Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Finding a community in Canada is a challenge for any immigrant or foreign worker. You left your family and friends back in your home country and wonder if you'll ever find friends or a community in your new home. I found friends at my first work, and I call that full-time job and my colleagues turned friends a miracle because I am so grateful to God for them. When hubby and I moved to Vancouver from Richmond in 2017, we decided to attend Mass at St. Augustine's Church. Father Andrew, the volunteers, staff, and parishioners were all so welcoming. In addition, Ms. Jane and Father Andrew helped us with our Catholic wedding in the Philippines. Happy New Year! For the past years, hubby and I have celebrated New Year's just the two of us. To welcome 2023, we joined the New Year's Eve dinner organized by the Knights of Columbus and The Catholic Women's League in the parish. ...

After a food coma buffet lunch at New India Buffet Bar & Restaurant, we walked to our favourite coffee shop to hang out: Waves Coffee House. We had tea, a Nanaimo Bar, and Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Sticky Toffee Pudding Nanaimo Bar I love both desserts and of course just sitting here with my husband.

Happy last day of 2022. I made a deal with my husband that if I reached 170 lbs, my reward would be a buffet. 🤣 I achieved it last November, but I gained 3 lbs back in December. It might not be much for some, but I was more than 200 lbs at my heaviest weight! For lunch today, we went to New India Buffet Bar and Restaurant. The beautiful interior of New India Buffet Bar & Restaurant in Vancouver, BC. Anyway, I tried a small amount of everything in the buffet except for the salad bar and appetizers section. Below are my thoughts on each savoury dish. Plate number 1 My first plate of food includes basmati rice , naan bread , chicken curry , tandoori chicken , lamb curry , and butter chicken . The first section of the buffet offers more popular dishes in North America. The butter chicken is sweet (to...

Happy Friday evening! We cooked the Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Rice from our HelloFresh Box for dinner tonight. Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Rice  from HelloFresh Canada It's tangy and a bit spicy. A good dish but nothing to be raving about. The new bowl and placemat are Christmas gifts from my mom. Thanks, Ma! Below is the HelloFresh description for this meal. Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Rice HelloFresh Description: Dinner tonight features chicken coated in a tangy sweet chili sauce coupled with zucchini and carrots. Don't forget our cilantro-lime rice, which infuses every bite with brightness! Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Rice  from HelloFresh Canada Preparation Time : 25 minutes Calori...

Happy Thursday! Hubby and I prepared and cooked the Kofta-Inspired Beef Bowls with Chopped Salad and Lemony Yogurt from our HelloFresh box this evening. Kofta-Inspired Beef Bowls  from HelloFresh Canada For breakfast, I cooked garlic fried rice and air-fried chicken sausage and made a ham & cheese omelette. I rarely spend more than 10 minutes for breakfast, but it's fun to cook in the morning. Afterwards, I reheated the Tuscan Sausage Linguine for our lunch. For the afternoon snack, I made flour tortilla chips using the air fryer from the last couple of tortillas that were about to expire. Kofta-Inspired Beef Bowls  from HelloFresh Canada To end the food day, we enjoyed the Kofta-Inspired Beef Bowls. It was so delicious. It's the best HelloFresh meal this week! The fresh salad worked so wel...

Happy Wednesday! For dinner today, hubby and I prepared and enjoyed the Smart Shrimp Curry from our HelloFresh box. Smart Shrimp Curry from HelloFresh Canada I'm back at work today. For breakfast, I enjoyed a quesadilla and hot chocolate. Then, we reheated half of the Fiery Hunanese-Style Pork with Green Onion-Ginger Rice for lunch. Going back to the Smart Shrimp Curry. It lacks salt, which is my fault. Whenever I see Garlic Salt in the ingredients list, I always get scared that it'll be too salty, so I didn't add enough salt to the dish. Otherwise, it has a good curry flavour. I wish it was spicier; fresh ginger would elevate the dish. Smart Shrimp Curry from HelloFresh Canada Below is the HelloFresh description for this meal. Smart Shrimp Curry with Buttered Couscous HelloFresh Descripti...

Happy Tuesday! I took today off from work just to get an extra do nothing day. My hubby and I prepared the Tuscan Sausage Linguine with Sweet Bell Pepper, Chili and Parmesan for lunch from our HelloFresh box . Tuscan Sausage Linguine  from HelloFresh Canada I think we chopped the peppers too big. I also made some modifications to the recipe. I added a quarter cup of the salted water from the salted boiling water to the sauce in step 5. During the 5-6 minute "sauce thickens slightly" step. It added much-needed salt to the sauce. I remember having this recipe in the past, thinking it was bland except for the mild Italian ground beef. Tuscan Sausage Linguine  from HelloFresh Canada I enjoyed the heat from the chilli flakes, the crunch from the bell pepper, and the creaminess from the parmesan cheese. B...

