Tortilla de Patatas

Hello lovelies,
I just want to say 2 things at the beginning: 1st special HELLO to new subscribers, welcome and thanks for reading my blog, hope you enjoy reading  as much as I enjoy writing them. 2nd thank you to all of YOU who read and take time to write a comment or just say hi. reading them makes me smile all the time, so again thank you :) 

Hope you all having a great week so far, mine is so so. kinda feeling sad for no reason at all and it bothers me a lot, because I am not usually like that. I don't know... 

Ok enough about me now and let's talk about Tortilla de Patatas. this is a Spanish dish and basically it is an omelette with potatoes. I added some eggplants to the original recipe. you could add any other kind of vegetables you are in the mood for. now let's get to the recipe, shall we:

Ingredients:

6 gold potatoes

2 medium size Red onions

5-6 eggs

1 small eggplant diced 

3/4 cup olive oil 

First peel and slice the potatoes into thin rounds, do the same for onions. wash them in cold water and pat dry them.

In a frying pan add the olive oil, let it heat on medium for about a minute. then add the potatoes and onions. stir very gently for about 3 minutes. add the diced eggplants and cook them all for about 5 minutes. they should not get brown, just soften. 

Drain the mixture in a large bowl and keep the oil aside.

In another bowl mix the eggs with salt and pepper. then pour the eggs over the potatoes mixture. they should be covered well, if not add one more beaten egg.

From the olive oil that you kept, take 1 tablespoon and add it to a frying pan over medium heat, add the potatoes-egg mixture.

When the eggs are set, turn the omelet over, add a bit more oil so both sides get golden.

when both sides are done, slide to a plate or slice them and serve them warm.

This is such an easy and yummy meal, we have something similar to that in Persian dishes and is called potato cake (کوکو سیب زمینی‌). hope you try and enjoy it as well :)

Have a great Thursday everyone,

Mania

Summer Besties

Hello lovelies,

Hope you all having a great day wherever you are,I decided to a tag which is been going around in youtube mostly and also in some blogs. it is about some of my favorite summer items in beauty and fashion categories:  

Favorite Summer Items

1. Lip product

2. Blush

3. Nail polish

4. Liquid face product

5. Powder face product

6. Hair product

7. Eye product

8. Self Tanner (or any tanning item)

9. Fashion accessory

10. Clothing piece

1. Lip product my favorite or most used lip product is "Soft Nude" & "Nude Attitude" lipsticks by Revlon usually in weekdays when I go to office; and for the weekend I try to use the other side of spectrum like "In the Red" by Revlon or "Speak louder" by mac.

2. For Blush I intend to wear more cream blushes like "Natural" by NYX which is a very nice creamy pink color with no shimmer. and as powder ones I use more pink-peachy colors like "Orgasm" by Nars.

3. Nail Polish which I did an extended post here, but mostly I've been wearing hot pink or nude tones.

4. For liquid face product the one and only Estee Lauder double wear foundation which I talked about here in details.

5. In powder face product I would say that I rarely set my make up with powder ( because it is unnecessary in my case), and if I use, it would be a translucent powder by Physician Formula.

6. For Hair product is basically nothing, I shampoo everyday ( I know it is not good but since I workout  almost everyday, doing shampoo is inevitable) I use my regular hair stuff nothing special for summer. I usually do not use hair dryer in summer times. let them air dry and the conditioner that I use after shampoo is quite moisturizing enough, so I don't get frizzy dry hair. 

7. My favorite eye product of summer will be Estee Lauder cream shadows which are great, stay put  ( talked in more details here). and also Bobbie Brown gel liners, they stay on all day and are also great for waterline.

8. Self tanner is a big NO for me, I use bronzer on my face all the time if that counts and my favorite is Soleil Tan de Channel.  bronzer posts in more details are here and here.

9. My favorite and most used fashion accessories would be rings, I don't use them a lot in winter times because of gloves and  my habit of losing them. but love me some big chunky colorful rings.they always cheer me up.

