to incorporate colourful and healthy food / fruit combination in each box]
Everyone who attended the workshop received a ‘bento souvenir set’ (Top picture). Basically we received the basic ‘tools’ needed to start making our own bento, ie. cute lunch boxes, shaped cookie cutters, etc.
[All these you can easily get for yourselves for $2 each from Daiso, btw. And as far as I know there are three outlets in Singapore: Vivo City, Plaza Singapura and IMM]
And this is a shot of the kitchen where we :
… listened to Ms Letty, a nutritionist, who shared more about healty eating
… listened to Angie who explained more about bento-making
… made our own bento within an hour
When we were all told, ‘Okay, now it’s time to make your own bento!’, I looked around and saw everyone going to the different ‘stations’ (where food and fruits were nicely supplied).
And I stood there thinking, ‘Errr … I have NO idea what to make and where to start …’
[Anya and Vai came to join in the fun. And Vai, errr … he cut and ate what’s on the table!]
But soon after, these two little ones (who waited outside during the presentations) came in and joined me in ‘bento-making’.
Anya suggested making something using our star and heart-shaped cutters.
I still had no idea what I’d make, but I thought I should just start putting different colourful food into my box and see what I could make out of them.
This is us looking busy.
Vai, … well, he cut bits and pieces of food. He probably assumed he’s in an arts and craft session!
AND. When the one hour deadline was up, this was what I managed to come up with! Haha.
Whoopee!
Am happy with what I made!
And here’s a group photo of everyone who went for the workshop.
[Happy to have met other bloggers, especially those whose blogs I’ve read before and those who’ve read my blog too, like Sherlyn, Keropok Man, Klessis, Levine and Angelia Tay! So nice to have met you guys in person!)
And here are some shots taken by the kids using my Canon Ixus (top left was taken by Anya, the rest were taken by Vai).
I love their framing, hehe.
And one of best things about bento-making is … seeing it all gobbled up happily by the kids!
*YAY*
…
Now that I’ve attended the bento-making workshop, I guess the two big questions are …
Am I inspired? Will I make my own bento again at home?
And the answer to both is, … YES!
Because really, it’s not as ‘hard’ as it looks after you’ve tried making one.
(Realistically though, I don’t think any of my home-made bentos would be half as cute and elaborate as those made by real bento-lovers]
And here’s proof of how ‘inspired’ I was.
The very next day, I prepared this simple bento for the kids to eat after Sunday School!
Rice balls + seaweed powder + chicken teriyaki on the inside + sweet corn and green peas.
And I’d like to call this Bento … ‘When the morning sun rises over the mountains and the green pasture’, haha.
…
[Photos]
More than half of the photos in this post were taken by Wilson, who came to babysit the kids at the start of workshop straight after his tennis game in the morning! Thank youuu …
28 Comments »
1 Pingbacks »
-
[…] photos : bentozen, justbento, oureverydaythings, xkawaii, allthingskawaii, « / Nutella alternatives […]
Leave a comment!
o y klupaan…daiso di vivocity ada kan mbak..?
thx..:)
tengkiuuuu soo much buat infonya yaak….:D
coz kalo beli lewat onlen muahaalllnyoooo….T_T
Nina:
Hello Mba, salam kenal juga 🙂
Basic Bento tools ada di Daiso. Utk petunjuk jalan, mudahnya tanya staff Daiso setibanya di sana. Menurut aku sendiri sih ngga lengkap2 amat, tapi cukup byk varietynya.
semoga nemu yang di cari yah 🙂
hai mbak…
salam kenal yaa…..:)
mo nanya niyy…kalo beli alat2 bento di s’pore dimana ya…?
daiso-nya sebelah mana..?
dan apa lengkap juga alat2 bentonya..?
makasiiihh yak …
regards
nina
KidsDreamWork:
Hi 🙂 It’s amazing how you can spot the picture of your bento though it’s not that obvious! 🙂 You make really nice bentos!
Are you on Facebook? Let’s connect there too yeah … Add me! 🙂
Hello! Tumbled upon your blog when I was searching for information on bento class/workshops. And I was so surprised to see my bento among the photos put up on the glass wall, the egg chicken with the flower toast on the top left corner. 🙂
http://www.kidsdreamwork.com/2009/12/26/flower-bread-mayonnaise-egg-bento/
Looking forward for more bento from you! It is a pleasure to see other people’s creation when I’m a bento addict myself.
By the way, like your informative blog! Will sure come to visit more. My boys are Drypers babies too 😀
Mei Ling:
Hi there … so sorry, I wished I could help you with such info.
I know Angie, our instructor at the workshop, has another bento session sometime in June, but I have no idea when and where (and who the organiser is for that event).
Perhaps you can get in touch with her directly? There’s a link to her blog in this entry ya.
All the best! 🙂
Hi, do u have any idea where I can attend such bento-making workshop?
mumzzy:
Thanks!
