Ham Musubis: A Healthier Lunch Option

I was first introduced to authentic Spam musubis by a Hawaiian classmate during my college years.  They have recently become a welcome change of pace for lunches in our household (since I like to eat things other than sandwiches).  Not only do ham musubis taste better than a peanut butter sandwich, they are also dairy and gluten free.

I haven't eaten actual Spam for a very long time.  I still remember exactly how it tastes, and I don't miss it at all.   Thankfully uncured ham works as a healthier stand-in for canned ham.  If you are curious and want to see a more authentic Hawaiian Spam musubi tutorial, head over to Serious Eats.

My simplified version has just three basic ingredients--no tinned meat or MSG required.

Ingredients for Ham Musubis

• cooked sushi rice, warm
• nori sheets (I used pre-cut snack-sized sheets--about 5 cm by 8 cm)
• uncured ham, sliced and cut to fit nori
• avocado slices, optional
• sea salt to taste, optional (mix into the rice)

Directions

In a small skillet, lightly fry the ham on both sides.  To assemble the musubis, place one sheet of nori seaweed on a plate, and layer cooked rice, then ham (and avocado, if using), then another layer of cooked rice.  Top with another sheet of nori.  Press layers together and eat musubis warm or at room temperature.

Note: The rice will dry out quickly, so keep the musubis tightly wrapped or in a sealed container until ready to serve.

I'm sharing this recipe at Pennywise Platter, Your Green Resource, 
Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop 
and This Week's Cravings.

Versatility is a Good Thing

Perhaps because of the seasons of life or because we have lived in multiple places, my roles and identities keep changing.   So I have chosen not to include an "about me" feature on my sidebar because labeling myself feels too confining. Often I consider who I am to be random or fragmented.  But versatile is a term I can accept with a smile.  Thanks, Jhona, for encouraging me with this:

Part of the award involves sharing 7 things.  So here is a list that sprang to mind:

1.  Gazing up at starlit skies refreshes me; hence I enjoy going out in the yard after dark to take down the laundry I left on the clothesline.
2.  I once dreamed of being a freshwater ecologist; I still love to explore shorelines.
3.  I have a difficult time accomplishing things without a hard deadline.  I attribute that to the phlegmatic part of my personality.
4.  I gave birth to my children in three different countries.
5.  I never owned a car until I was 23 years old.
6.  My BSF study of the book of Isaiah this fall has been very convicting.
7.  My grandparents have been so influential in my life that I thought of them when naming this blog.

And now it's my turn to pass on the award to 7 intriguing women whose blogs I regularly enjoy:

Erin at Home With the Boys
Amy at New Nostalgia
Alicia's Homemaking
Megan at Sorta Crunchy
Val at Collecting the Moments...One by One
Tiffany at Simply Modern Mom
Quirky Momma

These blogs feature authors who post on a range of topics.  I appreciate the fact that they don't conform to the standard blog dogma of limiting themselves to a narrow niche.  Life is so much broader, and it's fun to revel in the variety and mix things up now and again.  At least I think so!

Menu Plan for the Week of 2/8

I am relieved to have a list of lunch options for this week, after being plagued by lunch dilemmas in  recent weeks.  Admittedly, I am a variety freak.  Here are the lunches I've planned:

• tuna sandwiches, stuffed avocados, sausage cups & lentil soup, sticky rice with leftover chicken, and turkey sausage and rice casserole (GF), french toast

And our dinner plans:

-Monday-

• Turkey burgers

-Tuesday-

• Pita pizzas for the kids, 
• Lamb, eggplant with red pepper coulis (for my husband and I later)

-Wednesday-

• Vietnamese chicken (slower cooker)

-Thursday-

• Meatball and mashed potato casserole

-Friday-

• Broccoli walnut sandwich ring (recipe to come), soup (TBD)

-Saturday-

• Roast venison, mixed vegetables, rice

Boredom Solution: Make Food Fun with Cookie Cutters

Turkey Burger Stars

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Approaches Some Salami Berries

Snowy Tree with Cheese, Mashed Avocado and Tomato (my daughter decorated this one)

Cheese-Topped Tortilla Angel

Tortilla Tree with Cucumbers, Cream Cheese, and Tomatoes

Star-Topped Pot Pie

Skillet Toasted Ham and Avocado Pitas with Pepper Jack Cheese

This variety-loving mom of three has been getting mighty bored with our typical lunch options. Although sandwiches are easy, they leave me feeling blase and wishing for something more exciting, less ho-hum. Macaroni & Cheese is, of course, a faithful standby, but the blue box still lacks the panache that I was seeking.

When my daughter would come home for lunch last year, she regaled me with detailed accounts of the amazing snacks she got to create in her preschool class... faces, fire trucks, ladybugs and so on. I thought I could never go to such extreme lengths as a mom. Yet my daughter truly loved making them! A few month ago I finally took a peek at lunchbox limbo for inspiration, and inspire me it did! After seeing the simple but creatively designed lunches in living color, I finally decided to take a stab at crafting some edibles myself.

In years prior, my collection of cookie cutters had become a depressing symbol of all the optional tasks that I never get around to doing. Now I've been liberated from cookie cutter guilt, realizing that I can cut and shape my way out of boredom--no added sugar or oven required. And I don't just do the fun stuff for my kids. It works for me as a way to challenge myself and create one-of-a-kind lunches, snacks and even dinners. Food has become something we create, admire, and then savor.