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Food Hobbies Pals Secrets TV

Life Updates | Chef Bumburumbum + Disappointing K-Drama + Protein Bar Wrapper

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1.

My cooking enthusiasm continues! Tuwang tuwa ako sa pagluluto ko recently. Ang dami nya kasing benefits:

  • hindi nasasayang yung mga binili naming gulay
  • nakakatipid kami at nasusunod ang food budget namin
  • homecooked meals are healthier
  • happy si Kenneth na laging may food tuwing lunch break nya
  • I feel somewhat creative pag mino-modify ko yung mga recipes na nakikita ko
Chia pudding with blueberry-blackberry jam and peanut butter

Happy ako sa discovery ko na ‘to kasi ang dali lang pala gumawa ng fruit jam! Kala ko kelangan pa ng heat at pakulo, pero may simple version pala. Few months ago, bumili ako ng blackberries at na-disappoint ako kasi ang asim. Yun din yung nangyari sa blueberries na binili namin last month. Hindi matamis. Hindi ko titiisin na kainin yung mga yun kasi bukod sa hindi enjoyable, magkaka-heartburn lang ako sa asim, so nilagay ko na lang sila sa freezer. Gagawin ko na lang silang smoothies in the future para hindi masayang. Kaso hindi nangyari kasi nawala na yung hilig ko sa smoothies. Kaya ang perfect na nakita ko yung simple jam recipe na yun. Nagkaron ako ng idea kung pano i-consume yung sour frozen fruits. Na-counter nung honey yung asim kaya palatable na sya for me.

Baked salmon with quinoa, veggies, and creamy dill dressing

Since puro karne kami last time, naisipan kong lutuin naman yung salmon. Simpleng bake lang with garlic butter. I partnered it with quinoa and veggies para ma-utilize ko yung zucchini at bellpeppers. Gusto ko lang ng konting crunch kaya nilagyan ko ng potato chips on the side.

Binagoongang tokwa’t baboy with talong

Eto mainit-init pa. Kakaluto ko lang kanina. Tofu at eggplant lang talaga yung nasa recipe pero since meron kaming tirang isang slice ng pork belly, isinama ko na. Happy ako dito kasi nagamit ko dito yung kamatis at talong.

2.

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Happy Things Hobbies Money Diaries Pals Secrets TV

Happy Things #30

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Binge Galore

Ang daming magagandang series na lumabas nitong January! May mga times na wala na kaming mapanood ni Kenneth (evening routine naming mag-couch potato), pero this time ang daming options!

  • Can This Love Be Translated?
  • A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
  • Shrinking (season 3!)
  • Frieren (season 2!)
  • Bridgerton (season 4)

Lahat yan sabay namin papanoorin ni Kenneth except Bridgerton (hindi sya fan) kaya nasimulan ko na sya kahapon. Episode 2 pa lang ako at okay naman sya. Mala-Cinderella ang istorya.

Ang pinapanood namin ngayon ay Can This Love Be Translated? Maganda naman. Kaso minsan, nakaka-frustrate yung subtitles kasi parang hindi sya na-itranslate ng maayos to English. Lalo na dun sa isang scene na yung sinabi nung bida, hindi akma dun sa ginawa nya. Kaya may times na naguguluhan kami ni Kenneth, tapos ip-pause muna namin para i-decipher yung words.

Can this show be translated??

New Colours

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Money Diaries Secrets TV

What I Spend in a Week | Marty Obscene

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Before we go to the weekly breakdown, Best Buy and Bye-Bye of the week muna:

Best Buy

Si Cashew, bigla na lang hindi kumakain nung wet food nya. Samantalang dati, marinig lang nya yung pagbukas ng delata ng cat food, tatakbo na papalapit sakin tapos ingaw na ng ingaw. Sobrang worried ko kasi hindi raw magandang sign yung walang ganang kumain. May sakit daw pag ganun. Pero, ganado pa naman syang kumain nung dry food nila. Basta lahat normal except sa hindi nya pagkain ng wet food. I’m confused.