10.my Favorite clothing piece would be maxi dresses, I wore them a lot this summer because they are super light and comfortable. here some of my favs and most worn. sometimes I belt them also :)

So that would be all for me, I tag everyone of you, I always enjoy reading other people favorite stuff. 
Have a great Tuesday & splendid summer everyone :)
Mania

Menu Plan Monday

Hello lovelies, 

hope you all had a great weekend. we went for hiking on Saturday which was really good. it was 13 km of round trip. it was a little bit difficult because the trail were mostly rocks but it was really beautiful, specially when we got to the top. and on Sunday we just stayed home and relaxed with some friends and in the afternoon we all went to see the last Harry Potter movie. 

But now back to Mondays' subject and that is what to eat this week.  so let's get down to that:

Monday :  Falafel and Tabouli Wrap

Tuesday : Tortilla de Patatas

Wednesday : Apricot-Orange Chicken with Almonds

Thursday : Baked Manicotti 

Friday:  Spaghetti with meatballs

I  also participate in Laura's Menu Plan Monday post. as the week progresses I will update this post with the pictures and if you like to know more details about any of the recipes please let me know ;)

Have a great week everyone :)
Mania

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

30 days sugar challenge

Hello lovelies,

well as I told you, Monday was my last day of 30 days sugar free challenge. and I am very proud to say that I finished it successfully. I personally know that I had sugar addiction and never denied it, I ate at least one piece of cake everyday because first I love cakes and 2nd I love baking. I also have very soft spot for ice-creams in hot summer nights. and that's it, not a chocolate fan or anything. 

We all know that sugar is bad for the health and it causes a slow and unnoticeable damage through out the years, so I will not go into that subject.

But it is not easy to quite sugar because we all know everything with sugar taste good and makes us happy. I did not think I could do it, specially the first week was the hardest, It affected me both physically and emotionally. the first days I was literally shaking ( which started around 3 pm) and no matter how many fruits I took it was not enough. 

After a while craving was almost gone, there were still times that I really wanted something, the crazy situations were when I wanted something that I barely eat on normal days (like chocolate). but eventually you kinda forget the taste of sweet stuff and it would get easier. 

One of the hard parts was with being with friends and they were all trying not have anything sugar related in front of me, and which made me uncomfortable because I hate to be the cause of suffering in other people and I was really ok with not having sugar myself.

Now it is finished, the fist sip of sugar I had was a huge shock to me and I said " I can't have this it is too much sugary for me!!". but I am not gonna lie sugar will always will be the part of my life, however this challenge definitely affected my habit in a good way.

Now I don't crave sugar like a crazy addict, I had a small piece of blueberry muffin yesterday ( which I baked myself) and that was it as far as my cake addiction. I had Nutella  for breakfast though and a slice of Kit-Kat and that was it since Monday. 

I pay more attention to labels now, try to avoid the unnecessary sugar as much as possible. take things like pistachio, almonds, walnuts ( all those healthy stuff) as snack which are quite satisfying. 

For me this challenge was turned out to be very positive, and as I see it the less you eat the less you crave.

So break a habit and start a new step to a better health all you out there :) I am sure you will like what you see at the end.

Hope you all have a great day, and by the way here is almost 45C which is crazy for Montreal but me loving every second of it :)

Mania

My Holy Grail Foundation

Hello lovelies,

today I wanted to talk about my favorite foundation, which I've been using since January for almost every day. and I have to say this is by far the best.

I am personally very impressed with double wear line from Estee Lauder, so far I tried their eye pencil, under eye concealer, cream eyeshadows. and one of my favorites from the line is Estee Lauder double wear and my color is Tawny.

It gives a medium to full coverage with matte finish and stays on my skin all day. even in humid summer days that we had these past weeks. I rarely use concealer with that since it covers everything perfectly. I heard from people that it dose not photographs well ( with flash & everything) but I had my photo taken at Estee Lauder counter and I think it was not bad at all.

Just some  important points to keep in mind:

It is a heavy foundation ; I only use 2 dots for all of my face ( yes really and it is enough) and if I use a lot it will show and looks cakey and bad; so be careful with that.  sometimes if I feel that it looks unnatural and heavy I use a wet sponge to blend them all in. 

It dry pretty fast, so I just do sides of my face one at a time in order to get it blend before drying. 

