Sanrio Fan September 2010

Saw the freebie review for this issue of Sanrio Fan September 2010 and the kid in me wanted to have it. The freebie is a super cute "Romantic Border" Tote with mini bag charm, both in a pastel pink and cream stripey Little Twin Stars Kiki & Rara print.

While Amazon Japan no longer has it in stock, I found a copy of it browsing the local bookstore last Friday (same place where I found HbG Autumn/Winter Mook). When I said it was purely coincidentally that I found it, hubby gave me a suspicious look ^.^ but I happily ignored him ;P

Gosh, I can totally imagine any little kid would get so excited to get a magazine like this. Just look at this little bag charm, it's so freakin' adorable!!

Both the tote and the mini bag charm are made out of polyester. Considering it's a kid's freebie toy from a kid magazine, the tote is surprisingly detailed with white satin ribbon border on the outside and the seams inside even have piping to prevent fraying. There are no inner or outer pockets though.

On a pink metal ball chain, the mini bag charm is an exact replica of the tote, down to the white ribbon border! That said, the charm definitely looks like a toy with no inside piping and the handles have raw edges.

Still, it's pretty darn cute! If I had a mini stuffed teddy bear charm, I'd put it in this bag charm and secure it with a mini pink safety pin xD

Inside the back cover, there was a cute wall calendar for 2011!

Back cover.

It's strange, but now that I got this little bag, it's so cute I'm afraid of using it! May be I should save it and gift it to my friend's daughter xD

HbG 2010 Autumn/Winter Mook

The HbG 2010 Autumn/Winter Mook is available in 2 versions (same content though), each with different cover and a different freebie bag style:

1. We Love Cameron version has a Juliette style bag measuring 21(height) x 34(length) x 19cm(width, though more like diameter because the base of the bag is rounded), and a Cameron charm.

2. Graffiti Sunshine version has a rectangular bag measuring 19(height) x 40(length) x 9cm(width), and a heart charm.

***Picture from Amazon Japan.

After seeing a Japanese review for the both the We Love Cameron as well as the Graffiti Sunshine versions, I decided to get the We Love Cameron version because the bag's print is pretty and it looks well-made. The official release date is October 23, but while running about town last night I saw it on sale at a local bookstore. Needless to say, I grabbed one ^.^

The HbG "Juliette bag" has a rounded bottom, 3 large front pockets, and a middle button, but I didn't realize "Juliette" is the name of that style of bags until I flipped through the mook itself! Totally clueless here :D This We Love Cameron freebie is a replica of the smaller version of the Juliette bag.

Boy do I totally see why these HbG mooks fly off the shelves! The bag is really damn well made for a mere magazine freebie! The outside is made of glossy PVC material with a gold tag. The 3 large front pockets has gold piping and the flip sides of the handles are gold as well.

But I am really impressed with the construction of the bag. Not only it is entirely lined with pink polyester fabric, it's also padded throughout, making the whole thing fluffy and cushy to the touch. The stitchings are all neat and even, and the bag looks and feel substantial and not flimsy or cheap. At home something like this would have easily retailed for at least $40!

The only downer is that there is no interior pockets. Can't have the cake and eat it too now, can we? :P You can sort of see how the bag is padded from the picture as the interior looks a bit puffy.

The Cameron charm is much smaller than expected, but cute nonetheless on a golden ball chain.

Now that I see how nice these bags are, I'm definitely going back to get the Sunshine Graffity version also. In addition to the craftsmanship of the bag, its candy purple lining probably tipped the scale for me, even though I'm not too keen on the dark print outside :P

Here are a couple of pictures of cute bags in the mook.

The top row middle bag is a mini Juliette bag in the HbGxMy Melody print.

Avon SkinSoSoft WinterSoft Intense Concentrate

This Avon SkinSoSoft Wintersoft Intense Concentrate was among the items in a care package I recently received from home. I was thrilled, since it is getting chilly outside and my hands and feet are starting to dry up.

Apparently there is alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) in this cream and the tube warns to use sunscreen and limit sun exposure during use and even for a week after use! That may be a bit problematic, since I was expecting to be able to use this on my hands. The instructions on the tube says elbows, knees and other problem areas, but one of my biggest problem areas is my hands! Also, wouldn't I have to use my hands to apply this to the other "problem areas" anyway? Are they really expecting me to wear gloves out during and a week after use? Or are they expecting me to wash my hands after each use to get rid of the AHA? But wouldn't that be counterproductive, causing my hands to become even drier? I guess you can see I'm not so thrilled about this product containing AHA. I don't quite understand why I would need AHA on my elbows, knees and other "problem areas" to begin with.