Since meron syang gingivitis, na-research ko na meron daw palang type of wet food na masakit for them. Kaya mas okay daw yung purée or mousse type, para hindi na nila kelangan nguyain. Pero bakit yung dry food kinakain nya? Diba mas masakit yun?? Pero ito ang sabi:

Okay, good to know. So in short (haba ng kwento 😂), kinakain na nya yung bagong wet food. As in simut sarap! I’m so happyyy 🤍

$2.60 per pouch

Bye-Bye

Nung Saturday, down yung mood ko, so niyaya ko si Kenneth na manood ng sine. Sakto discounted yung movie tickets buong January. Out of curiosity, ang pinili ko ay Marty Supreme. Bukod sa crush ko dati si Timothée, maganda raw talaga yung film. Tapos nalaman ko pa na dalwang best actor awards na yung nakuha ni Chalamet, so mas na-curious ako.

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Insights Life Secrets

Thursday Letter #16 | Honesty is the Best Policy

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Sometimes, I get conscious sa mga sinusulat ko dito, kasi pakiramdam ko minsan paulit-ulit. Or I sometimes negate myself, lalo na pag nababasa ko yung mga luma kong posts. Despite this worry, it’s not stopping me from hitting the publish button. Kasi yun talaga yung reality ko eh. Yun ang pinagdadaanan ko. Perceptions change. Tastes change. Normal lang magbago, at normal din na magpaulit-ulit.

It’s also a universal reality na mabagabag sa isang bagay, tapos akala mo resolved na at naka-move on ka na, until dadating yung araw na mababagabag ka ulit. Or yung may sasabihin kang gagawin mo, proud na proud ka sa plano mo, tapos sasablay ka nanaman. Wala eh. Yun talaga ang realidad. Sabi nga nung isang guest sa Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast:

I’m not here to be a role model,
I’m here to be the real deal.

Inah Evans

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Food Secrets

Life Updates | Game Plans + Funny People + Frozen Embutido

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1.

Every year, I make a post about the goals I want to achieve for that year (I call it my game plan). Dun ko rin nilalagay yung naging result nung previous game plan ko. But this year, I decided to keep my 2026 goals private until the end of the year. Since there won’t be a game plan post this year, dito ko na lang ilalagay yung naging outcome nung 2025 goals ko:

2025 RESULTS

  1. Maintain an organized and clean home 😊
  2. Visit PH again, this time for Mama’s 60th birthday 😊
  3. Take one or two C level French classes 👎🏼
  4. Don’t go a 3rd day without working out—or doing yoga at the very least 👎🏼
  5. No sugar Monday 👎🏼
  6. Practice having my last meal at 3 or 4PM 😊
  7. Start building 3 months worth of emergency fund 😊
  8. Invest more than we did last year 😊
  9. Find a remote job 👎🏼

Out of the 9 goals I set, I was able to achieve 5. Okay lang naman kung hindi sya ma-achieve lahat, kaso mas satisfying sana kung na-achieve ko yung numbers 4 and 5.

Note dun sa goal #1: Magkakaiba tayo ng standards ng kalinisan. So pag may pumunta sa bahay namin at nadumihan sila, it’s a them problem 😂

2.

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Money Diaries Secrets

2025 Money Wrapped

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Kahit luhaan ako sa mga gastos namin, I am equally excited to look at our last year’s spending because I have now gained clarity. Since nagkaron ng major changes sa aming 2025 expenses, mas alam ko na ngayon yung i-eexpect for 2026. Nung naka-apartment pa kami, kasama na sa monthly rent namin yung utilities, kaya hindi kami sanay na nagbabayad ng tubig at kuryente. Ngayon, based on the monthly averages, alam ko nang kelangan naming mag-allot ng extra $250 every month.

Ang daming adjustments na nangyari last year. Lumaki yung housing costs namin because of the mortgage, tapos ang dami pang nadagdag na bayarin (home insurance, property tax, utilities). Bukod pa dun, nawalan ako ng income nung August. Kaya ang malaking bottomline ng lahat ng ito ay: kailangan ko nang makahanap ng trabaho STAT.

