Hello Kitty Tea-Sandwiches

I was actually going to make a video for this one but I've been too busy working on a paper for next month. All you need for the great shapes is the bottom of a Hello Kitty egg mold (which I got online from Japan). Once you have that, everything else is a breeze, even though I obviously got the bows facing the wrong way.

Ingredients List:
1 tbl Hummus (spread 3/4 in the middle of each sandwich and the rest on the top)
2 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread
Baby Spinach Leaves or Other Small Fillings (for the sandwich)
2 Slices Mozzarella-Style Tofutti
1 Slice Orange Cheddar Tofutti
1 Small Patch of Nori
1 Small Patch of Red Pepper and Kamaboko
Cucumber Slices for decorating

Use your egg mold bottom to cut out the slices of bread first (side by side in Whole Wheat Bread) and then carefully spread some of the hummus on. Set it aside, add two small pieces of folded spinach and repeat with the other slice of bread.  You should get two HK pieces from each. Sandwich a naked bottom to a hummus-topped one and spread the rest of the hummus gently on top (not too much). Cut out your white cheese with the egg mold and carefully place it on top. Cut out your bows (make sure they'll face the right way) by cutting out one largish heart and a smaller heart, plus a little dot to connect them. Place them on the right side of HK's head and then cut out your nori with a very small hole punch. Add the eyes and then cut out six whiskers for each, using either tweezers or a bamboo skewer to adjust them. Add the nose with a lightly pinched straw (to give it that oval shape) and add cucumbers for decoration.

This dish is perfect for those with small children or for those who have a small appetite. I really hope that you'll enjoy this. Make sure to leave a comment to tell me how I'm doing! Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

Paul and Percy Bento

If you haven't checked out the game on Newgrounds yet - this is a must. In the bento it's technically just Paul (or Percy?) and Carl because my first brown rice onigiri fell apart and it would take up too much space. I also wanted to dye Carl's radish wings but I didn't have any red cabbage to dye it with. What do you think?

Paul and Percy Bento Ingredients:
Soy Cheese
Nori
Lightlife Hot Dog
Cucumber
White Button Mushrooms
Spinach
Parsley
Brown Rice (with 1 tbl Soy Sauce, 1 tbl Beet Juice and 3/4 tbl Paprika)

Enjoy the game and the bento! I plan on experimenting more with treats based on this game.

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3

Lunch With Totoro

I planned on making a bigger bento but forgot to buy a few things so I just stuck to some of the key characters and parts from "My Neighbor Totoro". Since I normally see Totoro made with black sesame seeds I decided instead to use cocoa powder and soy sauce (it tastes like coffee) to create a rather tasty Totoro. Next it was a vegan Chu Totoro egg. What? A vegan egg that isn't tofu? Yes, ladies and gentlemen - it's true. But first we have to get through the rest of the bowl. I made a catbus head out of couscous and store-bought hummus that was absolutely delicious, wrapped it up in plastic and stashed it in the fridge to keep it fresh. Next I added a nice English cucumber that you normally see in oi sun or Japanese pickles. I added radishes to symbolize the seeds and carrots for stability and a s a filler. As another filler and a double-agent I also used cauliflower for clouds. Nori and cheese made up the rest of the Totoros and then you're done.

I peered through two recipes for the vegan egg but ended up with my own combination. Because I didn't have soy creamer like most of the recipes required I ended up with an off-white egg instead. Still cute though, right?

Shin's Vegan Egg Recipe:

1 tbl Agar Agar

1/2 cup Soymilk

2 tbl All-Purpose Flour

2 tbl Cold Water

A pinch of Salt

Let the agar agar mix with the water for about 5-10 minutes and start to boil your soymilk with the flour, once that is done you can add the agar mixture and cook it for about 2-3 minutes. Whisk it together a few times and strain it into your choice of mold. I didn't have any actual egg molds that were shaped like eggs so I decided to use some of those 30 cent "eggs" used to hold pantyhose. After snapping on the tops and making sure that they didn't move, I stashed them in the fridge for about 2-3 hours and made my own Chu Totoro as per AnnaTheRed's instructions here, subbing soy cheese for the kamaboko and the whole egg for the agar mixture.



Other Recipes Links:
First Egg Recipe (that I found)
Second Egg Recipe (that I found)

Enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3