Frugal Friday!! Making my Own Chinese Buffet for Under $30!!

[@mamabairds]

What's your favorite Chinese dish?

[@seventysangel]

Chicken chow Mien

[@kathlynsteinman3599]

Sesame chicken, fried rice, crab Rangoon, and pretty much anything that's not spicy hot.

[@Michelle-mq6pl]

Our go to order is Mongolian beef, Chicken & Veg, Pad Siew, honey chicken and Fried rice.

[@loricampbell8843]

Love watching you cook. My favorite go to is fried rice an crab ragoons an lomain an general tso only thing I order

[@heathershideler9641]

Moo Goo Gai Pan

[@kathleenchambers6485]

My friend’s parents came from China and ran a Chinese food restaurant in Canada. He taught his daughter how to cook Chinese food. It’s unbelievable! Ribs are my favourite with her dad’s Chinese bbq sauce. Yum The story of his survival is remarkable. Orphaned at 7 and raised himself on the streets of rural 50’s China. He was a survivor for sure. ❤

[@mamabairds]

Wow!! How inspiring! I'd love to get a cooking lesson from him! Thanks for sharing that!

[@lin90210]

wow Chinese from the 50s are a tough breed. I'm a brit born chinese and both my parents are brave...not like me hahaha

[@keanuluau2685]

Praise Jesus❤ such a Blessing❤!!!!! That's amazing! I want to try Chinese styled Ribs now

[@lascelleturner1088]

@Kathleen Chambers...Disciplined, resilient, hardworking people, their ingredients are the best

[@rogerrosen2323]

i make shredded chicken from bbq in store broccli and can make egg fu yund w brown gravy i buy chinese from store most ly like egg drop soup no salt spens some more whats thebig deal i use duck sauce from a big jar

[@yvfkm]

Finally a video where someone's doing Some good ol regular cooking not none of the crazy nonsense you see on tiktok and youtube shorts

[@53mandevilla]

I’m a 70 yr old senior who cooked for 45 years for her family of 5, 3 growing hungry boys! I have to applaud you girl… I enjoyed watching your video & didnt know what to expect, but I was honestly impressed with your knowledge of using all the flavorings… putting them together! You’ve done your homework & lucky family!

[@mamabairds]

Aw, thank you so much!! I bet you have all kinds of tips and tricks from feeding your boys!! I look forward to getting to know you! Thanks again!

[@rosadouglas1587]

Did not wash any thing

[@MsJanaMac]

@@rosadouglas1587and I bet they are all still alive!🤷🏻‍♀️

[@kimdearing3051]

@@rosadouglas1587 how do you know for sure.

[@breannaparra4149]

I'm not a professional cook but I love cooking ND I started learning how to cook at 9 ND now I'm 27 ND am a really great cook I've actually been wanting to start a channel tbh... 😊

[@sherryevitts4744]

Sesame oil is really a finishing oil because a lot of The Taste gets cooked out when you cook with it use a cheaper oil to cook with and season with the sesame oil. That's coming from a 4 cook 50 years in the making

[@ashleighdavison7950]

Love sesame oil. Makes it taste so much better!

[@mamabairds]

Thank you for that information!!

[@tinasanders6955]

Wow! What a spread! I’m impressed!

[@arraybabe8514]

Great comment, plus, you only need to add a little at the end, making the budget and flavor stretch much further.

[@edcastillo4456]

In addition, stores will sell either 100% sesame oil or a blend of vegetable and sesame oil, the latter being about 50/50. 100% pure sesame is very strong and can overpower and ruin a dish if you use too much. When following recipes that call for sesame oil, often times it doesn’t clearly state if it’s 100% pure or a blend. Therefore, I always suggest going a bit light on the sesame oil at first, then adding more to taste.

[@icebeargamingrobloxd981]

For those that may not know cold day old rice is best to use because the rice is dryer and will give your fried rice a good texture and bring out the flavors of all ingredients, most the ppl here in hawaii make fried rice , when the rice is day old from icebox aka refrigerator it’s easy to break apart so rice not sticking together

[@sing2me]

