Food Talk: Sausage and Bacon Sticky Noodles

Hi! Is it weird that I'll be talking about food again? Most of my new beauty stuff are having their pictorial, so I hope this would be enough for now.

When boredom strikes in our family, food experiments happen. This is one of my mom's new recipes. It all started with the Hofan noodles. They looked cool so I asked my mom to try em out. Hofan noodles are flat, translucent when uncooked, sticky noodles. My mom just then experimented with the toppings. =)

What you need: (I know because I prepared em all..haha)
- A head of garlic (or about 10 cloves). Don't smash em. Just peel off the skin. Soak them in water for easy peeling.
- A pack of bacon (or about 10 strips). Cut them as thinly and as little as you can.
- 2 large sized chorizos or sausage of your choice
- 1 pack Hofan Noodles (400 g, available in supermarkets for less than 100 bucks)
- 8 ripe tomatoes (yes 8. and they have to be really ripe). Diced
- Small onion. chopped

COOKING TIME!!! My mom doesn't have to-the-letter recipes, so these are just how she remembers the steps

1. NO OIL NEEDED. Grab a nonstick pan or any pan and fry the bacon til they're crispy. They have their own oil and that's all you need. Fry the chorizos too. I personally don't like chorizos, unless they're completely crispy.
2. Add the garlic and onions. Wait until they're cooked and add the tomatoes.
Cover your pan until the tomatoes start to release their juice.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. I would suggest to cook the noodles last because they're really sticky. They are cooked just like spaghetti noodles. After a few minutes, (they don't have to be too soft because you're gonna toss them with the sauce) put the noodles into the sauce and mix. 

This step is kind of a struggle because once out of water, the Hofan noodles become really sticky so you want to get the chance to coat every strand with the sauce.

You're done. =)

As you can see on one picture, my mom put a slice of quezo de bola on the side, just for an extra flavor. You can put cheddar cheese on top too if you like. And yes, one plate for each person. =)

Hope you liked this recipe. Cheerio!

Food Talk: Big Tummy Cupcakes

Hi guys. I've been planning to put up a food-related entry for quite a while, but I just never had the chance to do it until now. So here goes my first food entry. =)

One thing you should know about me is that I love, well, to eat. Although I'm more inclined to eat sour food more often, I have a sweet tooth too. The first freshly baked cupcake I got addicted to was Cupcakes by Sonja's carrot cupcake (I forgot what it's called...Bunny something). Since then, me and my family have been occasionally dropping by Serendra just to buy cupcakes.

Soon enough, I rewired my brain that I can't always go to Serendra just to have a cupcake fix so I scoured the malls near our place for more accessible options. I've tried the Frostings cupcakes back in Market Market, which also has a branch in Trinoma. And now this Big Tummy Cupcakes, located at the Upper Ground Floor of SM North Edsa Annex, just right in front of Wendy's.

(L) Chocolate Valrhona and (R) Carrot Cupcake

(L) Reese's Cupcake and (R) Mocha Cupcake

The three of them, except the Reese's one, cost 45 pesos each. The Reese's one is 55 bucks. 

Mine was the carrot one. At first, I was a tad disappointed with the icing because when I tasted it, it tasted like, well, icing. But, when I bit into it, with the cake, the icing taste was overpowered by the carrot cake, which was delicious. So, problem solved. I took a taste of the Reese's one, which was my sister's, and it did taste like Reese's peanut butter cups. My parents seemed relatively happy with theirs. =)

Big Tummy Cupcakes are moist, which is good. Price is okay. I just wish they had a wider selection of flavors. The only one I didn't try was the vanilla one. And maybe they could make the cupcake just a little bigger. Just a little.

What's your favorite cupcake? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Look What I Bought #4

Hi guys. Hooray for holidays! I just wanted to share with you some of the things I bought yesterday. I was trying to restock on some stuff and try new ones as well. 

I took advantage of Landmark's Cosmetic Fair (It's until October 31 so grab what you can!), and my 100-peso-off voucher in SM. Reviews would follow after testing. =)

 Group Shot =)

Landmark has a bunch of new brushes. This brand Artist Studio and the other is Julia. They both carry really sleek-looking and affordable brushes. This blending brush is priced at 59. 75, but I got it for around 53 bucks. 10% off. I've told you that I was a tad disappointed with the E.L.F one, so I'm giving this inexpensive one a try.

 I've ran out (I got one left which I don't intend to use) of my The Face Shop Sun Cream samples, so I went looking for a replacement. I got this Snoe Skin Stem Cell Sunblock Cream SPF 30. The SA from Snoe told me that this also works as a moisturizer so I could just use this and dust over some loose powder. I got sold with that. haha. This was at 20% off. So from 169, I got it for 135.00.

