Crema de Fruta Recipe

 
Crema de Fruta/Graham Cake (No Bake!)

        Finally, a new post! This holiday has been very busy with all the partying everyday (aka eating and singing karaoke because I'm Filipino af.).

        Crema de Fruta literally translates to "Fruit Cream" in Spanish and is one of many results of 333 years of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. Originally, this is made with two layers of sponge cake with the cream and fruits in between and on top. I am not sure how the use of Graham crackers came about, but I'm guessing that is a result of American colonization.

        This is what I served as a dessert during my family's Christmas dinner, as well as during my boyfriend's family's dinner and my friend's potluck. I hope you enjoy this recipe and wish you a Happy 2017!

Serves 12

(This needs to be prepared at least 4 hours in advanced for the Graham crackers to be able to absorb the cream.)

Ingredients:

Graham crackers (I used about 2 packages from the box. They are a little bit hard to find. If you're in the Philippines, definitely use about 2 packages of M.Y. San.)

1 cup evaporated milk

1 container Cool Whip

1 big can (796 mL) mixed fruit in fruit concentrate

unflavoured gelatin (enough to cover 1 cm or 1/2 inch of top layer. I used 2 packets of Knox gelatin)

Procedure:

1. Arrange a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the baking dish.

2. Mix the evaporated milk and Cool Whip to make a cream.

The consistency should be slightly thick that it ribbons.

You can also use 1 can of condensed milk and 473 mL of whipping/heavy cream. Or if you are in the Philippines, just use all-purpose cream.

3. Spread a layer of cream on top of the graham crackers.

4. Scatter a layer of fruits on top of the cream layer.

5. Repeat the layering process until there's at least an inch space on top.

6. Set aside in the fridge.

7. Cook gelatin per your brand's instructions. Let cool.

8. Pour the gelatin on top very carefully to avoid melting the cream. (As you can see in the picture, I did just that.) Set in the fridge overnight.

9. Serve chilled and enjoy!

This one has slices of peach on top, and no gelatin.

      Another option is to make a parfait! The process should be similar minus the gelatin on top, and break the graham crackers into pieces.

Kat Von D Limited Edition Studded Kiss Lipstick Review

Kat Von D Limited Edition Gunmetal Studded Kiss Lipstick

(Holiday 2016 Kiss Collection) Review

in Lolita II

     As soon as I saw this on @katvondbeauty's Instagram, I knew I had to get it. Initially, I bought it for the packaging but I have fallen in love with the colour and I have been wearing it all the time!
    The iconic black studded casing now comes in a silver metallic finish. It comes in three colours: Lolita II, Double Dare, and Mother. Lolita II is a peachy light terracotta nude, Double Dare is described as a cocoa blush, and Mother is described as a dusty mauve pink.

    If you own these colours in the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick formula, however, the colour will not exactly match. In this stick formula, the colours tend to be not as highly impactful. They will look like more of a dusty version of the liquid ones. But, the colours will be opaque on your lips in one swipe. All three colour are demi-matte finish.

   I got the colour Lolita II because I have been looking for a warm nude, and this is just the perfect colour! It's also not drying and feels very comfortable on the lips. The product will have faded in about 4 hours, which is usual for stick formula lipsticks, but it will fade away very evenly. It's easy to re-apply. It also will not leave a stain on your lips.

It started to fade a bit in 2 hours.

   It retails for $17 USD or $24 CAD and is available at Sephora in-store, sephora.com or katvondbeauty.com while quantities last.

Tarte Tareist Lip Paint (TBT) Review

Tarte Tareist Lip Paint (TBT) Review

    I know I'm kinda late on the bandwagon. I've been hesitant to get this product because I read or watched somewhere that it was very drying. But I went ahead and bought the shade TBT because mauve lips are very in, especially as a fall color, and I never owned anything from Tarte.

   I am very surprised since I had a very bad experience with the very first liquid lipstick I bought, which is the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Vampira. I was so in love with that color but unfortunately, it became a dry patchy flaky mess, so I had to return it :( I wished I took pictures of it and wrote a review on it. Tarteist however is creamy and moisturizing. It has a very similar consistency as the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, but this applied very evenly. You can read my review on the NYX SMLC here!

Comparison of the shade from the bottle

Right after application.

After drying. You can see I have dry spots on my lips but it wasn't emphasized.