Am learning and experimenting right now hehe …
Yenny:
Sekali nyobain, wah ternyata baru tau kalo itu cukup seru juga DAN ga segitunya kompleks (err … kecuali mmg ‘aim’nya tinggi dan mau bikin yg canggih2 ya 🙂
Tinggal beli plastic mouldnya dari Daiso, some Japanese seaweed, seaweed powder … udah bisa deh mulai bikin2 ternyata 🙂 Aku sendiri masih nyoba2 ini itu… Berasnya aja pake yang Fragrant rice dari Thailand hehe …
Kalo udah bikin2, post foto ya di FB 🙂
Michelle Wei2:
Makasihh 😀
Utk bikin shapenya, aku pakai plastic mould dari Daiso. Kalo udah ada tools-nya dan udah coba bikin, sebenernya it’s all simple and relatively easy. I just found out about it myself 🙂
I guess I’m ‘breaking the bento rules’ too by using normal ‘Thai fragrant rice’ instead of Japanese rice 🙂 By right, we should use Japanese rice coz it’s ‘stickier’ 🙂 For now, I just add a little extra water into my rice cooker hehe …
Grace Koay:
Agree … 🙂 When they contribute, they get to appreciate it more 😀
Me need to learn more about cooking and baking from YOU too, btw! 🙂
Bing:
I think the great thing about bento-making is also the play with colours and healthy food choices. I’m a total beginner in this and yet I’m enjoying it a lot 😀
Those blue and red ‘boxes’ in my last photo are from Tupperware 😀
Ed:
uh oh … so we missed each other again. Yup, Klessis sat next to me … 🙂 It’s so nice to meet up with other bloggers there …
Mellisa:
You probably know more about Japanese food than me 😀 Learning about bento making is so much fun, I must say …
masih beginner’s level tp nih … belum qualified utk adain workshop di gereja 🙂 it’d be fun though ya … 🙂
Imelda:
Ya, it was a great workshop.
No the instructor didn’t touch on what you’d do with the ‘remains of the bread’. I didn’t ask too. I did cross my mind though when I was tidying up the table … because I don’t wish to waste food too. The thing is, I have no idea what to do with the remains as well. Yet to find out more about that myself! 🙂 … please teach me ? 🙂
So, my personal solution is, if I use bread, then I use it ‘all’ (cut it up into triangles or something) and I’ll avoid cutting up bread into shapes. If somehow I do, then the bread remains will go to the birds downstairs 🙂
Yanni:
Thanks … and thanks too for having me at the workshop! It’s a great session! 😀
Siska:
Wah Sis … gua sebelon di undang ke workshop juga ga tau soal gini2an. Yg gua tau tuh Bento pas makan di resto jepang (tp itu kan utk org gede …ada acar, buah, nasi, tempura dll hehe)
Gua bukan orang yg hobi ginian, dan gua bilang ini ga susah 🙂 so you can trust my ‘low standard’ hehe …
Bikinnya bisa pake roti, bisa pake nasi … ya ingredient jepang2 gitu kaya seaweed dll. Bento for kids basically is food in a box, tp di decorate jadi cute2 gitu 🙂
Bento kit itu basically sih tools utk lu mulai, eg. lunch box nya (gua pk tupperware gua :), dan shape cutternya, tempat utk bikin bentuk2 dari nasi. Semua ini dijual cuma $2 tuh di Daiso sini (toko barang2 jepang yg murah2)
i love those bentos, great ideas!
Wah Leonny..aku jg mau belajar bikin bento 🙂 🙂
Waa, cici keren! Gimana caranya bikin triangle onigiri dari sushi rice? Ajarin dong… XD
Love it! Isn’t it such fun to have the kids involved as well? I’m sure because of that they learnt a thing or two about the colourful food which is most nutritious too, and that will be gobbled up doubly fast!
I don’t have little children at home, but I am so inspired to get some red or blue boxes and make adult bentos! They look so beautiful and healthy!
Oh my…
I was supposed to go for this event as well, but I had to work on Saturday.
My friend Klessis was glad, and glad that u met her as well!
Uugh.. Ci Leony I really envy you.. As Japanese food is my most favourite food and I love to see how the make those bento so cutely.. Haha..
Kapan-kapan workshop di gereja donk ci.. Ntar aku daftar deh.. :PPP
Hi Leonny,
You’re so lucky to be invited to that event 🙂
Just wondering, did they explain or did anyone ask about what would you do with the ‘wastage’ after cutting the food with cookie cutters etc? For example, the bread is square, then you cut it with a heart-shaped cookie cutter, so what would you do with the remaining bread? I always end up eating the ‘wastage’ (while the kids eating the nice-looking food), coz so ‘sayang’ to just throw them away, and usually I have no time to create something else out of it (e.g. home-made pizza or juice).
Thanks a million for sharing!
Hi Leonny,
Very delightful post! I really love your simple but meaningful bento you made for your kids the next day!
Yanni
eh, keren bgt yg lu buat, Le. gw mah kaga bisa kali buat ginian. tp skg kayanya lg nge-trend yah di jkt/sgp… emang bento kit itu apa aja sih? trus pake roti dan nasi bikinnya? gw have no idea at all ttg ini