Food, Fun, and my Favorite Ketchup

Realization: We only have a little over two weeks left of summer vacation.

What?! The weeks seem to have gone by so quickly! Before you know it, I’ll be back to my usual morning routine of packing baon. 

I know that a lot of moms, especially those with younger kids, are gearing up for another school year of bento baon fun. I, personally, don’t do the whole bento lunch box thing because my kiddo is big already. He prefers to have simple, straightforward packed meals. Still, I love learning new techniques and designs, coz you’ll never know when these may come in handy!

I’ve attended bento classes before, and last month I was given the chance to sit in at another one. This time, it was a class by Kat Maderazo of Bento by Kat, in partnership with Heinz, my all-time favorite ketchup brand! Trivia: Kat is a Japanese-certified bento box maker. Galing, right?

Before I show you guys what we made at the event, I think that I need to tell you about my relationship with ketchup. Ketchup will always and forever be my condiment of choice.

Ever since I was little, I have been putting ketchup on my food, whenever possible. Fries, burgers, fried chicken, and even adobo would not be the same for me without my little dish of ketchup on the side for dipping. It’s a love affair like no other.

Okay, now I’m ready to talk bento.

Friends, I present to you, my Kelly Ketchup. 

 

Super fun afternoon with @heinzphilippines and @bentobykat ? Fun fact: I am a ketchup addict, and I super duper absolutely love Heinz. I put it in everything from fried fish to adobo. I also like to slather ketchup on sunny side up eggs, then dip pandesal in it. So good, but a little weird for some. I have a quirky friend, though, who puts ketchup on her pancakes. Yun ang weird, diba??? ??? #yourfooddeservesbetter #heinzph

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Apr 27, 2016 at 1:41am PDT

It only takes a few easy steps to make this cute baon box. Start by getting some cooked rice and smothering it in ketchup. My Kelly Ketchup looks a little pale, so I think I could have added a little more Heinz.

 

Next, shape the rice into body parts. Use cling wrap, a plastic bag or plastic gloves when you mold the rice to keep the food and your hands clean. Then, assemble inside your lunchbox. Kat taught us to use bits of spaghetti to connect the body parts to one another so that they won’t come apart. 

Once the body is formed, make a dress for Kelly using thin sheets of scrambled eggs. Then, add face and hair details using nori and cheese.Finally, use more ketchup to decorate the dress so that it’s extra pretty. Don’t forget to give her shoes, too! 

Add some fillers like chicken nuggets, veggies and fruits, and you are done. Ta-da! The finished product. Mine may not be as cute as the other moms’ bento boxes, but I love it all the same. 

I love activities that allow me to have more fun in the kitchen, specially since I’m always in the kitchen. I totally agree with the Heinz team that meal time so important in most Filipino homes. It brings the family together, and gives homecooks like me an opportunity to share love through food. 

Food is my love language, and, as they said at the event, #YourFoodDeservesBetter. Heinz makes every dish extra special. I can’t wait to play with the amazing Heinz products I took home from the event. Especially the ketchup. Ketchup is love.