All of a sudden, I can't live without facial masks. =) I got this at 50% off at Tony Moly. It's their Cottony Essence Sheet Masks in Lemon and Wine. I gave the Lemon one to my sister. But if it works well, I'll be buying a couple more. The attractive packaging was too cute to resist. They're priced at 98 each, I got 'em at 49 each. 

I've never tried a foundation before, so this Maybelline Clear Smooth Aqua Gel Foundation is my first. I basically lack talent in finding my right shade in stuff like this so I asked my sister to assist me. =) She told me that this shade suited me well. Can't wait to try this, but I'll always love my BB creams. =)

This Lip Smacker Lip Balm in Cotton Candy is for my sister. I've been a fan of Bonne Belle lippies ever since, and when I found out that Watsons is carrying their famous Lip Smacker line, I was just ecstatic. They're a bit pricey, but they're too cool to resist. I'm eyeing the pink lemonade one for myself. This one is 125.00

Finally! A creamy kohl pencil. I've been looking at reviews and it seems that this mineral kohl pencil in Onyx from Nichido is one of the best bets for creamy eyeliners. I'm hoping for successful eye tight-lining sessions with this one. This was priced at 138, got it at Landmark for 124.

Any new buys this week? Lemme know. Happy long weekend guys. Cheerio!

P.S. I just watched The Net, the first one before this one. My dad came across a copy! Lucky me. =)) Sandra Bullock is so good and the movie is just wicked cool. =)

Liquid Neutrogena Pure Mild Facial Cleanser

Hi. I've shared with you guys my skin care journey with Alba Botanica's AcneDote line and how much I love their products (as shared here), I needed to find myself a mild cleanser since I'm constantly suffering from minor burns again (due to peeling and the scrub. Bad combo).

I found this Liquid Neutrogena Pure Mild Facial Cleanser and my mom immediately approved (every product I use on my skin needs to pass "mom security" because of my "sensitivity). One of my aunts practically swears by Neutrogena, or at least it seems so since most of her stuff is from Neutrogena. My mom approved because it says "mild cleanser" so I gave it a go, and I've been using it for a little more than a month.

Each bottle is 100 ml. Retails for 122.00 but I bought mine for 119 in Mercury Drugstore. Dunno why. Consistency is just like a facial cleanser.

Directions, Ingredients, and Claims

The Verdict:

It's a so-so cleanser for me. I love Cetaphil, but I hate that it's too mild that it barely seems like it cleanses. As for this one, it foams up, so I feel like more dirt is removed. It doesn't remove everything (toner cotton ball carries proof), but I still feel refreshed after using it.

Smell is fine for me. The smell is...like ordinary soap. It doesn't have an acne-fighting ingredient (at least none that I know of) so breakout control is out the window, same as oil control. I've used products like this one which helps in oil control, and unfortunately, this cleanser cannot offer that, at least to me. Made my eyes sting the first couple of times I used it.

Overall, I'll be hanging on to this cleanser, especially when I start peeling. It's actually pretty good if you're into mild cleansers, but if you're into something stronger, Neutrogena has a lot of "well-equipped" cleansers as well.

Etude House I Need You! Red Ginseng Mask

Hi guys. The month already ends in -ber but it's still so hot outside. It's supposed to feel a bit colder nowadays, but then...global warming.

Anyways, for the past few weeks, I've been trying to squeeze in putting on facial masks every week, for the sake of skin care. =)

This I Need You! Red Ginseng Mask from Etude House was given to me by my sister. I think it's a new line of facial masks.

The Verdict:

The smell of course was the first thing I noticed. It smelled like monggo beans or just beans. But then again, I've never got to smell red ginseng before, so I guess that's how red ginseng smells like. It kinda bothered me, but just a little.

The mask itself was too wet! Check out the essence left in the container. It was also a bit rounder than the other masks I've tried, which was kind of a challenge to me.

As for its effects, I was left with, how'd you say, supple skin? and it soothed some of the redness on my face. 

I'd love to try this again for maximum analysis of effects, but I'd like to try the other masks, too.

But if you're after soothing effects, I'd definitely recommend this one.

Cheerio!

Certified Movie Buff: The Net 2.0

Hi guys. Another day of the weekend coming to an end. Before heading to bed, I just wanted to share with you one of the coolest movies I've watched.

I'm a big sucker for suspense films and The Net 2.0 really is suspenseful. It's a 2006 film starring Nikki Deloach. It's the sequel to Sandra Bullock's The Net back in 1995. Unfortunately, despite my efforts, I just can't find a copy.

