Spoon and Fork - The Queensway

For my birthday, my boyfriend and I decided to go out for dinner. We were originally planning on going to one of our favourite Thai restaurants, but then we remembered that a while ago we had passed a combination Japanese and Thai restaurant at the corner of Kipling and The Queensway that we kept meaning to try out.

Both my boyfriend and I love Thai food; however, between the two of us I am the only one who likes sushi.

It was a pretty last minute idea and being around Christmas (December 15) we didn't really think that we would get a reservation. We called anyway and the man that answered was more than happy to fit us in.

We arrived 10 minutes early to make sure that we wouldn't lose our reservation and were seated right away (even though the restaurant was very busy). Generally on the weekends it's a good idea to make reservations or the wait time can be very long.

Now, Spoon and Fork has 2 different menus: a standard dinner menu and an all -you-can-eat menu. We opted for the AYCE menu.

Our server was Junior N. He quickly took our drink orders and gave us a few minutes to go over the menu. I started with a combination of sushi dishes and my boyfriend started with their pad thai. Our drinks came right away and our food followed a few minutes later. Honestly, the food came so fast that at first I thought they had given us someone else's order, but it was our orders.

All of the food that we ordered that night was delicious. My boyfriend stuck mainly to the Thai menu (pad thai, mango salad, rice, etc.), while I ordered mainly from the sushi menu with a few Thai dishes thrown in.

The wait staff came around constantly to keep our table clean, remove any of the empty dishes and made sure that our drinks were full. All of the staff were very friendly and accommodating.

Our entire meal, including drinks, was less than $80 for 2 people.

The only suggestion for this place would be to up the lighting level a tiny bit. It can seem a bit too dark at times, but this is the only negative thing that I have to say about this place.

We will definitely be going back!

Pinty's Wings - Whisky Mustard

A few weeks ago my boyfriend's parents decided to make pizza and wings for dinner. His mother bought a box of Pinty's Whisky Mustard wings and baked them in the oven along with the pizza.

This product claims the following features:

- The ultimate pub experience in a box
- Authentic Flavours in a variety of sauce pouches
- Total customization
- Enjoy the wings plain
- Sauce them
- Dip them
- Premium jumbo roasters
- Fully cooked
- Series of booze infused flavours

While the outer coating did become nicely crispy in the oven, the first thing I noticed when I bit into my first piece was just how much fat was covered by the coating. The entire outside of the chicken was covered in a thick layer of fat that bonded itself to the coating and to the chicken, which made it nearly impossible to remove. It honestly seemed to be more fat than chicken.

The chicken itself wasn't bad. It stayed moist (probably in part to the gross amount of fat) and tasted like chicken. I didn't really find the chicken to have a "series of booze infused flavours", most of the flavour came from the sauce. I'm a dipper so without the sauce, the only flavour the wings had on their own was salt and pepper.

I didn't really find the sauce to be much different than any other honey mustard sauce. I couldn't really pick up any notes of booze in the sauce.

With all of this aside, the most disappointing feature of these wings came after I had eaten a few wings. I picked up my next wing and noticed something white on the side. At first I thought it was only some of the fat that had gotten through the outer coating, but upon closer inspection I found that there were FEATHERS still attached to the wings! Every wing that was left in my plate and my boyfriends plate had varying amounts of feathers, but they were still on EVERY SINGLE WING!

Quite honestly, I don't think I will ever buy Pinty's wings again. For $10 I can go to the grocery store and get the same amount of wings (minus the feathers and huge amount of fat), instead of shelling out $14.00 for fatty, feathery wings.

Bodylogix Shake

Recently on a trip to my fiance's house (I generally spend the weekend there) I forgot to bring my protein powder with me. We made a quick trip to Shoppers Drug Mart and picked up a 4 pack of these shakes in the Vanilla Ice Cream flavour.

The ingredients are : Filtered Water, Protein Blend ( Milk Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate), Sunflower, Safflower and/or Canola Oil, Maltodextrin, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Natural and Artificial Flavours, Soy Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Acesulfame Potassium (35mg/414mL), Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides, Sucralose (21mg/414mL), Carrageenan, and Salt.

Each shake has 170 calories and 25 grams of protein.