Your spread is very affordable, has many great concepts and yes, it's affordable! What excellent ideas for making your own sauces... I'll modify them for my preferences and greatly appreciate your video bc I love Asian style cooking. Refrigeration changes the carb effect of rice. Freshly cooked rice spikes blood sugar. Refrigerated rice is slower to process into carbs and therefore better on your digestion and lowers the soaring carb effect. Try buying a bulk peanut oil for this type of frying. It has a high smoke point and is healthier than *soybean* , canola, palm, cottonseed and safflower oils used in vegetable oil. They have a high smoke point but they're almost always sold when already rancid (not healthy). Most people can smell rancid oil. And it gives off a fishy smell for some. This is horrible in many ways. When oil breaks down, it begins to oxidize and release free radicals. These compounds will have negative health consequences, including causing cellular damage that leads to serious disease development. Also, oils that reach their smoke point release a substance called acrolein, which can create an unpleasant burnt flavor. Airborne acrolein is dangerous to your lungs. Soybean ingredients, including oil, are known to have harmful effects on humans. You can replace soy sauce with Amino acids which are HEALTHY! Get off everything soybean oil... it's in everything... #1 ingredient in mayonnaise. It's hidden in some flour tortillas, breads, sauces, almost all dressings sold on the shelf, etc. It has detrimental effects on the neurological pathways of the human body. I was severely ill and eliminated all soybean products and oils and had a remarkable positive turn because of that one ingredient. Much more research needs to be done on the ingredients allowed in the USA that are banned in many European and other countries.

[@MsTwiththeTea1980]

Thank you for the advice 😊

[@bonesbrigader]

Cool advice I'll have to try that

[@aqn1976]

Indeed this is the #1 trick for making the best fried rice!!!

[@Hi-Five-Ghost]

It's commonly done that way, but it's not 100% required, if you're good enough you can use hot fried rice. O.G. asian moms know.

[@MK_1Ultra]

The fact you can hold the camera, move the cart and do the calculator at the same time 👏👏 pro multi task

[@mamabairds]

*takes a bow* Thank you very much!

[@sherryrug]

What I do with the broccoli stems is, I cut off the small stems off stalk. Then peel the skin off and cut it up like bamboo shoots and add to Chinese chicken dishes or stir fry's

[@mamabairds]

Thank you for sharing that!

[@doloresdoers504]

Me too.

[@nerapsnart]

Ditto. The skin is the tough woody part. Once you remove it, nice tender and tasty broccoli stalk. I like it better than the tops. I try to buy more straight stalks to make it easier. It's work but worth it.

[@samanthaharney9396]

I like to do this or throw it in a big freezer bag with other veggie scraps for vegetable stock! I just wash it off first.

[@Nuri722]

Absolutely - same here when it comes to the broccoli stalk 😍Takes a tiny bit more prep & time, but the taste and texture really is the best (I love lightly fried water chestnuts in my stirfry's and I think the crunchy texture resembles)

[@litebrite8993]

As a child of the 80s that grew up with an Italian mother that cooked all of our meals until my father passed away 45 years into their marriage, I fully applaud this! Not only are you feeding your family HEALTHY food that will not upset their stomachs or your wallet, but you are pouring so much love into that food it's gonna taste so amazing your family will ALWAYS remember. God bless you Mamma Bear 💙💚💜

[@mamabairds]

Aw, thank you so much!! What an honor!

[@user-je9uz2pu9n]

Im Italian to! Cooked every day wendsday and Sunday was macaroni with sauce and meatballs! We never ate out! I was born in the 70’s and we sat down and ate as a family and we had Italian bread on the table every meal I love being Italian I don’t know how to be anything else! Does that make sense?

[@belarte7063]

It's not healthy food..it's healthier food then normal Chinese buffet but still very fattening

[@mamabairds]

@@belarte7063 there was veggies and meat in there, not too much sugar and just a little grease from frying 2 things. Not too shabby to me!

[@amysdreamvideos8174]

​@belarte7063 fattening ? It's good real food not junk.

[@asiantrailmixx]

I always feel like it costs a lot of money to do as many dishes as this but you make it affordable and I love that. Thank you!

[@lynncibelli3534]

Best video of Chinese buffet ever.Using coleslaw cabbage for egg roll and stir fry is genius.

[@ashleyhasdiamonds]

Not only did you put a ton of work into dinner, but this video as well!!! Thanks for taking me along, I learned a lot of new recipes from this video alone.

[@mamabairds]

Thank you as well!

[@jennifertaylor1152]

We chop any discard broccoli stems, cauliflower hearts, mushroom stems, parsley stems, celery trimmings etc and just keep adding them to a gallon ziploc bag kept in the freezer and eventually make soup with it.

[@nerapsnart]

What a great lesson you just gave us all. The shopping, the variety, the recipes. You ROCK! Thank you. It's not easy doing a multi-dish meal where everything needs cooking about the same time, especially by ones self. But you did it well. I learned a lot from you today and I am also a senior citizen, so kudos and God Bless!

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!! It was really fun to do!

[@vhwft]

Should try velveting your chicken first in baking soda and water. That’s what gives it that classic Chinese tenderness to the meat. Sit it in the baking soda mix for like 20 mins then rinse it gently then put your cornflour on.

[@mamabairds]

That's great to know!! Thank you for sharing!!

[@Nogames2281]

I was taught to use egg whites and cornstarch. My Aunt is From china and makes Gyoza and a bunch of authentic dishes.

