Recipe Tuesday

I don't know if you are aware... but blogging everyday is HARD work. I have no idea how Amy does it.

I like to think I have a pretty good excuse. You see, I've never really worked full time. I've always had part time jobs that would occasionally give me about 30 hours a week. I'm talking rarely give me that many. Well now I'm averaging about 35, sometimes more, and sometimes a little bit less. I'm not complaining in any way. In this economy I know that I am incredibly lucky to be in this situation, however, it leaves little time for blogging.

A lot of the hours I pick up are given to me on very short notice. Because of this I don't always have time to make a lunch... so there you have it. A whole paragraph of your life wasted on excuses made by me. Yay!

You know you love it. :p

Anyways, that's not why I started this post, at least not really. I wanted to share something with you lovely folks. I thought that some recipes would be an awesome filler.

This first one I'm gonna show you will most definitely be in a bento box in the future. This meal is delicious, super easy, and shared with you via an adorable poodle!

Love it!



I know when I told my mom about this dish she made a gross face. This is because she does not like eggs. It does seem a little weird to put a poached egg on top of rice and beef... but it is amazing. The creamy yolk blends so well with the seasoned beef and adds so much to the dish. I've never tried it with pickled ginger, but perhaps I should.

If you have the means you need to make this dish. It is easy, delicious, and inexpensive to make. Next time we make this dish I'll take some pictures to show you guys how it looks when your average joe makes it.

Next I have a recipe for something I've never made that I decided I wanted to try. Flan. I had the urge to make it (and eat it) kick me in the face yesterday... and now I must try my hand at it! I have all the ingredients, so really, I have no excuse not to try!


Unfortunately this sucker is supposed to sit for a day or something ridiculous, so when I make it tonight I won't even be able to test it when it's done. Sad, I know, but we'll get through it together.

Another dessert I decided I have to try is this amazing delicacy: Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries. Holy crap.. it looks so cool! I can't wait to try. This is something I'm going to make for valentines day for the boy and I. I always say I'm gonna make some awesome dessert, and I never do. But this should be very easy, but still have the pizazz I want.

Oh, one more thing, in case you didn't check: Cooking with Dog has a new video out for Melonpan! And if you haven't watched the Christmas Cake recipe yet: shame on you! Watch it now!

So, do any of these recipes appeal to you? Would you eat them? Would you make them? Would you dance a jig for them? Will you actually answer these ridiculous questions?!

Let me know!

Day Off

Today is a magical day. Today I can sit around in PJs and knit, and watch tv, and play video games, and cook, without being rushed by time! How awesome. I do love having a day off.

Last night I didn't even get close to finishing my lunch. It was *way* full, and very delicious. So today, I'll probably end up having left over bento box for lunch, and really, that's okay with me.

Instead I thought I'd talk a little about what got me into the magical world of bento. I had heard about it a couple of times. I do really enjoy the Japanese culture (weird as it is) so I had seen bento boxes in use in a couple different ways.

But the real magic happened when I watched this video:

I actually think this is the same video that got me into Cooking With Dog. I love this You-Tube channel. It's my very favorite, and I've watched all the videos at least 3 times. If you ever want to try some great Japanese dishes, this is the cooking show to use. All the portions are meant for about 2 people, so it's perfect for the boy and I. It is a little tricky to change around some of the measurements, but that's what google is for!

Anyways, back to the bento aspect. Unfortunately, I've never made a bento box that kawaii, but seriously... look a that woman's knife skills! That bunny is just a work of art! And what cute octopus sausages! I saw this and I knew I wanted to eat like that. Someday, I will make something that cute, and I can't wait to show you when it happens.

After that video I started doing a lot of searching for other bento related pages. One of them that I found was Lunch in a Box. Unfortunately, this website hasn't updated in quite a while, however, she had a lot of really good posts to look out, plenty of resources, and some tasty recipes. Also, the forum is a really nice community for both beginners and true bento enthusiasts.

So there you have it. The two pages that made me realize: I can totally do this! And do it, I shall.


Enjoy!

Number Ichii!

Can you believe that it is 2011 already? Most people are happy to see 2010 go, but it was a decent enough year in the world of yours truly. However, I'm always hopeful this new year will be going even better. Hope everyone had a safe and happy evening and didn't make any resolutions you can keep. I always keep mine. Always...

But you don't care about that crap. No no, you want to see the damn box, don't you. Well hold your horses, dudes. I'm getting there.

I really wasn't sure what to do for my first box. I knew it had to be awesome, but I also wanted it to be easy. Especially since I was planning it on New Years Eve. I had other things to be doing, dangit. Like playing Super Mario and watching Mythbusters. Important things, people.

New Years Eve is my dear husbands birthday, and so he got to pick what we made for our late night dinner, after I took him out for a late lunch. He wanted hot wings. Sriracha hot wings to be exact. Oh my gosh, these things are devine! They have an awesome slow burn and yet tons of flavor. Sweet, savory, and spicy all at once. We did end up frying ours, but I'd love to try it the way the recipe states some day. I prefer to dip mine in some buttermilk ranch, but the boy loves his blue cheese.
Aaah, don't those look tasty? But... what to eat with them? I want something that's going to cool down my mouth when I'm eating something so spicy, and I'm not a fan of celery. What is a girl to do?
Carrot sticks! These guys go great in that buttermilk ranch I love so much, and also aid in the cooling down of my mouth, so they are a perfect accompaniment. Chicken and carrots didn't seem like much, but would be surprisingly filling. Still, I felt as if I should have a little more vitamins included in the lunch. So, broccoli and a couple mandarin oranges balance out this tasty bento.

Would this be a lunch you looked forward to, or would you skip out on one or all my choices? Do you think I'm blasphemous for packing hot wings in my bento box, or am I simply imaginative? Let me know!