Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The Miracle Seed

Best things come in small packages, just like the super-food: pomegranate. Pomegranates may not be the fist thing you reach for at a supermarket, but it is definitely something you would want to consider on your next trip to the market.

Drinking pomegranate juice benefits our health and skin in many ways. It is one of the few fruits whose juice is beneficial to us. If you drink a glass of pomegranate juice everyday, your skin will start glowing instantaneously. 

Here are some benefits to this miracle seed:

1. Anti-Aging
Pomegranates can rejuvenate your skin internally as well as externally. The oil from the skin strengthens your skin which helps reduces wrinkles.

2. Protection against Skin Cancer
This miracle seed contains anti-oxidants which helps you from skin cancer. It also reduces the effects of sunburns and soothes your skin.

3. Skin-Inflammation
If you are suffering from skin inflammation than use pomegranate seeds to soothe your skin. Many experts recommend pomegranate oil to heal small cuts or skin problems. They also leave no trace of the cut on the skin.

Invest in good beauty products that contain promagrante as their key ingredient.



So, put away those greasy bag of chips and reach out for that handful of pomegranate seeds.

SweetReadings :)

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Cooking with Bibi - Chicken Yakisoba

You will not see a lot of this, but once in a while, I like to surprise myself and my husband in the kitchen.

For Christmas this year, I decided to treat my family and friends with a nice cooked meal. I decided to make Chicken Yakisoba.

This recipe was quick and easy to do. It had loads of vegetables and the sauce was a mixture of sweet and sour. Personally, I love the spice, so I added two extra spoons of Sriracha sauce. If you prefer less spice you can stick with one spoon.

Overall, this meal won me many compliments from the family. Now, I'm debating whether I should continue with this kitchen business. What do you think ?
This meal serves 6 people

Ingredients
  • ½ head green cabbage
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 5 mushrooms
  • 1 small crown broccoli 
  • 2 inches fresh ginger 
  • 1 large chicken breast 
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 
  • 2 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles
  • seasoning packets discarded 
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (optional) 
  • ¼ cup soy sauce 
  • ¼ cup worcestershire sauce 
  • 2 Tbsp ketchup 
  • (up to) 1 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce 
  • 1 Tbsp sugar 

Instructions
  1. Before you begin, prepare the meat and vegetables for stir frying. Peel the ginger with either a vegetable peeler or the side of a spoon and then grate it with a cheese grater. Peel and grate the carrots with a large holed cheese grater. Remove the core from the cabbage and cut into thin strips. Slice the onion into thin strips. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
  2. Begin boiling a medium pot full of water for the noodles. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the grated ginger, saute for about 30 seconds to one minute (its okay if it sticks to the pan but don’t let it burn). Add the chicken strips and cook until they are no longer pink (about five minutes).
  3. Once the chicken is cooked through, add all of the vegetables. Stir and cook until wilted (about 5-10 minutes). Meanwhile, once the water boils, add the noodles and cook just until tender (2-3 minutes). Drain, return to the pot (with the heat turned off) and toss with the sesame oil to keep from sticking.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sriracha, and sugar. Use only ½ tsp of sriracha if you don’t want it spicy, use up to 1 Tbsp if you like it hot. Stir until the ketchup and sugar are dissolved. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the chicken and vegetables with the heat still on medium high. Add the noodles, stir to coat everything in the sauce, and heat through (just a few minutes).

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Product Review - Argan Creamy Oil Cleansing Treatment

As you all probably know my obsession for Josie Maran's Argan Oil, so here comes another statement about one of her products:
Josie Maran's Argan Cleansing treatment is an excellent product and gentle on the skin. It removes all my makeup and leaves my skin glowing.

It is a cleansing treatment balm, paired with a double sided cleansing cloth, that helps eliminate impurities while hydrating and nourishing the skin.

This treatment is safe for all skin types and for anyone who wants to have clean, nourished, and hydrated skin.

What I love about this balm is that it does not leave your skin sticky or oily. The end result is fine and touchable skin. When removing the cream of your face, you can actually see the residues on the cloth. The only down side to the product is that, it comes with a small piece of cloth.

Overall, I gave this product a 4 star

The Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Treatment can be purchased at Sephora
http://www.sephora.com/argan-cleansing-treatment-cloth-P377569

SweetReadings :)

Friday, December 19, 2014

5 Ways to Make your Perfume Last Longer

I love my perfumes, and I love how it lingers around me. Most perfumes have a unique smell when it touches our skin. Of all the senses, the sense of smell is the most powerful and the most passionate one. You don't want that scent to disappear after just a few hours or even a few minutes.

There are 5 easy ways to make sure your perfume last longer.
1. Apply your perfume right after your shower.
  - When you take a shower your pores open up, due to the steam. Apply your perfume right after the  shower. Your pores will soak in the scent and smell much better.

2.  Moisturize your skin.
 - You don't want to put perfume on your dry skin. So moisturize it! Make sure it looks glowing and healthy.
3.  Don't rub your wrists together.
  - Rubbing your wrists together after your spray your perfume actually breaks up the perfume and makes the scent fade faster.

  4.  Apply at pulse points.
  - Easy and quickest way to make the scent stick, apply on both pulse points on your wrists and behind the ears.

5.  Choose a strong scent.
  - When you are picking a perfume, try to choose strong base notes. Notes such as vanilla,   pine, and musk generally tend to last longer.







There you go! All the above tips work like a charm :)
What other tricks do you have?

SweetReadings :)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Mouth watering Red Velvet Cupcakes

So let's face it, I am not a cook nor a baker, however, I definitely have the best taste buds in town. My sister-in-law makes the best and tasteful red velvet cupcakes. So today, I decided to share with you her recipe for this mouthwatering treat.  

INGREDIENTS
For Cupcakes
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour 
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar 
For Frosting
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
DIRECTIONS
For Frosting
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.
Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.
 
For Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
  2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
  3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
  4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
  5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

    Gel-paste food color is much more concentrated than the supermarket liquid variety; if you substitute the liquid, you may need to add an entire bottle (1.5 ounces) to achieve the desired shade.  

    From a classic cupcake to cookies, there is a red velvet dessert to match this holiday season

    SweetReadings :)