It does not come with a pump! which is bad but I heard the MAC pumps fit very well so if that is an issue for you it is fixable. 

If you have a very dry skin, before applying this foundation, moisturize very well!

I  love this product and highly recommend it specially for oily skins. so if your are looking for a good, long lasting foundation try this one, you won't be disappointed :)

Have a great day everyone,

Mania 

Menu Plan Monday

Hello lovelies, 

hope you all had a great weekend. here was super HOT and sunny and had great times.We painted our kitchen which was a starting point in our "paint the whole place project"; it was really hard but the final result was so nice that I forgot all about the painting itself ( I took some before-after pictures which will come soon).

Today is also my last day of Sugar Free Challenge, I have to say I did not expect to finish but I did and I feel amazing :). detail post on that will come soon ( definitely this week). 

 But now back to Mondays' subject and that is what to eat this week.  so let's get down to it:

Monday : Kabab Koobide (Persian dish)

Tuesday : Falafel and Tabouli Wrap

Wednesday : Linguini Pasta with tuna

Thursday : Chicken stir fry

Friday:  Ravioli Lasagna

I  also participate in "Joy in my kitchen" Menu Plan Monday post. as the week progresses I will update this post with the pictures and if you like to know more details about any of the recipes please let me know ;)

Have a great week everyone :)

Mania

Monday

Tuesday

My favorite and not so favorite bronzer-Part2

Hello Lovelies,

here is the part2 of my face bronzer post, the 1st post is here:

the 3rd favorites are:

-Rhoda which is really a face powder but it's in a dark color, has a very soft texture and  blends very well.

-Revlon color stay Mineral finishing powder, on the back it says it suppose to be all over face powder but I use it as a bronzer. it has little bit of shimmer and it's my winter bronzer.

-Cargo OneBase concealer+ foundation which I got the time when Sephora were discontinuing this brand for under 10$ I think. it's a cream product in a really dark color but since it's cream it blends very well and it's perfect for contouring. and it stays put all day. 

-Joe fresh stick in Bronze, this is Canadian brand by the same guy who is one of the founder of Club Monaco (one of the brands which I have a slight obsession with). I got it last summer and it was around 6$ I think. I hate the smell but it's just a cream shimmery bronzer.it goes on very nicely but wish they had more colors.

-Natural Origin 2-in-1 Bronzer and Blush in color light by Physician formula, I love this brand, I never got disappointed by any of their stuff, both colors are very nice and soft. I used a lot in winter but I think it's getting too light for me now. 

-Bronzer mousse by Vichy which I talked about here. 

And here are the disappointments :(

-Nars in Casino: I think I got disappointed by this because I had high expectations of it ( yes being Nars and everything). I got it about 2 years ago. they come in 3 colors and when I was at the counter the lady suggested this is my color. it blends very hard and has orange undertones.if I am not careful I could end  with very intense orange color!! I kinda get used to it now and I use it with the lightest hand ever. but still it is a disappointment to me.

-Ooh La Rouge blush compact duo by Too Faced, I got it during winter time, the blush color is fine but the bronzer which suppose to be for contouring does not have any color. it is more of beige color rather than bronze and I don't know on what skin color would show ( maybe the most fair skins)!!

-Pink Leopard by Too Faced, which I can summarize as a pink-slightly bronzed disco ball. it has too much shimmer and its color comes more pink. it could be used as a light highlighter though ( use with very light hand). I used it once as a bronzer and took it off immediately :( now I just open it once in a while and look at it because it is so pretty but not on my face just in the package ;)

Hope this was helpful, wish you all a great Wednesday

Mania

Menu Plan Monday

Hello lovelies, 

hope you all had a great weekend. here was warm and sunny and had great times with friends. But now back to Mondays' subject and that is what to eat this week.  so let's get down to it:

Monday : Feta-olive stuffed chicken

Tuesday : Striped bass with mushrooms

Wednesday :   Chicken and cheese enchiladas

Thursday : Spicy sausage and potato

Friday:  Grilled chicken Cesar Salad

I  also participate in Laura's Menu Plan Monday post. as the week progresses I will update this post with the pictures and if you like to know more details about any of the recipes please let me know ;)

Have a great week everyone :)