Happy Boxing Day! Before heading to Millenium Karaoke for a family singing night, we grabbed dinner from McDonald's Canada and specifically ordered the Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe . The McDonald's website described the sandwich as follows: The Spicy Bacon Deluxe McCrispy is big on everything, including heat. With our southern-style fried chicken patty on a soft potato bun, topped with shredded lettuce, hickory-smoked bacon, tomato and our spicy Habanero sauce, this sandwich kicks crispy, juicy and tender up to the next level. Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe from McDonald's Canada The good news is the chicken was genuinely crispy and freshly made. It was hot when it arrived. Unfortunately, it was not spicy and did not have enough sauce. Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe Sandwich from McDonald...

Our HelloFresh box arrived Saturday morning on the day of Christmas Eve. We cooked our first meal from this box for dinner on Christmas Day. We prepared the Fiery Hunanese-Style Pork with Green Onion-Ginger Rice. Fiery Hunanese-Style Pork with Green Onion-Ginger Rice from HelloFresh Canada SALTY! I didn't add any salt, and it was salty. The ginger has a nice flavour, and there's still a hint of the white cooking wine, but overall it was a salty dish. Below is the HelloFresh description for this meal. Fiery Hunanese-Style Pork with Green Onion-Ginger Rice HelloFresh Description: Hunanese cuisine is known for its spice and lots of it! We've toned things down a little in our take on a classic Hunanese dish, but packed in plenty of flavour with chili garlic sauce, ginger, soy and oyster sauce. ...

Happy Christmas! My first meal of the day is my dad's Arroz Caldo. It's chicken ginger porridge, and it was excellent. My love for food came from my dad. I seriously think they should open a restaurant. After enjoying a bowl (who am I kidding? I had 3 bowls!) of my dad's porridge, we left their home to attend Christmas Day Mass at our local church. On our walk there, as expected, all restaurants were closed except for the Denny's between our home and church. After Mass, we had brunch at Denny's. Lumberjack Slam  from Denny's Canada Buttermilk pancakes (we upgraded to get the Hearty 9-Grain Pancake), grilled ham, bacon strips, sausage links, eggs, hash browns, and bread. Hubby ordered the Lumberjack Slam, which came with pancakes, grilled ham, bacon strips, sausage links, hash browns, eggs, and bread. My favourite is the savoury ham slice. The sausage was on the...

It's our family tradition to have Christmas Eve dinner (Noche Buena), and my younger sister usually picks a country where we should try the food. In the past years, we've had the following: 2021 - Korean Food from H-Mart 2020 - Chinese Food from Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House 2019 - French food cooked by my sister 2018 - Spanish Food 2017 - Japanese Food 2016 and 2015 - Domino's Pizza and my mom's Filipino-style spaghetti This year she chose Ukrainian food to support a Ukrainian business in Vancouver. It's our family's first time trying Ukrainian / Eastern European food. There are only a few Ukrainian restaurants in Vancouver, and we ordered from Ukrainian Village on Denman Street. Our menu tonight includes the following: Borsch Cabbage Roll Ukrainian Sausage Meatloaf Kiev ...

There was a day a couple of months ago when I did an online search and inventory of Tim Hortons donuts in Canada and internationally. My research led me to believe that the Strawberry Fill donut from Tims has been discontinued . My source is this Reddit thread, so I was pleasantly surprised when it was available in the Tims near us for delivery. Strawberry Fill Powdered Sugar Donut  from Tim Hortons It was filled halfway and has a good strawberry flavour. The donut itself is dry, which is typical of Tim's donut. Strawberry Fill Powdered Sugar Donut  from Tim Hortons

Happy rainy Saturday, Vancouver! We planned to visit the Vancouver Christmas Market today but with the pouring rain and remaining snow on the ground, staying cozy at home before going to my parent's place seems to be what we need. I ordered Slow Cooked Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wrap and Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap from Tim Hortons delivery for lunch. Slow-Cooked Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wrap The Slow Cooked Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wrap from Tims was not spicy, but a bit tangy; the shredded slow-cooked chicken was surprisingly juicy and soft. Slow-Cooked Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wrap  from Tim Hortons Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap The Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap was good. The crispy chicken was a bit stale and dry but smothered in sauce, which helped. There are a couple strips of bacon, and the texture reminds me of bacon cooked in a microwave. The lettuce and tomato were the ...

