Cinnamoroll Bento and Winning a Bento Competition

I was sitting on a chair *and so bored* this morning with some of my friends waiting for my thesis advisor that had been late for an hour for thesis advisory in my Department’s office when a delightful sms vibrated my mobile phone - Oh, from my boardinghousemate. “Ta, the package you’ve been waiting for has arrived!”, said the short message. And, “Aaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!” *with an expression just like seeing a ghost hehehe*, yes, screaming, was my first response hehe.

Friend: “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Tata: “Yes! Yes! Yes! I gotta leave now! Bye friends!”

Friend: “Leave? Where’re you going? Don’t you want to wait PJ *our thesis advisor hehe* for any minutes?”

Tata: “Nope! He has been late for an hour, I think he’s not gonna come. My package is waiting for me… heheheheh”

Friend: “Package?” --> ????? *Is it more important than meeting with PJ?* hehehe

Walking, running, walking, running, in a rush, happily, bored face turned out to be a happy pinky face --> Can’t wait to hug my package and give it my biggest smile hahahaha.

My happy dance hehe :D

In Boardinghouse

“Where’s ma package???” --> very happy, doing an octopus dance :D. I hugged, kissed, and gave it my most beautiful smile :D *not grinning ear to ear but grinning from north pole to south pole hehehe, yup I love to be lil’ bit exaggerating :D*. I directly take some pictures of it after that. When all Christians around the world *especially kids* waiting for Xmas presents from Santa Claus, I got it in advance from him disguising as a postman LOL. Though I’m not Christian and do not celebrate Christmas, when I was a kid I loved to make a white and red sock presents bag from paper and then hung it behind my room’s door with the hope that Santa would give every kid around the world presents no matter what the beliefs they have hehehe. I loved to watch Santa Claus cartoons *full of presents, presents, and presents, kids love it* and I would like to do the same thing the kids in the cartoons did to get presents from Santa *Ah, kids LOL*. And I would always find my sock empty hehehe. But I never get angry with Santa for my always-empty-sock since I know he’s very busy preparing millions piles of presents for kids around the globe. But, since he knows I’m a good one that never gets angry with him, he sent me the presents this year through a postman and IN ADVANCE for sure hehehe.

Winning Bento Competition

The words I wanna say to Cakuli are only THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU till I get exhausted saying it :D. Thank you for the Bento Competition you had arranged and conducted and of cos so much thank you for the presents, I LOVE THEM! Love love love and so many loves. Friends, please visit Cakuli’s bento blog here and here. There are lots of cute bento and also bento-info there :D, sure you’ll love Cakuli’s blogs. I seldom open my blog at Multiply for either checking or updating it, and when one day I opened it, I got a message from Cakuli that she invited me to join a bento competition she had arranged. I happily received her invitation and yeay!!! I won! :D. At that time, I only had a short time to make and to submit the bentos as the entries to the competition – so I’m sorry for not sharing the info with you all here in my blog (^^)v.

Here are the prizes Cakuli has sent to me: Pretty Hello Kitty box, egg molds, cube rice mold, cutlery, food picks, food cups, sauce containers, and cute pink Hello Kitty spoon :D. So lots, eh? Yippee!!! Thank you sista! I received all of them “safe and sound” hehe :D

Cinnamoroll Bento

I submitted two bentos for the competition; both were Sanrio-characters-themed ones since I would get double points for Sanrio themes. I had Cinnamoroll and Chococat bentos. I don’t know which bento that has made me won but I’ll let you know the Cinnamoroll one first since it was the one I submitted first to Cakuli :D. I fell in love with Sanrio’s characters after I had googled them, I’d love to try them all on my bentos, but first I had to choose one which was simple to make. And Cinnamoroll was the one that won my first choice (It’s simple to make for a bento maker with super simple weapons like me – only a knife, scissor, and paper puncher hehehe, but now I have more given by Cakuli ;D). Curious about Cinnamoroll? Okay, let’s little bit get closer with Cinnamoroll :D. Cinnamoroll is a blue eyed white puppy with long ears that enable him to fly. He has a plump and curly tail that resembles a Cinnamon Roll. (Wikipedia) Cinnamoroll's real name is Cinnamon. One day, the owner of Cafe Cinnamon, a little cafe, looked up to see a white puppy floating out of the sky like a fluffy cloud. “I wonder if he came because he smelled my cinnamon rolls.” She thought. He had a curly tail just like a cinnamon roll, so she called him Cinnamon.