Mania

Monday

Wednesday

Thursday

Bass with mushrooms

This is delicious meal that I cooked few weeks ago, it is with bass but you could use any other type of fish. the key part is the sauce, it is so creamy and tastes really good. also this amount is good for 4 serving.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme ( I did not had fresh so i used dry)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup of white mushroom, sliced
4 bass fillets
2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley or chives for topping
take a large skillet and heat up the butter on medium heat. add the shallots and thyme and cook for about 6 minutes ( till the shallots are soft). season with salt and pepper.

add the mushrooms and cook for about 5-7 minutes (till they get slightly brown)

 take another skillet and heat the oil over medium heat. season your bass fillets with salt and pepper and add it to the oil, cook for 3-4 minutes till they become crispy, then transfer it to the plate.

Now add the wine to the same skillet you used for fish, cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes. then add the cream and simmer to thicken slightly for 3-4 minutes.

pour the cream sauce over the mushrooms in the skillet

then add the fish. let it cook for 5-7 minutes. then add the parsley. hope you try and enjoy this one.

Have a great day everyone :)
Mania

Lancome gift with purchase at The Bay 2011

Hello lovelies,

It's time for another gift with purchase, from Lancome (July 7- 31). all the details are shown at the picture below. I really don't care that much about Lancome and honestly for someone like me ( not being a fan and all)  I have a tons of Lancome products sitting in my drawer; I think they are really overpriced (I tried their foundation, eye-shadow paletts, lipsticks and lipgloss, mascara). although I must say I love their perfume specially Hypnôse Senses Eau de parfum. their new collection which is coming in September I guess is just gorgeous and I have my eyes on this blush. so I won't be buying anything this time but if you're a Lancome fan or need something it's a good time to check your Lancome counters.

Happy shopping!

Mania

Tres Leches Cake

I baked this cake long long time ago and I posted it once but for some reason blogger ate it, I did not know it was that good. anyhow I contacted them several times, mainly to ask "where is my post" where they did not answer any of them. so I kinda did hunt Google for a a few weeks and saw a lot of people had the same problem as me and they did not know to just wait for them to fix the problem or they should just redo the post. now it's been over 2 months and I think if they wanted to fix it, it should 've been done by now. so on side note I really dislike (close to hate )blogger and the way they handled their shut down situation. 

I think I baked it at Cinco de Mayo weekend. it is a Spanish cake that I had once baked by one of my friends (she is originally from Venezuela ) and it was SO good. it is not like any ordinary cake, so moist and due to its ingredients it has a very special taste. If you never had these, you need to try; believe me it is worth it :)
I will now stop rambling and start the recipe. it has 2 steps one is the cake preparation and while the cake is baking or cooling you have time to make the topping.
Ingredients for the cake :

1 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


First heat the oven at 350 F and grease your pan,best would be a rectangular one ( like 13x9 inch)  

Then in a large bowl, mix egg yolks with  sugar  and mix till they become a light yellow color ( for about 5 minutes), very gently add the milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder. mix them well at low speed or with a spatula, then set aside. 

In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites till they form peaks.make sure to use clean mixing handles.  

Gently add the egg yolk mixture to the egg whits and mix slowly with a spatula. then pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean from the center. take it out from the oven and let it cool down on a rack. 

Ingredients for the topping:

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup  whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons dark Cuban rum ( you could skip this one though)

1/2 cup of whipped cream + 2 tablespoon of fine sugar  ( already mixed and thick)

In a large bowl, mix the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream, vanilla extract, and rum, whisking until well blended. the result is a liquid cream, it is not dense. 

Once the cake is completely cooled, poke the cake thoroughly (every 1cm) with a toothpick, just be careful not to tear the cake. this whole is for the topping to absorbs to the cake. put  the cake  a baking sheet to prevent the syrup all over the place. very slowly pour the syrup over the top of the cake, and let it absorbs then pour again to prevent the overflow. then use the tick version of whipped cream and spread it all over the surface. 

Cover it and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before you serve.

As I told you this no ordinary cake,I am sure you won't be disappointed. I already made plans to bake this after my sugar free challenge is over.

Enjoy!
Mania