Pumpkin patch

Challenge: Use up 1 28-oz can of pumpkin.

Results:

1) Pumpkin oatmeal muffins. Replaced quick oats with instant apple cinnamon oatmeal lying in the cupboard, replaced half AP flour with whole wheat, mixed raisins and cranberries.

2) Pumpkin scones.

3) Pumpkin carob muffins. I've been using them ever since I made chocolate chip cookies with carob chips and nobody could tell the difference. They're healthy and cheaper than semisweet chips!

4) Ok, I am a pumpkin fanatic but even I can get a little pumpkin'd out. The bf and I didn't really feel like cooking after a late lunch on Oscar night. He made grilled cheese dill sandwiches and instead of the traditional tomato soup pairing, I made tomato pumpkin soup with parsley, chili, and soy milk. It turned out really well, except when the bf tried pureeing the soup and the lid came loose.

5) Classic pumpkin soup. Back to the basics.

After all that, I still had pumpkin left. Ended up tossing the rest. I needed a pumpkin break.

Saturday night, we went to Society in Yaletown after seeing the 45-minute wait at Chambar. It seems to be a popular place for a girls' night out as there were several tables of girls dressed to hit the clubs.

FOTD
Face
Coastal Scents HD foundation ST-004

NYX concealer stick in green (redness) and yellow (under eyes)
Shiseido Inoui the Enhancer concealer

MAC blush in Angel

Nars face illuminator in Orgasm (cheekbones)

Evian face spray

Eyes
Prestige browliner in Earth Brown

MAC paint in Untitled

Light pink (browbone) and shimmery purple-brown shade (outer half of eye) from Coastal Scents 28 Neutral palette

Anna Sui eye color in 209 (shimmery lilac on outer half and crease)

Bobbi Brown espresso eye shadow (upper tightline)

Coastal Scents Black gel liner (lower waterline)

Bobbi Brown Mica eye shadow (lower lashline)

Korean falsies from Hong Kong

Majolica Majorca mascara (bottom lashes)

Lips

Maybelline Wet Shine lipstick in Mauvelous

Lace bodysuit: Silence + Noise; Tank, rosary necklace: F21; Black pencil skirt (not shown), Prada.

We went for the mussels with garlic, shallots and Chardonnay with a side of garlic bread and fries. There wasn't much broth, but I liked the sundried tomatoes. We agreed that Chambar's mussels are still #1 though.

I was all excited to have dessert, but decided to pass. Our server was so sweet and said "ok, but I'm still going to bring you something". He came back shortly with cotton candy!

The table of girls next to us ordered the junk food platter, but we were quite intimidated by the size. The music is a little loud and the tables are a little close, but the service is great and the place is bumpin'. I left a little tipsy and very happy to a friend's house for more drinks...

Last week, I went to Daiso to look for a ceramic pot to make Korean stews in, but left with some new nails. I never tried artificial nails, but I haven't had gel nails for years and wanted to make them look pretty since they've been peeling a lot lately despite numerous coats of OPI Nail Envy and Sally Hansen 4-in-1 Complete Treatment. For $2/box, who could resist?

It took me forever to file the shape just right. I think next time I won't be such a perfectionist. I marveled at how long they were (and how my natural nails will never get that long), then realized it was a pain to do simple tasks. The bf said, "watch them all pop off during yoga".

The next morning, I woke up and decided to cut and file them to a more practical length. I thought I needed one of those professional electric drills, but they're soft enough to cut with a regular nail clipper. I feel like such a lady when my nails are pretty.

Spring is around the corner

The past two days have been cloudy after a beautiful day where Team Canada won gold in men's hockey on the last day of the Olympics, breaking the record for most gold medals and in a host country! I'm so proud.

