It is wonderful to stay here.Regularly, Babis gives me the most delicious lemons or the freshly picked figs.They are so many figs that in addition to chowing down, I make jam out of them, so delicious.I always make extra to give a jar of jam to Maria and Babis.And every morning after my workout, I feast on fresh fig jam with whole yogurt.
At this beautiful location, I experience like the ZEN JENs.In peace and quiet, my mind and body restyled by the medetarian climate.How nice is that! No pollen chasing me and no tissues work.
At the appointed time, my good friend Babis horns from his car so we can go to the (super)market together. Nice to see him again. And always sociable.He is a true friend who is always there for me, a pure human being.Relaxed, I walk down from the house and greet him with 'Kaliméra. Ola kalá?While chatting via google translate we drive to a town down the road. After shopping at the supermarket, we go to the market. We agree to meet each other again at Babis' car after my shopping.My goal is to buy fresh fish and vegetables, but first I take a walk. I feel like a happy egg. The euphoria of joy brings me to a happy moment. How I have missed this, the market in its splendor, the people and the warm atmosphere! You always appreciate it more when it is no longer there. After buying the vegetables, potatoes and fresh fish, I am smiling and happily waving to Babis, I walk towards his car.On the way back to 'home' I cheerfully tell the story of my shopping.After unpacking the groceries at home, I start making delicious SALMON PASTA.My lunch tastes supersonically delicious and this is a great ending to breakfast this morning.
When I arrived in Greece I immediately felt at home. Something I rarely have.From the first moment I receive the warmth of my downstairs neighbors Maria and Babis, their friend Christos. 3 Golden people. Gold in every sense of the word for me.From that moment on friends for life as family, true love!
The most people are still lying on one ear.Waking up before the alarm clock is something special for me.Wonderfully in the early morning light, daylight breaks through in peace.My to-do list hangs in front of me on the weekly schedule.In between, continue with the Mediterranean quest where the sun shines fresh and fruity.Money makes the world go around.Finding something suitable online is reduced by the large revenue models. Or when you see some accommodations you are surprised at the rental prices or the locations that are filled with apartments.Most of it looks nice in photos, but in real life it often leaves much to be desired.The saying goes 'seek and you will find' and so it happened. To have discovered a beautiful spot for a period to freshen the lungs without pollen. Not Spain, Italy, France but in beautiful Greece with a house by the sea.After a long search I found 'THE GOLDEN EGG'. With joy I prepare the BEERPORKBELLY with the end result being that it tastes golden.
Sometimes you discover things (too) late that you were previously unaware of.Like, for example, the place where you are going to live.Staying in our village offers: space, tranquility and relaxation. However, to every advantage there is sometimes also a disadvantage: hay fever.Pollen is produced by trees, grasses and herbs and floats in the air. The more pollen, the more symptoms of allergic rhinitis.Hay fever season begins with a peak of tree pollen in late winter/early spring, followed by a peak of grass pollen in summer and a peak of weed pollen in fall. It's like an LP stuck on the turntable.
Friend Annemarie is coming to stay. Big surprise and so old-fashioned cozy!Glad to see each other again, as if we spoke yesterday.She brought my 'order': a multi Chopper & Grinder. And various saltylicorice and banana foams, which I sometimes crave because it is not available here.In Hungary people don't like licorice or they don't know it.Arriving, she says 'you get this from me instead of a bunch of flowers'. How sweet!To those around her Annemarie had bragged that during her stay she will be spoiledbecause I will be cooking Indonesian food for her. I had to laugh heartily about it, she is quite something! We have known each other for over 30 years so you know what to expect from each other. She enjoys her stay XXL and refuels extra. The days fly by with: our conversations, the laughter, the wine, the dining, coffee drinking in Tiszafüred and flashy Visiting Eger. A great city! As promised to Annemarie, Hans goes outside to smoke trout with her. And I am beginning in the kitchen preparing the new recipe. As soon as the Trout is ready, I can start. This time it will be feasting with PEPESAN FOREL.Being together is like a big party, a double gift! We put the garlands together. Soon I will see Annemarie in the Netherlands.
I love FOOD & WINE. As a wine lover, I like to wander here and there in search of good wines.Unfortunately, there is little choice in our village or the nearby city. You don't have any wine shops so it remains a search if you do find something. I'm usually lucky enough to find something suitable.I really enjoy a good glass of wine. While cooking, while listening to music or just like that.For special moments I like to drive around the block for 1 hour.Wonderful to toast with family or friends while dining, enjoy the old-fashioned slumber and, above all, enjoy being together. Or romantic wines with the two of us.It is special that for years friends have given me a bottle of red wine as a gift, while everyone knows that I am a dry white wine lover. I can't get that out of their system and we always have a good laugh about it. The 'red rascals' are coming anyway and while enjoying a delicious meal we toast to the good life! Friends are coming tonight, nice. They love my food and good wines. At their request, I make Babi TANDOORI and they provide delicious matching wines. Prosito!
