Happy New year everyone. New year, new task! With the rising costs and GST increase, I finally wake up to reality and set my heart to save as much as I can, starting from cooking our own meals at home. As much money has gone to groceries and having it stuck forever in the fridge and cabinet? No way! Especially annoying when Mister enjoys buying sauces and other dry stuff but doesn't like to cook because of the washing part and also lazy. Then still buy for what?
So now I'm on a mission to clear every single old food items in the kitchen through cooking more at home for the month of January 2023. Making sure with my amateur cooking skills, all food goes into the tummy from the mouth and then out from the bottom. That determination is going strong.
I still go to supermarkets like Sheng Siong and NTUC to buy some fresh or frozen stuff but I make sure maximizing it through cooking. And I'm using CDC vouchers as much as possible with minimal cash. Since all these CDC vouchers are coming from taxpayers like myself, so make sure you utilize fully without wasting a single cents. Save all the money for better stuff and for rainy days. Okay, let's get started.
1 JANUARY 2023
1st bake of 2023 would be the Burnt Cheesecake. The 2 cream cheese have been in my fridge for the longest time. Talk about laziness. But in order not to waste the cream cheese and plain flour, forced myself to bake one for Mister's breakfast of the week. This would last him a week so worth it!
1st home-cooked dinner would be Yong Tau Foo Soup with the instant Udon in the fridge. Along with home-mixed chili dip by Mister. Nothing is better than clearing your impulsive purchases by putting in good use for our tum tum.
2 January 2023
Using the leftover Yong Tau Foo Soup to fry beehoon for Mister's brunch. Turned out tasty and soft. Added some sides I have in the fridge by air-frying it. Saved some oil and healthier though processed food. I thought I should lessen our consumption of processed food from this year onwards.
For dinner, I kept it simple with a one pot meal using the rice cooker. Our usual Orh Png (Black Rice) using the available resources in my kitchen. Cleared that miserable Chinese sausage, grabbed a small handful of mushrooms and some marinated pork meat from previous cooking. You can see how lazy we are with many food at home but don't wanna cook.
3 January 2023
Weekday dinner only since both of us went back to work. Something easy like Nasi Lemak which we could simply throw the sides into our air-fryer to go with our rice. And I have marinated chicken mid wings awhile ago which I learnt from my culinary class. Prawn Paste Chicken instead of the mainstream chicken wing. Mister gave a thumbs-up for the taste and added that it could be stronger in taste next time. Okay noted!
 |
| Assembled our own Nasi Lemak plate |
My friend came back from Bangkok and gifted a Tom Yum Soup kit which came in handy when I wanna cook more often. Again, an easy soup where you could just put whatever you want. Luckily I never buy mushrooms. Simply use those dry mushrooms I have. Money saved! The taste of this soup paste was light and not overwhelming by lemongrass which Mister didn't like. And not spicy too.
5 January 2023
Here I am preparing a simple stir-fry Udon with some veggie and beansprouts for my next day lunch at work. Useful having leftover soup to simmer the udon for better taste and less seasoning. Probably for some colours, some dark sauce and light soy sauce used. Finally cleared the last pack of Udon and that pathetic stalk of veggie.
Then cooked fried rice for Mister. Used another portion of marinated pork meat, some silver fish, eggs and seasoning. Garnish with leftover spring onions. He actually loved the seasoning pack which you could get at NTUC Fairprice. Remember to use your CDC vouchers if you don't wanna fork out cash.
6 January 2023
Our fail-proof Braised Pot. Loved the fact that the leftover sauce could be used the next day for cooking rice or noodles. After a day, the taste got even better and thicker. The sauce kit really recommended. Can be found at all supermarkets.
 |
| Braised Rice using the same sauce |
Maximizing the use of all the resources on hand without additional stuff. I advocate reducing food wastage because in turn, we save money and the environment. Here is his weekend late lunch. Bought a big pack of yellow noodles and used some for his braised noodles and the rest for Mee goreng.