If you stare at my Cinnamoroll bento thoroughly you may notice a thin stick on Cinnamoroll left side, eh? Is it tooth pick? Yes, it is hehe. I used it to pin my egg sun flower but I forgot to cut it since when I was just going to do that my mobile phone rang and I had to pick up my friend’s call hehehe. I noticed this left tooth pick when I was editing the photo with Adobe PS CS :D. Nothing special accompanied the bento actually, as you can see from the pick :D.

Hope I can use all of these cute bento stuffs to make bentos right away, but I’m afraid I have to delay it since I have a hard time to make ones by now. And the bentos I had posted recently and will be posted next are the ones in my old folder :D. Hope I can finish my thesis quickly so I can have a lovely time bentoing again with these cool stuffs :D.

Have a nice long holiday and Happy Xmas for all my friends who celebrate it! :D

Cheers!!!

Again, Thanks Cakuli! Happy Xmas sista! :D

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Yummy Bento

I’ve been so off from the internet and laptop for these past three days. I went home for my brother wedding party. And these past three days also include to the busiest days in my life – so hectic *sigh*. Those days even have kept me away from my mobile phone for either checking or updating my facebook – it felt like living in the ancient times! :(. Javanese wedding ceremony is so complicated that includes a series of traditional rituals *or what I should call them? I can’t find the right diction* whose names are whatsoever-they-are-called – I don’t know their names :P.

Everyone was so busy for my bro’s wedding preparation. I even only had an hour to sleep before the day for I had been given a “mandate” to decorate so many rattan basket with ribbon then filled them with almost 25 kinds of cakes --> alone --> *weak n’ limp: mode on*. Oh, I was so had have enough with that parcels that I didn’t have any mood at all to take pictures of them even though they were beautiful. At 2.30 am I lied down myself on a long rattan chair only with a jacket as a blanket *poor me*. Then on 3.30 am I had to wake up, took a bath *brrrrrr* and being pimped up for the party *yeah, still in the dark dawn sky*. I actually do hate to be pimped up *don’t like cosmetic hehehe*, but if I refused that, my mother would give me her biggest round angry eyes *phew!*. Being pimped up in a sleepy state, the makeup person *I don’t want to call her makeup artist :(* asked my permission to shave a little part of my eyebrows for a better look. I said yes with hesitate, but later I got very angry after I had found out that she shaved half part of each my eyebrow *aaaaaaaarrrrrrgghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Chop chop her!!!* --> Apa kata dunia????? (What the world will say???) I was *and still* angry angry angry angry, I’m so mad at her! *Calm down Tata… Calm down…*

Okay, stop talking about half-shaved eyebrows! It only makes me boiling! Hegh. Now about bento, for this time bento post, I come across with yummy bento – it’s still my old bento with asturo paper for the eyes and mouth hehehehe. I named this yummy bento since I had no idea what to name it. It goes with fried-rice fruit with cucumber peel for the stem and leaf, cheesy fussili, fried sausage and shrimp skewers, chocolate biscuit sandwich, chocolate candy, and strawberry marshmallow.

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Chubby Boy n’ Girl Bento & Henna-ing Hands

He left me for a week to Malaysia… He?? Yes, my thesis advisor hehehehe, so let’s be away awhile from thesis and welcome blogging – Hola mi amigas! :D. Ehm… think think think! Should I post bento or something else? Yep, bento I guess – old bento from my old folder with asturo paper for the eyes LOL, my regular readers must know the reason why I used asturo paper hehe. Okay, I made this bento with my boardinghousemate, Tyaz, on a Sunday morning many months ago. On that Sunday morning I was so bored – didn’t have any mood for cooking since I didn’t have any ingredients stored in the fridge. And the good news was Tyaz would always know how to make happiness and smiles back on my face by asking me to make bento together using her ingredients. Hurray!!! Let’s cook! :D. And finally, a super simple bento came out with two chubby cuties. It’s just for fun bento :D. We molded the steamed rice with a jam glass. The red hairs were made from Bernard’s burger beef, heart shape made from fried chicken nugget, eyes and mouths from asturo paper :P, blushes from hot chili tomato sauce, and ribbon from red chili.

