How to make Yoshi

Today’s how-to might seem advanced, but it’s really not!
When I made my Super Smash Bros Brawl bento (which I haven’t done a blog about yet… but it’s coming up next!), I got so much exposure on the internet. Many game related websites posted the picture of my bento. I was really surprised, but I noticed that many people who really liked my bento were moms! Their kids, just like my boyfriend, love Yoshi, and they wished they could make Yoshi for their kids. So I decided to do how to make Yoshi, because making someone smile is what bento making is about. 🙂

[How to make Yoshi]
– potato salad or mashed potato
– lettuce
– cheese
– carrot (preferably baby carrot)
– blueberry

1. Print out or draw Yoshi picture in the size you want to make Yoshi. (This is optional, but it definitely helps. If you don’t have a printer or you can’t draw, just put a white piece of paper on the monitor screen and trace it! I do this all the time)

Yoshi looks something like this...

2. Make potato salad or mashed potato, and cool it down if it’s hot.

I usually put potato, boiled egg and mayonnaise in my potato salad, but you can put anything you want.

3. Microwave a lettuce leaf. Dry it very well with paper towel.

4. Put plastic wrap on top of the drawing. Make a small ball out of #2 for Yoshi’s nose part, and place it on the drawing and adjust the size. I used plastic wrap to make the ball. (It’s easier to shape it that way)

5. Wrap #4 with microwaved lettuce (#3).

6. Make a small ball out of #2 for Yoshi’s eye and cheek part, and place it on the drawing and adjust the size.

7. Wrap #5 with microwaved lettuce (#3).

8. Put #5 and #7 on top of the drawing.

9. Place a slice of cheese on Yoshi’s face, and cut cheese around it. (Don’t worry too much about the shape of cheese. Most of it will be under other piece of cheese)

10. Cut out cheese for Yoshi’s eyes and cheek. I used a cookie cutter and a bottle cap, but you can just cut out cheese freehand. If you’re worried about the size, you can place them on the drawing and and trim it.

11. Place cheese on Yoshi’s face. (The cheese around the mouth will be underneath his nose)

12. Slice a carrot, and make his red thing on the back of his head. (scales? plates?)

13. Slice a blueberry for his eyes. (I usually use seaweed for all black parts, but I’m sure not everyone can get seaweed at a local supermarket, so I’m using blueberry this time.) And also cut a bit of blueberry to make his nostrils.

14. Slice a carrot and make his mouth. I didn’t really use any cutter for the mouth. I just sliced baby carrot, and placed it looking at the drawing.

Well, okay, he ended up looking kind of like Mr. Sparkle... T_T But if you're making this for a Yoshi fan, they'll get it... I hope.

Shaping potato salad wrapped in lettuce is surprisingly easy to do. If the lettuce leaf rips, don’t panic, just pinch the ripped lettuce together gently. Or you can just put a piece of lettuce over it.

Yoshi and Super Mario mushrooms

Lettuce turns brown-ish after a while, so I don’t recommend making this the night before. But you can make so many different things with this lettuce/potato salad technique. Treat potato salad like clay, and be creative!

You can see the pictures of “How to make Yoshi” on my flickr page.