Baking Adventures: Sourdough Purple Sweet Potato Yogurt Beet Juice Bread

Okinawan sweet potato sourdough bread.

This is my 3rd sourdough loaf using my own homegrown starter (which is 2 weeks old). I'm hoping to strengthen the sourness over time, but so far I'm quite happy with the results.

 Here is the method I used for this loaf:

360g all purpose flour
40g whole wheat flour
300g spring water
8g sea salt
130g (~½ cup) mashed steamed Okinawan sweet potatoes
130g (~½ cup) Greek yogurt
2T beet juice, stirred into the yogurt
⅓ cup walnuts
80g sourdough starter, at peak, 100% hydration
79% hydration
Autolyse 1 hour
6 hours bulk fermentation at room temp
Stretch and fold at 30 minute intervals for 1st 2 hours
Preshape, bench rest 30 minutes
Envelope fold, shape, place seam side up in linen-lined, floured bowl
Rest at room temp 1.5 hours
Proof in refrigerator 16 hours
Bake 400°F 40 minutes
Lid off, 20 more minutes

Happy Girls' Day Bento!

Happy Girls' Day and wishing all our little girls the happiness, strength, and good health to achieve their goals and make all their dreams come true!

We love you! 🥰

😊❤🍱

Planetbox Sandwich Bento

I don't know why, but Planetbox Rover seems to scream sandwich bento! to me. Today, at least. It has a nice big compartment for it, and even though it's a square, I'm putting a baguette in there, because that's how I do it. It's a sardine sandwich, and before you judge, listen: it's packed in harissa, covered in melted cheese, and laying on a whole wheat sweet French roll. The lettuce underneath he'll pack between the bread right before eating, so it doesn't get all soggy. It's good! Besides that, he gets super ripe strawberries, cara cara orange, homegrown kadota fig, tomatoes, carrots, cinnamon yogurt, and tiny bear cookies (because they fit in that little space perfectly!). Yum!

  

Shoyu Chicken ECOlunchbox Bento

One of the standards that makes a frequent appearance on this blog: shoyu chicken with broccoli and potatoes. I used the very sturdy and substantial ECOlunchboxes Three-in-One set, which gives me two tiers to pack a lot of food for my 7th grader. Besides the lower tier that I just mentioned, he gets a container of yogurt with wheat germ and blueberries, plus some plum, donut peach, and grapes. This whole set latches together on two sides very securely and has never come apart in our experience. Hope your week is getting off to a great start!

Breakfast For Lunch PlanetBox Bento

Breakfast For Lunch PlanetBox Bento

Working the PlanetBox Rover again, we played out one of our favorite themes: breakfast for lunch. Today's included pan-fried sausage and hard-boiled eggs. I guess the plain tart yogurt with fresh fruit topping (and pumpkin seeds) falls into the same category too. A side salad of chopped romaine, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and fresh ground pepper pulls the whole thing into a more lunch-y type mode. I'd say. The yogurt is completely sealed inside the big dipper once the box is latched, so there'll be no leakage. I omitted dressing on the salad, because that won't stay in the section. If you so desire, you could send dressing along in the little dipper, which would sit in the section where the egg is (and there is definitely enough room to double up the eggs and squeeze it in. Quick and easy! I'm really liking this box already.

Salmon Salad EcoLunchBox Bento

A non-cutesy bento, after the deluge of cute ones from last week. This is the kind that I normally make: with a focus mainly on the nutritiousness and deliciousness of the food iteself. If I have extra time, I'll add a cute detail. But sometimes, I just don't. Like today. This one is just a basic salmon salad with halved tomatoes and a few red onions. MisterMan doesn't like added dressing, but you could easily send some along with your kid if you so desired. The lower tier of the EcoLunchbox Three-In-One serves well for this type of bento. The top tier is shallower and will hold a selection of grapes, blood orange segments, and carrots. The third box has a lid and I packed some yogurt (you could also use cottage cheese), sunflower seeds, and fresh pineapple chunks. This one will keep my middle-schooler satisfied, even without the food faces! ^__^

Chinese New Year 2014 Bento: Year of the Horse!