Tyas and I enjoyed this mini simple bento in our boardinghouse’s livingroom – we cross-legged sat on a carpeted-floor and placed the bento on a small low table hehehe, she had the girl and I had the boy. We also made a big bottle of Nutrisari (Orange drink) – had little food and got Nutrisari-drunk (too much LOL). We drank the Nutrisari in a small glass for many times just like the Japanese do when they drink sake – yeah, that’s what we did to kick out the boredom hahaha LOL. Since we got too much with the liquid inside our tummies, we then lied down on the carpet --> being silent for some minutes, then we did a LOL for something crazy we had done then ran in a rush to the toilet and did a LOL again hehehe. Hmm, one of great times I had with Tyas *o… my little sista* I think :D.

And… what else I can tell you? Ehm… Henna-ing! This is a month where many muslims who have made pilgrimage back home from Mecca including some of my boardinghousemates’ parents. Yippee, got the sprinkle of stuffs brought from Mecca. If my friends love to get henna paste or *what should I call it* black pencil/powder to blacken the eyelid *used as cosmetic*, I love to have Arabic raisin and nuts, date fruits or candies hehe LOL – it’s always food-snack-food-snack for Tata Bon :D. And what my friends always ask me after they hand that henna paste is --> “Henna my hand, please…”. Yup, that’s my unofficial signature job in the boardinghouse, a henna-drawer hehehe. I myself don’t like to use henna *I like my hands and nails clear :D*, but since my friends know that I like to draw Batik patterns or traditional flower patterns, they love to ask me to henna their hands *LOL, they love to use their henna to draw their hands not to color their nails :D*. In one sit, I could spend one to two sachets henna paste and drawing 3 to 6 friends, but I never get bored to do that thing, I love this activity *just draw with the flow :D* and since one of my hobbies is drawing or painting :D. Unfortunately the pipe hole of henna’s container was too big *for me* that I couldn’t draw with beautiful henna paste flow *sigh*. If I used triangled-cone plastic with small hole just like the one used for cake decorating I think the result would be better. But, it has been already so pleasurable to know my friends satisfied with my draws on their hands :D. Their next request is to henna their hands with Batik pattern *sigh, they still have henna paste stocks*. The patterns I used were my own, I never had an effort to surf in the internet looking for the original pattern used in middle-eastern or India – but I think I will after this, it sounds so interesting to be deeply explored :D.

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(MASBAR) Deep-Fried Shrimps ala BIE FONG TONG

Masbar! Masbar! Tem tem dem dem dem! Masbar Masbar! Tem tem dem dem dem! *Hehe, has been influenced by Thalita Latief and Ruben Onsu’s “anthem” song when they are hosting a music program, On the Spot, every evening on TRANS7. Yeah, it’s time for Masbar again; it feels just like yesterday I posted my Bento for Masbar’s previous entry - time flies so fast *sigh*, how many wings does time actually have??? *so wonder about it, anyone?*