This product advises you to shake before consuming. I shook mine for 3 or 4 minutes. My first shake started out ok, very smooth and frothy, but as I got half way through the shake I started getting small clumps. By the end of the first shake the clumps got larger and when I was finished I noticed that the bottom of the bottle had a large chunk left (it was about the same diameter as the bottle and about 1/2" thick).

The second shake we shook periodically throughout the night (at least a combined time of two hours of shaking), but the results were still the same.

I have to say that the taste of this protein shake is very appealing. It had a pleasant vanilla flavor, however it didn't really make up for having a giant solid mass at the bottom of every bottle. I understand settling and don't mind the odd small chunk, but you should at least be able to get rid of the solid pieces.

This is a product that I will not be buying again, unless they can change the formulation to make it clump less.

Chocolite Finally! Caramel Chocolate Nougat

These Chocolite bars make a great snack when I'm craving something sweet. You can buy the packages individually or in a box with 16 individual packages. There are two pieces per package and each piece of the caramel chocolate nougat is 30 calories. Each flavor can have a different calorie count which is conveniently written right on the box and on each individual package. The great thing about this is that if you buy these at The Low Carb Grocery you generally get 5x the rewards points.

    

 

Ingredients are: oligofructose, erythritol, polydextrose, maltitol, fractionated palm kernel oil, cocoa, cocoa butter, milk protein concentrate, chocolate liquor, egg albume, maltodextrine, heavy cream, glycerin, calcium carbonate, milk fat, sodium caseinate, natural & artificial flavours, invertase, salt, soy lecithin, disodium phosphate, and sucralose.

The caramel chocolate nougat is my favorite flavor. It contains a light chocolate nougat on top of a thin layer of dense, chewy caramel all covered in a layer of chocolate. The individual packaging makes them very convenient to throw in your bag if you're on the go. They're a fast snack when you don't feel like preparing anything and very satisfying.

I will definitely be buying these again!

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Egg - Chocolate

I bought this product after I had finished my Jay Robb Egg Protein. I was placing an order at  The Low Carb Grocery and needed a quick replacement for my breakfasts . This one just happened to be on sale so I decided to try it, especially since it gave me bonus points! This product comes in a chocolate flavor and also a vanilla custard flavor. I will review the chocolate flavor.

This protein comes in a 909 gram tub. Each tub contains 27 servings (each serving is one scoop - which is included). I make my shakes with 6 oz of water and one scoop of protein powder.

Ingredients are: Egg albumen, cocoa (processed with alkali), artificial flavour, lecithin, sucralose, and aminogen.

When mixed with water this protein shake tastes very similar to chocolate milk (although a little thinner in texture). It claims to be "INSTANTIZED to mix easily with a spoon" and it is very easy to mix with a spoon, you will get most of the lumps out. When blended, it doesn't get as thick and milkshake-like as the Jay Robb Egg Protein but does come out very smooth in a very short amount of time. I use water, but I assume it would come out a lot thicker if you blended it with milk.

This product is very convenient if I have a very short amount of time for breakfast. It tastes good, mixes quickly and fills me up pretty well. This is definitely a product I would try again

Miracle Noodles/ Miracle Rice (Shirataki Noodles)

I had heard about Miracle Noodles through many HCG forums and was looking for something to buff up my meals so I decided to give them a try.  The three types that I use are Fettuccine, Angel Hair and Rice.

Miracle Noodles (also known as Shirataki Noodles) are thin, translucent traditional Japanese noodles that are very low carb and low calorie. They are made from the konjac yam and are largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber. They have no taste on their own but will absorb the flavors of whatever they are prepared with. On the HCG diet they are considered a "free food" and can be eaten at any time.

The packages that I buy come from The Low Carb Grocery   but you can also find them at many Asian supermarkets. The noodles are generally packaged in a liquid. To prepare I generally rinse the noodles well (if they are packaged in a liquid they may have a fishy smell when the bag is opened) and dry roast them is a pan to dry them out a little before adding them to my other ingredients.

Miracle Noodles - Angel Hair

The Angel Hair variety are my favorite type of Miracle Noodle. They remind me a lot of Cellophane/Glass noodles. They are great for making stir fry's with vegetables and a little bit of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos and I also use them to make a great low cal Pad Thai.