I received the incredibly cool plate from dear friends Leonie & John.Our postman delivered it. How appropriate and super nice as a surprise, dear ones!Even though they are Vega's and I am Omnivorous, there is no obstacle in the way of our love.When I'm in the Netherlands on a flash, Leonie and I always have a fixed 'fix' at the Mac.Happy together with fries and a milkshake, she with a Vegan Burger and I with a Hamburger.Always a fantastic party when we visit Mac's.Leonie & John also keep a close eye on JENs KookFun website.The site also regularly contains Vega recipes, which make their mouths water.John then tests it to make it. And the result is impressive.It makes me happy to make people happy with recipes with an Indonesian touch.Omnivore or Vega, something for everyone to enjoy and fill your bellies with satisfaction.Writing under my tree or writing spot creates the most wonderful creations.Visually I can see it in my mind and I enjoy the end result.It's cool if you made a recipe via my YouTube@Jenskookfun, that gives me a fresh boost.I have a big smile with a new SUBSCRIBER, which gives me extra encouragement. Worldly!
HONEY is a natural product. Most honey consists of nectar types, flowers and blossoms.It is decisive where the beehives with bees are located, such as the acacia trees. These are in abundance in this region. The honey nectar consists of the largest components of the acacia.Sometimes a lot of honey is made from one type of plant, which means there is a diversity of honey types. Honey is rich in proteins, vitamins, amino acids, minerals.
Unfortunately, regular shopping is part of it. Not my cup of tea.Vegetables such as herbs and fish are available here in very limited quantities. So when there is "fresh" fish, my heart jumps for joy.As an Indonesian and for JENs KookFun, everything revolves around FOOD.The preparations are done in the oven, on the barbecue or on the stove, in and around the house. This also applies to "smoking" fresh fish, even when it is cold outside in winter.The feeling of being warmly dressed in Iceland while the fish gently smokes.Of course you have to be alert, because an accident could always be around the corner.In any case, caution is advised when cooking, barbecuing and smoking fish. Just like in a relationship, but in a different way of feeling.While smoking, it is nice to spend time together while enjoying a glass of wine.This winter we will be cold. The wait and patience are worth it.Hans is relaxed, smoking fish and meanwhile I am cooking with music.Soon delicious smoked mackerel in fresh bread. My mouth is already watering!The dish Ikan Bumbu Balado with fragrant herbs, is for the next day.It's going to be double the fun, I can't wait. Soon on YouTube with @KokenmetJens.
Sunflower oil is the product I use to prepare many dishes throughout the year.Baking, roasting, frying, in dressings and salads.The advantage: spring, summer, autumn and winter sunflower oil is widely available.From mid-July to October, you will see a big colorful spectacle when you drive away from our village. Yellow radiant rascals, hanging in the sun.Along the roads you will see many fields full of sunflowers.Colorful yellow fields, divided per field into various types of yellow rascals.The territories have sufficient humus, nutrients, heat and water. Ideal for the ripening of the precious sunflower seeds from which, among other things, the most delicious sunflower oils are produced. The sunflower seeds are delicious to use in granola and bread or for snacking. And like flowers they color like a sunny scene.In my thoughts with my mother, I make Mamma's Soup.
The sun shows its happy face again from dawn.Latte machiato with it and enjoy the birds chirping and singing.A wealth to wake up like this and start the day peacefully. Under the imperial velvet tree I quietly write and create my recipes, ideas arise such as the home&interior designs that I save for the right moment.So nice to be able to be outside. The beautiful weather is a very pleasant bonus. Like the sounds of the birds sound like a happy sound. Richness!It sounds like music to my ears.
Spring has arrived. The trees are in bloom. Colourful to see!The weather is as changeable as humans. So it rains, snows, thundershaws or the sun shines. No two days are the same.The preparations for the vegetable garden are in full swing. The seeds have sprouted and the small plants have been transplanted to larger pots.They are now relaxed in front of the window in the light to grow. Another month and they will be vegetable garden ready.Lovely prospect when they will soon be ready to eat. Yummy!
JENs KookFun🍯 is all about eating, cooking, baking. Enjoying and sharing together.Times have changed at a rapid pace, so has the mode of sharing. The mainstream we can no longer ignore. Discovering Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, among others, how it works and what you can do with it, is a questand a study in itself. From 'not seeing the wood for the trees' to stiff-necking'.Just like the journey through YouTube. Like a bird flying in the sky in search of the right destination.Once settled in the right place, 'grounding' takes its time. After sweating and toiling, you can be proud as a 'non-mainstream techie' that you succeeded after all.And YES. Done it, did it, been there. Discovered the mainstream. I finally did it! Also with the weekly brand new "TASTY FRIDAY" on YT@Jenskookfun from 12:00 pm. Recently the 1st video. How fun is that!Practice makes perfect, that way you learn a little more each time.'We're never too old to learn,' Daddy used to say wisely.
