Rice Cooker Lasagna

A long overdue post.......


I got this lovely recipe from bittenbefore, Thank you Yumeko! It's sooooo yummy!!!

Ingredients

- Red pasta sauce
- Alfredo sauce
- Oven-ready lasagna pasta
- Mushrooms
- Ground beef
- onion
- Kraft 4 cheese Italiano

Steps

1. Cook ground beef, onion and mushrooms in skillet until lightly browned. Drain the fat.
2. Spread both white and red sauce at the bottom of the rice cooker pan.
3. Layer with lasagna pasta > meat > white + red sauce > shredded cheese, repeat 2 - 3 times (my rice cooker is kind of small, you can put more layers if you want)
4. Top with a layer of lasagna pasta > white + red sauce > shredded cheese
5. Press the cook button on the rice cooker and it'll be done in no time.
6. Enjoy~

Happy 3 plus 3 Anniversary

Mr. A,

Happy 6th (aka 3+3) Anniversary!!! Looking forward to our 3+3+3 anniversary.

Love,
J

Whitening Olive Moisturizer

My skin is light beige with yellow undertone, but like most Asian women, I'm always looking for a way to have lighter skin. Whitening Olive Moisturizer is basically a variation of the Olive Moisturizer, licorice extract (I've used my homemade licorice extract) has been added to provide a skin lightening effect.

This cream is not my latest creation, but I've used a few batches last summer (yea, I'm lazy and I didn't blog about it until now....). I actually like this cream very much!!! Like the Olive Moisturizer, it's perfect to be used in hot summer days. The texture is light, very easy to be absorbed and provides a weightless base for my makeup. The scent of the licorice extract is quite strong although it doesn't bother me at all (Strangely, I like the smell of Chinese herbs), some people might not like that. And for the whitening part, don't expect drastic result in a short period of time, but it does help to even out my skin tone a bit.

Ingredients: Distilled water, EVOO, Licorice Extract, Glycerin, Creagel, Preservative

One, two, Freddy's coming for you

I'm kinda shy to say this but.....I love Freddy Krueger!!! I grew up watching horror movies and Freddy is my favorite character (one of the reasons that I took all those special effect makeup courses). The remake is going to be in theatre tomorrow and I'm really excited about it.

Here are 2 figures that I got recently:

I got this one in Buffalo, I think it's too cute but it's on sale so I got it.

This is one of the 7" figures released for the remake, the other one is before he was burned by fire.

Posters for the remake. We were actually on our way to High Park for the cherry blossom walk.

Frankly, I like the original Freddy better. I think the "unrealistic" scars give him a more distinctive look.

***I've suggested to see the midnight show tonight, but Mr. A said it's crazy and I'd probably fall asleep in the cinema (I slept through 1/3 of Avatar). We've now decided to see it tomorrow after work. I hope it won't be too hard to get tickets, I really can't wait to see the movie~

One, two, Freddy's coming for you

Three, four, better lock your door

Five, six, grab your crucifix

Seven, eight, gonna stay up late

Nine, ten, never sleep again

Naked

Got a Naked kit from Lush....



Why choose naked? (copied from Lush.ca)

Making the switch from liquid to solid is one of the easiest, most environmental things you can do to help save the planet.

LUSH solid products are compact, economical and require far less energy to transport and contain no damaging preservatives.

Over 70% of LUSH products are unpackaged or sold naked, eliminating excess waste. We make solid Bath Bombs, Bubble Bars, Massage Bars, Solid Shampoo Bars, Body Butters and Solid Facial Cleansers.

Make the change today with our limited edition Naked Kit that contains 6 solid products. Plus, the box is 100% biodegradable!

100% Biodegradable - Unpackaged - Vegan - Preservative Free - Never Tested On Animals

The Naked Kit contains:

1. Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo (15g/ 0.5oz)


2. Coal Face/ Fresh Farmacy Solid Facial Soap (30g/ 1oz)


3. Toner Tab (10g/ 0.33oz)
   
4. Sexy Peel Soap (100g/ 3.5oz)


5. Buffy Solid Body Butter (30g/ 1oz)


6. Therapy Solid Massage Bar (30g/ 1oz)

I'm a big fan of solid products, no water = less preservative and no packaging (sounds fantastic to me, I hate those plastic bottles). I have been using solid shampoo for more than a year now and I don't think I'll ever switch back to liquid. and thanks to Amy (she made me soaps!), I have started using soap instead of my Aveeno liquid body wash.

The Naked kit is $20 for 6 solid items. I think it's a pretty good deal and it's a great way to sample different items. Except the Toner Tab, the rest of them are mini size which are adorable. All kits contains mini squeaky green shampoo (one of my favourite solid shampoo bars), mini buffy body butter, mini therapy massage bar, and sexy peel soap.

For the facial cleanser, you can choose Coal Face (black one) or Fresh Farmacy (pink one) solid facial soap. I have both because Amy and I each got a kit and we've decided to share the facial soap and I took them home to cut them in half. For the toner tab, there are 4 options including Vit. C, Vit. E, Q10 and Tea Tree.