Miracle Rice

Miracle Rice is made from the same ingredients as Miracle Noodles. They are cut into smaller "rice" shaped pieces but remind me more of barley. Miracle Rice can be prepared the same way as Miracle Noodles and will absorb the flavors of the dishes that it is added to.

Miracle Noodles - Fettuccine

These are my least favorite of the 3 types that I have tried. They are very good if dry roasted and served with minimal liquid/sauce. I found that I really didn't like the texture if too much sauce was added, they became very slippery, almost slimy.

These are definitely a product that I will be buying again. I have bought them a few different times and really enjoy having different meal options besides just meat and veggies.

Jay Robb Egg White Protein - Vanilla

I got a little bored on my diet just eating an egg for breakfast so I figured I would try out a protein shake. I had read some reviews about this product and most seemed to be positive. Luckily, this was one of the protein powders that my local low carb store carries regularly. I decided on the vanilla flavour, but this product also comes in chocolate and strawberry.

The ingredients are egg albumin, xylitol, natural flavor, xanthan gum, lecithin, and stevia. 

There are two different types of packaging: the container and the bag. Both come with a scoop and your basic protein shake is one scoop of protein powder plus 6 oz. of water. There are 24 grams of protein per serving ( 1 scoop).

I used my Magic Bullet to make my protein shakes, but a blender would work just as well. The only negative thing I can say about this protein shake is that although it claims to be easy to mix, it does take a relatively long time to blend if you want to get a shake without any lumps. A blender is definately needed to get a smooth shake. However, once it is blended it gets quite frothy and milkshake-like. The taste is almost like a vanilla milkshake or melted vanilla ice cream. It also tastes good if you add fruit, especially strawberries!

 

 I will definately be trying this product again. The only thing I would recommend is that you shop around and compare prices. There are a lot of places that will grossly over price this product.

The Low Carb Grocery

The Low Carb Grocery has quickly become one of my favorite places to shop for low carb products. They have a retail and online store that stock over 1,000+ low carb foods. Their retail store is located at Unit #8, 170 Esna Park Drive (Markham, ON, Canada, L3R 1E3), but their shipping costs are also very reasonable (they ship nationwide within Canada).

I generally shop online since their shipping costs are usually less than what I would pay in gas to drive to their store. My orders are always handled VERY QUICKLY. If I order early in the morning my order is generally shipped on the same day and if I order later at night my order is shipped the next day (depending on how busy they are, but I've never experienced a delay in shipping). I receive an email once my order has been received, when it is being processed and also once it has shipped (with a Canada Post tracking number). Basically, you're kept up to date through every step of your order.

Whoever packs their orders is a packaging genious! They generally use boxes that their store products arrive in, but they take great care to make sure that everything is snug and secure in the box. I've never had anything come in damaged. Whenever I have something shipped I use the "Safe Drop" option with Canada Post and they always make sure to label the box so that the mailman knows to leave the box on the porch if no one is home. It costs nothing but is handy if I have to work and won't be home.

Their prices are reasonable and on par with the other low carb stores in my general area. 

Once you create an account you are also given a Membership Rewards Card number through which you can earn points and redeem them towards your orders. You earn 10 points with every $1 spent (excluding taxes, gift card purchases, delivery charges). They also peridically have "Extra Reward Products" which earn you 2X, 3X, 5X or more reward points. 

Points Required	Redemption Value
5000	$5.00
10000	$12.00
20000	$30.00
25000	$50.00
30000	$75.00

 The Low Carb Grocery is definately a place I will continue to shop at!

Carbwise Low Carb Brownies

About a month ago I started a modified version of the HCG diet. One of my toughest hurdles to overcome was my insatiable love of chocolate and all things chocolate.

While visiting my local low carb store I ran across these Carbwise Brownies. Each brownie is 2 oz and each brownie is only 50 calories, 1g net carbs, 0 diet count, 2 diet count plus, has 5g of fiber and 6g of protein. These brownies are sweetened with erythritol instead of maltitol or splenda so there is no aftertaste and no GI distress. These brownies have been designed so that they won't cause any blood sugar spike in diabetics.

The ingredients are: Purified water, oat fiber, erythritol, egg whites, inulin, almond meal, modified corn starch, cocoa (processed with alkali), olive oil, xanthan gum, guar gum, leavening (monocalcium phosphate, baking soda), and natural flavors.

