Summer Scrapbook 2012.3

Well, it's official. The school supplies are out at Walmart again which means that it's about to be the last leg of summer break. It's so depressing. However, I fully intend on making the most the rest of summer. I still have money to make, things to organize, and pounds to shed. I'll have to squeeze those in somewhere with my chilling, sleeping, cooking, crafting, sun enojying self. Here's a slight recap of the past couple of weeks.

Pizza Stuffed Peppers

If you took a look at my garden post you may have seen that banana peppers are one of the many fruits and vegetables that we are growing. As of recently, these plants have been fruiting faster than possible to eat to the point where we are giving them away to anyone that asks. Pickled banana peppers go great with pizza so I decided to stuff these with ingredients that mimic the flavors of pizza. It turned out great, and even my grandma who loves Filipino food was asking for more.

Recipe:
6 banana peppers, cut in half and seeded
1 can tomato sauce
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
black pepper to taste
1 medium tomato, cubed
4 slices mozzarella cheese

- Mix together tomato sauce and spices and set aside
- Align the banana peppers on a baking sheet with the sliced side facing up
- Spoon about a teaspoon of the sauce inside each pepper
- Spread the tomato evenly into the inside of the peppers
- Top each pepper with 1/3 slice of cheese
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden

Summer Vacation Essential Products Part 2

To follow up my hair and skin post, I wanted to include some of my favorite makeup and nail products for summer vacation.

1. Bright nail polish- for most of summer, in general, I try to incorporate as much color as possible in my face, nails, and clothes. Painting my nails a bright color is an easy way to do so. I am really liking yellow toenails at the moment because it makes me feel more youthful and carefree and coral nails which a still bright but a bit more subdued and polished.
2. Bright lipstick- this goes back to the color principle. Orange lips look fantastic with just a loose fitted white tee and denim shorts. I hate wearing something drying on the lips so these Revlon Lip Butters work really well for me.
3. Bright blush- yet again, another way to add color. This NYX cream blush is so vibrant in the pan but looks amazing on tan skin. Dabbing a small amount on with a brush helps it to last all day without being too oily and melting off so it works more like a stain than a cream.
4. Chapstick- an absolute necessity anywhere I go especially with SPF if you plan on being in the sun. Burned lips can be a day ruiner. I have a love hate relationship with this chapstick. I love how it is gigantic and has SPF 20, but I hate how it leaves a weird taste in your mouth. It'll have to make do for now.
5. BB Cream- I would normally go with a tinted moisturizer but I caved into the BB cream hype only because it has SPF built in. I don't have a strong opinion on this product yet because I have only used it once, but from the one time that I did use it I was upset at how oily it left my skin.
6. Bronzer- This is gross but if I get too tan my skin starts to look an ashy grey color. Bronzer helps to restore a nice glow to my skin. I am loving this NYX matte bronzer for contouring. It looks amazing without having to fork out them big bucks.
7. Waterproof mascara- probably the only real makeup that I wear to the pool or beach because I love long, thick lashes. I used to use this mascara ages ago and just rediscovered how much I like it recently. It makes my lashes gigantic, helps them hold curl, and stay put until you use a really nice makeup remover.

they're like little Filipino hot pockets

Empandas are not only something quick and convenient to eat but are also something that reminds me of my childhood. My dad used to make a baked version of the traditional filipino empanada which was so good that his friends would place orders for them. They were convenient to have in the dorms and my friends would refer to them as the Filipino hot pocket that I kept in my freezer. I realize now that you can fill them with whatever you like, for the most part, so I decided to make one lump of dough with two different fillings. Here are just some ideas to get your started.

I used THIS recipe for the dough and I brushed a little egg yolk on the top before baking so it comes out golden.

I serve everything with a side of hot sauce

chicken and cheese:
3 cubed and deboned chicken legs
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
2 T oil
1/4 c american cheese
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

chorizo and cheese:
2 chorizo sausages, casing removed
1 seeded jalapeno
1/2 medium onion
2T oil
1/4 c mexican crumbling cheese
salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper to taste

I pretty much just sauteed all ingredients together then added the cheese in before folding and baking. I can't wait to be more creative and see what recipes I come up with.

Summer Vacation Essential Products Part 1

I'm heading to Florida in about a week for my sister's graduation so my family decided to make a vacation out of it. We're renting a place right on the coast by some of the most beautiful beaches around. Needless to say, I'm extremely excited. There is sure to be a lot of swimming and I hope to come back with a tan to last me through most of the fall.

I know this may be a little late for some, but I wanted to talk about some of my essential vacation products if you plan on heading somewhere sunny. It turned out to be a lot more than I expected so I am splitting this up into two different posts. Let's start with hair and skin...

1. Sunscreen- This is pretty much a no brainer. Nobody wants skin cancer, right? SPF 30 works fine for me because I have darker skin, but if you are a bit fairer go for the heavy duty stuff. I will probably pick up some waterproof sunscreen in the near future as well.
2. Dry-Touch Sunblock- Most sunscreens tend to be on the oily side so I like to use something different on my face. I have a few decent sized samples of this which I have been trying out and really liking. It provides more protection than my normal sunscreen and you can use it by itself or under makeup just fine.
3. Aloe- Just in case you happened to get a bit burned, aloe is lovely to rub on those areas that need a little soothing. Store it in the refrigerator to give it an extra cooling effect. 
4. Body Butter- UV light can be very drying on the skin. Body butters help to add a deeper hydration when necessary.
5. Scrub- Exfoliation is key to healthy looking skin, and I will be showing a lot of skin. I have been using this product for ages both on my face and body. This scrub can get a bit rough on the face so I try not to use it every day but my elbows and knees are fair game whenever.
6. Anti-humidity hairspray- Most of the time, in warmer weather, I want to get my hair up and out of my face. I love how this hairspray holds strong without making your hair hard and keeps frizziness in control all day long.
7. Hair texturizer- Beach hair is absolutely gorgeous. A little bit of this product and your hair will hold for whatever you decide to do after.
8. Gel based moisturizer- This helps your skin feel hydrated without weighing you down. It's a must in the summer for me.
9. Cleanser for oily skin- Sweating and humid weather traps dirt and oil in your skin more than usual. It is nice to have a cleanser especially formulated to tackle oils.
10. Razor- I like to keep myself smooth and hair free. These Venus disposable razors are my favorite because they are fantastic quality without having to buy a long term razor. I am commitment phobic when it comes to anything so these are perfect for me.

until part two...

a few snips and some lace trim

On Wednesdays me and my mom both get out of work early so we make it a point to visit a thrift store close by. It's in not so nice of an area so if you can put of with some cat calls on the walk there it's totally worth the trip. This dress was half price making it a dollar and some change and it looked like it would fit me perfectly so I knew that I had to pick it up. I took up the length and added a lace collar which turned it into something a bit more my style.

a look inside my garden

One of my favorite things about summer is fresh flowers and produce. Watching things grow and evolve in my own backyard is something that I enjoy and look forward to year in and year out. I love the colors and scents that surround my house and even the birds and crazy looking bugs that they attract. As much as I enjoy purchasing produce from farmers markets, there's nothing like grilling vegetables that were picked not more than five minutes ago or trying out a bunch of peach recipes because you don't know what to do with so much ripe fruit. Here's a peak at what's growing in my backyard right now.