The only thing to complain is the packaging. As you can see from the pictures, the items look kind of dirty. The box is just too big for 6 little items and the Fresh Farmacy is just too soft to be placed with the others. Better ask them to wrap the items with paper especially if you're planning to give it as a gift. I was horrified when I opened my box at home....

Happy Lunar New Year

Kung Hei Fat Choy!!!

Wish you all the best in the year of Tiger with lots of luck and fortune!

***We saw an amazing lion dance at a Hong Kong style restaurant today.

New Haircut

Finally got time to have a haircut....chopped off my long hair since it took forever to dry and I really don't have forever to get dressed for work in the morning.

Ta-da~ My new hair style...

Honeymoon Gifts....

Sorry for neglecting Wickedly Sweet for a while, have been a bit busy...........and lazy lately.

My friend's back from her Asian/ Honeymoon trip and got me a bunch of goodies from Japan and Bangkok~

- Jill Stuart tote
- Slimity socks
- Eye drops
- Visee e/s palette
- Esprique foundation
- Crayon art nail polish
- False lashes
- Paris Kid's necklace
- Smurf tee from Bangkok (I ♥smurf + I ♥Thai Thai)


She said she got me the teddy bear necklace because the pendant looks like my travel buddy PoPo Bear, so sweet~ PoPo Bear has been traveling with me for 12 years, we've been to many different places together.

B, thank you so much for getting me all the goodies~

Another great gift from another great friend who just came back from her honeymoon in Europe. It's a hot chocolate on a stick..... it shaped like a chocolate lollipop, just need to put it in hot milk, stir and you got yourself a cup of hot sweet chocolate~ Thanks Jue!!!

Glossy Gift From Sephora

This lovely super shimmer lip gloss trio is a birthday gift from Sephora (one of the benefits for being a Sephora beauty insider)! There are 3 lip glosses in precious pink, rosy glow, and brozed beauty. All three colors look pretty and usable. I really like the size (7ml tube), perfect to fit in my little clutch which I use quite often recently. Thanks Sephora for this wonderful gift~

Rimmel SC Mascara On Sale @ SDM + Mini Haul

Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara bonus pack is on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart this week.....it's just $3.99! Walmart is selling this mascara for $6.98 without the bonus eye pencil. It's an amazing deal, grab it while you can~

Mini Haul :

• MAC eye shadow in Smoke & Diamonds
  
• Sally Hansen Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat
• NYC Nail Polish in 210B Chinatown
  
• Forever21 Wide Elastic Belt
  

1st Birthday Gift in 2009

Got a big package in my little mailbox today. It's a very special package because it's my first bday gift!!! ♥Thanks Stef ♥

• BeautyMaker BB Mineral Concealing Cream
• BeautyMaker Magic Compact Duo (bronze/highlight duo)
  
• False Lashes
  
• 3 Beauty Sponges
• Majolica Majorca Neo Automatic Liner in BR622

She bought all these lashes when she was in Taiwan and they are all "made by hand" as stated on the box. There are a box of the famous Princess Lee in black crossed style #7 and 3 boxes of Beauty (亮麗) including #167, A1 (invisible bands) and B1 (lower lashes with invisible bands). I haven't tried on any of them yet but I think I'll really like Beauty A1 and Princess Lee since those two are more natural looking.


I was shocked when I opened my mailbox today, shocked by the sight of my jampacked mailbox. I actually know about Stef's lovely bday package and I was expecting to receive a pick-up notification card like I usually do with my other parcels. I don't know why but the postman decided to jam this fairly big package into my little apartment mailbox. I seriously had to pull out all the letters underneath the package and then jiggled it out of my tiny mailbox. Anyways, the beautymaker magic compact duo came broken. Luckily, it just cracked a bit at the edge making the whole compact a bit powdery.


Stef, thank you so much for all the bday goodies! I'll definitely try the BB concealing cream tomorrow~

Missing You

July wasn't a very good month for me...

My dearest cat Tiger passed away on July 25th. He's very special and precious to me and my mom. I know he's in a better place now, but my heart still aches with sadness knowing that I won't be able to see him again.... I just miss him a lot...

Tiger, thank you for all the happy memories. You'll always be in my heart, I love you~

Honey Moisturizing Toner

Honey has been used in skin care since ancient Egypt. It is a natural humectant which has the ability to attract and retain moisture. I found a recipe for a honey moisturizing toner in Niuer's book and decided to give it a try.

This honey toner is surprisingly hydrating. I have been using it alone without applying any moisturizer after on my lazy stay-at-home summer days. I thought it'd be sticky but it's not. It smells wonderful, easy to absorb and it does a good job softening my skin.

Glycerin is not a must for this toner, you can simply use honey and water (ratio 1 : 20). Make a small batch and keep it in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

If you would like to learn more about honey and its benefits, check out http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/food/honey_cure.html

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Organic Honey, Glycerin, Preservative.