The Net 2.0 is about the computer analyst Hope Cassidy who travels from America to Istanbul for a job. With, how'd you say, sheer bad luck and extremely bad people, she finds herself running for life- without a name, without money, without anything. She gets involved into this mad theft game, with no one to help her but herself.

It's sort of Jason Bourne-ish, but what I like about the movie really is the frustration of Hope Cassidy to prove that she's not the criminal Kelly Roos, without anyone to vouch for her. We're talking about American Embassy sabotage, wiped clean bank account, a phony woman pretending to be Hope Cassidy, and the works. 

If you're all about teeth-gritting-out-of-frustration movies, this one is for you. 

Have a great weekend guys. Cheerio!

Just Sampling: The Face Shop Natural Sun Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream

Hi guys. Another sample, sampled, here. The one thing that I remember the most from all my trips to dermatologists (for my skin asthma) is that I need to use sunblock 'coz I get red-burned skin quite often. Some say that it's a reaction of the chemicals when put under sunlight. Now, I've never used sunblock, even if I was advised to, until now.

I'm already on my third packet of my The Face Shop Natural Sun Power Long-Lasting Sun Cream, and so far, I'm loving it. 

The Verdict:
It's not too much of a heavy cream nor is it too watery. I guess you can say it's like a light cream. =) It's not white in color too, it's more of a beige-y color, which finishes off as white. It's easy to blend, and blending is really needed because, like any sunblock or cream, it tends to leave that white film, which you don't want on your face. 

It smells great! It has a "super antioxidant acaiberry" so I guess the smell is a berry-smell. The best thing about it is its SPF which is SPF 45 PA+++. That's quite high in my book.

The thing I love about this is that my skin, since I've been using it, doesn't suffer from redness (or burning) anymore. I don't peel that obviously either.

The only problem is I don't know how much or how big the full-sized one is. But I saw it on pictures, and it kinda looks like a BB Cream tube..thing. *Will update you on the price when I drop by The Face Shop. It's also kinda sticky, which bothers me, but nothing a good dusting of powder can't solve.

I'm satisfied but I'm willing to try other sun creams, since most The Face Shop products are priced way beyond my capabilities. So, searching for an affordable sun cream here.

What's your favorite sun cream? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Check This Out: Sealed with Kisses

Hi guys. Just a quick post here. Some of you might be looking for a carry-all or mini make-up traincases. My family and I happened to see this booth/store called Great Deals Marketing, if I remember correctly, in Greenhills last weekend, and they sell make-up cases and lots of other cool stuff like iPhone pillows. =) 

The ones they have a couple of are traincases that look like doctor's bags. They kinda looked like this, and with long straps. Each costs about 1800 bucks if I remember right.

FROM GOOGLE IMAGES

But, what caught my attention was this, my new best friend and a few-months-in-advance birthday gift from my parents. =) They know I've been checking out a few ones like this but are priced way beyond my budget. They also know that I had a few problems in back in high school and college on how I'd bring all my make-up to school for performances.

My mom is a good, a really good, price negotiator and she got this for 1,200 (from about 1,400, I think). This was the only piece left. It has a lock (that doesn't work. *Help dad*), it has about four mini layers and the bottom part is spacious. Two of my mini-palettes are on the bottom and my brush roll-up is also there. Basically, it's still a mess, =) but I wanted you guys to see that it can hold a couple of items. Mine had a few sticker left-ons that I haven't removed yet.

My dad said I could (operative word: could, not should) buy another if my stuff won't fit, but I'll think about it. Some of my stuff are still in cans (have you seen my Spam lipstick stand?), but basically, most fit in the traincase.

If you guys are also on the look-out for a good traincase, Great Deals Marketing will be in the NBC Tent. I'm not sure but maybe they will be there for the annual Noel Bazaar that runs early in December.

Cheerio!

I Nailed It #3: Early Christmas Nails

Hi guys. So, yesterday, I went back for these awesome nail polishes called Crystal Sand Nail Polish of OMG. You may have (or have not) noticed that I usually come back for stuff that I want to buy, no matter the price. It just gives me time to think about whether I really want, or really need, it. 

I didn't actually plan on doing Christmas-y colored nails, but it just so happened that I picked up colors that are, well, Christmas-y. I actually came back for the deep purple colored one but it was gone. =(

Each bottle costs 18.75 but since Landmark is having their Cosmetics Sale until October 31st, I got each for 10% off. The other color is called Emerald, and I kinda perked up when I saw this was named Citrine which totally reminded me of Helen's blog, Lucky Citrine.

So here's what they look like. Two coats of each anyways. It feels rough, I mean really sand-rough because of all the little glitters packed up together. I tried to remove it and I ended up with glittered hands. Yes, hands, not just fingers. It's really hard to remove.