Anyway after a few uses, I think I might actually have to follow the tube's instructions after all. The texture of this cream doesn't feel so thick, just like any other cream, but it turns out to be quite intense. It truly isn't meant to be use anywhere else other than the problem areas and I made the mistake of applying it all over my legs once just to see. Nothing bad happened, only that my legs felt sticky for the next 24 hours until I could wash it off in the shower! So yes, if you apply it on areas other than the super dry areas like elbows, knees, or heels, you might be annoyed with the sticky sensation as though the cream never really absorbed into the skin.

Another thing I found really annoying with this cream is that it is very heavily perfumed. And not with just any fragrance but a very flowery grandma's perfume. Sigh. But hey, at least it does its job on my elbows and knees, but I definitely will not buy this again :(

Salmon in Yuzu Sesame Sauce

A very simple dish! Quite easy to make, and the yuzu sesame combination is super tasty!

Here's my recipe for Salmon in Yuzu Sesame Sauce.

Ingredients:

- Salmon, 5-6 slices skin on

- Negi thinly sliced, or scallions chopped, about a handful

Seasonings:

- Sesame oil, 3/4 Tablespoon

- Yuzu vinegar (it's called vinegar, but it's really concentrate, just like the lemon/lime concentrate in the plastic fruit-shaped bottles), 1 teaspoon. Don't go over board with this or it will turn your sauce bitter.

- Soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons

- Sugar, preferably dark brown, 1 heaping teaspoon

Steps:

- Heat pan with sesame oil, sear the salmon skin down until skin is golden brown.

- Mix yuzu vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar together until sugar is all dissolved, pour even over the salmon in the pan.

- Cook for 15 minutes, basting occasionally to coat the salmon well, until the sauce is thickened.

- Right before serving, sprinkle the sliced negi or chopped scallion over the salmon, baste a few times again to coat the negi or scallion well before turning off heat.

- Serve hot with steamed vegetable and rice.

Tarte Double-ended Lip Gloss

This mini Tarte Double-ended Lip Gloss came from the Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lips set.

The Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lips set include minis of Benefit Posietint, Smashbox, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket, Laura Mercier, Buxom, and a full size Korres Mango Butter Lipstick.

Homemade Gyudon

One of my favorite Japanese dishes as it's really delicious and quite easy to make!!

Here's my recipe for Gyudon.

Ingredients:

- Beef, 1/3-1/2 lb., preferably with some fat, sliced thinly sukiyaki style.

- Onion, 1 large or 2 medium, sliced

- Eggs, 3, beat well

- Optional: beni shoga, for garnish

- Optional: shichimi or ichimi, if you want your gyudon spicy ^.^

Seasonings:

- Water, 1/2 cup

- Dashi powder, 2 teaspoons. You can also use concentrated dashi broth sold in bottles instead of dashi powder. In this case, use 1/4 cup of concentrated dashi broth and 1/4 cup of water (instead of 1/2 cup above).

- Soy sauce, 3-4 Tablespoons, or to taste

- Sake, 1-2 Tablespoons. Some sake can be quite bitter, so use your judgment here!

- Sugar, 2 Tablespoons. I prefer dark brown sugar because I like my gyudon with darker color, but the gyudon at Yoshinoya is quite lightly colored.

Steps:

- Mix all seasonings together in a pan and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Do not boil!

- Add sliced onions and cook on medium heat until almost translucent.

- Add beef, mix to coat well in sauce, cook for about 3-5 minutes.

- When beef looks almost done, pour beaten eggs evenly over food. Cover, and let cook until eggs is almost done if you like soft boiled eggs, or just let the eggs be well done.

- Serve on top of rice and garnish with beni shoga and shichimi or ichimi.

DHC Eye Bright

I've been using this DHC Eye Bright ever since I moved here, thinking a light eye gel will provide just enough moisture in this humid environment but at the same time won't be too thick to melt my sunscreen.

This DHC Eye Bright fits the bill pretty well having no oil ingredients, although I guess it was meant to be an eye brightener, containing cucumber juice and caffeine. I haven't been paying attention though to see whether it did brighten my eyes, but it fares well underneath my sunscreen and that's really all I care about, to be honest. It is an unscented clear gel, very light and spreadable, so all I need is a pin's head amount for both eyes. Whenever I apply too much, I would know right away as it would start to pill up. I would imagine this 0.52 oz. tube will last me a very long time and for $21.50, it doesn't seem too bad. I bought mine on sale though and would probably wait to buy it on sale again :P

DHC Eye Bright:

water/aqua/eau, cucumis sativus (cucumber) juice, butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, placental protein, isodonis japonicus extract, carbomer, potassium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, caffeine, saccharide isomerate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, sodium hyaluronate, allantoin.