Nutrition Facts: per 1 brownie (2 oz.)

Calories 50 Fat 1g Saturated Fat 0g TransFat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 80mg Carbohydrate 10g Fiber 5g Sugar 0g Sugar Alcohol 4g Protein 6g

For being a low carb product these brownies are actually quite delicious. They aren't super chocolately or fudgie, but have just enough cocoa to satisfy a sweet tooth. They are soft and moist and great for when I'm craving something chocolately. The only problem I have with these brownies is that once I have one, I always want more!

Even though this product technically is not part of the HCG protocol, I haven't had any stalling or gaining in my weight loss.

This is a product that I would buy again (and have!).

MAC Technakohl Eyeliner

This is another one of my cousins MAC splurges. I tried this eyeliner in Graphblack.

MAC describes this liner as being "a mechanical pencil-style liner. In formula, soft and creamy, with an intense, rich, colour deposit. Blends on application: dries quickly to a long-wear, non-smudge finish. Versatile. An easy way to line the top and lower lash line of the eye. When applied at a 90 degree angle, provides a thin precision line. For thicker application, apply at a flat angle"

My first impression of this eyeliner is that it was well pigmented however it doesn't smudge or blend easily, but the staying power is very good. I didn't find the formula particularly creamy and it dries pretty quickly so there's not really much play time. It also stays really well on my waterline. This eyeliner is black, not super deep black, but not a steely gray like I find other liners can be. 

I found this eyeliner pretty easy to apply, however it would be nicer if you could get a much thinner. This liner has a tendency to flatten out on the tip which makes getting a thin line very hard.

I would recommend this liner as the staying power is better than some other brands that I've tried.

Blackfly Long Island Iced Tea

Last weekend I picked up this new product at the LCBO. Blackfly Long Island Iced Tea is described by the LCBO as a "Beautiful ice tea color with slightly hazy appearance; aromas of lemon/orange, green tea, cranberry nose; sweet with brisk acidity, light to medium bodied, with flavors of iced tea , candied lemon and a sweet/tangy finish". It claims to have a "Not Too Sweet" taste, is a "classic cocktail that is made with real lemon juice, vodka, tequila, notes of gin, rum and cola" and comes in a pack of 4 - 400 ml plastic bottles. It also has 7% alcohol volume.

At first I didn't really like the taste of this drink. I thought it tasted too much like alcohol, but after a few sips the alcohol wasn't that noticeable and the actual iced tea came to the forefront. The iced tea reminds me a lot of Lipton Brisk, but it definitely has a stronger undertone of lemon. There is also a touch of sweetness, but nothing too overpowering or sickeningly sweet. I think the lack of syrupy sweetness makes this drink more refreshing than a lot of iced tea based drinks I've had.

The 4 individual bottles are very convenient and great for sharing. The resealable top is great if you're having an outdoor barbecue.

This is something that I would purchase again and may become my go-to drink for the summer!

Rimmel Sexy Curves Waterproof Mascara

My sister was raving about the non-waterproof formula of this mascara so I decided that I would try the waterproof formula.

This product promised to make your lashes look "70% curlier". I found that although this mascara added a bit of length there wasn't much, if any, curl to my lashes beyond their natural curl. It also promises to give you  lashes that are “lusciously curled, plumped and defined" with 7 times your natural curl, but I found that this mascara performed pretty average when compared to other drug store brands. An eyelash curler is definitely a must with this mascara. I also didn't find that the pigment in this mascara was as dark or as rich as I like.

The brush that comes with this mascara is actually fairly decent and separates lashes well and keeps them from clumping, even with numerous coats of mascara. It is also relatively easy to use.

I'm sorry to say that the packaging was my favorite part of this mascara. The metallic teal tube was quite attractive.

I'm happy to say that this product was on sale when I purchased it so I didn't pay full price! It's definitely not worth more that the $4.00 that I paid for it.

Dr. Feelgood from Benefit Cosmetics

Dr.Feelgood promises to "mattify shine with our invisible, weightless balm that leaves skin feeling silky-soft. Fabulous for mid-day touch-ups... this makeup artist fave can be worn alone, under or on top of makeup. Contains Vitamins A, C & E to help smooth away the appearance of fine lines". 

