Happy Chinese New Year! 2013 is the year of the Snake. In honor of Chinese New Year, which started yesterday, I went out for dim sum and reviewed all of the resolutions I made during New Years Eve in January. Chinese New Year is an important holiday for me because I enjoy taking time to celebrate my culture, even if it is just the simple act of making homemade jiaozi.

Cooking traditional Chinese dishes from scratch can be time-consuming and exhausting. If you’re looking to celebrate Chinese New Year but don’t want to go all out and make multiple dishes, here is a 2-step Chinese New Year meal plan. First, start with Homemade Jiaozi. Though this took me several hours to make at first, the trick is to bribe others to help you to expedite the process. Because the jiaozi is so delicious, the bribe can even be allowing your helper to have a couple once they are boiled and pan-fried. With a side of soy sauce, this homemade jiaozi will fill you up right away.

Once you’re filled up with jiaozi, the second dish is dessert. You can always make room for dessert. No excuses allowed. Start making this Almond Flavored Gelatin Dessert a couple of hours in advance because it needs to be refrigerated for a while. If you take the short amount of time necessary to prepare, these 2 dishes will not take as much time as a traditional meal would, and you will still get the delicious benefits of celebrating one of the best holidays of the year!

新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè: This means ‘Happy New Year’ in Mandarin).

You can also use: 恭喜發財 (gōng xǐ fā cái: This is another way of wishing someone a happy new year, and it means ‘Happy and Prosperous.’ Always say this when receiving lucky money or gifts).

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