***List of ingredients from DHC North America.

Feeling like a tomboy ^.^

Today's a warm day, so I feel like wearing shorts...and somehow ended up looking like an ojichan :D

Thai Basil Chicken

Hubby and I really love Thai food, so once settled down we searched all over for ingredients for some of our favorite Thai dishes. Given the absence of herbs like Thai basil leaves (has purplish stalk, sharper fragrance and spicy flavor in comparison to the sweet basil) as well as my wok, I think we made out okay although it could have been better.

Here's my recipe for Thai Basil Chicken (or beef, your choice).

Ingredients:

- Chicken, 1 lb. dark meat

- Garlic, 1 large clove, chopped

- Bell peppers, 1/2 green, 1/2 red, sliced

- Onion, 1/2 large, sliced

- Bamboo shoots, fresh sliced, or 1 can of pre-sliced strips

- Thai basil, a handful, rinsed and pat dry. If Thai basil is not available, in a pinch you can substitute with sweet basil. I had to use sweet basil for the dish pictured. The flavor is weaker but it still tasted pretty good. I'd rather substitute with sweet basil than having no basil at all in the dish.

- Optional: fresh chili peppers, chopped

Seasonings:

- Southeast Asian soy sauce, preferably Golden Mountain brand, 1-2 Tablespoons, to taste.

***Picture from Amazon.com.

Please note that the Golden Mountain bottle says "Seasoning Sauce" and not "Soy Sauce." Growing up, "seasoning sauce" (nước tương - a colloquial Southern Vietnamese term) and "soy sauce" (xì dầu, a more generally used term derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of 豉油) are both synonymous in the Vietnamese language. This is why I call the Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce "soy sauce." Taste and ingredients wise, there's a difference in most Southeast Asian soy sauce and the more well known Kikkoman soy sauce, and many Southeast Asian soy sauce contain ingredients other than fermented soy beans and salt. This is the reason I caution you to check the ingredients of your soy sauce bottle to make sure it is vegetarian. Sometimes it's not just Southeast Asian soy sauces that contain non-vegetarian ingredients, and the innocent-looking Kikkoman soy sauce may contain fish extract (dashi) as well!

- Thai fish sauce, preferably Squid brand, 2-4 Tablespoons, to taste. The ratio is 1soy:2fish, so if you add 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, then you must use 4 Tablespoons of fish sauce.

***Picture from squidbrand.com.

- Sugar, preferable dark brown, but regular sugar is fine too, 1 teaspoon, add more if you use more soy and fish sauce.

Steps:

- Heat oil in wok, quickly brown garlic

- Add onions and small amount of sauce, stir fry for a couple minutes

- Add bamboo shoots, red, green bell peppers, and another small amount of sauce, stir fry for a couple more minutes

- Add chicken (and chopped chili peppers if use) and the rest of the sauce, stir fry until chicken is done

- Turn off heat, throw in basil and mix them in with the dish

- Serve hot on Jasmine rice.

Yes, I know the dish I made doesn't look very appetizing being in a metal pot and lack some coloring from the red bell peppers. But hey, at least it doesn't taste bad :P

Hubby and I have only 1 favorite Thai restaurant of all time, and it's not even a restaurant but rather a small, hole-in-the-wall-ish stand in a college town food court! We've known about this place since our undergrad days and we discovered it by following a bunch of Thai international students to see where they hang out and have lunch LOL! And what a gem we found because to date, we have not eaten better Thai food than at Thai Avenue! No matter where we go, no other places could compare to the food we had at here and we never miss a visit (or 2, or 3, or 4 visits) whenever we are in town.

If you are ever in Boulder and need a quick and cheap lunch, you must check this place out!Thai Avenue is located in the basement food court on The Hill, across from the CU Bookstore at the College Avenue and Broadway intersection. The owner Kim is some of the nicest people we know!

Thai Avenue

1310 College Ave

Boulder, CO 80302-7394

(303) 443-1737

Dishes I recommend:

- Red Curry with chicken (no picture, sorry!)

- Thai Basil Chicken

- Tom yum koong

- Beef Street Noodles (Pad Sie Iew)

- Shrimp Pad Thai

They can make your dish as spicy or as mild as you wish. And I do not recommend asking for "Thai spicy." The last time I did that, they added an equivalent of half a cup of chopped fresh chili peppers and all I could take was 3 bites - and if you know me in person, you'd know that I'm very tolerant when it comes to spicy food. So spare yourself some pain and just don't ask for it.

Naive Peach Hand Soap

From my pleasant experience with Naive Peach Body Wash, I was so excited when I spotted this Naive Peach Hand Soap at the local drug store. Soft, moisturizing, foamy, and nice smelling soaps for my hands? Yes, please!

I was sorely disappointed however. This turned out to be like any other average Japanese hand soap. It's a translucent pink liquid that barely foams and dries out my hand as though I am using harsh glycerin soaps. Boo. Hiss. I wouldn't bother with it if I were you.