Spring Break Chillin' at Nature's Brew

I'm at Nature's Brew right now hoping to get some work done. It's located about a mile from the University of Southern California (the campus is small, but nevertheless beautiful if you haven't visited!).

It's spring break! And I just came back from a four-night cruise to Mexico with a couple friends, so my goal for today is to finish editing some photos and reflect on my travels, so I can share my experiences with you all!

I ordered the Vegan Sandwich, which features sweet and spicy yams, pickled beets, grilled bell pepper, red onions, roasted eggplant, and a house-made lemon garlic veganise for a perfect combination of sweet and tangy. I also got a quinoa salad, which is also delicious! The lemony and slight curry flavor left my tastebuds feeling absolutely delighted. Furthermore, the crunch of the water chestnut along with the grainy texture of the quinoa was delicious!

[KLAIRS] Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil Review

Living in Los Angeles, my skin gets exposed to so much dirt and pollution in the air, so skincare has become something that I’ve been concerned over more and more. Since we only have one chance to take care of our skin, I recently decided to invest in better skincare products that are gentler and more natural. 

I mentioned in my WishTrend post that I had purchased the Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil. I’ve been using this product for the last few weeks, so I thought it’s about time to do a review on it!

The Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil contains an assortment of various oils that are great for your skin! These include:

• Black bean oil - helps control sebum production, increases skin elasticity
• Black sesame oil - prevents dehydration and aging of skin, has antioxidant effects
• Black currant seed oil - helps keep skin moist, promotes skin cell regeneration

All of this information I found on WishTrend’s website, which is another reason I love this store. I learn so much about the product as well as what the benefits of various ingredients!

So... conclusion 

Would I buy recommend it? 

Yes!! I feel like my skin has become so much softer and smoother from using the cleanser these past few weeks. 

Furthermore, the cleansing oil is really fun to use! All you do is pump a small amount of the oil onto dry hands and massage it onto your face. When you rinse with lukewarm water, the oil transforms into a milky consistency! Love it!

Adding water.... !!!

So now that I've shared by thoughts on the oil cleanser, I have some March promotions for you from Wishtrend!

1. Coupon code for 10% off! WISHMAR2015 Shopping cart order must be over $55 and can't be combined with any other discount or voucher.
2. Special gift voucher code for 1 Full size IPOO Smell Cover Oil in Baby Powder scent WISHGIFTMAR2015

One consideration at the moment though—should I buy a regular cleanser as well? I’ve heard before that oil and regular cleansers clean your face differently… any suggestions?

Also! I haven’t done many beauty product reviews, but I’m hoping to do more in the future! Would you guys be interested in that? 

Year of the Goat: Baked Chinese New Year Cake Recipe

Chinese New Year was last Thursday, and for the most part, I spent the day pretty celebration-free. I did some social media work for my internship, visited my school’s Startup Career Fair, and called each of my relatives in China. I didn’t do much, but I'm thankful for a time to reflect and appreciate family and friends among many other blessings of the previous (lunar) year.

Although I wasn’t able to celebrate on Thursday, I did celebrate with some friends on Saturday. As college students, I was surprised by all the incredible dishes that everyone bought! We had such incredible goodies as dumplings, steamed fish, eggplant, curry, and niangao (me!).

Anyways, enough with what I've been eating! I’m here to share my mom's baked niangao recipe, which I brought to the potluck! Earlier last year (and half a year late), I shared the more traditional steamed niangao recipe, but I think this recipe is also really delicious! 

The niangao recipe is obvious not the most healthy recipe, but seeing as to how it's the new year, I don't see why we shouldn't enjoy ourselves a bit! You know the 80/20 rule?

Baked Niangao Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of glutinous rice flour (16oz)
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups of milk (I used 2%)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1 stick butter)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix very thoroughly. If you have an electric mixer, blend on high for a couple minutes. If you're like me and don't have one, combine the dry and wet ingredients separately and then slowly add the wet to the dry mixing thoroughly in between.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown and center is cooked through.

This baked niangao is super delicious and has a mild sweetness to it. With the glutinous rice flour, it's also pretty filling! Try the recipe and let me know how it goes!

Hope you all have a great Year of the Goat!