By the way, you can laugh at me -a (kind-of) hiatus announcement then there were three posts after it just in about two weeks? LOL, what was my (kind-of) hiatus announcement for? Haha, okay let me tell you… Firstly I thought that doing thesis would draw my entire time and life that there would be no time for blogging. But, since I managed to do it with (yeah say) a good discipline hehe, I could finish the early chapters faster than the time I’ve planned; so I could spend few times to write and update my blog :D *grin ear to ear*. And do you know what I did when I was sooooo boring reading so many reference books and typing for my big project? *you don’t lah hihi* You can laugh me again - having fun by tinkering with some CSS codes for blogspot templates LOL. I’ve been falling in love recently with blogspot’s templates adapted from Wordpress. Besides finishing my big project as soon as possible, another big desire of mine for this time actually is I want to personalize my blog *confuse, using Wordpress or Blogspot??*. I’m so eager to use Wordpress, but it means I need more time to learn about its CSS if I want to modify the template I’m going to use *I like to modify, I like my blog’s appearance to be different with the others’ hehe and I needed about a month to modify this blog --> went from and with zero knowledge about CSS and ended up with a knew-little about it LOL*. But I don’t have any ideas when it will come to a realization, will it be just a dream?? Yup, this dream is too high, too high, too high, and too high to reach and to be come true. Sob sob sob, but dreaming is free, eh? No need to pay to dream hehehe. When my classmate also my boardinghousemate, Tiu, knew about my desire and she found me sinking myself in the enjoyment of tinkering with CSS codes --> she would take a heavy and thick Oxford dictionary from my book shelf and lifted it with her hand… and do you know what would happen next??? She “bang” that heavy dictionary on me! And… “Ouch!!!!” She would run away and I would catch her --> the World War 3rd was on 88A Boardinghouse *you can draw the picture* hahaha. She likes to say, “Finish your thesis right away and then get job and get lots of money to pay your personal blog’s fee! Don’t waste your time playing with those dizzying code clusters! You’re SOOO NOT *with Hannah Montana's style* gonna meet with those codes in your thesis examination!”. LOL, she was COMPLETELY right, phew… she sometimes seems more “ferocious” than my mother hahahaha (^^)v. But, thanks God for sending her as my best friend who always supports me for something better, love you much Tiu!!! Hugs :D – but don’t bang me with that heavy Oxford dictionary again! :P

But now I’ve come to an entrance of a more serious chapter hehehe, it needs me for an extra critical thinking that means it also needs my extra time *phew!*. So, I’ve actually managed to “get out” temporarily again from blogging sphere but missing a Masbar event for this month is not a good idea though. I want to take a part and to welcome our new Masbar admin Madam, Madam Rurong aka Mbak Rurong of Just a Thought :D *Sugeng rawuh Madaaaaammmm…. Wkwkwkwkwk (^^)v, jo dilokne arek gemblung lho yo!!! Hehe*. So much thank you for other Masbar admins, Mbak Deethong of Mlebu Pawon and Mbak Shinta of Berkreasi di Dapur Mungil for interesting Masbar theme for this month – SHRIMPS!!! Yeay! I love love love love shrimps! Life is sooo strange – I used to hate shrimps in the pasts since I was allergic to shrimps *terrible – a big allergic*. But now??? Ohohoho… Don’t ask, I’m a big fan of them - will always ask for them and love to have them on my plate everyday (if I can hehehehe). Wanna know the story how I’ve made friend with shrimps? You can read this post.

I post this DEEP-FRIED SHRIMPS ala BIE FONG TONG for Masbar’s entry and as my post before I DISAPPEAR again – yup, I’m going to DISAPPEAR again! My thesis needs me than before hehehe. But, if I APPEAR again with my post not long after this post --> don’t be surprised and you can laugh me again! :D. I got this recipe from our previous Masbar admin, Mbak Ayin of AG’s Food that got her recipe originally from HERE. Her Bie Fong Tong Shrimps looked so delicious that tempted me to give it a go. And this is it! :D

Deep-Fried Shrimps
ala BIE FONG TONG

Fried Shrimps:
300 gram shrimps (big or medium size) --> peeled, deveined, and washed
1 egg (small size), beat until foaming
125 gram corn starch (add if needed)
Enough ground white pepper and salt to taste
Enough Calamondin or lime juice
Oil to fry

Spice I:
2 tbsp crispy fried garlic
Enough ground white pepper and fine salt (the soft one) to season

Spice II:
2 cloves of garlic, bruised
2 paddy chilies or bird eye chilies, sliced
1 green onion, finely sliced

Methods:
1. Fried Shrimps: Rub the shrimps with the mix of calamondin/lime juice, ground white pepper, and salt. Let them rest for about 10-15 minutes, then strain. Place the shrimps in a bowl and pour the beaten egg on them, stir well. Take a shrimp and roll it on dry corn starch, coat the shrimp well. Apply to the rest. Heat a good amount of oil over medium heat. Deep fry the shrimps until golden yellow, strain and set aside.
2. Spice I: While deep frying the shrimps, pound coarsely the crispy fried garlic (don’t need to grind it until soft). Mix it with ground white pepper and salt, set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil on a non stick pan and sauté Spice II: garlic and paddy chilies first (til’ fragrant) then add green onion. Stir well and continue sautéing for a while until wilted.
4. Add in the deep fried shrimps, stir evenly. Add the mix of Spice II, mix well again. Remove from heat. Transfer on a plate and serve right away.