I generally use this product as a primer on a clean face before I apply my foundation. The key to this product is to only apply a light layer, if you apply it too thickly you will both see and feel it (which is super gross because if applied too thick it becomes flaky and no one wants to look like a shedding snake!). When applied properly, Dr. Feelgood is a great base for foundation or even to wear on it's own. The product itself is clear when applied but the vitamin A, C and E leave your face feeling silky smooth. The smell of this product is a little lemony with just a hint of baby powder and it comes in an uber cute vintage tin!

This is a product that I would recommend. It definitely takes away the oiliness and shininess from my face and leaves it soft and touchable. I have heard some people complain that this product makes them break out, but everyone's skin is different.

Depending on where you purchase this product it can be a little expensive, however a little bit goes a long way and a single tin will seem to last forever.

Biosilk Silk Therapy

This is one of my favorite hair treatments. My hairdresser was the one who introduced me to this product as I tend to color my hair every few months and it gets quite damaged. This product is great at treating damaged hair, leaving it soft, smooth and shiny.

BioSilk Silk Therapy is a silky, lightweight treatment that dehydrates and protects hair with silk proteins and shine producing botanicals. 

I love using this product on damp hair prior to drying. It is also great to use prior to and after flat ironing. The smell is also very pleasant and I always have people complimenting me on how great my hair smells.

 

This product lives up to the saying "less is more". My hair is about 6" past my shoulder and a dime size amount will cover all of my hair, if you use too much your hair will look greasy and there's pretty much no fix if you use too much other than a slick ponytail or re-washing your hair.

This product can seem pretty pricey (approx. $15.00 for a 5.64 fl. oz - 150 ml - bottle, depending on where you buy it), but the bottle will last you a year or more if you don't overdo it.

This is a product I would recommend to almost everyone, however if you have protein sensitive hair you may want to skip this product as it can make your hair dry and brittle.

L'Oreal Everstrong Reconstruct Shampoo

This product was another one of my Shoppers Drug Mart bill buffers from the sales table.

This shampoo is sulfate-free with a rosemary juniper scent, so if you're looking for a more natural shampoo that also smells nice you may want to try this shampoo. The shampoo is very creamy so you only have to use a small amount to build up a rich lather with a nice smell. 

I have thick, color treated hair that can get dry and damaged at the ends. Many of the other shampoos I have tried do more damage than good but this shampoo has helped to keep my hair smooth, shiny and healthy. I also find that this shampoo makes my hair easier to style and doesn't weigh down my hair.

The only problem I have found with this shampoo is that when you get down to the end of the tube it can be a little difficult to get the last bit out of the tube.

L'Oreal EverStrong Hydrate Conditioner

My sister and I found this conditioner on the sale table at Shoppers Drug Mart. We needed a few more dollars to make our bill high enough to get the bonus Optimum Points so at $3.49 on sale this wasn't a bad deal.

This conditioner has a rosemary and mint scent that smells slightly of rosemary but the mint is the stronger of the two scents. The mint is definitely a welcome scent in the morning, very refreshing and leaves me feeling wide awake! The scent does tend to linger for about and hour after I have dried my hair, but it's not overpowering and doesn't conflict with other scents like perfume.

I've had great results with this conditioner. The conditioner itself leaves my hair hydrated and very soft, which on my color treated hair can be hard for even the most expensive conditioners to do. Even with flat ironing on nearly a daily basis my hair stays smooth, soft and hydrated. I generally shampoo and then leave the conditioner on for a few minutes before I rinse it out. Nothing too special, just everyday maintenance.

This conditioner is definitely worth a try if you have dry or color treated hair and need something to rehydrate your hair.

MAC False Lashes Mascara

Here is one more of my cousin's buys. MAC False Lashes Mascara in Extreme Black. I have to admit that I love the tube that this product comes in, the top reminds me of a chess piece!

Aside from the pretty tube, there aren't any bells or whistles with this mascara. The brush is a straight-forward traditional mascara brush and doesn't need any fancy tricks for application. The formula of the mascara is very light weight so there isn't a problem with clumping when trying to build layers.

