Glows and Glee!

Hi everybody,

Nope, we're not talking about Glee the show today. The purpose of this post is to keep you updated with what going on since Thanksgiving. Of course, you already know what happened to Belly the cat during Thanksgiving day. What happened to him next was very similar: he ate turkey, he passed out. Rinse, wash,  repeat.

 Thia year's spread is a lot smaller since the number of participants are also a lot less. I managed to cook everything in under 2 hours since I put the turkey breast in the pressure cooker. After the stopper jiggles, I left it inside for 20 minutes (5 minutes per pound.) Then, I let it rest and before eating, I put the whole thing under the broiler for a couple of minutes so the skin would crisp up nicely.

 It's borderline brown but still, the turkey was delish. Don't believe me? Ask Belly :)

Stuffing

 This year, I made stuffing from scratch with whole wheat toast, turkey broth, and The Trinity. If you are not from the South, the Trinity is the mixture of chopped onion, celery, and green bell pepper. I sauteed it with a tiny dash of salt and add to the toast/broth/egg mixture before baking for 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. It turned out a lot more delicious than I thought!

Roasted veggies, 'nuff said!

Corn, "baked" sweet potato, and gravy

I'm the queen of corn, btw. I sauteed a little bit of onions and then cook the corn until tender. Needless to say, I had only a tiny bit of leftover. The "baked" sweet potato was cooked with a pressure cooker. Somehow, the thought of zapping the sweet potatoes under excruciating heat brings glee to my life. The sweet potatoes came out sweet and tender under 5 minutes. I only used a fork to fluff it up, so easy!

The gravy does not have any starch. I used the blender to mix sauteed onions and garlic, cooked celery, and turkey broth together until smooth. Delicious!

Here's a video of El Gato Supremo after passing out the third time. This time around, he actually refused to eat turkey. Please don't feel bad for him. That cat had a field day and he would not refuse turkey or chicken if only his stomach was so full.

On the other note:

I won NaNoWriMo!

Nope, I didn't write all of them in one day. That would be insane and ridiculous! However, I managed not to upload my word count until I passed 50,000 words yesterday. I decided to hold back because we do have a word war with another region and for us to look like we were slacking off would probably make our competitor think we did. Since we have about 40 people less, all of my writing buddies are working very hard to win this battle. I know it's silly but we've been losing for the last couple of years so we are doing everything we could to win this year.

Now that I'm off NaNoWriMo, my life will resume to its normalcy again. First order of business: cleaning the apartment. Then, I will get some rest and continue writing until the end of the month. The goal is not to write in November but to write frequently.

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Belly at Large: Black Friday!

Hello, people!

Oh boy, this is embarrassing! But hey, when there's an elephant in the room, you need to address it. Am I right? Anywayzzz, I'd prefer you to hear this from me first, before you read it somewhere else and think I'm some sort of male kitty Lindsay Lohan, who by the way, was great in "Mean Girls."

Okay, here we go:

And here's a photo from the "crime scene":

Do you know what it feels like for a cat...during Thanksgiving?

Oh yeah, I passed out cold. Those pieces of turkey breast were yummylicious! Not dried, not over-seasoned. Muy juicy, btw. Me likey. But I guess I had too many pieces above my limit. For the record, it was worth it. Being sedated over turkey is a lot better than doing some cat nips. Both of them make me sleepy but at least I'm full and sleepy when I eat turkey.

Also, since today is Black Friday and all, I would like to do a little bit of plugging for la mamarazzi's little Etsy store on the prairie. Yup, Formula D Minerals has two gift sets for you to indulge. And you know what is the most wonderful thing about this?

Until the end of the month, when you buy a set, la mamarazzi and I will throw in a free eyeshadow for you. How rad is that? Also, the sets are below $20, which is so affordable since the products are all hand-crafted with love and all.

