Dear Chibi,

Happy Birthday to our most precious Little Babian <3 Our first year of parenthood has truly been the best experience of my life. I can’t believe it’s over already…my little baby is now a toddler. He makes us so incredibly happy and proud. Maybe I should save this for a Mother’s Day post, but damn I’m feeling so emotional and grateful for having him in our life T_T AH, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! *sniff*

Dear Chibi,

This weekend Hubby and I decided to try “anime food”~“Gotcha” Pork Roast which appears in the first episode of “Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma”. The protagonist was challenged to make a meat dish (after all the meat were sabotaged in his kitchen), so he came up with this cheeky idea using his grocery items. It is essentially a “fake” pork roast, which consists of lightly mashed potato; mixed with onions and eringi mushrooms, wrapped in thick-cut bacon and roasted. It’s then covered with a delicious fragrant sauce made of red wine, soy sauce and sake.

While no clothes were blown off when we ate this (that was the characters reaction in the show XD), it was delicious! :D Instead of making one big pork roast, we made two smaller portions for each of us. It’s a very filling and satisfying meal for something that doesn’t cost that much to make.

If you wanna try this recipe out yourself, there’s a few youtube videos you can follow, like runnyrunny999 or Feast Of Fiction. Enjoy!!

Dear Chibi,

During the past month, I’ve gone back to try some Chinese basics :D

Dish #39 Coriander & Fish Fillet Soup

I always loved it when Mum made Coriander Soup back at home, so this (along with Chicken & Corn Soup) was always on my ‘must cook’ list! I also really like century egg (pei dan), so Hubby’s bought a pack from the Chinese supermarket. Woo! We can add it into Congee anytime :D (See below)

Ironically, I used to hate coriander *gasp* and I despised the look of century egg. I would always pick out the century eggs from my congee. WHO IS THIS CRAZY PERSON?! XP I’m slightly ashamed of my former child-self 8D

Dish #40 Chinese Fried Rice

I’m amazed how long its taken me to cook fried rice, lol. IT’S SO SIMPLE :D A quick easy dish to throw together that tastes pretty good if you ask me 8D This ones got chicken, egg, green peas, carrots, corn, onions, green onions topped with fried shallots. Sometimes I throw in green beans and beans spouts- just depends what I have lying around :)

Dish #41 Congee

(Photo taken with my new Sony Alpha 6000 Hubby got me :D~~~)

Congee is like.. Chinese porridge, but simply made from rice and water. I’ve made this several times now with a few variations:

• Shiitake Mushroom with Century Egg
• Scallops & Century Egg
• Chicken & Century Egg

All of them were delicious :D We’ve cooked it in a saucepan on the stove and also using the rice cooker. The rice cooker method takes longer, but we’ve found that it’s a lot less hassle, less messy and you just have to throw everything in at the start. Top it with green onions & fried shallots..and BABOOM. EASY WEEKEND BREAKFAST MEAL :D

Dear Chibi,

So… I recently heard about this company called “Hello Fresh” which delivers simple, healthy recipes to your home for you to cook yourself. They provide all the ingredients you need in the exact amounts, so no grocery shopping is required. The meals are quick and your dinner is ready in about 30 minutes..Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? The downside is, it ends up costing you more money than if you bought the ingredients yourself. They are a business, after all.

Funnily enough, my sister-in-law sent me this deal where I can get 3 meals for 2 people, for just $1 free (Normally $69). Now that’s a bargain ;D And so I signed up to see what all the fuss is about…

Yesterday, my $1 grocery box arrived at my door:

Let’s see what’s inside?

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Dear Chibi,

Oooo..it’s been a while! 2 months to be precise, but that’s okay because these aren’t stopping any time soon :) I’m continually looking for more great recipes to try out and taste!

Dish #25 Seafood Chowder

Probably not the best picture since all the seafood sunk to the bottom… but hey it’s the taste that counts! A creamy thickened soup with marinara mix, corn, parsley and chives.

Dish #26 BBQ Pork Ribs (American Style) + Baked Potato

I had half a day in lieu one Friday so I decided to try this slow cooked + grilled BBQ Pork Ribs, and it was HEAVENLY. The sauce and rub just added a ridiculous amount of flavour to it. It’s by far the most tastiest dish I’ve made to date… and I’m so proud of it! That baked potato was also amazing. Just ask Hubby :D

Dish #27 Chicken Provencale

Another delicious oven baked dish :D I particularly love the grilled capsicums in this French dish, and the olives give it that lovely boost in flavour. Champy was so excited by this one it jumped onto the dining table O_O.

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Dear Chibi,

Welcome to Chibi’s 5th episode of ‘What’s for dinner?’ I’m sure these posts are soooo interesting for you, since you never get to eat any of it… *cough* XD Just kidding. Maybe one day if you’re over, I’ll cook you lunch or dinner :3

Dish #18 Roasted Potatoes, mushroom & veggies

A simple roast dish with sweet potatoes and lots of herbs!

Dish #19 Lamb Shanks with Rosemary & Thyme

Slow cooked over 3 hours! The lamb just fell off the bones *_* So delicious.

Dish #20 Chicken and Corn Soup

Simple and yummy! One of my favourite soups so had to learn to make this!

Dish #21 Pie with Mashed Potato and Mushrooms

I’m not sure this is counted as a “dish” since I didn’t make the pie myself! haha. It’s a frozen cheese and chunky beef pie, which I oven baked with mushroom and garlic, topped with mashed potato!

Dish #22 “Best Burger”

Not sure this is the “best” burger, but that was what they called it in the recipe, hahahah XD Hubby loves his burgers, so I made this on a Friday night :3 We end up having burgers for that entire weekend! The beef patty was made out of beef mince, breadcrumbs, egg, nutmeg and onions.

Dish #23 Honey Baked Pumpkin Risotto

A sweet variation of the risotto :3

Dish #24 Thai-flavoured Chicken Mince with Rice

So yummmy and simple to make :D Another go-to dish for a quick dinner meal :D Very flavorful.

Dear Chibi,

Wow, this list is growing :D! I want to keep cooking more and more variety. So far it’s been a really fun and rewarding experience :)

Dish #11 Pork and Sweet Potato Green Curry

I’ve made this dish a couple of times now, and once for my family (a chicken variation) :D

It’s a pretty easy go-to dish, though I’m still experimenting with the amount of coconut milk and curry paste to use!

Dish #12 Steak with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Not really a new dish… but a new sauce!

Dish #13 Raspberry, White Chocolate and Macadamia Muffins

My favourite muffin recipe :3 I first made this a couple of years ago and recently again for the cofa guys during our house warming :)

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