8 January 2023
Our weekend dinner was his forte, Mee Goreng. Finally he is willing to cook and as usual, I do the washing. Quite a big portion of noodles and I kept a plate for the following day's breakfast. Loved doing it this way because whatever he cooks is nice. Also, without buying extras from outside. *scream*
9 January 2023
Totally forgotten that I bought drumsticks from Sheng Siong and not sure how long it got stuck in my freezer. Immediately cooked chicken rice using rice cooker method. Utilized the instant chicken rice paste and pandan leaves balance from Nasi Lemak cooking. Mister mixed his own sauce to drizzle or dip with the chicken. Mister really liked to keep those chilli sauce from our takeouts so just a search in the fridge, you could find the appropriate chilli sauce to use.
Drizzle/Dip Sauce Recipe: Sugar, Sesame Oil, Light Soy Sauce, Hot Water
10 January 2023
My parents handed me 2 cob corns the last time I went home and it has been stucked in my fridge for so long. Instead of waiting for it to go to waste, used it to cook a simple soup. Threw in onions, soy beans, anchovies to boil before putting in the cob corns. Seasoning will be just salt and pepper. Small amount of carbs intake, hopefully won't ruined my diet.
If you are a follower of my Instagram (here), you will know for a few meals, I cooked Chicken or Pork Bulgogi for dinner. I swear I'm trying different brands of bulgogi and finally I decided that the one from Giant at $9.90 is the best. So our dinner here was the last pack of bulgogi from NTUC. This was Spicy Chicken Bulgogi with a bowl of rice and also the soup mentioned above.
11 January 2023
A different type of fried rice this time for dinner. Finishing off the last few slices of fishcake and luncheon meat. Cooked a lot of rice because I wanna bring a portion for lunch the next day. Up to now, I felt so accomplished because I cleared a lot of old stuff from the fridge.
12 January 2023
Cooked an omelette according to what Mister wanted: chilli padi, onions, long beans and 4 eggs. Basic seasoning like light soy sauce and pepper. Used Tefal's Egg Pan to cook a cute and rectangular one, thick and fluffy one. Size good to share with 2 pax.
Clearing the balanced fish fillets bought from FB Live by steaming them with Taiwanese Fermented Bean Curd 豆腐乳 and it tasted savoury and nice. Good to go with a bowl of rice. The fermented bean curd was also bought from FB Live and has been left in the fridge for even longer than any other items. The last use was having with porridge. I think now I love using it for steaming fish. Definitely taste good!
16 January 2023
Back to the mission. Rewarded ourselves with takeouts for 1 day and another would be reunion dinner with Mister's family.
Remember I have a slice of pork belly that was used for braising the other day? Left with the last slice and decided to fry it with long beans and last portion of marinated pork meat plus 3 tau pok. Served a bowl of rice for Mister to go with. Easy as ABC.
Oh by the way, I have finally cleared 2 bottles of blueberry jam and 1 Garlic Butter for both his and mine breakfast! FINALLY after 2 jumbo and 1 normal packs of bread. I DO NOT WANT ANYMORE BREAD WHEN I'M DONE WITH THE LAST FEW SLICES. Oh wait... I still have butters to clear. Damn it!
19-20 January 2023
Finally cleared the pack of gyoza stuck in the fridge like forever. Omg the freezer is starting to look a lot cleaner with only the ones that we will eat. Fried them on 2 separate mornings to bring for lunch instead of dinner. It was a quick one including cleaning up, given that my mornings could be quite rush.
Skipping 3 days from 18/1/23 because of all the Lunar New Year dinners.
Anyway, I have cleared lots of old stuff already and still going strong. Gonna keep reminding myself: Don't buy if we don't cook regularly!
21 January 2023
Lunar New Year's Eve. Woke up to fry beehoon and some fish fillets for brunch actually. We need energy to do the chores before Rabbit Year arrives. Finished half portion of the fish fillets to go with beehoon. Hopefully I can finish up everything during this long holiday (not exactly long but short work week at least).
Time flies so fast when we are so focus on our tasks. Near evening already and time to get our dinner ready. Mister wanted food delivery but rejected by me. Went digging out a pack of Kolo Mee and decided to cook them as our reunion dinner. Again, finished half a pack so that I would soon never see it again. Along with omelette filled with long beans, chilli and onions. Air-fried some Tau Kee which I got from my folks' place. Filled our tummy up. Great job!
23 January 2023
Skipped a day of cooking to dine out for dinner on 1st day of Lunar New Year. Too busy visiting and Mister is starving. Spent with CDC vouchers so topped up 50cts only.