FOTD
Face
Coastal Scents HD foundation ST-004

NYX concealer stick in yellow (under eyes)
Shiseido Inoui the Enhancer concealer

MAC blush in Spring Peach

Nars face illuminator in Orgasm (cheekbones)

Coty Airspun loose face powder in luminous translucent

Eyes
Prestige browliner in Earth Brown

UDPP

Mix of two coral shades from Coastal Scents 88 palette (outer eye)

Estee Lauder pure color eyeshadow duo in Moondust (gold on inner eye)

MAC e/s in Wisp (middle up to brow)

MAC e/s in Rice Paper (browbone)

MAC technakohl liner in Graphblack (upper)

Cover Girl soft radiants liner in Soft Cocoa (bottom)

Majolica Majorca mascara

Korean half falsies

Lips

Clinique different lipstick in Peachy

MAC tendertone in Purring

Silk slip, scarf:F21, cardigan:Talula Babaton, Boots:Minnetonka, Bag:Chanel. Rings:gifts from relatives.

This is the only thing that makes rainy days tolerable. Everyone should have a pair of rain boots, especially if you live in Vancouver. I have convinced several gfs that their Tory Burch flats and Uggs are no match for walking in the rain after they see me take those puddles head-on.

Review: Kose Softymo Collagen Cleansing Wash + Mandom Cleansing Express Moist (blue bottle)

(L) Kose is famous for their cleansing washes. This one claims to remove makeup and clean your face without having to double wash. A large pea-size amount foams up nicely and makes your face squeaky-clean without feeling tight or dry. It cost me about $5 and comes with an extra 30g. I have since ditched my DHC Cleansing Oil + Spectro Jel routine. This bottle is going to last me a long time, so it's a great value. Thumbs up!

(R) The Cleansing Express comes in two formulas: blue (hyaluronic acid) and pink (collagen). I bought the blue bottle because it seems more popular. It claims to remove your eye and face makeup in one step without rinsing. I admit I'm sometimes too tired after a late night to drag myself to the bathroom, so I use a makeup pad and a few squirts to wipe everything off. The solution is water-based. My complaint is that it doesn't seem to take off my mascara that well. I prefer the "oily" eye makeup removers such as Lancome Bi-Facil or Neutrogena oil-free eye makeup remover. However, I don't put on any of my night creams after using this and it doesn't make me break out or dry out so I'd say it cleanses pretty well. Would I buy again? Probably not. I think the cleansing wipes would be more efficient.

A new winter coat

There's nothing like adding on some extra "layers" during the winter.

I've been going to Chambar often for drinks lately. The beer and cocktail lists are unique and the Veracruz is a must-try. I was never a fan of Caesars until I tried the Veracruz. Chipotle infused tequila, applewood smoked tomato juice...the creation is pure genius.
My love for Belgian beers started with the Kriek (right) a few years ago at this very place.

Finally went to H-Mart to pick up ingredients for soon dubu (spicy seafood and tofu stew) and ddukbokki (rice cakes in gochujang). Have been drinking matcha lattes all week since then. Tried the pumpkin and black bean rice cakes. Steamed, it's slightly sweetened and very filling!

Bf and I went to Lonsdale Quay Market one sunny day and had our first-ever beaver tail. We had the Killaloe, which is sugar and lemon on the fried dough. http://www.beavertailsinc.com/ At first, I was disgusted to see the large, flat dough soaking in the hot oil and swore I would not eat it. However, I tried some and the sweet and tangy contrast was quite appetizing. At least I'll never have to wonder what it tastes like when I see it at PNE. We then had a bowl of tomato clam chowder at another vendor because it reminded us of the Pike Place Chowder in Seattle.

We originally went to Seattle on an empty stomach to go to Paseo. Unfortunately, they were going to be closed for most of January. We arrived in downtown Seattle around 3pm and decided to eat at Pike Place Chowder as a former Hong Kong colleague had told me about it before. They were having their afternoon tea menu, where everything is smaller and cheaper. Perfect for sampling! We had the crab cake and crab sandwiches and a bowl of their famous clam chowder. We ended up ordering another bowl of seafood bisque! Lunch wasn't a bust after all.

Qoola is my favorite froyo joint in Vancouver, but I had to go to Pinkberry. I got the pumpkin spice/tangerine swirl. Yummy, but I think I'm biased towards Qoola!