We're back to our average start of winter weather of 7°C and raining cat and dogs in Vancouver. However, since it feels warmer (compared to the past couple of days), I ordered the Candy Cane Iced Capp from Tim Hortons delivery. Crushed candy cane on top of Candy Cane Iced Capp from Tim Hortons I generally dislike Candy Cane and Peppermint flavours, but the flavour from the Candy Cane Iced Capp is not too pronounced. It's a subtle aftertaste which I thoroughly enjoyed. Candy Cane Iced Capp from Tim Hortons The Candy Cane Iced Capp is part of the "There's Snowplace like Tims" holiday menu of Tim Hortons. Other seasonal items include: Chocolate Fudge Dream Donut Chocolate Hazelnut Muffin Filled Sugar Cookie Gingerbread Chocolate Dream Donut

Happy Wednesday! It's pasta day in our household. First, we had a quesadilla and hot chocolate for breakfast (I know it's not pasta, but that's one of our usual breakfasts). Then, we enjoyed the Butternut Squash Ravioli with Toasted Pepitas and Tomatoes for lunch. We cooked the Chorizo Arrabiata with Fresh Penne and Parsley from our HelloFresh box for dinner. Chorizo Arrabiata with Fresh Penne and Parsley and Crave-Worthy Garlic Bread SPICY! I added all the chilli flakes, and it made the dish spicy. The parsley did add some freshness to the plate, and the parmesan cheese made it slightly creamy. I wished the tomatoes weren't sliced in half to provide fresh acidity when you take a bite. Chorizo Arrabiata with Fresh Penne and Parsley Overall, a delicious dinner served with HelloFresh C...

Happy snowing Tuesday! We don't get snow often in Vancouver, and I woke up to a big pile when I took a peek out our window. It's seafood day at our household! Breakfast: Air Fried Boneless Skinless Tilapia and Potato Patties (Hash Browns) Lunch: Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp with Ginger Rice, Peppers, Carrots and Bok Choy from HelloFresh Canada Dinner: Gochujang Glazed Shrimp with Sesame Rice from HelloFresh Canada For dinner tonight, hubby and I cooked Gochujang Glazed Shrimp with Sesame Rice from our HelloFresh box. Gochujang Glazed Shrimp with Sesame Rice  from HelloFresh Canada SPICY! It was spicy because I added all the sriracha. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, but I wish there were more vegetables. Otherwise, it was a delicious healthy meal. Below is the HelloFresh description for this meal. Gochujang Glazed Shrimp...

Happy Monday! We successfully did #MeatlessMonday today by having oatmeal for breakfast and the North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous with Blistered Veggies and Creamy Harissa Sauce for lunch. Lastly, for dinner, we cooked the Butternut Squash Ravioli with Toasted Pepitas and Tomatoes from our HelloFresh box. Butternut Squash Ravioli with Toasted Pepitas and Tomatoes  from HelloFresh Canada The pepitas provided an additional depth of flavour to the dish. I love the fresh tomatoes, onions, and spinach as it balances the creamy pesto sauce. This is a winning dish! Butternut Squash Ravioli with Toasted Pepitas and Tomatoes Below is the HelloFresh description for this meal. Butternut Squash Ravioli with Toasted Pepitas and Tomatoes HelloFresh Description: Summer may be over but we are ...

I'm testing to see whether individual HelloFresh meal posts will do better than weekly ones. It's a busy Sunday! We watched the World Cup Finals at home. It's snowing outside! 🌨️ We had breakfast at Tim Hortons . We attended Sunday Mass. We shopped for gifts. We had lunch at Suika . We enjoyed a slice of Oreo Cheesecake at Trees . I wrapped presents at home with NFL Redzone in the background. For dinner, we cooked the Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp with Ginger Rice, Peppers, Carrots, and Bok Choy from our HelloFresh Box. Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp  from HelloFresh Canada It was salty. It's delicious but has a little more salt than I'd like. Also, my husband mentioned that it was spicy. There's a subtle heat, but I have a high tolerance for spicy food. ...

After a satisfying lunch at Suika, we went to Trees. We tried the special Ferrero Rochet cheesecake last year, so we opted for the Oreo Cheesecake. Oreo Cheesecake  at Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee Oreo Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee Oreo Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee There are crushed Oreos on top of the cheesecake, but it has become soft. I kinda want to eat this with milk which is probably an unusual thought. List of Seasonal Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee Below is a list of the seasonal cheesecakes we have tried from Trees arranged alphabetically. Almond Marzipan Cheesecake Apple Crisp Cheesecake...