Hey Russ. Hehe. Funny story about your hotpot. Told you it was cheaper at the Crystal Mall. Things are cheaper there, even the raw ingredients. I only shop at T&T when I want to get certain items that I know I can't find at the Crystal Mall.
You don't have to dump everything into the hotpot all at once, Russ. I always make sure I have some leftovers stored in the freezer when I can't finish up everything. So here's what I do, put aside what you think you need for the hotpot then put the rest away in a freezer bags. Put in the refrigerator for the duration of the hotpot, in case you or your guest want more, just dig in and get some. Then when everyone's had their fill, just dump freezer bags into the freezer for next time.
The next time you do hotpot, thaw ingredients overnight in bottom shelf of the fridge. Be warned though, if your stuff is frozen solid and you dump them into the hotpot, you might find the middle frozen when you bite into that so make sure you thaw them properly.
And yes, PC. It's a soup thingee, awesome for a winter meal. It's the equivalent to your comfort food of meatloaf. Well, to me anyways.