[@phonetism]

⁠​⁠@@Nogames2281 cornstarch or baking soda depends on region. i'm from southern china so most of my relatives use cornstarch + doesn't leave weird aftertaste. also gyoza is japanese for jiaozi (chinese potstickers) 😁

[@Nogames2281]

@@phonetism my bad yes jiaozi

[@helenshack2838]

Garlic and ginger add a lot of flavour to Chinese cooking. Especially if you can use fresh garlic and ginger.

[@mamabairds]

Great tip!

[@michellem4118]

I LOVE GARLIC AND GINGER!! I buy them fresh and chuck them in the freezer, because I don't know what is going on with our local grocery store but the garlic and ginger go bad way to fast. I have seen people use a food processor to get their ginger into a paste.. I want to try that.. I just use a spoon to scrape off the skin and do a fine mince. I don't mind catching big peiced of ginger or garlic in.

[@sing2me]

Be sure to buy garlic that has roots. Chinese garlic cannot have roots as importing their soil is illegal. Buy USA Garlic.

[@philippacrowe8499]

@@michellem4118 a plane grater for both garlic and ginger is great

[@tjloutzenhiser2503]

this came at the right time. hubby and oldest boy, wanted chinese for their birthdays. i am not spending 100. plus at the restaurant. i have a winco nearby, so i will be going there to get the ingred. for their birthday dinner. they share the same day. i always tease hubby, that i don't need to buy him a present. the oldest is his present. lol even tho, the oldest just turned 40. man i am getting old. lol

[@jetta.silence6356]

Your baby is always your baby no matter how old. I lost my mom last year suddenly. 2 weeks after my 47th birthday. I'm now 48 and she's been gone a year April 29th. How my 36 year old brother and I would love to have her back for a nice dinner. Tell them both you love them every night and make sure they tell you too because you never know❤ You're a lovely mom to make the homemade Chinese food as a gift. I'd love that. ❤

[@rogerrosen2323]

takeout isnt as much and alot of food

[@jetta.silence6356]

@@rogerrosen2323 but it's not made with love. And if you make your own you can control what goes into it.

[@Whocares158]

Made with Love 😂

[@OrphanAnnie681]

So when he came in the room to see you and the baby, did you hand him the baby and say happy birthday honey? Sweet!🤗

[@emerald807]

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I came across your video through the KZbin algorithm, so I'm a first time viewer. I watched your video and was mistakenly under the impression that this was a multiple meal prep kind of situation (my fault for not reading lol), but having watched it, I am thoroughly impressed by how you were able to prep everything and cook everything in a focused no-stress kind of way! Amazing!! Everything looks so delicious! Thank you for sharing this, I will be subscribing!! 🙂🙂

[@mamabairds]

Aw thank you! Welcome to my channel!

[@eulaujudy]

I always chopped up the broccoli stems and store in ziplock in freezer until I need them I use in broccoli soup western omlettes and stir fry just need to cook then until tender the stems are very flavorful more than florets

[@djroot2566]

13:48 broccoli stems are my fav. Cream of broccoli soup. Steam them then puree. Easy

[@mamabairds]

Great idea! Thank you!

[@karenruise9275]

Growing up, my parents let us pick a meal for our birthdays. Mine was almost always Chinese takeout. I think my birthday being December 23 had a lot to do with why I was one of the few children (out of 6 kids) to get that splurge. As an adult now, it's hard to spend the money, and I've started to cook it myself. My favorite dish is honey walnut shrimp. For the price of one serving, I can make a pound of shrimp. It's also a super easy recipe that comes together quickly with minimal ingredients. Better than take out.😋😋😍

[@TheRachelHaircut]

Never known anyone to have the same birthday as mine 23/12. I also love Chinese food & love to cook it at home as well😊

[@mamabairds]

That's awesome! What a great idea to learn how to make it yourself!

[@msimpson2779]

please don't use veg/seed oils. They are extremely unhealthy.

[@sherryevitts4744]

I peel the broccoli stems and saute them. They're really good that way, or I roast them with other vegetables. Love your show

[@wowtv101]

YUUUUUM

[@mamabairds]

Great idea! Thank you!

[@Cesaro1997]

In case you weren’t sure or didn’t know, the difference between chow mein and lo mein is chow mein are like stir fried noodles versus lo mein where in lo mein you boil your noodles in sauce or water. Hope this helps! 😁

[@loucos3686]

The terms are used very differently in the US and the UK. In the UK, chow mein noodles are soaked to rehydrate and then stir fried. It seems that in the US, people call all sorts of noodles lo mein and a very crispy noodle thing is chow mein. I was baffled when I first found that out 😂

[@arraybabe8514]

Best YT video I have watched in a long time, that all looked so good, I swear I could smell all that cooking through my screen! Sub earned! I am SO going to try this. Thank you also for linking so many places where people experiencing food insecurity can get help in your description, so many folks will be able to benefit from that. 🥰

[@mamabairds]

Man, thank you so much!! Welcome to my channel! I look forward to getting to know you!

