Dates & Quinces

Cupcake Update!

I went with Martha Stewart's brain cupcakes and, while I thought they were delicious, the alleged Swiss Meringue frosting had TWO POUNDS of butter in it. Two pounds! Sweet Jesus!

Really, it was a light (consistency) buttercream frosting. The recipe said it made enough for 28 cupcakes... but based on my leftovers, I'd say it frosts more like 36-40. I had more than two cups leftover.

Still. Delicious. My students told me it was too buttery though.

Whatever. They're a bunch of 13 year olds. What do they know except grocery store frosting?

Onward to my latest excitement - I've finally ordered bento boxes for my husband and I. Of all the things I really wish I'd brought from Japan, my steel panda bento box is one of the things I miss the most. That and my pig bowl. Oh! And my kiwi knife-spoon (it came with a package of golden kiwis). See the picture? That's exactly what it looked like.

I miss it.

Anyway, since we bring our lunches to work everyday, I've been meaning to buy us bento boxes for ages. I just couldn't commit to a design though. That, and the ones I've seen in Toronto go for 30$ for something I KNOW could be bought at a hyaku-en shop.



I ordered this manly box for my husband:

Rarr. 

The kanji says "dragon", and to me it says, "I am a man's box. A hungry man! Fill me with rice and umeboshi!"

I went for something totally more girly for myself:

It's cute, but not kawaii. I like the fact that the pattern has modern colours but is otherwise traditional.

In celebration, I made onigiri for lunch. Rice balls seasoned with wakame and sesame, filled with umeboshi paste.

Om nom nom.