Chinese New Year 2014 Bento: Year of the Horse!, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Happy New Year! And Happy Chinese New Year too! This year the Chinese (Lunar) New Year falls on the 31st of January, and will be represented by the Horse. To celebrate, I've made a brand new bento with a horse theme! This one is for me. I used my super kawaii red goldfish nesting bento box because when you turn it on end, it has a horse shape. Can you see it? I made kabocha curry yesterday, so I packed some curry and rice in the big box with a cucumber separator. I decorated the rice with broccoli and cucumber to create a horse face, and added grape tomatoes for nostrils. The baby fish box holds Greek yogurt with raisins, a tiny satsuma mandarin, some carrots and a cheese nori face. This one is a pony. Awww! I hope this upcoming year brings you and your loved ones much happiness and good health. Kung Hay Fat Choy!
Added to What's For Lunch.

Valentine Snack Bento

Valentine Snack Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Yesterday I made sugar cookies, impressed with a heart image (using my mini heart cutter) and sprinkled with home-dyed pink sugar. I made 40 for the two kiddos to take to their class Valentine parties, plus a few extra to sample. ^_^
TinySprite pronounced them cute. Chocolate almonds (her favorite treat) and a little cup of yogurt with raspberries complete the sweet afterschool snack. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day! Wishing you lots of love, hugs and kisses today and every day :D

Black Bean and Sausage Stew Bento

Black Bean and Sausage Stew Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

When the weather turns frigid our thoughts turn to... warming soups and stews. How about you? This time it's a black bean and chicken sausage stew packed in TinySprite's Hello Kitty thermal food jar. The cute stainless-lined snack pack box contains (on one side) Greek yogurt topped with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and the usual assortment of berries and nominal veggies. If the main dish is already packed with vegetation, then I can go easy on the side box. Plus, both my kids are drinking homemade green drinks daily, which ensures another big serving of both fruit and vegetables. Win!

Added to What's For Lunch.

Snowman Quail Egg Christmas Bento

Snowman Quail Egg Christmas Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

One week until Christmas! Here is my last Christmas themed bento for the year. It's another snowman, this time made with a nori- and carrot-decorated quail egg. A little blue hat, and there's a happy friend waiting to enjoy lunchtime with TinySprite! I used my EcoLunchbox Solo Cube with 4 silicone cups containing sliced bratwurst sausages, sauteed shredded brussels sprouts topped with parmesan and garlic powder, Greek yogurt with homemade granola and a perfectly sized satsuma mandarin. I don't normally pack yogurt without a lid, but the layer of granola (Alton Brown's recipe) helps keep it in place. I like how everything fits in here snugly, and makes a colorful, festive holiday bento. Merry Christmas, friends!

Penne Pasta Bolognese Bento

Penne Pasta Bolognese Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Last time I made bolognese (here) I showed you TinySprite's bento. This time I'll show you MisterMan's version. It's the same, except he gets regular wheat pasta; this penne is made with tomato and carrot puree so it looks orange. I lay the pasta on a bed of lettuce, then spoon the sauce over, and top with parmesan and a few steamed Okinawan sweet potato cut into star shapes. In the upper tier of this cool EcoLunchBox he gets Greek yogurt with pumpkin seeds and wheat germ, and the usual fruit and veggies to the side (carrots, broccoli, strawberries and grapes).

Carnitas EcoLunchBox Bento

Carnitas EcoLunchBox Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

MisterMan's bento is packed in the two-tier EcoLunchBox today: he gets leftovers from dinner out, which means super quick bentomaking. Lower tier contains carnitas, Mexican rice, corn, broccoli and Okinawan sweet potato star shapes. Upper tier contains a small box of yogurt topped with blueberries, raspberries, sunflower seeds and wheat germ, plus a selection of strawberry, cherries, peach pie donut peach, and lychee. I love the way I can fit a whole lot of food (lunch and snacks) in this double box. And that's it for the week. Happy weekend friends!

Sausage Arugula Pasta Bento

Sausage Arugula Pasta Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Now that the kids are getting older and their appetites are getting bigger, I find myself reaching for the more spacious bento boxes more frequently these days. My preschooler can still use the cute little one tiered character boxes, but probably not for much longer. And my almost-4th-grader definitely needs more food. This summer he's been very active, with various enrichment programs such as cooking, chess, mad science, and sports. He can eat a lot. I found this nice-looking two-tiered box today and thought it would be perfect for him in the coming months. It supposedly holds over 1000ml, but I find that the containers themselves take up space and there isn't a need to pack super tightly. This one has a snug-fitting upper divided tier that sits deep into the main compartment. Thus, I have to be careful not to pack the bottom too high. I like the gasket in the lid and the two double latches, as well as the transparent nature of this Clic-Tite box, made by a company called Novo. Here I've packed a quick-cook meal of thin whole wheat spagetti, wilted arugula and spinach, and pan-fried chicken sausage to layer in the bottom on a lettuce leaf. The top holds a silicone cup of yogurt with blueberries and sunflower seeds, another of steamed corn off the cob, carrots, cherries, strawberries, lychee, Okinawan sweet potato and regular sweet potato.