[@ohredbrd]

Favorite? General Tso. Second? Sweet and Sour. That entire spread looked so dang good! That would have easily cost $70 for a family of five plus five drinks, so youre talkin a hundred dollar bill. Well done and happy Moms day too!

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much! I've concerned my fear of frying in the house too! That could turn out to be a mistake...haha

[@phyllisroark8526]

For lunch at our local Chinese Buffet is $27.01 for 2! Not sure for the dinner how much more it is. So It might have cost more than $70 for her family of 5.

[@ishisarten7640]

​@phyllisroadefknkrk8526

[@JulieHowe-jt3qd]

when we were small my dad used to thinly slice broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage stems for use to eat raw they are very sweet if they are home grown .

[@pamelaj25]

I love sweet and sour chicken, pork fried rice and egg rolls.

[@nancyanne1402]

THIS is exactly my order! Hubs like General Tso chicken. I order his meal and mine, substituting fried pork rice instead of white, and 4 egg rolls. We eat eat half our order for dinner, then half is our lunches the next day. We certainly don’t eat it often as it is EXPENSIVE, like $45 but it’s a great every couple of months treat. We’ve never eaten IN the restaurant we order from. Just take out. I bring my insulated bag and it’s still hot, hot when I get home.

[@pamelaj25]

@@nancyanne1402 I can't remember the last time I have had Chinese because of the crazy prices. However, I am inspired to make my own. I am going to make like a cross between sweet and sour chicken and chopped suey. It's really good. As long as you have ginger, garlic soy sauce and green onions you can make anything taste like Chinese.

[@hildahighlander2586]

Yum, me too! I also love lemon chicken, fried rice, and green beans!

[@OrphanAnnie681]

You did a great job with the shopping as well as the cooking! 💯👍👍

[@Purple0fairy0bunny]

We get the crab ragoons from sams. Its $10 for 20 of them. Also egg rolls are $9 for 16. Much better than the restaurants and not much more expensive than making homemade

[@frugalcampermama]

I LOVE Chinese food but it is so expensive to order. It costs us around $35-$40 to order 2 appetizers and 2 entrees and like you said, you’re hungry again in 2 hours. You fed a family of 5 a big selection of items for under what I cost me for 2, and I’m sure you had some leftovers!!! I’m definitely going to try this!

[@NotWokebutAwake.]

Asian dishes can be daunting to try at first... but once you acquire all the sauces and ingredients over time and have them in your pantry, then it's simply a matter of buying the main dish items. I have been getting better and better over the last decade at cooking American style Chinese buffet dishes bc I had 3 kids myself and to go out was just out of our budget most of the time. But how often do we crave especially teens, to go hit up the buffet??? So I got really good at cooking Asian dishes and met and developed some good friendships with a few Asian ppl from my local Asian grocery stores where I learned to purchase the best items! So I got all kinds of tips and tricks of the trade!! It just takes practice and like I said a few simple tricks that you can find online! But anytime you can always shop at the local Asian market! It makes a big difference and you could meet ppl who can give you lots of pointers! My experience is they love when Westerners try to enjoy and learn to cook their traditional foods. I've even eaten lunch in the back of the store with the employees who brought dishes from home, as well as been to my friend's home for dinner several times now as well. Now that my kids are gone and they come home for Christmas they only want me to make Asian food!! I also grew up on the border of Mexico so I'm a pretty authentic Mexican cook as well! So my kids don't have many memories of going out to eat sadly. However, instead they have memories of coming home with their friends for Taco Tuesdays, Always did Chinese on Saturdays, French food on Fridays....you get the picture! I always made a theme! It also made it fun and helped my kids want to try new foods and have adventurous eating habits! So I suppose I made up for it. Now that they're grown they call me for recipes or tips. My youngest still in college just wants me to send her home with meals, or come home and have me cook still. But that's OK it's my love language!! Hehehe

[@kamiko70]

@@NotWokebutAwake. hubby loves my shrimp chow mien and beef with broccoli. i use part of the leftover chow mien, to make Shakshuka! the eggs taste so good with the Asian flavor!

[@NotWokebutAwake.]

@@kamiko70 sounds yummy!!💕

[@MarshaPrice-ss7vt]

Yea and it only took you all day to save a few bucks. Bet no one in your family is in the kitchen keeping you company. To each his own. I'd rather have the time.

[@lynnthomas7982]

I trim the exterior of the broccoli stems bc they are woody. I dice them up and freeze for broccoli rice casserole or broccoli cheddar soup. Prevents the need to buy it when the time comes.