If you're planning to buy this, might I suggest using a really good top coat? It chips off easily, at least on my nails.

I guess that's it. =) Happy weekend guys. Cheerio!

Beauty Buffet Facial Masks

Hi. I don't know if I've mentioned that a few months ago, our camera got stolen. It was your run-of-the-mill digital camera, but it was good and our only camera. I then decided to save up (meaning no unnecessary make-up purchases) for a new one because, well, we kinda need it. My need of a camera equates to this blog needing pictures. This blog survived all this time because I kept on borrowing my dad's phone. =)

Anyway, now that we have a new run-of-the-mill camera, I'm hoping to make this blog more alive and updated than usual.

Whenever my sister would see me putting on a facial mask, she'd ask me why I wasn't taking pictures. First, I always forget and ...nope. That's about it. I just forget. Hence, this collective review on the Beauty Buffet Facial Masks I've already tried.

Each mask is 39 bucks, but Watsons sometimes have this 2 for 59 promo. The last two I bought were on sale. Made in Taiwan

The Verdict:

With its price, cute packaging, and effects, I think Beauty Buffet Facial Masks are good buys. The first two (pink and green) gave my skin a bit of glow after I used it, but my favorite would have to be the green tea and grape seed because it made my pores look fine.

These, by the way, are your typical facial masks, with the slits and all. But, what I love about these masks is that they don't drip. My sister has tried masks before and she had to put her hand out when she takes the mask out the container because it's dripping wet. That's essence going to waste so I'd rather the masks don't drip. BTW, it has a plastic mask dummy on, kinda like a sticker that you peel off. It makes it easier to open up the mask without ripping it apart.

If you're into facial masks for relaxation and comfort, I'd suggest you try these from Beauty Buffet. These can be found at any branch of Watsons. I've heard that their charcoal one is really good (it's color gray I think) but I've yet to try that one.

What are your fave masks? Lemme know. Cheerio!

Certified Movie Buff: Cellular

Hi. Since it's October, I decided to switch up the types of movies I'd be putting up, being that it's Halloween month and all. 

I'm a very big fan of suspense/action films (so I'm happy that Patterson's character, Alex Cross will finally be on the big screen). Not so much fan of horror because most that I've watched scared the beejeezus out of me. And, I'm a huge Scream fan. Huge. =)

Anyway, this 2004 film Cellular is one of my absolute favorites. I've watched this probably more than 20 times because it's really good. It stars Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, and the bad guy, Jason Statham.

Kim Basinger plays Jessica Martin, a biology teacher who was kidnapped together with her son for something that her husband has witnessed and filmed on video (she finds out about it later on in the film). With a crushed telephone inside where she was being held as her only piece of hope, she attempts to repair it and contact anybody who can help her. She gets lucky and reaches the cell phone of Ryan, played by Chris Evans, and asks for help to save her, her son, and her husband who was being tracked down by Ethan (Jason Statham)

This movie would make you hold your breath, like when Ryan's phone runs of juice. A great suspense film that's going to make you hold on to every scene just to find out if a stranger would help out a woman claiming that she's been kidnapped on the phone.

If you love suspense films like me, do check this one out.

Cheerio!

September 2012 Hit-listers

Hi. Before I go to bed, here's my top ten items for September, as I promised in my last entry. I'm hoping to make this a short entry. =)

Here's their group shot. =) 

Marionnaud Dual Ended Eye Brush- I use this for doing my brows, separating my lashes, and applying gel eyeliner. So versatile

Alba Botanica Acnedote Astringent- I've mentioned here how this helped me a lot with my acne problems. It's organic and works wonders

Zen Zest Body Spray in Talc- My mom gave me this and it smells so good. It smells like baby powder. Requires constant spraying though 

Tony Moly Party Lover Gel Liner - I've reviewed it here. It's my first gel liner and so far my favorite. Doesn't smudge at all

Flat Top Brush- This brush from Trinoma works best with anything-cream, liquid, or powder products

Maybelline Baby Lips in Menthol- I'm a loyal Blistex user, but this works just as well and it smells a bit better. (Given by my sister)

Etude House Silk Scarf Hair Serum - My savior from bad curly hair days. It used to be my sister's.

Loreal Kohl Contour Pencil- This was my mom's and it's just so creamy that I use it for my brows or for lining my eyes

Face Shop Face it Pure Color Lip Gloss- This used to be my mom's but when I ran out of my E.L.F. lip gloss, I asked for this. It smells so great that it's addicting 

4u2 dreamGirl Lovelight BB Powder- This one in the picture is my 2nd compact. I love this powder because it lasts long on my oily skin. Reviewed here

What were your favorite items for September? Lemme know. Cheerio!