I found that this mascara separated, lengthened and curled my lashes very well without clumping or flaking (especially my lower lashes). However, I didn't find that it gave much volume to my lashes. I also found that it wasn't very waterproof and would bleed with just a little moisture.The black color also tended to soften as the day went on instead of staying a dark, jet black.

 

This mascara definaitely won't give you dramatic lashes or that false lash look, but if you're looking for a mascara that will give you length and seperation with a more natural look and don't necessarily need a waterproof mascara then this mascara is worth a try

MAC Penultimate Eye Liner

This is another one of my cousins buys. I got this liquid eye liner in the color "Rapidblack". 

When I received this eye liner pen I loved it. It wasn't as intense in color as some other eye liners that I've used but it went on easily and was also great for getting the perfect cat eye. It's basically a tube of Eye Liner for Dummies, very hard to mess up when applying. 

However after a few hours this eye liner smudged pretty badly and faded to a nearly grey color. It would also bleed horribly if it got water anywhere near it, so forget about using this product on your water line. After a few irregular uses the felt tip would start to dry out halfway through my eyes and would only work if I shook it really hard multiple times.

I guess I would only recommend this product if you can't really get any other eye liner to work, other than that it's not really worth the price.

Wendy's BLT Cobb Salad

Yesterday I decided to try Wendy's BLT Cobb salad.This salad has the standard BLT ingredients: Bacon, lettuce and tomatoes as well as chicken, blue cheese and hard boiled egg. It also comes with an avocado ranch dressing.

At first glance this salad was packed with toppings, all neatly separated on the top of the salad. There were quite a few chunks of blue cheese and chicken as well as 2 strips of bacon. The salad itself was a mixture of iceberg lettuce and leafy greens.

The avocado ranch dressing (which they give you two packets of) paired nicely with the blue cheese and egg, not too overpowering but strong enough to hold it's own.The salad was fresh and all of the flavors blended well together.

The only negative comment I can give this salad is that I would have preferred the bacon to have been cut into smaller pieces and not just two strips laid on the top.

This salad is very filling and comes in two sizes: Full - if you want to have the salad as a main course, and Half - if you want a side salad.

Whichever size you choose, I'm sure the BTL Cobb won't disappoint you.

MAC Matte

This is another one of my cousin's purchases. After running out of my Almay Smart Shade Perfect & Correct Primer, I started looking around for a new primer. My cousin bought this one for me to try.

This product is described as "A matte-ifying cream that acts like a powder, M·A·C Matte adds a sheer, no-shine matte texture in one smooth layer. May be used on bare or made-up skin. Use a latex sponge or a 252 Large Shader Brush to apply over the entire face or in the T-zone to reduce the appearance of shine. Apply M·A·C Matte after moisturizer, but before foundation to prime the skin for makeup. Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation applies smoothly and effortlessly over top of M·A·C Matte"

This product comes in a flexible clear plastic tube, which makes it very easy to get all of the product out of the tube. It's also small enough to fit in any purse or makeup bag.

Although this product is described as a cream it is actually a gel. This product can be used over bare skin or skin with makeup. I chose to use it over bare skin. The application is very smooth and not a lot of product is required. It did manage to keep the shine down, especially in my T-zone, for most of the day and my makeup went on smoothly over it. I also found that my makeup lasted longer when I used this product and it did not cause my makeup to crease, everything stayed very smooth.

The one draw back that I found is that if I was using a powder foundation on top of this, it cause my applicator sponge to get a little gunked up and left a film on my pressed powder which had to be scratched away.

MAC Plush Lash Mascara

My cousin knows how much I love mascara and she loves MAC products, so she decided to buy MAC Plush Lash in Plush Black for me on a recent shopping trip.

At first I was a little skeptical. This mascara doesn't look like much package-wise and the brush is medium sized but fairly dense and thick. I tend to lean more towards a thinner brush for my mascara.

I used three coats on my lashes and the results were pretty good. There was a little bit of clumping after three coats, but nothing major. It also provided a minimal amount of curl (if you want a lot of curl you would defiantly have to use a lash curler). The thing that I really like about this mascara is that it gave great length. The volume wasn't quite as much as some other products that I've tried, but if you're not looking for super thick lashes then this mascara will do just fine.