Udang Tepung Goreng ala BIE FONG TONG

Udang Tepung Goreng:
300 gram udang (ukuran boleh besar boleh sedang) --> buang kulit kepala, belah punggungnya trus ilangin uratnya, cuci bersih deh
1 telur ukuran kecil, dikocok ampek berbusa ya
125 gram tepung maizena (jika kurang boleh tambah)
Merica bubuk dan garam secukupnya
Air jeruk nipis secukupnya
Minyak goreng

Bumbu I:
2 sdm bawang putih goreng
Merica bubuk dan garam halus secukupnya

Bumbu II:
2 siung bawang putih, geprek
2 cabe rawit, iris-iris
1 daun bawang, iris halus

Cara Membuat:
1. Udang Tepung Goreng: Lumuri udang dengan campuran air jeruk nipis, garam, dan merica bubuk. Diamkan kurleb 10-15 menit sampai bumbu terserap, tiriskan. Letakkan udang disebuah mangkok lalu masukkan kocokan telur, aduk rata. Ambil seekor udang lalu gulingkan di atas tepung maizena kering, balut udang sampai rata. Lakukan sampai selesai. Panaskan minyak di atas api sedang. Goreng udang sampai kuning keemasan dan matang. Tiriskan dan sisihkan.
2. Bumbu I: Sementara goreng udang, ulek kasar bawang putih goreng (inga’-inga’ gak boleh sampai halus, kasaran ajah) lalu campur dengan merica bubuk dan garam. Sisihkan.
3. Panaskan 1 sdm minyak goreng lalu tumis Bumbu II: bawang putih dan cabe rawit duluan sampe wangi trus masukin daun bawangnya. Tumis lagi bentar sampai layu.
4. Masukkan udang goreng, aduk rata. Tambahkan Bumbu II, aduk rata lagi. Angkat dan sajikan. Taraaa!!! Nyam nyam nyam :D

While posting this post, I can hear the Takbir echo from my campus’ mosque – a sign that tomorrow Moslems will celebrate Eid al-Adha. Happy Eid al-Adha for all my friends who celebrate it! Wish you have a happy Eid :D. Wish I could go home, celebrate the Eid with my family, and ask a bowl of Gulai or curry with ketupat (rice cakes) to my Mom for tomorrow (T_T) *tears….* Bundoooooooo…………….

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Lib-Time Snackie and Another Award!

Kimchi Kimchi Kimchi *pronounce them fast hehe* Kimchi Kimchi Kimchi *humdrum!* Yep… get a slight kick of ennui from continual Kimchi posts, eh? So, let’s be away a while from Korean food Parade. To neutralize this ennui, now I come across with my lib-time snackie post. Lib-time snackie? You know, going to the library looking for references for my last “big project” is the most frequent activity I did recently, so I sometimes bring some snackies to enjoy while I’m dating some lovely books there in the library hehehehe. Is it allowed? I’m not sure but I think it’s not, but there’s still no announced official rule about it hehe (^^)v *bad student*. But, don’t worry… my snackie box is very small *though in the picts it isn’t*. I can slip it into my big pen and pencil case. My breakfast time in the morning is between 9 to 10 and I often go to the library at that time - but I can’t force myself to have breakfast earlier since at 9 to 10 I’ll get hungry again eventhough I had breakfast before, so queer eh? Now it’s clear that I bring snackie to the library in order that I can feed me myself on the right time my belly needs to be feed. I usually bring small sandwiches with Blueberry or Strawberry jam, mini KitKat, candies and gums, fruits, croquettes, and fruity box drinks. If I manage visiting library for a moderate time I’ll only have some mini snackies and candies, and I’ll bring a bigger portion for a longer time.