Belle of the Ball makeup set ($18.50 USD)

This set contains Belle and Isis eyeshadows, Radiance blush, and FDM's best-selling product ever, The Ultimate Powder. When you do the math, it's like you get an eyeshadow for free. And if you order some time this month, with this price, it's like you get two free eye shadows. On top of that, everything arrives already gift-wrapped and ready for you to give to your loved one (or yourself!) La mamarazzi and I will even throw in a gift tag for your convenience.

Pretty in Pink trio ($16 USD)

This trio is pretty and cute and girly. It contains It Girl eyeshadow, Flushed blush and the famous The Ultimate Powder as well. All of the products in both sets are in full sizes. Again, this set also comes gift-wrapped ready.

Also, two jars of The Ultimate Powder is available for now. Please get some before they disappear again.

Last but not least: why should you buy stuff from Formula D Minerals?

Because you love me! Come on, don't you love Belly? Seriously, a big chunk of the sales money goes to feeding me and paying for my salary. I don't come cheap, people! I prefer my chicken a certain way (white meat only,) and that costs money. I also prefer to be entertained and groomed and washed and etc and etc in a certain manner that costs mucho dinero. I'm not kidding, ok?

Besides, these are some good stuff and la mamarazzi's mad photography skillz has improved. So please support her. By doing so, you also support me.

Love, peace, and tuna fish,

Mr. Belly


P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everybody,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving day together with lots of food and lots of fun!

That picture is so drool-worthy, btw. I can't help but salivating a little bit. This year, my Thanksgiving meal is much smaller, yet the joy is the same, not even more.

On this day, I am thankful for all of you who have been supporters of my blog. You guys are the nicest readers ever! Also, I am thankful for your encouragement and friendships throughout the years. My Makeup Blog could not have grown without you.

I am also thankful for all the promotional considerations My Makeup Blog received during 2010. I am thankful for the wonderful and friendly publicists who have not only provided informations and products but also entrusted in me and my blog to review their products.

I am thankful for my friends and family who are always behind me and support me on my endeavors. Sometimes, they have no idea what I am up to but they aid and abet me anyways.

Last but not least, I am thankful for my editor-at-large, Mr. Jack Belly, who is diligent in his job and cuddly out of his job. Without him, my life and this blog would be lack-luster.

Again, I hope you are having a wonderful day. Have fun and eat lots of turkey!

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

I'm Pho Realz: a Quick Way to Make Phở Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

Hi everybody,

As a Vietnamese, I love my phở as much as everybody else. After all, it is what we Vietnamese consider our national culinary treasure. Overseas, phở is the most popular Vietnamese dish. We have phở gà or chicken noodle soup and phở bò (beef noodle soup.) Both are equally time-consuming to cook. However, a year ago, one of my aunts told me the rotisserie chicken sold at Costco or Sam's Club would make a nice pot of chicken noodle soup. My mom did a much better job than I do, but after fudging with the formula, I finally got it right.

This post is a long-time request from my friend Christine. I finally remembered to take the pictures to make a post. This is more or less of a tutorial but hopefully, you will get the idea of how to make this delicious Vietnamese dish in a bowl :)

First of all, we need a rotisserie chicken, preferably just out of the oven. I bought mine at Sam's Club since I am a member. Sometimes, the chicken is meatier than usual, which means I score a jack-pot. If I get a bony chicken, it would be fine with me as I may throw half a chicken breast in the broth to boost the protein count.

At home, I remove the skin, bones, and meat into three piles. The skin and bones can be in one pile, it doesn't really matter as long as the meat is in a different location. Also, the lid makes a nice container for this step. After I'm done with this step, I put the chicken aside and wash my hands before proceeding to the next one.

What goes in the broth: I roughly chop a small onion, a couple cloves of garlic (that's about 5 cloves in the picture since I like things a tad galickier than normal people do), a piece of ginger the size of my thumb. Nope, I didn't even peel the skin as most of the good stuff is in there. Also, my ginger was pretty old, therefore, it is spicier than the fresh ones.