Natuwa akong gawin yung mga graphics this year. Favorite ko yung ‘Money Wrapped’—tingnan nyo mamaya hehe. Just like before, I’ll start with a snapshot of our average monthly spending, then show the numbers after.

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Life Pals Secrets

Thursday Letter #15 | Releasing Expectations

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Happy Stranger Things Vol. 2 day! Also, Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël !

Ngayon ko na lang ulit ‘to na-feel. Yung super excited ako sa isang TV show. Bukod sa curiosity ko kung anong mangyayari after that epic Will-has-powers!! episode, airing the next volume on Christmas day (and the season finale on New Year’s Eve) gave me an anchor. Here’s why.

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Life Secrets

37th Birthday Bop

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My birthday started with “Meh. Not having the best time.” and ended with “Tangina mamamatay na ko!”

Pretty morning

Matabang na congee

Kinantahan muna ako ni Kenneth ng happy birthday na walang lyrics kasi kakagising nya lang. Antok-antok pa sya. Then I was on Instagram reposting birthday greetings (ang cute ng mga inaanak ko). After a couple of minutes, nag-ready na rin kami kasi ang una sa birthday to-do list ko ay mag-brunch sa Maven, my favourite brunch spot in Calgary (pero wala pa ring makakatalo sa Clementine Cafe in Winnipeg—huhu I miss).

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Family Secrets

Thursday Letter #14 | Holiday Funk

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Good morning/evening!

Ang nasa utak ko ngayon ay Pilipinas. Kasi nai-imagine ko kung gano ka-festive dun ngayon. Yung ramdam na ramdam mo yung holiday cheer, lalo na sa mga malls. Ang sarap umuwi! Ang tagal ko nang dream na makauwi ng holiday season. Kaso hindi pa matuloy-tuloy. Sa ngayon, magpapatugtog na lang ulit ako ng “Di ba’t kay ganda sa atin ng… Paskoooo… Naiiba ang pagdiriwang ditooo…” like every other December, habang medyo teary eyed.

If we have unlimited funds, we would spend every Christmas and New Year in the Philippines.

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Happy Things Hobbies Life Secrets

Happy Things #29

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Feeling Pro

First time kong makagamit ng stand mixer nung nag-bake ako sa bahay ng friend namin (Hello Aryan and Hudas!) Ang saya pala talaga nyang gamitin! As in konting seconds lang combined na lahat ng ingredients. Walang kapagod-pagod. Sobrang bano ko. Noon, ang tingin ko sa stand mixer ay pang-pro levelzz lang. Napapanood ko lang yun sa mga experienced bakers. Pero nung nakita ko sya sa bahay ng friend namin, at ginamit ko sya pang-bake ng revel bars, napaka-smooth and convenient pala talaga!

Nung una nga na-intimidate pa kong gamitin. Plano ko na talaga na i-mix lang yung dough using a spatula. Pero sa sobrang thick nung mixture, sumuko na ko. Sinubukan ko na yung stand mixer kahit hindi naman ako marunong mag-operate ng ganun. Pero siguro sa dinami-rami ng napanood kong baking videos sa buhay ko, na-figure out ko sya agad. Na-amaze din ako sa sarili ko kasi alam ko kung pano i-tilt yung head, kung pano i-detach yung mixing bowl sa base, kung pano yung pag-push and turn to remove the beater—all in one try. I was practically a natural at it. Meant to be talaga kami! Haha! Kaya naman sa isip-isip ko, “Gusto ko nitoooo!” And that’s what I got for my birthday!!

Hindi ko pa naman birthday pero in-advance ko na hehe. At buti na lang merong 12 months to pay, 0% interest sa Amazon (may kamahalan din baga). Sa sobrang excitement ko, chinat ko si Aryan para i-share ang good news. And her response made me cryyy…

I Love My Friends

This is my second happy thing. Literal na naiyak talaga ko sa reply ni Aryan:

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