Bento Boxes for Kiddie Parties

What's the usual food parents serve at kiddie parties in school? I bet 5 out of 10 would say Jollibee and the other 5 would announce McDonalds'. Fast and easy food that are popular among kids, right?

We, too, have served the same food over and over for each of my kids' birthday held in school. It's easy but then it's already predictable.

Then one day, I came across a post from an acquaintance who served bento boxes for her son's party. I thought it's a really good idea especially that the boxes are colorful and the food looks enticing for the kids. But a bento box costs an average of Php250 each (pasta, chicken, dessert and a drink) and requires at least 2 weeks lead time for orders.

photo grabbed from Alphamom.com

So the budget-conscious but adventurous me decided to try my hand on making a bento box for my son's birthday. I didn't have any "drawing board" on what to put together or to design. My mind was simply focused on what kids normally want to eat and then make the bento box as colorful as possible.

Here's what I managed to put together...

I bought a microwaveable lunch box with partition (lucky to have found one!) and cupcake liners to separate the dessert and meat I planned to serve.

My mom-in-law is great in the kitchen so I was very confident about cooking our own spaghetti. Then I just bought Purefoods chicken nuggets because they come in various shapes as meat to accompany the pasta. I threw in an Oreo cookie and grapes and mallows skewer as dessert to finish off the bento. 

It's simple and easy to consume. Normally, we would serve chicken and spaghetti from either Jollibee or McDonalds so our bento is just similar.

Tips:

1. Given more time to prepare, I would have bought a cookie cutter so the cheese toppings could be in fun shapes too, like stars perhaps, instead of just grated cheese.

2. Microwaveable lunch containers with partitions are not easy to find in supermarkets. Best to hunt for them in dry markets (I got mine at Cainta market) from stall that sell packaging materials. They are cheaper there too!

3. There are many colorful paper cups and cupcake liners in various sizes. Party suppliers and baking/confectionery shops sell them in abundance!

Party Venue: Royal Palm Residences Function Hall

There is a lovely venue tucked in the middle of Acacia Estates in Taguig. If you've been to this community of low rise condominiums developed and managed by DMCI, you would have probably fallen in love with the area and dreamt of owning a residential unit there.

Royal Palm Residences is a Thai inspired mid-rise residential buildings within Acacia Estates and they have this equally well-appointed venue for parties and gatherings.

We've been invited to attend a kiddie party twice at their multi-purpose hall. It's big enough to accommodate a stage setup, some food carts and 2 buffet tables. They also have a caterer's area which makes the party look organized with all the catering equipment tucked in a room/kitchen.

It's spacious enough for a kiddie party or a debut and maybe even big enough to accommodate an intimate wedding reception.

The only downside with this venue is parking. When we last attended a party here, we were told that guests parking were already prohibited/limited by DMCI, hence, we had to park at a nearby community mall (Savemore) and just take a shuttle service around Acacia Estates.

Rental for the function hall is at Php12000 for non-residents and Php6000 for homeowners.

Party Venue: Intimate Gatherings at Mom and Tina's Bakery and Cafe

There are parties that are meant just for close relatives and friends, those where conversations and food matter more than entertainment. Honestly, I love going to small parties where I know almost everyone and I'm comfortable going back to the buffet table for second servings without worrying about who's keeping tab. Simply put, those parties where it's almost like being held at home.

If you are like me who likes intimate parties, then Mom and Tina's is just the perfect venue.

Mom and Tina's Bakery and Cafe Ortigas branch have 4 functions rooms that can accommodate from 12 persons up to 60 people which is just perfect for christening or baptismal parties, small birthday celebrations and even corporate meetings.

photo grabbed from Mom and Tina's website

If you've dined at Mom and Tina's before, there's no need to introduce further their wide array of sumptuous dishes. Every single dish is just mouth-watering especially their Chicken Spinach Lasagna and Roast Pork (main dish). 

They also have an impressive list of dessert selections of cakes, pastries, cupcakes, muffins and pies.

Their buffet packages start at Php600 per head (add VAT) for a minimum of 30 persons. If you're not into buffet, the functions rooms can still be had for 2 hours with a minimum food order (price depends on the function room size/capacity).

For motre details on their menu, check Mom and Tina's website.