More stuff to go in the pot: phở seasoning blend. My mom sent this to me from the motherland. I'm sure if you go to an Asian store, you will find a variety of phở blends. But if you prefer to make your own, I'll tell you what's inside of the bag a little bit later.

Usually, we put the blend in some sort of bag or mesh tea ball or just a square of cheese cloth. Since I'm more of an environmentally friendly hobo these days, I go with the tea ball. It costs me around $2.50 at the health food store and it's totally reusable. There are various sizes but if you use it for phở, make sure to get the biggest size available.

What's in the blend:
Ok, if it were twenty years ago, aka the Pre-Google Era, you cannot extort this kind of information out of a Vietnamese. You see, the difference between the fantastic phở and a so-so one is pretty much in the blend. I tried various blends and so far, the one my mom sent me is the best.

This blend is about a palm size of dried aromatic spices with some medicinal properties. We have dried cinnamon, star anises, cloves, cardamom pod, peppercorn, fennel seeds, and licorice. The dried tangerine skin is an extra but it does make the broth taste better.

The little plastic baggie contains a mix of dried onion, garlic, and ginger powder. It adds a nice touch but I probably didn't need it since I already got the fresh one.

Wanna know how to cook this Vietnamese chicken noodle soup? Jump!

Marie Louise Travel Kit Giveaway Winner

Hi everybody,

It's time to announce the winner of the Marie Louise Travel Kit Giveaway. As usual, I use Random.Org to choose the winner and...

Congratulations, Annc999! I hope you will have some fun with this kit. I will email you shortly for your mailing address.

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Get Festive with Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Red Carpet

Hi everybody,

Since my recent acquisition of Sally Hansen Hard As Nail Xtreme Wear nail polish in Red Carpet, my spidey sense has been all tingling in anticipation of a post about it. There's no better time than this week with Thanksgiving is right at the corner. For those who are nail addicts, Red Carpet is a dupe of the famous China Glaze Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz collection last year. As much as I adore Ruby Slippers, I can't imagine myself shelling out $4.50 for that nail polish. Then, I went to Target and saw Red Carpet there, all glittery in anticipation. Within a second, I know this is a good dupe. Also, the price is right and I had a coupon.

The craziest part about this nail polish is how fast it's sold out. I had to go to 3 drugstores and a Target to find out they were all gone. Finally, I bought mine at Wal-Mart and I can't stop gushing ever since. This nail polish is very festive and a definite mood booster during the cold winter months.

Sally Hansen Hard As Nail Xtreme Wear in Red Carpet

Wanna know why I love it so much? Jump!

My Anti-Aging Tips Are Being Featured!

Hi everybody,

Today, I would like to share some good news with you. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about some of my anti-aging tips (click here if you haven't read it yet.) Guess what? Two of them ended up in a feature at Total Beauty website.

The feature is called "Beauty Bloggers Reveal Their Best Anti-Aging Tips"
It is a part of their "Spotlight on Skincare" section

Here are the screen shots of the two tips I have:

Now, I have never been featured in such a widely read website before, although I've joined Total Beauty for a while now. To me, this is an honor. I don't know what may come after this but it sure feels great.

While we're still talking about skincare, this industry has changed so fast. Last year, Lancome launched Genifique and to their surprise, it was their most successful skincare launch ever! Skincare research now utilizes genome science to give us better understanding in how skin ages. So far, I've heard a lot of good things about Genifique but I have yet to try it since this skincare line has products close to the $100 price range.

However, as L'Oreal is the mother company of Lancome, soon enough, a similar skincare line from L'Oreal will be launched in American drugstores. Yes, I'm talking about the elusive Youth Code. The beauty industry has been buzzing around since the beginning of the year about this new skincare line that's also based on genetics. The people in U.K already experienced it since February-March but we, the people in the U.S, will know, see, feel, and touch it by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. However, if you go to the link above, L'Oreal will point you to websites that offer pre-sales. I have to admit, the price is not that expensive (~$20 per single product or $30 per starter set.) If I remember correctly, when Olay did their pre-sale on ProX, it was sold out within a blink of an eye. I expect Youth Code to do the same, if not better, since the price is more affordable.

