Cooking With Kuya K (Baked Mussels)

"Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life."



cooking with kuya k from kin chang on Vimeo.

 

HAKONE

One weekend in autumn, hubby together with our two dear friends (bong and toni) decided to take a day trip out of Tokyo, Hakone seemed like the perfect choice. Located about 80 kilometers from Tokyo, this quaint town in the mountains is famous for its abundance of onsen, traditional Japanese hot springs. This, and the possibility of seeing Mt. Fuji rise above Lake Ashi on a clear day, had us immediately sold.

 We arrived at Lake ashi just before noon time and purchased our Hakone Day pass which was inclusive of round trip ropeway and sightseeing cruise.

 

Owakudani , the volcanic valley about halfway to Lake Ashi was our first stop. I could smell the sulfur almost immediately after stepping out of the car, and could see steam rising from the vents.

We walked the short distance to the sulfur vents and bought some of the famous kuro tumago, or black eggs. The eggs are hard boiled in the hot springs and eating one is said to add seven years to your life. A pack of five costs 500 yen. We gobbled down two before heading back to the cable car to continue our journey.

We hopped on one of the sightseeing ships again for a cruise back at Lake ashi where we parked our car. The boat docked at Hakone machi and continue on our journey to the famous onsen (japanese hot spring). 

The woman at the front desk was skeptical seeing us foreigners willing to undress in public... yes naked in a public bath  so they explain their rules in english. We nodded and went on to our respective locker rooms.

After undressing and washing, Toni and I walked outside for rotenburo (outdoor hotspring). The afternoon sun was golden and low in the sky, steam rose off the pools, and birds chirped in the background. The onsen were nearly empty and we relaxed in the hot water for nearly an hour. There is something marvelous about being naked outside skinny dipping in a healing water.

Our 5th year in the so called Married Life

                                          thank you yani for this video

I have written all kinds of cheesy things about my husband , anniversary or not but I will keep on writing the same things... only better i guess coz if only i had known earlier that married life can be this close to perfect with him..... I could have said yes to him the moment i laid my eyes on him...

- TIMER. Like most couples, we also have fights pero believe it or not  its been his cardinal rule that fights should not last more than ramen's cooking time. yeah folks thats freaking 3- 5 minutes the most. And it works for us.
- Cuddle time. The best and most valuable time you can have with your husband. I love to cuddle. The feeling I get when I am wrapped so tightly in his arms. To know he wants nothing but to have me safe in them. He caressing me as we just lay there for hours not saying a word. My back press against his chest feels so comforting. And his rapid heartbeat slows down to the rhythm of mine. I love to hear his heart beating so loudly as if thunder is right in the mist of us. 
-  LAUGHTER. My husband is a born clown. I can laugh all day with him until my sides hurt. 
- Family/Friends. One thing about my husband that i admire the most is his extended love for my family and friends. My mom adore him like her own son. My brother look up to him and can bond with him like a friend. My friends loves his generosity and humor.

There is that special moment with someone where you don't have to say a word. Just being together holding each other is more than enough. How can something so simple just be so wonderful?  But it is, there is just something so fundamentally RIGHT about loving the right husband, the closeness, the comfort, the feeling of belonging, of being loved, cherished, held close, protected, snuggled safe and warm in someones arm..... just thinking about him makes me go all gooey inside, like melted chocolate!! YAY

Happy Birthday Yani!!! (LATE POST)

I SAY:.....

 RANDOM THINGS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT YOU

1.Ever since I met you.. A part of you grew into me na parang ewan.. heheheh, like you were my mirror image and its scary at times. But I think I like having a little bit of you in me....

2.I am amazed at your courage and at your quiet unspoken understanding of the situations
and the people around you. Although laging may tsismosa image pa din kahit papano...

3.It has been a difficult year for you.  But not quite as difficult as the one before.
 You have truly grown this year and with that Im so proud of you.  You have discovered the part of you na di mo akalain na kaya mo and pushed through love despite the struggle.

4.You’ve learned to cook beautiful restaurant-quality meals, and how to fly to the other side of the world on your own.

5.My birthday wish for you is that you find happiness in the little things and that you forever have the strength to deal with whatever obstacles may come while knowing we are always here to help and support you.

6.Gusto ko din malaman mo that we are your home.  For the rest of your life,
wherever we are, is where you belong (parang GMA lang)hehehhehe.  Our family is complete because of you. Lucky doesn’t even begin to describe it neng.....

7.My life is happier because of you.  My heart is fuller because of you. 
I am a better person because of you.  Whatever impact I may have on your life,
you continue to have just as big an impact on mine and on the little lives you touched.

8.I can’t wait to see you chasing that wedding dream again,  and the impossibilities you’ll conquer.

