Sopes Al Pastor

Hello all!

My New Years Resolution is still going strong: 13 new dishes learned, 11 more to go! 

 

Since I didn't start blogging until recently, here is a list of the dishes I've already learned to cook this year: Butterflied Cornish Hens, Hot Wings, Dak Kang Jung (Korean Sweet & Crispy Wings) Kefta Kabob's,Hummus, Humba, Eggless Tiramisu, Pad Kra Pow, Fujian Fried Rice (Chinese Fried Rice with Gravy), Short Ribs with Tagliatelle, Lisa's Mushroom Burgers, Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork), and Al Pastor. Hungry yet?

 With access to all these sites with free, delicious recipes, I'm sure I'll find a few staples that I'll keep in my cookbook to use for years to come. And thank you to all those people whose recipes I found online, without whose help I'd be stuck just using the traditional cookbook!

This past Thursday (7/7/11), I decided to make Sopes Al Pastor. Although I did not make the sopes from scratch, I made sure to get an authentic recipe for the al pastor. Luckly, my co-worker, Letty, has a great recipe which she shared with me. Thanks Letty -- that recipe was so easy to make and more importantly, delish! No more buying the pre-marinated kind from the store that isn't that good. While I was at the store, I decided to also get some Mexican-fare essentials: salsa verde, refried black beans, queso fresco, and avocados (for some guacamole), to complete our meal.

Frying up the pork that I cut into bite-sized pieces!

Here I added the seasonings and pureed chipotles.

Time to fry the sopes.

Hot off the pan and ready to eat. Don't mind the no make-up look.

Missing our refried black beans.

Are you hungry yet?

Thanks for reading! If you have any question about this, or anything else, feel free to e-mail me.

Stay beautiful, and stay hungry!

Are you hungry yet?

Sigma Dry 'N Shape

Hi all!

Last week, I got to try my newest beauty products, 

both from Sigma Beauty: Dry 'N Shape and F80 Flat Top Kabuki. 

*Btw: you get a free gift from Sigma with a purchase of over $30.

First thing that I tested was the F80 brush.

For those of you who want to apply foundation flawlessly and effortlessly,

and even look as if it's been airbrushed, I suggest you purchase the F80 brush.

It's basically the the holy grail of brushes for applying foundation.

I don't think I'll be using any other brush to apply my foundation

(unless of course Sigma comes out with a new and even better one).

Free gift travel size E25, F80 brush, and Dry 'N Shape

F80 Flat Top Kabuki $16

Dry 'N Shape $29 which can also be used as a brush roll.

Free gift! Travel size E25 Blending Brush that I have yet to try.

Brush cleaning:

Brushes ready to be cleaned!

Wash brushes with a mild soap such as baby shampoo, 
and rinse under water until it runs clear. 
(Notice the detail of the pellets of water -- cameras these days!)

Remove excess water from brushes by wrapping in a towel.

Make sure all the brush hairs remain in the band 
(FYI: the tighter the band, the faster the brush will dry. 
Thanks for the tip @simone_sigma).

Dried and shaped by Sigma's Dry 'N Shape. 
Can you tell they've been reshaped?

Brushes ready to be used again.

Unfortunately I did not stay home and wasn't able to time how long it took for the brushes to dry. But when I did get home, all of the brushes, even the thicker ones, were completely dried and reshaped, as you can see in the pictures. 

In conclusion: this system will help speed the process of cleaning your brushes faster, while also extending the life of your brushes. I used to dread having to clean my make-up brushes because I'd have to wait for them to dry over night, but now, the time is cut down to 4-6 hours. Wash them at lunch, and they'll be ready for use at night!

For more information about Sigma products, check out their website: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/

Thanks for reading! Stay beautiful, and stay hungry!