How well this new Youth Code skincare line performs is still unknown to me. I would love to read more on the science behind it. According to the website, 10 years of research has spent on creating Youth Code so my expectation is high.

Again, I just want to share the good news to all of you. This year, My Makeup Blog has been doing pretty well on the skincare front and I am so happy to receive such an honor at the end of the year.

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Belly at Large: Mad as Hell!

Hello humans,

If you open a dictionary and attempt to look for the definition of "mad as hell", you'll probably see this face:

No, I'm not furious. Not even "2 Fast, 2 Furious." I'm livid. I'm mad as hell at the mamarazzi.

What did she do, you may ask. Well, dear human readers, she didn't do anything! No more tummy rubs, no more playing with Belly, no more telling Belly how cute he is. None of the above. And you want to know why?

It's the evil NaNoWriMo! It sucks the life out of her. She either looks crazy while writing or looks crazy thinking about writing. Seriously, that woman has problem. She needs to get a life and she can start by not feeding me red meat chicken and rubbing my tummy.

And guess what? I have an unexpected ally: even BB the blond bear gives her stank eyes

LOL, that's one mean stank eyed look, BB! I have to say I taught you well!

Now, he goes for the evil look. Good job, boy!

So there you go, me and blondie here don't like NaNoWriMo. We are neglected and we have feelings, too! Now, I would prefer her to be overbearing than ignoring me. I can't wait for November to be over. Can't take this kind of lack of interest any longer!

Need my white chicken! (Although tuna would be a much better option.)

Love, peace, and tuna fish (or chicken breasts),
Mr. Belly

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Twist and Roll with Lindo Twist-n-Roll Tweezers

Hi everyone,

Recently, I received a hair removal product from Facial Work called Lindo Twist-n-Roll tweezers to try. At first, I had some apprehension: the whole product looks like a long roll of coil and so far, all the facial removal methods I've tried hurt. However, when I did a lip swatch, I saw some dark hair around my lips. Not sexy! And where did they come from? So I opened the package and gave the coil a roll. Guess what? It works!

Lindo Twist-n-Roll tweezers ($17.99, current promotion: $14.99)

Does L'Oreal HiP Precious Look Familiar?

Hi everybody,

I haven't done a lot of posts about eyeshadow dupes lately. However, recently, I did an impromptu swatch of L'Oreal HiP Precious eyeshadow duo and I realized it looks familiar to another eyeshadow duo from MAC that I can't wear. But we're going to talk about it later. First, let me introduce you to Precious:

L'Oreal HiP eyeshadow duo in Precious ($5-7 USD)

The thing is, I don't need this eyeshadow duo. I have too many neutral eye shadows already. However, during the last wave of award season, the movie "Precious" was highly praised. This led me to making a purchase of this eyeshadow duo when it was on sale at CVS for five dollars.

Close-up of Precious

L'Oreal has been putting a huge effort to diversify the HiP line. Precious is one of a few crystal eyeshadow duos available. Raking from matte to crystal, the later one has the most bling for your buck. In fact, the texture reminds me of MAC Solar Bits: it is chunky and fall outs are huge. I'm glad I purchased Precious instead of the darker colors. At least the fall outs look like highlights on my cheeks.

Now, this is the part where I introduce you to the dupe: MAC Engaging Mineralize eyeshadow duo

(L-R): MAC Engaging mineralize eyeshadow duo, L'Oreal HiP Precious eyeshadwo duo

Wanna know how they fare up to each other? Jump!

A Moment Away from NaNoLand

Hey y'all!