[@AuntJennyMarie]

Ditto :) So easy

[@andersonomo597]

Great tip! I use the stems to make soup too (onion, a little potato and the stems) but I never knew to freeze them! Sometimes I end up with such a small amount that I just peel and steam the stems with the florets but freezing them will give me more flexibility. Thanks for that and cheers from Oz!!

[@rhondajohnson494]

You did great!!!! I would make soup with the broccoli stems, add a potato, veggie or chicken stock with some cream. Great job

[@mamabairds]

oh great idea! Thank you!

[@charliedavis8894]

A couple things I want to mention; 1. Wash your broccoli and pepper before you use them, not only do you have no idea who's touched them during picking, transport and the store but you put them in the cart without a bag and you don't know how many toddlers have sat in that cart with a full diaper! Gross! Uses for the broccoli stems has been covered, I just think you wasted a lot of the white part of the green onions. 2. You rolled the egg rolls and wontons wrong. Place the wrapper like a baseball diamond in front of you. Place your filling halfway between the pitchers mound and home base. Fold home base over the filling, tuck tightly and roll forward a half turn. Fold 1st and 3rd base in toward home base, tucking in the edges under home base and roll another half turn. Wet the run (edges) to and from 2nd base and roll completely to seal. When you use square wonton wrappers, an easy way to fold is to start with the baseball diamond, place filling on the pitcher's mound, wet all 4 sides, fold home base to 2nd base to form a triangle, seal both edges, lay your finger on the home/2nd base corner pointing at the folded edge, bring 1st and 3rd bases over your finger and press together. It makes a nice little packet with a point to hold onto for dipping. If you're going to use egg roll wrappers instead of wonton wrappers, cut them in fourths and just use less filling. They'll be smaller but you won't have one half filling and the other half only fried wrapper.

[@mamabairds]

Wow! First of all, thank you so much for the time you put into this comment and to give me that information. Second..the baseball bases as a guide to rolling egg rolls was just perfect! I could see it perfectly in my head as I read that! Thank you for that! I did wash all the produce before hand, and I did cut up and use the whites on the green onion in another dish. I hate wasting food and not using all of the veggie! Thank you again! I hoped you subscribed because I look forward to more of your comments!

[@darianroscoe1017]

I cook broccoli stems along with the broccoli florets. The stems are 100% edible. I cut them in 1/4" coins. Can also dice and use in soup. No need to peel. My dogs also love them, cooked, for treats.

[@MsTwiththeTea1980]

Very great advice 😊

[@MarshaPrice-ss7vt]

You just don't see your dogs go around the corner and spit them out....

[@lindanizamoff7981]

I chop the broccoli stems and add it to soup or stew or I use some for-bone broth.I keep it in a freezer bag then use it when I need it.

[@mamabairds]

Great tip!

[@sharonpeta2390]

Broccoli stems have a cancer prevention vitamin thing in them. Great job.

[@tv-21]

I stopped eating vegebles altogether! They are for animals only!

[@pennynickels5216]

​@tv-21 Ummm?

[@karenthompson9851]

Love broccoli stems the best part of the broccoli for me LOL peel them and use them in salads or just eat them raw yum!

[@rhondarogers1946]

Carolina those dishes looked so good ! Chinese food is my favorite ! & those egg rolls made my mouth water . Happy Mothers Day weekend to you, sweet lady !

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!! I hope you have a great weekend!

[@cassandracaldwell8339]

If you take the ends of the green onions and put them in dirt you will grow your own green onions. That saves money too

[@angelcop2]

I wish I could post a photo, but I haven't purchased green onions for 8 months. Wash them well then cut up the dark green and then put it in a freezer bag if not keep I. Fridge. Cut up the onions how many you want and the leftover white part put I. Glass with water and sun light they will grow their dark greens stems. Just keep doing the same thing.

[@teresakryvenchuk6205]

Thank you I love Chinese and Mexican foods. God bless you and family and all here✝️❤️🕊 Happy Mothers Day❤

[@mamabairds]

Same to you!

[@bleebleeblahblah]

I'm shooketh that nobody is mentioning that cutest little voice saying " I love brrawh-colee" all little kids have the cutest littlest voices

[@viridian4573]

If you want your chicken to have that soft, silky, moist texture like restaurants make, you can use a technique called velveting. For 12-16 oz. of chicken (sliced or diced as per your recipe) and 2-3 tbsps of water and 2 tsps of oyster sauce. Mix well to coat the chicken and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Then add 2 tsps of cornstarch and 2 tsps of vegetable oil. Rest for another 20 minutes. Now you can stirfry, saute or coat your chicken and deep fry.

