Hello, I’m MinShien! I am the creator, writer, recipe developer, and photographer for Joyous Apron! I am so glad you are here!

Standing behind the kitchen counter

I am also a dreamer, explorer, reader, coffee-drinker, tea-sipper, nature lover, over-thinker, and admirer of all things beautiful.

Joyous Apron

Joyous Apron is a food blog for foodies.

For as long as I known, I have a deep passion for food – I wake up and think about what I want to eat; I plan my vacation around food; I love exploring new foods and finding new ways to make them. Anyone relate??

Even though I love food, for the longest time I mostly enjoyed food outside my home, and it took me many years to learn how to make truly delicious food at home. When I finally started cooking and baking more, I realized that with some guidance and a few tips and tricks you can make truly yummy food in your own kitchen. I want to help arm you with the knowledge to make the foods you love without having to eat out all the time!

I believe in good-quality and fresh ingredients. This doesn’t mean it has to be obscure or super expensive or complicated. Simply put, it just means we put in good stuff so that the product is also…good stuff. 😉

One thing for sure – all recipes and foods shared are ones I think are delicious and have enjoyed, tested, and tried (multiple times). I don’t sacrifice taste. If it’s healthy it happens to be healthy. But at the same time, I can think of so many healthy food and ingredients that I love. Hello, avocados!

Picking a favorite recipe from my blog is like picking a favorite child. I love them all! And if they aren’t awesome, I promise you they won’t appear on here! So if you are new and wondering which recipe to check out first, let me share with you my all-time top 10 reader favorites!

So many of you have made them (many times!) and loved them! And if you make something that enjoyed it, please be sure to comment on the blog post and leave a rating. This will help others find them on Google and Pinterest! 🙂

Sprinkling lemon juice onto pasta

Background

I created Joyous Apron in 2018 when I decided to take a chance on starting my own business and launching my food blog.

Prior to being a food blogger, I was a marketing professional and spent almost a decade working in the corporate world. While I enjoyed my experience there, and learned and grew a lot (much of that has helped me build this business), I was ready to embark on a new adventure, and wanted to do something I was truly passionate about – creating food and sharing food with others.

See, I grew up in Penang, a little island off the coast of the peninsula of Malaysia, also known as the “food heaven” of Malaysia. When I think of the food in Penang, I think of mind-blowing spices, complicated flavors, creativity, variety, and always an abundance at the dinner table. My culture implanted and informed my love of food.

Honestly, I just didn’t stand a chance.

When I was nineteen, I moved to the United States for college. I have since lived in many cities in different parts of the country, travelled for work and pleasure, and had the chance to be exposed to different cuisines and culinary methods.

The food I grew up with will always have a special place in my heart, but I have also come to love foods from all over the world.

Just like my experience, on this blog you will see a little bit of everything, and you will notice the influence of my upbringing in the foods I eat and write about. So needles to say, you’ll see some traditional and modern Asian recipes sprinkled throughout the blog.

Today

I live with my best friend and better half in the Austin, TX area, and we have been married for about five years. John is my guinea pig for all recipes, my business consultant that is available 24/7, and my biggest cheerleader. These days, we are always cooking, the dishwasher is always running, and the house always smells like something in the crockpot, oven or frying pan.

Outside my love for food

I love the ocean, fine wine, and engaging conversations. If I had all the money and free time in the world I would travel and explore the ends of the Earth. On business class, preferably. 🙂

Life is short – I am constantly learning to see beauty, forgive quickly, pick battles, serve others, and most importantly, find rest, satisfaction, and joy in Jesus in all that I do.

Please say hi and keep in touch!

I absolutely love getting to know my readers. Yes, YOU! Enter your email address below to get my new recipes delivered right to your mailbox! In addition to that, I am currently throwing in a bonus for signing up – my Easy Dinners E-Cookbook! That’s right – you get it for FREE!!

So hurry and SUBSCRIBE below NOW!!

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Also, don’t forget to follow me on social media! I am on these platforms and would love to connect with you! Drop me a note to say hi!

Work with me

If you would like to work with me, check out my Work with Me page for more information! I would love to hear from you!

Thank you for being here

I never imagined food blogging would become my full time career, but I am also so very grateful to be doing so. And I wouldn’t be able to do it without you. I appreciate you for being here, for reading, trying my recipes and engaging with my content. I truly appreciate your support!

Cheers!

MinShien