Cute Kimchi Fried Rice Bento

Hello from Los Angeles! Now that I'm back home, I feel extremely lazy. It took every ounce of effort to put up this blog post. But, this one is so cute I just had to do it. I made these for the bf before I left Richmond. I think he was studying or something, so I made him lunch. Gosh, best gf ever :P

I'm just soaking up all the sun before I go back to school. It is soo sunny and beautiful in LA. I can walk outside in my t-shirt and shorts and eat strawberries the size of my palm. Le sigh... definitely don't have very long until I'm back to the freezing weather :(

"Octopus" Dogs on Kimchi Fried Rice

makes 10
serves 3-4

Kimchi Fried rice
1 medium carrot, chopped finely
1/4 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup old kimchi, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup kimchi juice
1-2 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang) - depending on spice level or optional
2 tsp sesame seed oil
2 cups cooked cold rice

ball park hotdogs
1 slice American cheese
black sesame seeds
ketchup
mayonnaise

1. Kimchi fried rice balls: In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Fry garlic until fragrant, add onions, kimchi and carrots. Fry until the kimchi is soft (about 3-5 mins). 
2. Stir in the chili paste (optional) and then break up the rice into the frying pan. Stir around until the rice is heated through (about 3-5 mins). Add the sesame oil and stir. Set aside and let it cool.
3. Octopus: Cut 2" long pieces from the ends of the hot dogs, then make 1" deep slits at the cut ends (make a slit pattern like an asterisk*)
4. In a small pot, bring water to boil. Drop the cut dogs in for about 30secs or until their "legs" curl. Dry on kitchen towels with them standing up.
5. Using a circle punch, cut out small circles from the cheese to make "eyes". Press a sesame seed into it. Stick eyes onto the octopus dogs using a little mayo
6. Assemble: to roll the fried rice into balls, get some plastic wrap, drop 3-4 tbsp of rice onto it and wrap and mold a ball with your palms. Repeat until no more rice
7. Squeeze some mayo and ketchup on the fried rice balls. Take a toothpick and poke through the legs of the octopus dogs. Stick that onto the tops of the fried rice balls and you're done!