Had a late dinner (10:30pm) at Red Lobster. Haven't been to one since LA 2004. I LOVE their cheese biscuits. I didn't want to share...and I stuffed them into the takeout box. I've tried a copycat recipe using Bisquick which turns out similarly.

Recently I read and am loving the book "The Okinawa Diet Plan". The recipes are so simple, healthy and tasty! I found it informative and a good read. I wanted to buy the book at Chapters but couldn't find it. (I ended up buying "Why Men Love Bitches". )

This salmon miso soup is creamy partly due to milk, and includes two of my favorites - kabocha pumpkin and sweet potatoes, which are a major health food for Okinawans.

I've been making lots of miso soup with various vegetables. Tip: NEVER boil miso! Dissolve it after heated soup has been taken off the heat.

I LOVE muffins but hate that most are laden with sugar and fat. This is another recipe from "The Okinawa Diet Plan", sweet potato orange muffins. It's soft, moist and not overly sweet. It includes fresh OJ, almond butter and whole wheat flour.

After taking home some leftover skordalia (garlic sauce) and tzatziki from Stepho's, I decided to make whole wheat pitas. It took a painstaking 3 hours for 6 pitas (I halved the recipe).

With all that kabocha, I made sweet n' spicy roasted kabocha in the oven and bf made Vietnamese butter beef. It was so tender!

My favorite Korean snack that I first ate outside Dongdaemun night market. Rice cakes, fish cakes, cabbage, onions and gochujang. Hard boiled eggs and pork are sometimes added.

Happy eating!

Little loves

When I was in the States, I decided to look for L'oreal's Colour Riche lipstick in Tawny as I had heard it supposedly looked like MAC's discontinued 3N lipstick. No luck. All I found was Timeless Tawny.

My dbf surprised me with it after my disappointment at losing my new MAC Angel lipstick. He found out it was on clearance because it was going to be discontinued, but that it was quite popular. I bought another one as backup and since then, it's my everyday lipstick. I don't even use liner or gloss. It goes on so creamy and it's the perfect neutral nude/pink. Love it!

I've been looking for a good Audrey Hepburn picture and I was reminded of a nail color I wanted to try for awhile, For Audrey by China Glaze. I was going to wait until February to wear it as opposed to the traditional pink theme everywhere, but I couldn't wait. It's a perfect match.

Everyone and their mother has been raving about My Beauty Diary masks. I first heard about it while I was in HK but I couldn't find them at the usual beauty stores. I found them on sale here for Cdn $2.99/2 sheets so I picked up two boxes: pearl powder and aloe.

Pearl powder mask

Main Ingredients
Vitamin B & Seaweed Extract

-Nourishes & Stimulates Skin Cells
Amino Acids & Pearl Powder

-Penetrates the interior layer of skin to create a Soft, Fair & Radiant look
Functions

-Softens your Skin

-Whitens and Brightens skin

-Nourishes and moisturizes skin

Aloe mask

Main Ingredients
Aloe Vera

-Keeps skin feeling Moisturize
Wild Rose Plant Essence

-Improves Dry and Rough skin
Amino Acid

-Nourishes and moisturizes skin
Hyaluronic Acid

-Highly effective in retaining moisture in your skin
Functions

-Minimizes and Closes Pores

-Restores Skin Structure

-Improves Dry condition of Skin

-Moisturizes & Nourishes Skin

Overall, I'm very impressed with the list of ingredients. Too bad it's pricier than what you would pay for other sheet masks in Asia. I like how the sheet comes with a plastic layer to peel from because regular sheet masks are sometimes harder to open up when they're wet. However, the fit is not as good as the UGBang masks I got in Korea (which were a lot more expensive). I will definitely try other kinds after I've used up the collagen masks I got in HK!

Quick no-brainer, no-fuss meals at home: Mapo tofu & Chicken Laksa

Went to the newly relaunched Glowbal for their half off lunch promo. It was a sunny but cold day and we sat on the heated, busy patio. I loved that the bread came with pink Hawaiian sea salt.

Ahi tuna satays, braised short ribs papardella, prime rib burger. Awesome deal!