[@mamabairds]

Oh that sounds great!! Thanks for letting me know!

[@conniemorgan7974]

I love that chopping board

[@kristieandjeff2720]

I was just thinking the same thing!

[@icebeargamingrobloxd981]

For broccoli dish normally prepaid with beef, but either way, it’s best to blanch the broccoli first :) hope this helps

[@mamabairds]

Thanks for the tip!

[@samberg1477]

I think you did a great job!! No constructive criticism at all, especially as another home chef!! You did a great job saving money and thoughtfully preparing all the veggies/meat!! I will only say that I have never personally had red bell pepper or pineapple in the sweet and sour chicken I have ever had. But I can see how it could work! Thanks for sharing all your hard work with us!! God bless!! Oh 1 other thing, I learned about “velveting “ the chicken. That’s how they do it to make the chicken more velvety and tender before cooking. You could maybe try that 1 day too 🥰

[@colleenpiechowski8511]

I am known for my fried rice and Mongolian beef. I also use coleslaw instead of bean sprouts and bochchoy, it has more flavor. The kids might like wanton with a little cream cheese and strawberry jam. Some jalapeno jam for adults....yum. You overdid yourself..wish I was there.

[@miriam_rc]

The fact that your kid loves broccoli and happily say it when you cook ❤ ugh too cute!

[@mamabairds]

It was a sweet moment!

[@lindabarnes4128]

This was fabulous! Your talent in the kitchen continues to amaze, educate and inspire me! Thank you for these easy meals that look so tasty. I'm saving this video to try this week.

[@mamabairds]

Aw, thank you!

[@user-su1bi8xx9d]

All looks incredible!!!! ❤😋🤤 would maybe cook with a neutral oil with a high smoke point and just finish with the sesame oil (its cheaper and retains the flavour better!) Looks delicious though! And those donuts looked an amazing life hack!! I've never seen the biscuit dough in the UK but ill definitely keep an eye out for that! X

[@tracih.8924]

I save vegetable scraps to use when I make vegetable broths ✌️

[@sandihj]

Broccoli stems - I peel off any woody bits and put the rest in the food processor to chop it fairly fine. Then I use that mulch in spaghetti sauce or chili. You honestly can’t taste it, but it stretches your ground beef and adds some nice vitamins.

[@mamabairds]

Good to know! Thank you!

[@laurenashley7]

Im glad im not the only one getting the calculator out.

[@pennynickels5216]

Me3!😂

[@samboandthemasonator]

Me 4!

[@truthspeak9966]

When at Walmart I use the price scanner in the app. I'm sure of the price and not surprised by the total. 😁

[@shannonbelitz3741]

I'm brand new to watching you. Thank you so much for cooking Chinese food at home for cheap. I absolutely love this.

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much! Welcome!

[@dizziechef9502]

I went Chinese buffet here in Florida . For me alone the buffet was $ 20.00 . You’re serving 5 for the price of pretty much one at my buffets including the tip. Awesome. I can cook Chinese including sushi but this was an outing treat. But expensive when I could have bought all the ingreds . For many meals.

[@mamabairds]

I understand needing an outing treat! I do so much cooking, I enjoy it when we go out to eat!

[@MarshaPrice-ss7vt]

Thought sushi was Japanese.....

[@GG-lv3xd]

I think every location has their own version of sweet n sour chicken. Where I live they make it in a sauce with peppers. where I used to live they made it deep fried and just with a sauce. My go to at home recipe comes from life in the lofthouse and you can bake it in the oven. at home cooking is the best

[@mamabairds]

I know what you mean about the two different ways to have sweet and sour chicken! Both are great! I do agree that home cooking is the best!

[@abcjerilee]

Oh no! You forgot to invite me!!!! Looks delish. I would peel those broccoli stems and make creamy broccoli cheddar soup! ❤❤❤

[@mamabairds]

Oh that's a great idea!

[@lindamann8520]

​@@mamabairds ...or peel and slice stems, add to your stir fry. Broc stems are kind of like okra pods, if your knife doesn't EASILY pass thru the peeled stem, keep moving up until it does. Discard the tough part.

[@MsJanetWood]

👍Wow! The food looks delicious! Chinese food is my favorite food! My mom and I go to the Asian buffet at least once a week!

[@mamabairds]

It's my favorite too! My mom always chose Mexican when we would go out to eat, so now I always pick Chinese! haha

[@carlasworld8571]

I love sesame chicken with pork fried rice, egg drop soup, crab rangoon and egg rolls. Chinese restaurants want to charge $5.00 a pint for the soup and I see it didn't use $5 worth of ingredients, smh. Now that I see how easy it is to make, I'll make my own. Great job on the preparations.

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much! I was a bit surprised at how easy and basic it was to make as well! Gotta have a good stock though!