Actually there’s a small canteen in the lib on the second floor, but the food and snacks available there are mostly deep fried ones accompanied by cold soft drinks – ugh… not so good and healthy for breakfast *give me another reason to bring my own snacks*. I love to enjoy my lib-snackies on the cozy warm-carpeted lib corner on the second floor near opened glass window where there’s a long low desk I usually place my laptop and a stack of books and hide my small snackie box under it hehehe. This place is so strategic; no one has discovered me having my snackies. But there’s once when I was enjoying fragrant dices of Gadung mango flesh, two girls passed through in front of my desk and one of them asked her friend --> “Do you smell any mangoes?”. And her friend replied, “Yes, but where does this good smell come from? Ah, may be from those ripe mangoes out there on the trees, see?”. The first girl said, “Ah yeah, I think so. Great, our campus will harvest a good amount of sweet mangoes this year!”. Both girls then laughed and walked away from me (^^). What I could do was only laughing hard inside while hiding my face behind an opened book I was holding on *LOL*. Yup, I was saved by a fact that my campus library is surrounded by many trees of some kinds of fruit tree including mango trees that now are in season and produce many fragrant ripe mangoes (^^)v.

O yea, I am SO HAPPY too for I got another award from dear blogger fellow Mbak Lia of Bentolicious, mochas gracias hermana Liaaaaaa (^^) yippee!!! Mbak Lia is a genuine bento maker talent. Her bento ideas are always creative and inspiring. Her bentos often make me amazed and spent couples minutes starring at her lovely bento photos. I personally believe that she’s gonna be a pioneer of bento mom in Indonesia hehehe. I’ll always be your biggest supporter mbak :). This third award needs me to mention 7 things about myself then I have to nominate 7 other bloggers for this award. And these are 7 things about myself:

7 Things about Me

1. Laaaaaaaazzzyyyy gal and Dreamer Princess! Hehehe. Don’t need to explain further more about it hehehehe.

2. Barbie Phobia!!!! Haaa???? What a shame! Yes, tell me about it! Actually I’m not afraid when I see Barbie pictures or watch Barbie movies, I like it, and she’s beautiful. But, when I’m showed a real Barbie directly in front of me… Help me!!! Will run away and hide somewhere. I can’t explain exactly the reason of my phobia, just afraid when I meet her directly. I sometimes have a scary thought when someday in the future I have a daughter that asks me to buy her a Barbie, what should I do then???

3. A big fan of Korean dramas – yes, just like Mbak Lia (^^). Lee Min Ho!!! Ahahahae. And now I’m suffering from fever of recent phenomenal Korean Drama, The Great Queen Seon Deok. Great drama, great drama, great drama! You’ve to watch it! (^^).

4. A shy girl, hehehehe, am I??? I say, YES!!!

5. Philatelist, yes I’m a stamps collector. But, in this facebook, blog, and e-mail era, it’s kinda difficult to continue this hobby. So sad…. :’(

6. Have a big desire of becoming a web designer but have no serious efforts to do so hihihihihi.

7. *Still* A big fan of Irish Boyband, WESTLIFE :D. But if I let you go… I will never know… What my life would be holding you close to me… Will I ever see you smiling back at me... How will I know... If I let you go... (^^)

And eighth *seven is not enough actually!* --> I LOVE to laugh laugh laugh laugh and laugh, hahaha hihihi heuheuheu hohoho ehehehehehe (^^)v. The first requirement to state 7 *ehm, eight!* things about myself is done. And now… Ah, I hate when it comes to the choosing session. So, I looked for my friends who I haven’t given an award yet to before, and this award goes to…

Bundazasha of Cozy Corner
Mbak Rachmah of Kedai Rachmah
Jessiah Thieleta of ~ Hello thar! ~ (^_^)..y
Mbak Shelvy of LS Food
Mbak Lina of Sisi-Lina
Atut of The Story Goes
Mushima Hawani of Fun Time of Being Mom

I’d also like to give this award for my boardinghousemate Sari of My L1fe, for she has been working hard recently learning blogging on her new blog :), enjoy this award sista! Yang semangat belajar ngeblog yooo nduuukkk genduukk!!! Ngkok lek gak iso tak warai… hehehehe, keminter yoo aku ikii?? :P

And these are pictures of new great Korean drama, The Great Queen Seon Deok…

Photos are taken from HERE

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