Remember me? Sorry I didn't blog as much last week. I was week two-ed! For those who are following NaNoWriMo, you know week two is the time people feel like dropping out of the world. Well, I contemplated it for a minute around last Monday when I stood in front of my laptop for hours without a word coming out of my fingers. Yes, it was that bad. But by 11pm that night, I told myself just to write a little bit and guess what? I wrote 1,600 words!

For those who are joining NaNoWriMo, you know this is the month to ignore your loved ones. Yes, it is a bit cruel but I have been ignoring Belly and he doesn't like it any bit. Belly is a strange kitty: the more I play with him, the more he ignore me. If I try to hold him too much, he will give me one of those, "oh please, you're smothering me!" look. But now that I am ignoring him, he is clinging toward me. I cannot even talk to my neighbor without him meowing at me. I guess reverse psychology works on cats. If you noticed the same thing with your cat, please let me know.

So yes, my life has been eaten by NaNoWriMo. I write to the point that nothing sounds coherent anymore before stopping. So far, I've reached almost 5,000 words per day in only one day. In other days, I write at least the day mean (1,666 words.) Some days, I can write a lot. Other days, I can sit in front of the computer and nothing would come out. But the important thing is I've been writing everyday now, except for one day when my hands really hurt. That is not so bad, considering I am closer to 30,000 words now.

Before I go, let me share two neat trick to those of you who are doing NaNoWriMo:

1. Install a timer on your computer:
This is a trick I learned when I wrote my thesis. Writing is like running: you can run so fast for so long before you're out of breath. The trick is to find the shortest time span that you can write the most without feeling like conking out. To me, I find I write my best in 25-minute period. Then, I would take a short break, check my emails, and continue writing. Now, I can comfortably write 45 minutes at a time but when time gets tough, I still set up 25 minutes on Instant Boss and write. I'm always surprised at how much I can write in such a short period of time.

Now, writing in a short period is different from doing sprints or using Write or Die. While the other two are sure fire ways to boost your word counts, you may end up with a story you don't want to read. Back in 2008, I discovered Write or Die and crossed the finish line victoriously. However, that story became moot the moment I started it. The need for speed does not worth it if you want your story to be as coherent and readable as possible.

2. Set goals and bribe yourself:
After crossing the 20,000 word landmark victoriously on Wednesday, I went to watch "RED" with two of my friends on Thursday. Why did I do it? Because I enticed myself by setting a goal (20,000 words) and a reward (watch RED.) It worked gloriously. I ended up not only crossing 20,000 words but also finished my first novel. Yes, I did it! The first (or zeroth) draft of that one is over. At least I'm not going to worry about it for now. I'm writing something else, which at this point sounds like a young adult story. Why it turns out this way is still a mystery to me.

That's all for now. For those who are not joining NaNoWriMo, I want to thank you for still staying with me and endure my incoherent rant/show-off post. Of course, I would like to cross the victory line of 50,000 words by the end of week three. I haven't figured what I am going to do once I crossed the line but I am sure I will be dead tired to enjoy it (ha!)

In the mean time, I continue to ignore the home kitty. He sure doesn't enjoy it and so far, he succeeded in recruiting BiBi the teddy bear to give me stank eyes. Imagine me receiving stank eyes from both the cat and the bear. I'm scared!

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Marie Louise Travel Kit Giveaway

Hi everybody,

Recently, the kind folks at Marie Louise Cosmetics asked me if I wanted to host a giveaway for a travel kit full of Marie Louise skincare products. I have reviewed two of their skincare products. Both are mild and effective. Therefore, I decided to host this event so one lucky reader can get a chance to try Marie Louise skincare.

The Marie Louise Travel Kit ($28) features your favorite Marie Louise skincare products:

• Travel size Cleansing Clear Gel
• Travel size Washing Foam 
• Foil pack Restoration Clear Gel (review here)
• Travel size Moistraiser a-VC (review here. This is one of my favorite skincare products.)
• Travel size Crème a-VC 

Wanna know how to join this giveaway? Find out after the jump!