[@GottaBeME2]

That was amazing! I want to be invited to dinner! I have to make this one at my house that I hope to have soon! So impressed with the cutting board and the silicone mats set! I hope it's in the description because I want to get that eventually! Is love to know how your family enjoyed this I think it's great that your daughter loves broccoli! Take care! And thank you! 💯👍🥰

[@mamabairds]

The cutting board is in the description box! I just love it!

[@donnawheeler6283]

Looks delicious! Those egg rolls look so simple to make!

[@mamabairds]

I'm going to start putting everything in an egg roll now!

[@dizziechef9502]

On the green onion I put the white root in a small glass of water and I never run out of chives. I simmer all veggie roots and stems and pieces I don’t use. I make a veggie juice and can use it as a broth in my meal.

[@mamabairds]

Great idea! Thank you!

[@JupitersRealm]

Happy Mother's Day everyone! 💜

[@mamabairds]

Thank you my friend!

[@justcallmesuzzie]

That looked delicious! My favorite was the fried rice!

[@lealealeacls]

As a chinese person i feel intrigued and fascinated by your way of cooking! More people should try and know it can be very frugal and tasty !

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!!

[@loucos3686]

One thing to be wary about, rice dishes. You have to cool the rice within a certain length of time and make sure its properly reheated or you can risk food poisoning. Reusing your plate that still has rice on it that sat out for an hour or more after you took it out of the fridge is a bad idea. Make sure you wash the plate in between uses. Also, as others have said, sesame oil is a finishing oil. It has a lower smoke point than vegetable or sunflower oil (even abocado oil is better) so it can burn and cause your food to taste sour. Use a high smoke point oil, (not olive oil, again, low smoke point) and have a very high heat under your pans. Sesame oil should be added after it's cooked and then stirred through.

[@theloveyourfacegal2773]

That's a really nice meal. Cooking is love ❤️ when it's made like this. The aroma brought the family together towards the end of your video :) Sweet to hear the kids interacting with you. Thanks for sharing your recipes 💕

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!

[@mamadoom9724]

I prefer Thai and Japanese food to Chinese but I love those crispy fried egg rolls. We ate a lot of egg fu yung in my family growing up so I like it too but haven’t learned how to make it yet.

[@renel7303]

Oh, learn. It is so easy and can be enhanced with so many add ins. Even the gravy/sauce is easy peasy, just chicken broth, cornstarch and a little low sodium soy sauce. You have to plan for it, the mu g bean sprouts have to be really fresh and they will go bad by the date on the bag. Locally Smart & Final is my best bet for fresh sprouts when u can't make it to the Asian grocery supermarket.

[@mamadoom9724]

@@renel7303 good to know, thank you 🙏

[@dm3144]

Thank you sweetie, you remind me of my daughter😢 I haven’t seen her for three years… I love your video and keep it up😊😘 BTW, I love the plastic cutting boards, they make for easy dumping😊 And, shred the broccoli stems, and use them on top of bread, when baking, yummy

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!

[@tikacalifornia7876]

I don't want to be too precise, because you had some surplus ingredients, and some pantry items, but I compared what you made to the cost of these at my local Chinese restaurant. The chicken dishes would have been $10/ea, chow mein, either 10 or 12, and the eggrolls, rangoons, and donuts would have been about 8 each. Add our 7.75% tax and a 10% tip and it's nearly $78.00. Good job!

[@mamabairds]

Thanks for doing that comparison! It's amazing how much cheaper it is to do it at home!

[@hildahighlander2586]

Wow! You really did a great job with keeping the budget under $30. and with all your fantastic Chinese cooking meal preparation skills! I can practically taste it from here. I'll bet it tasted fantastic! I'll bet your kids loved it! Your kiddo is so cute the way they said broccoli, and the fact that they love❤broccoli 🥦 shows they have been taught well! Great job mama! I liked and subscribed!

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!!!

[@lindabeard488]

Thank you, thank you. 💙💙💙

[@jujub4553]

You’re such a great cook Mama B! 🧡

[@mamabairds]

Thank you!!

[@amandabrinkley2674]

You did a very good job with this video I hope you get lots of likes on it❤

[@mamabairds]

Thank you!

[@wandavillar4120]

I love love love Chinese food

[@wilmabaker4500]

What a feast,I am on the way 😂.looks really good also not a bad amount of money for all that ❤❤

[@mamabairds]

Not a bad deal at all!

[@Debra-w1v]

Souped up recipes is an amazing young lady showing how to make amazing chinese food. Thank you for sharing this.

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!

[@jessicamcalister7154]

I chop up the broccoli stems for my chickens

[@sesshy1153]

Wow that's a lot of food for less that $30 amazing and everything looks delicious I'm definitely subscribing to learn more. Nice very nice I will have my daughter watch the video too and see what we can come up with.