French Manicure - Quick & Easy Black

This is one of my favourite French manicure variations. The traditional French manicure is designed to resemble a natural nail with pink base and white tip. To give it a twist, I've used black instead of white for the French tip. I've also added silver glitter polish for a more elegant look and to hide any imperfections (I'm not very good at doing French tip, still practicing).

You'll need:
1. Base coat
2. Top coat
3. Black nail polish (eg. SkinFood Nail Vita BW705)

4. Silver glitter nail polish (eg. Ettusais Vacance Nail #8)
5. Toothpick

How to:

1. Apply base coat

2. Paint the tip with black polish, following the curve of your natural nail

3. Using a toothpick, apply silver glitter polish along the smile line

4. Finish with top coat

The Big Hair Affair

Lush.ca is offering a limited edition hair care trial kit which has 7 hair care products for just $15. I think it's perfect for those who are interested in trying Lush hair care products and can't decide which product to try 1st.



The kit includes 7 items :

• 1x H'suan Wen Hua hair moisturizer
• 1x Jungle Solid Conditioner 15g
• 1x Liquid Shampoo (Big - 30g / Curly Wurly - 20g)
• 1x Liquid Conditioner (American Cream - 15ml / Veganese - 15ml)
• 2x Solid Shampoo Bar 15g@ (Kama Komba/ Godiva/ Hybrid/ Seanik/ New/ Squeaky Green/ Ultimate Shine/ Soak N'Float/ Trichomania/ The Blonde)
• 1x Styling Gel 10g (King of Mods/ Goth Juice/ Big Tease)

Having problem choosing???

check out product reviews on MUA or Lush.ca

My Reviews:
Lush Shampoo Bar - Squeaky Green
More Lush Shampoo Bars - New! and Godiva
Lush Conditioner - Jungle

Lush Conditioner - Jungle

Jungle $8.95/100g

Jungle is the only solid conditioner at Lush, Amy got a big block of it and gave me some to try. Ingredients include cocoa butter, avocados, figs, bananas, passion fruit and kumquats etc. I found the easiest way to use is to get a chunk on my palm, mesh it into a paste with my thumb and then rub it with my hands and smear it on my hair.

Do not expect silky/slippery smooth hair after using it, but it does a good job softening and untangling my hair, much easier to comb through. However, I'm just not too fond of the scent. Smells like sunblock to me although it says "sweet, grassy scent" on Lush website. I just prefer fresh scent like citrus for my hair products, not a big fan of exotic tropical scent.

Repurchase? I'll have to say NO this time. I think it's a fine product, but it doesn't amaze me like the shampoo bars and I really don't like the smell of it. I'm still searching for the perfect natural conditioner, thinking of trying Kiss My Face next time~

*~1000

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my hard-working bunnies on the blog meter............1000, yes it's 1000!

I would like to thank everyone for visiting my blog! Your support means a lot to me, Thank you so much!

Happy Father's Day!!!

How to get up, eat breakfast and get ready for work in 5 mins!

***Thanks sweet_tracy for sharing this great video on BE forum

A funny yet practical video to share with your wonderful dad on his day. Amazement and laughter guaranteed.

Happy father's day everyone~

More Lush Shampoo Bars - New! and Godiva

Got two more Lush shampoo bars a while ago, haven't finished my squeaky green yet but I like it so much that I want to try some others. I was planning to get one bar only (kinda have my eye on the New! bar for a while), got two at last since they threw in a free tin if you buy two.

New! $9.95/55g

New! is packed with cinnamon and clove oil which help stimulating scalp and is great for hair growth. The bar smells like cinnamon which I like and it actually has cinnamon barks in it. It's vegan, paraben-free and SLS-free.

I love New!, I have to say it's my favourite Lush shampoo bar so far. My scalp and hair feel squeaky clean and refreshed after using it. It doesn't leave my hair with a strong cinnamon scent which I know some people don't really like (personally, I love the cinnamon scent). Like Squeaky Green, I do recommend using a conditioner afterwards. I can't tell about the hair growth part now (have to use it for a longer time to be able to tell), but my hair is less frizzy than before.

Godiva $10.5/55g

Godiva is one of Lush best sellers. I got this because of the free tin and the heavenly jasmine scent (it smells sooooo good). My whole bathroom smells like Jasmine now. It's a 2 in 1 bar which has chunks of conditioner in it. It does leave my hair softer compare to Squeaky Green and New!. Moreover, the fantastic scent actually lingers in my hair for the whole day.

I wasn't paying much attention on the ingredient lists when I bought it (obviously distracted by the jasmine scent), but it does contain SLS which could cause irritation. Although I absolutely adore the scent, I doubt that I'll buy it again.

MAC Cosmetics Friends and Family Sale - 25% off @ MacCosmetics.ca

Found this great deal @ SmartCanucks.ca:

"MAC Cosmetics Friends and Family Sale will take place from June 16th to 18th, 2009 online only (as far as I know) at MacCosmetics.ca. Get 25% off all MAC Cosmetics.

You need to use coupon code SUMO or SAVE25 to get your discount."

It's time to stock up with your favorite MAC products, enjoy shopping~