Cooking is the common thread in my life and that is how the love for JENs KookFun🍯 started.So many dishes prepared, recipes tested and shared in creativity. I am a real Indo, an omnivore and love food. The versatile piece of meat one day and delicious vegetarian moments the next. The products as fresh as possible.Every day a new experience in Asian, Dutch or from whichever country. I like variety, also with food. Talking about it, tasting it, it's always about food. Giving shape to the days with the pleasure of eating.When I look back at the many preparations, these periods have flown by.
FINALLY, the time has come. The old-fashioned way of travelling by car across borders. The advantage is that we can go wherever we want, and take each other's place during a long journey.First we ordered some items online before leaving. A (wo)man had to do what (s)he has to do.The holiday suitcases packed and of course a well-stocked cool box for the hungry moments.Fresh rolls with goat's cheese, roast beef and pate. Cappuccino, grapes, apples, liquorice and bottles of water.After a hearty breakfast, including my daily kiwi, we left at dawn.A relaxed itinerary with pit stops to stretch the legs.On our way to Hungary, where I have never been before.
Sometimes, unnoticed, you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.Balancing energy for mind and body can be decisive.Healthy food and exercise are important to stay in shape.There are many different ways to eat, just as there are to move and relax.I experience golf as relaxation and you move in nature, in the open air.In this technical sport, you can only 'judge' yourself if your strokes are not up to standard.Sometimes I prefer solo golf to company golf.Just to unload and reset your thoughts.For me, relaxation also means enjoying the little things.Listening to music moves me. Guilty pleasure keeps the soul alive.
Spending time in the garden also gives a holiday feeling.I have the place all to myself.Enjoying lunch, a croissant with goat's cheese and a slice of bread richly filled with a tomato omelette.Fruit is kiwi and freshly squeezed orange juice.Enjoying the silence, the sound of the birds, I doze off to a slow sleep.
Often you are lived by obligations, the laws, the rules.This weekend I realised that free time is a broad concept.This weekend with varied items did wonders. An afternoon in Amersfoort looking for a pasta machine. In the evening, a visit to the sauna. The next day, a walk in the woods. And to finish it all off, a cosy visit to my eldest brother.Like time flies, so also this weekend had passed.I have enjoyed myself thoroughly. My wallet less so, but that should not spoil the fun.Even when you are away from home for a longer period of time, you imagine yourself in another world.You forget your daily worries.
Man cannot live without love, that is a proven fact.Love comes in various degrees: relational and passionate love.For me, passionate love means Martial Art, nothing comes between. The origin of the Monks from the Shaolin Monastery (Buddhist temples), the Eastern arts, meditating, their philosophy of life. For them, respect!I am a big fan of eastern history with old stories based on truth, without ego. Listening to the stories makes you dream away.
Every season brings a cheerful tune.Winterproof past, she enters the new spring with a sunny start.After the winter, mild temperatures are just around the corner. That makes everyone happy.Strolling through the garden, playing golf, cycling, walking - in short, something for everyone.A new smile every day.
It is an old saying, but a fact: "A day without laughter is a day not lived". Humour is very personal, every person has his own taste. For me, humour is in a small moment. Sometimes humour is on the 'street' or you just laugh at bloopers. Laughing is very healthy, has positive effects on both our body and our mind. What more could a person want? Laughing costs nothing and it is free.
It is always pleasant when I regularly visit my uncle.An amiable man who always remains himself, never focused on the outside world.He knows exactly what is going on in the world. Together we see that too much has happened and is happening around us in a short space of time. The 'sitting on each other's laps' is a new tendency due to the current politics, the one-sided media, the endless climate dummy's and so much more.I see the sadness in his eyes. Very understandable.The older generation fought for the Netherlands. Helped to build the country. Unfortunately, none of that remains. Even they have to join the back row now or they are forgotten. Under the guise of 'who are those people anyway?
I was born in a time when there was still a lot of respect for fellow human beings.People spent more time together and cared more about each other.I remember when a black and white TV was a treasure. It was a time when Polygoonnieuws newscasts with Laurel & Hardy, Floris and others. Then came the color television, which was really cool.The news and entertainment programs on TV disappeared like snow in the sun and were replaced by one-sided media and repeated, copied TV programs.So nowadays people hardly watch television anymore.But when Max Verstappen comes on screen, I'm right in front of it, watching.
I am staying at my sister's house. She is on holiday for a week.A nice village, where I like to stay.Every advantage has a disadvantage.Sleeping in on Sundays? Forget it, you are woken up early.The church bells wake up the whole village at the top of their voices.And believe me, it is very early then.Lying down makes no sense, cappuccino does for waking up.
A much-discussed topic, winter. The winter snow brings, among other things, snow fun, throwing snowballs, ice skating, fireside fire.An old-fashioned Dutch phenomenon. Great!Perhaps ice skating with lots of snow fun. Ice skating is not for me, the fun in the snow is. I like to leave skating to others.I'd rather be on the golf course. But that's not an option for the time being. Now I enjoy the beautiful white views.