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!! I had a lot of fun doing it!

[@lukekao8136]

FYI, fried rice, you should cook the rice a day in advice before using, I saw it in another channel. :)

[@mamabairds]

Ok thanks! I forgot to do that, so I thought drying it out on the counter would work on the fly! Thank you for sharing that!

[@AngelaWagner-r3q]

I like the tutting board you are using

[@mamabairds]

It's awesome! I have it listed in the description box I'd you want to check it out!

[@NicoleBullock-md4ih]

Great job looks so good

[@Ms.K6703]

If your stomach hurts eating Chinese food in the restaurant or take out just say no msg you feel better make sure you tell them to season the food just no msg.

[@Ms.K6703]

Some take will give you bland Chinese food when you say no msg.

[@tracyw5381]

I LOVE the way you have a sing-song tone while you cook ❤. Instant mood booster! Thank you for sharing this buffet.

[@pamplemmons8343]

You should wash all the vegetables

[@desireeadams1261]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaang girl! Thank you SO much for this! Even though i've been cooking in restaurants for 18 years, I always get flustered and overwhelmed with cooking at home and idk why, but you have inspired me to get to work and do this! I'll probably not go out this big but I'ma start practicing. Great job, everything looks fantastic and simple to make! 🙂🙃😀

[@mamabairds]

I totally get that. It's easy in the restaurant when you have all the prep and equipment ready to go! Getting to that point at home is a whole different situation!

[@EmLovesCW]

This was a lot of work. I think I'd just spend the money and get some take out, lol. The food looks fire though!

[@mamabairds]

Haha! Don't blame ya. As long as you plan and prep, it really comes together pretty quickly!

[@truthspeak9966]

How much do you add for the children learning, interacting with Mom while she cooks and the relaxed conversation around the dinner table? I say it's priceless!!❤

[@daughterofthekingjesus9117]

Thank you! That was fun and informative!!! We move to the mountains and town is pretty far. So this will be great for Chinese ‘take out’ night!!!!

[@mamabairds]

That would be lots of fun for you!

[@madampolo]

You need to add your time in making the dishes to the cost as well as clean up as you could be doing something else. Also, you need to add to it the cost of your pantry items. You said you are cooking for a family of five, so two adults and three children. I think you are better off just eating out for the same price.

[@Quagmire612]

My mouth is watering! I LOVE Chinese food!

[@corrinekarr8870]

First time watching; I am so impressed!! You're fantastic! I'm 83 & never have I seen anyone put together a Wonder meal such as this so effortlessly. I may try this on a smaller scale for just hubby & self. New subscriber here! ❤

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much! Welcome to my channel!

[@AliBusha-nu7ci]

Really loving your Concept to all of this! You are so organized and make this look so easy but you have this girlie!!!! Ali

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!!

[@jakerirenef7034]

Wow- amazing how easy you made that look. And it all looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing your tips.

[@mamabairds]

You are so welcome!

[@melissaevans4396]

My goodness I got so hungry watching you cook!! It all looks amazing!! Good job!!❤

[@mamabairds]

Thank you 😋

[@LeeLeeCRN]

The food looks amazing but i LOVE that cutting board!!😂The different labeled plastic sheets are so cool!

[@pennynickels5216]

Great job! I eat chicken and 🥦 or chicken and cashews often, along with fried rice with leftover veggies. I do love egg rolls. I make a very lazy sauce, just butter, brown sugar and coconut aminos 😋 I might try a sweet&sour sauce though.

[@mamabairds]

Sweet and sour is my favorite!

[@NancyB35]

U did such a great job on this buffet!!!

[@mamabairds]

Thank you!!

[@apocalypso3427]

I'm not the kind of person that scares easily, but dang if those biscuit cans don't make me jumpy lol. You opened that like a champ lol. Recipes look simple and good! New subscriber here :D Thanks for sharing!

[@mamabairds]

Haha! That's too funny! The biscuit can is like an adult Jack-in-the-Box! Haha

[@apocalypso3427]

@@mamabairds Well, don't mind me. I'm over here picturing you as some kind of culinary Rambo now with your fearless biscuit tackling lol.

[@lswest1569]

What a Fun Idea! All of your recipes looked delicious!

[@mamabairds]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@jasmineleopard7593]

Wow!!! You really know how to spoil your family!! What a blessing you are to your family, and I’m sure they are to you as well. ❤️

[@mamabairds]

Thank you so much!

[@AliBusha-nu7ci]

Absolutely love your Cutting Board! This looks like it's going to be amazing💞 Ali

[@mamabairds]

I love it!

[@angelminaj617]

Wow I love it. Everything looks so good.

[@brendag6331]

You did a great job, that Chinese food looks good