So 2nd day of Lunar New Year, time to start the stove again. On the eve, I have fried 3 Rabbit Fishes a.k.a 发财鱼 that I bought from Sheng Siong. My folks said to have fish on 2nd day of LNY for 年年有余. And 开年 too. So this is the first time I did this after married for near 9 years. Shall continue with this tradition. Oh... I have it seasoned with salt and pepper, coated with corn flour.
Made a simple lunch with omelette and rice to go with the fishes. Still continuing with clearing the pack of long beans and also the chilies. That explained the omelette on most of our homecooked meal.
As for dinner, just fried rice to fill Mister's tum tum. One shot cooked 2 cups of rice for lunch and dinner. Saved lots of time for me. And 就地取材 (kitchen) as usual.
27 January 2023
Finally with that little bits of time, I cooked a plain plate of noodles for Mister before heading out for work. Time is not with me but I did it! He hasn't start work yet (shiok only) so have to do it, if not he is going to spend money (again) for his brunch. That pack of Kolo Mee is left with 1/4 portion and I can finally get rid of by this week.
28 January 2023
7th day of Lunar New Year a.k.a 初七 人日快乐! My dad texted me to say have some porridge with canned abalone, meat and so on. But I'm done cooking already for brunch. Anyway, doesn't matter. I can do it the following day for brunch.
Finished the tau kee I brought home from my parents. Used the leftover prawn broth from takeouts to cook my beehoon. No need seasoning because the broth was flavourful on its own. The progress of clearing the fridge has further speed up. I target to finish those stuck in fridge like forever by end of January before I reset for February.
As for our dinner, used up the broth that we made and freezed for Yong Tau Foo. The oden set I bought from Don Don Donki was enough over 2 meals. Money saving! Also threw in a pack of not so nice pork balls bought from NTUC.
29 January 2023
So we had porridge for brunch since did not followed through on 7th day of Lunar New Year. Opened a can of abalone and fried the balance Kolo Mee to go with the porridge. Still following the Hong Kong style of eating. And couldn't be more happy to finish the pack of Kolo Mee since forever. And why have them with just abalone when you can mix with some crackers, bak kwa and fried noodles too? Simply an indulgence.
Dinner would be the same soup w last half of oden, fried 3 pieces of fish fillet (left 2 to clear), balance oil so fried 2 sunny side-up. Bought fried chicken wings from our favourite Uncle Penyet stall with CDC voucher so paid only 80 cents. Simple dinner for simple us. I should be able to clear old food by end month.
30 January 2023
2 Rabbit Fish to fry and last 2 pieces of fish fillet to go with a bowl of rice. That's it! Bye bye fish fillet. All Mister's fault for buying but never touch it. And I think our staple will be that omelette.
31 January 2023
Since is the last day of the month and that we have cleared most of our old food items, gave myself a last CARBS breakfast before February kicks in. Cleared last pack of instant noodles (dry type), last pathetic piece of sausage and omelette from dinner the day before. Wanna start back my KETO DIET IN PROPER!
Boring I know but for the sake of clearing the last bits of long beans and frozen peas, I just have to cook fried rice. I'm quite bored already, cooking every time I'm back home from work. I need to put a stop to unwanted purchases meant for cooking when WE DON'T COOK SO REGULARLY! That's it okay!
So I'm forcefully cleared out my fridge of old food items, a.k.a Marie Kondo-ing my fridge (although she is not doing anymore of SPARK JOY thingy). Buy more lah huh Mister! Like I have repeated through this post, BUY ONLY IF YOU WANNA COOK. If not, just save those money for better stuff. Buy affordable takeouts (my budget is $5 per pax) and also use those CDC voucher to reduce cash spending. Great way to save.
What's more impressive? I reduced food delivery drastically. Up to date since the start of 2023, only ordered once. My target is 4 times a year so now left with 3 times. Probably shall use once every quarter and ONLY WHEN NECESSARY.
OKAY I guess you have enough of my amateur cooking but I don't really care. Because I wanna document down to make sure Mister and I remember BUY ONLY IF WE WANNA COOK!
FREQUENCY OF REPEATED DISHES
Rice: 16x (including plain bowl of rice)
Noodles: 11x
Porridge: 1x (Mister don't fancy porridge actually)
Cake: 1x
Gyoza: 1x
Disclaimer: All the above were paid by writer. Not sponsored post.