 

Last-Day-Of-School Salmon Bento

Salmon Asparagus and Potatoes Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Wow, it's been so long since my last bento post! Seems like we've been on summer vacation forever! Luckily, it's only the 2nd day of actual summer so far, and I for one am really looking forward to the next 2 months of fun and freedom! We've been out of school since the first of the month, so there haven't been any new bento since then. I'm showing you the last few bento I made during the last week of school, when it was just too busy to post and blog. They should look very familiar, and I've come to rely on salmon/asparagus/potatoes as one of my standard fall-back bento. Happily, the kids love salmon, which I prepare in a few different ways to change it up (butteryaki, furikake, cajun, miso, dijon). Misterman's version comes in the EcoLunchbox while TinySprite's is packed in the cute 4-sectioned plasticware box. There's also yogurt with fruity toppings in there too.

The kids have just now started their summer sessions, so I'm back to packing bento again. But since I've gotten accustomed to not-blogging (and feeling like enjoying a relaxing summer), I may not post each one. Instead, I'm thinking of showing you the other things I'm cooking up in the kitchen these days. I've been baking and making ice cream and have all kinds of good things planned this summer...

Hope you all are enjoying the best season of the year!

Lentil Curry Chicken Bento

Lentil Curry Chicken Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

MisterMan really liked this bento: it has lots of different flavors, which he likes, and lots of healthy stuff, which I like. I made lentil curry chicken in my slow-cooker, using chicken thighs and adding chopped spinach at the very end. The meat was so tender it fell apart. I also made bhindi (okra) masala, and packed them in the lower tier alongside millet quinoa rice with a radish decoration. [I was asked about my method for cutting the star radish, and I managed to take some process photos that I'll show you next time.] In the upper tier of this classic EcoLunchBox, I packed carrots, grapes and cara cara orange chunks beside a separate container of Greek yogurt topped with strawberries and wheat germ. The little oblong container comes with a stainless steel top to keep the contents secure, and both tiers latch together tightly. I really like the way this one came together, and do you see my cute Moomin cutlery? From my dear Finnish friend :D

4-Section Variety Bento

4-Section Variety Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Today I made a fun one for TinySprite. This is a 4-sectioned plain old plasticware container that I used to use for my kids when they were babies. I distinctly remember packing this box to go to the park with MisterMan, my moms' group, and their babies. I'd put cottage cheese in one part, scrambled eggs in another, kale-oatmeal (yes, for real!), and sweet potato or some kind of fruit. I always thought of it as baby-sized, but now that I dug it out of the cabinet, it looks like a good size for my preschooler actually. Yeah, MM has always been a HUGE eater. TinySprite's appetite has been unpredictable recently, and she's getting over a bug of some kind, and we're also trying a gluten-free diet with her for awhile, so I thought this box would be appropriate and fun for a change. She ate this one at home with me, so I got to watch. She loved looking at all the different portions. The first thing she downed was the corn tortilla/cheese/spinach wraps, then the yogurt with strawberries and sunflower seeds. She then informed me that she doesn't like blood oranges, so I had to swap those out for cara cara oranges. She stared at the sauteed mushroom/zucchini for a long time, and let me tell you she actually liked the lettuce leaf better. She did end up eating the whole thing, though, and even shared my green smoothie afterwards. Success!