Window light and still wet

Outside with indirect sunlight and dried

After 4 hours, before eating

After eating (I ate a chili dog. It was quite messy)

   What I forgot to do is provide a kiss test. But I'm glad to say that after it has completely dried, it doesn't transfer at all! Also, if you don't close the bottle tight enough, oil will leak and will cover the entire bottle. But needless to say, this really has been my go to lipstick color!

Beef Curry Udon Recipe

 

    It's been raining here in Calgary and my boyfriend was craving for something with curry. I usually put coconut milk and chicken whenever I make curry. But this time, it's different! I'm using dashi stock to be consistent with the udon soup, and cubed chuck beef. You can put whatever meat you like. Compared to other traditional noodle soup stocks, this will have a slightly thick consistency.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 packs udon
3/4 cup butter
1 lb chuck/stew beef
2 large onions, diced
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Curry base:
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp turmeric
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp Worsterchire sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
(you can also use 4 cubes of curry roux instead)

Mentsuyu (Noodle soup stock):
8 cups water
1/2 sheet kombu/dried kelp
15g (a large handful or half a pack) katsuobushi/dried bonito flakes (more if you like a more fishy taste)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce

Toppings (optional):
egg
green onions
carrots
bean sprouts
enoki mushrooms
bamboo shoots
corn
cheese
naruto/fish cakes
nori seaweed

Procedure

1. We need to prepare the kombu for the dashi first. Add 8 cups of cold water and 1/2 sheet of kombu in a pot. Leave it to soak for at least 1 hour, up to 8 hours.

I have a whole sheet of kombu here divided into halves to fit into a 16 cup pot because I'm serving for 8.

2. In another pot, melt 3/4 cup butter and sautee the beef in medium-high heat.

3. Once the beef browns, add the onions and continue sauteeing until the onion becomes translucent.

4. Lower the heat and mix all the powder ingredients, Worsterchire sauce and ketchup.

5. Add about 2 cups of water enough to cover the beef and bring to a boil.

6. Turn the heat on the lowest setting and slow cook the beef for 2 to 3 hours until tender.

7. Back again to the dashi, bring the kombu water to a boil. Once there are tiny bubbles forming at the bottom of the pot, add the katsuobushi.

8. When the water starts boiling, turn off the heat and immediately remove the kombu. (Leaving the kombu for too long will result to a bitter taste.)

9. Run the dashi stock through a very fine sieve to get a clear broth.

10. Add the soy sauce and mirin to make the mentsuyu.

11. When the beef has cooked, add the menstuyu to the curry beef.

12. Boil the udon until it's cooked.

13. Assemble the udon! Add the udon and soup to a bowl and add whatever toppings you like, and enjoy!

You can also use the curry base and mentsuyu to make curry ramen, but with less flour to lessen the thickness of the broth.

Kailijumei Lipstick (Flower Jelly) Review

Kailijumei (Flower Jelly) Lipstick Review

My boyfriend got me this as a random gift so I can write about it here. Isn't he so sweet?

           I've been seeing reviews about this product, and this brand in particular. I thought the idea was tacky and was only for the aesthetics so I wasn't really sold on it, butpeople have been saying good things about it so I was quite curious, too. My boyfriend saw it from my "Watch Again" section on YouTube and that's where he got the idea to get it for me!

            It retails for $30 USD on their website(they currently have it on sale for $25, I don't know until when),  and $21.98 on Amazon.

 The packaging looks and feels really premium. It is made from Germany after all!

          

There is a button at the top that releases the lipstick at the bottom. I think this makes the lipstick secured in the casing so it doesn't open by itself in your bag, create a mess and destroy your lipstick!

 He got me the colour"Dream Purple"!

The inside case has a nice gold finish and doesn't feel plasticky.

 The purple flower and the gold flakes make it look very magical!

Now for the actual wear of the product.

 My bare lips. Nothing on it.

 One swipe. It definitely added a nice tint that stops me from looking dead.

 Three swipes.

 Several swipes as you would with any lipstick.

Here is how it looked like in about an hour. There is more colour to the lips!

          The product has a nice feel to the lips, as well. It adds hydration to the lips but doesn't leave a sticky residue. Kailijumei, not only because it's aesthetically pleasing to look at, is actually a great product! If you like liptints, this is definitely nice to have, and the novelty of it is a great bonus!