9. Learn how to be  a keeper of memories and the maker of many more.

10. Sana you can  try to understand even if it doesnt make sense minsan...
Wat am trying to tell u is, , just as i always tell you, u cant live yesterday or tomorrow,
so enjoy today as much as all is happening. Wag na masyado mag overthink

11.Making the best of every situation you are dealt with is all you can do.  You can't predict what each day will bring so you have to make the best of your today and appreciate everything you have been given.  This is not always and easy thing to do because there are times when you feel down and say why you, but we always find a way through it.  Stay strong and remember to cherish everyone and everything around you !


12. The relationship between a man and a woman is not something that can be solved by working your brain. Ikaw na bahala mag decipher nyan... hehhehehe

13.Do your best with your way for your life now. The result? Just wait and you'll figure it out

14.Sa bday mo Don't be sad neng coz  a truck of happiness will come to change your sadness :) trust me

 HE SAYS...SHE SAYS:

We know that you always wanted someone to love you. You wanted someone to  care about you. But the problem is you finding the right person to love and have them appreciate and enjoy your love. But you see, God's love is free and this love is like no other love you could ever experience in your life because it is whole. There is nothing lacking in the love that God can give you. Do not ever believe that you can live without love because you cannot. You cannot count on the people around you to give you that love either but you can count on God. He is always there and He never changes.

Your mistake was starting off in such a hurry. This seems to be the popular thing to do these days. You think "Well you like him and he likes you. Maybe you were in love. But you end up skipping over the part where you are really good friends. This was what was missing in your relationship with him.. and  You can truly mess up your emotions by getting involved when you are not yet ready.
 
Love has roots in friendship. In true love, you love the total person. You enjoy being with that person sharing things with them. Real love is unselfish. It sacrifices for the one it loves. And it carries with it the vital quality of commitment It doesn't give up or quit when problems come along. Real love will bring out the best in you. You want the one you love to be proud of you. If you are just infatuated with someone, you may "laze" around and daydream, but if your love is real, you apply yourself to your work, you make plans, and you prepare for the future. Real love is not just a wonderful feeling that strikes you suddenly. It takes time to grow and develop. You don't "fall" into real love---you grow into it. You have to know a person before you can love that person with real love. And you cannot genuinely love a person whom you do not really know.

So my advise for you on your bday  go back to the basics in what a relationship is all about and you will see that you have friendship first, secondly if you are both Christians, and out of that grows a love. And God helps maintain that love. From there you go to dating and being serious and then later getting married.

happy birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday Doc Helen

Dearest Doki,

Sabi nila Friendship isn't about whom you've known the longest. It's about who came, and made your world upside down sa kakatawa, kakaiyak, kakaisip sa pinagdadaanan ng isang  kaibigan na si Marianne... and etc... Sometimes its all about loving you lang talaga like a sister without any reason....kasi the best sisters daw are  the ones that you aren't related to, so thanks for being my unrelated sister! 

While writing this bday note, it made me realized those times when I really wanted to make an effort to be close to you,... pero we had our own shares of trial and errors on knowing each other before kaya parang di naman masyado nag bossom... and for that, maybe  God have this perfect timing lang in giving us each other....yung bang perfect timing to add someone in both our lives.So you were like a puzzle pieces, who didnt fit my puzzle at first but in the end all the pieces come together perfectly coz your someone na kumain din pala ng tabog tabog, inatadong mayonaise, and had her shares din ng difficulties and yet fun childhood like mine. Someone  who also have her own shares of heartaches and kaduratan hahahahhaha.... So see God made sure na when we came into each others lives parang He just wanted us to share each others own kadangagan, and inspiring experiences in a funny way...

I know that this friendship is just starting in terms of numbers but for me parang lifetime na sya in terms of feelings and its depth. And your just that someone who kept me smiling from the day i called you my friend....And everyday while were doing our usual bbms were my best times that have gone from laughter to memories of this new friendship. And you have gone from simply being a friend to family to me. 

So what else is there to say pa ba but I love you.... I really do coz your now officially the sister I never had. And a very special addition to those few friends I have allowed to enter my boring life.... 

Happy Birthday Doki.... I know youll get lots of greetings for your birthday but this one comes to you with all of my love 

BDAY SURPRISE FOR MY TWO BANENGNENGS

To Yani and Lhen,

This is not yet your bday kadramahan...... This is just my version of an amazing race  bday for both of you... Love you both....

FRIDAY DATE NIGHT WITH HUBBY

I have to pinch myself a few times to make sure I am not in Hong Kong or Shanghai  or California.... and that hubby thought of this place for our Friday night dinner date is really a bomb in its sweetest explosion...

 lets start love with this cocktail..

 too much of the good thing

 uni (sea urchin) yum yum

 escargot!!! oh you little thing Ahhh, the thing I come here for.

Seriously, we don’t need to travel far for the good stuff. 

All the best things in one place.