LunchBots Quad Review for TinySprite Bento

LunchBots Quad for TinySprite Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Today's bento for TinySprite was packed in the 4-sectioned stainless steel Quad bento box made by LunchBots. When I first saw this box I was so excited -- it combined my two favorite bento box elements: divided compartments and stainless steel construction. LunchBots has offered the 2-sectioned Duo and the 3-sectioned Trio previous to the Quad. I have both of those, and I know the quality and durability are excellent, but I was curious to see whether the design of the Quad is as practical as it seemed. First of all, the all-stainless steel box is as well-made as the previous versions, as far as I can tell so far, and I've used this box a handful of times already. The smaller sections make it perfect for a child with a smaller appetite, who might welcome a greater variety of food in lesser amounts, especially if they are kept separate and not touching. So here I've packed a cheesy turkey dog whole wheat rollup, cut into fourths, which fit perfectly in one section. I topped the pieces with cute picks and a few steamed Okinawan sweet potato cutouts. In another section I fit a silicone cup of yogurt topped with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. A few steamed broccoli florets fill out the rest of the section. A selection of fruit occupy the third part, and the last contains a homemade whole wheat blueberry muffin and some raw carrot sticks. Verdict? She loved it! I have to admit it looks pretty fun and interesting with all the different components. Keep in mind this box (like the Duo and Trio) does not keep the sections completely watertight, so I would refrain from packing saucy or drippy foods. Notice that for the yogurt I used a silicone cup, which successfully kept it contained. The lid is tight (not watertight), and will not fall off during normal usage, although you can easily slip an elastic band around it for extra safety. My preschooler can remove the lid herself without problems. In short, I love this box -- it's perfect for a child-size appetite and appeals to the younger set's natural preference for variety and separation. If you'd like a chance to win this box (or any other LunchBot of your choice), leave a comment at the giveaway post here and I'll pick a winner at random on Friday. I've been reading lots of great ideas for bento-packing there so far!

Sandwich Rollups Bento

Sandwich Rollups Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Here's another bento from pre-vacation break; a super easy no-cook one. I made turkey colby cheese rollups, which is just a more fun way to pack a turkey colby cheese sandwich. First I flattened the bread with a rolling pin. You can cut off the crusts to make this neater (I didn't do this, as you can see - they might have rolled together more tightly if I had). Layer cheese, turkey, and fresh greens. You can add mustard or pickles if you like. Then roll tightly. I think I melted the cheese onto the bread first, before adding the rest of the ingredients. I rolled it in a makisu (a bamboo mat used to roll makizushi), then sliced into a thickness that would fit neatly in my stainless steel EcoLunchBox bento box. The rest of the box contains cherries and carrots, and the separate (lidded) container holds Greek yogurt topped with berries and a walnut. Can you see the face? ^_^

Added to What's For Lunch!

Sticky Rice Bento

Sticky Rice Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This bento contains sticky rice, one of my favorite one-pot meals (my basic method is here). For this batch I used regular white glutinous (sweet) rice, and mixed with Japanese brown rice. I presoaked for a few hours before cooking, and about 15 minutes before the end of the cycle I added sliced lup cheong, shiitake mushrooms, and shredded baby choy. You can add other ingredients if you like. I've made it with cubed kabocha, which resulted in a nice colorful batch. You can also add in chopped green onion after the rice is finished cooking, which is what I did here. I packed it inside a lettuce leaf, alongside some carved carrots and a piece of corn on the cob, which I decorated with Okinawan sweet potato hearts. The fruit square contains yellow peach, strawberry and blackberry. The last square has yogurt topped with chopped fresh pineapple, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. If I pack yogurt, I try to overlay it with fruit to keep it contained as much as possible. It's actually Greek yogurt, so it's not very runny. I also usually tell MisterMan when there's yogurt in his bento, so he can try to minimize the amount of swinging around he does with it >.<

Finally, remember the Bento & Co contest to "Make a Bento for Someone You Love"? There were 223 entries, from France, USA, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, England, Norway, Morocco, and Japan. I wanted to thank all of you for voting and supporting my entry. I didn't win the grand prize trip to Kyoto, but I did place high enough in the final 20 to receive a generous gift certificate to Bento & Co! So, thank you very much, bento friends! ^_^

Deconstructed Taco Bento

Deconstructed Taco Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

The last bento of the week is a fun one for my second-grader: deconstructed tacos -- which means he can put them together as he chooses at lunchtime. Since he's usually a classic deconstructive eater (pulling toppings off pizza, opening sandwiches to eat layers separately, etc.), I have a gut feeling he'll eat each ingredient individually. Sigh. Whatever! I guess that's his prerogative. Along with wrapped tortillas (with a dinosaur cheese design), he can choose from: turkey taco meat, lettuce, and pico de gallo. There's also a cup of yogurt with wheat germ (this condiment cup comes with a sealing lid), a strawberry, some blackberries, cherries and chopped oranges. This large two-tier stainless steel tiffin-style bento container comes in handy for meals like this one. The layers and lid close tightly with a double latch. It's sturdy and tough. Just like my boy ^_^