All You Giveaway Winners

Happy Monday!

Thank you for participating in the All You Fashion and Beauty Special Edition. The winners of this round are Jen and MissNessa. Congratulations, ladies! I will email you for your mailing addresses shortly.

On the other note, my brain is fried. After the first week of vigorous NaNoWriMo-ing, I was close to 15,000 words. That means I am a bit ahead of myself. Last Wednesday, my hands hurt again and I had to take a day off to recoup. I joined two write-ins during the weekend to push my word count up again. My goal is to finish 50,000 words before November 20th. Therefore, I have no reason to slack off. The end is near.

Also, this is what I've been doing so far.

I've been knitting "Fetching", a pair of fingerless gloves, to keep my hands warm. My hands tend to cramp up when I type a lot, y'all. Also, since it's been so cold lately, I guess I need a pair of fingerless gloves more than ever.

That's all for now, folks. I need to go dunk myself in a hot tub or something. My brain is not functioning, gah!

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Belly at Large: Food!

Hello humans,

Blogging from under the chair today... because I feel like it. Roar!

Finally, a food post. Lately, if you've followed my mamarazzi's tweets, you've noticed she gave me grieves over cat food. You see, the woman had to get fancy and bought me Fancy Feast.

Fancy Feast in Filet Mignon flavor. (source)
Oh please, sistah! You didn't do me any favors!

Fancy Feast is fine. It's ok. The kibbles are smaller, hence they're not as crunchy. I ate 'em because I was hungry. And then the mamarazzi brought home a rotisserie chicken. Yummay! I heart the chicken. She gave me a piece and guess what?

It was RED MEAT!

How dare she?! My instruction was very specific: either deep fried or white breast meat only. That's the way I like my chicken. La mamarazzi thought she was smart: she mixed the red meat with Fancy Feast and gave me.

"Here, Belly, eat it. It's chiiiiichen!" she cooed.

I gave her a dirty look. "No way, Jose! I ain't eatin' this. Where's my white meat chicken?"

Obviously, the woman didn't get it. She kept pushing the plate at moi. So I did what I could: I high-tailed out of there. Later on, she gave me the same food and guess what? Yours truly spilled it all over the place. Oops!

I gave her a sign: I licked my knuckles very gansterly. Yes, I plotted her dead over the lack of chicken breast. The plan was well-executed, too: I jumped on top of her when she was in bed with a blanket wrapping around like a burrito. It could have worked, except she pushed me off waaay too fast.

Consider it a warning, woman. Next time, give me white meat chicken. And don't even try to lecture me about starving kittens in Asia and Africa. They are not in your house to eat Fancy Feast and red meat. I am. And me not likey!

Guess what she made for herself?

Baked Wontons!

Now why on Earth couldn't I have any of those? I could have used some right now. Mean mamarazzi!

P.S: I'm calmer now. La mamarazzi realized her mistake and gave me some white chicken last night. I forgive her.

Love, peace, and tuna fish,
Mr. Belly

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Vanity FOTD

Hi everybody,

This week, Walgreens has a 50% off deal on all Wet 'n' Wild products. I took the opportunity to get me the Vanity palette from their ColorIcons collection. After hearing so many nice things about it in the blogsphere, I guess the 50% off just gave me an extra push to obtain this palette. I have to say, the Vanity palette doesn't disappoint: it is pigmented and a lot smoother than the old WnW Ultimate Expressions I had before.

I did a quick neutral look and this is the result:

Vanity FOTD

Most of the products I used are from the drugstores or are affordable, except for the Shu Uemura blush and MAC 217 brush. Also, have you noticed how much less brushes and products I've used lately in my FOTDs?

Note: the Neutrogena Just Whispers is a dupe of MAC Blankety. It is also 50% off at Walgreens. At $5, this lipstick is a good deal. It feels pretty much like a MAC lipstick except it doesn't have the sweet smell.

Wanna know how I did this look? Jump!