The only downside to this mascara would be the brush. It can be a little difficult to use, but once you get the hang of it there should be no problem.

All in all I would use this mascara again, I just wish there was a waterproof option available.

New York Fries' Butter Chicken Poutine

Yesterday I took my sister to the mall to pick up a dress she was having altered. Her dress wasn't quite finished yet so we decided to get something small to eat.

We were just going to go with our normal order of "The Works" at New York Fries, but then we spotted Butter Chicken Poutine on the menu so we decided to try it.

The main composition of this poutine isn't rocket science. First come the fries which are them topped with cheese curd followed by the butter chicken (which consists of some large chunks of chicken as well as some stringy pieces in sauce). The fries are standard for New York fries, and the cheese curds aren't overly salty and pretty squeaky (which is a must for poutine). The butter chicken is actually pretty good (I went into this thinking it would be vile), not overly spicy but not bland.

The only problem I had with this was that the sauce was a little too thick for poutine and just sat on top of the fries and cheese curds. If you only ate from the top down you would make your way through the toppings with fries to spare, but if you're careful and strategic enough you can enjoy this dish and still manage to get the butter chicken all the way through.

All in all, this was a nice fusion dish and something that I would try again. It's also pretty simple enough that I will probably try making this at home also.

Cover Girl Lash Blast 24 Hour Mascara

While going through my local drugstore the other day I spotted Cover Girl's Lash Blast 24 Hour Mascara. This mascara promises:

• Bold, intense volume that lasts up to 24 hours
• Lash blast power, hour after hour
• Big, bold, look-at-me lashes that last
• The latest from the lash blast collection

Obviously any mascara that can last up to 24 hours is worth a try. I bought this mascara in "Very Black" which lives up to it's name. I found that this mascara provided decent volume and length with just enough curl for my taste;  however you definitely have to use the wiggle technique to get good results. If you aren't careful with your application this mascara can clump and give you spider lashes. Also, if you don't apply this carefully you can end up with limp lashes.

 

As far as the "Bold, intense volume that lasts up to 24 hours" claim goes this mascara does last, and last, and last! I didn't have any problem with flaking and the color stayed true for hours. The only thing I really disliked about this mascara is that it is a pain to remove. It's almost like applying silicone to your lashes, this stuff is just so stubborn! You definitely need an oil based remover as a water based remover will do next to nothing. 

This is a product I would recommend if you are truly looking for a long wear mascara.

Super Pet Silent Spinner Wheel

After about a year without a hamster I finally decided to get another one over Christmas. My last hamster had a green Silent Spinner which was perfectly silent until she broke it, so I decided that I would get another one for my new hamster. I decided that this hamster should have purple cage accessories (my last hamster had green accessories) and I just happened to find a purple Silent Spinner at Petsmart. I keep my hamster in my room so a quiet wheel is a must!

The Super Pet Silent Spinner (I have the regular size) is described as "the wonderful, whisper quiet workout wheel for hamsters, mice, and gerbils. Patented ball bearing technology makes these wheels super silent. Silent Spinners work two ways: free standing or attach directly to any wire cage. High quality plastic running surface is safe and comfortable for your furry friend's feet.

• Specially designed for quiet spinning
• Encourage healthy exercise
• 6.5" diameter wheel is ideal for hamsters, mice, gerbils, or other small animals
• Available in assorted colors, blue, purple, red, and green."

 

This wheel is better for your small pet's feet than traditional wheels because it is a solid construction so feet and tails cannot get caught and injured.

I should let you know that my hamster lives in a 20 gallon aquarium with a 1-1/2 story Martins Cages aquarium topper. Sadly, the cage attachment for the wheel was too large to fit through the bars of my aquarium topper so I left the wheel on the wire base and put it in the bottom of the aquarium. The first night wasn't too bad since she spent most of the time exploring her new habitat, but the second night was horrendous! My hamster decided to try out her wheel and I spent hours listening to this loud bumping noise that was coming from the wheel, until I finally just took the wheel out of the aquarium.

I checked the wheel out the next morning and when I spun it it was still whisper quiet so I decided that it must base. I taped the base to the bottom of the aquarium (duct tape can solve anything!) and left it for my hamster to try out. That night I could barely hear her on the wheel, there was a tiny whirring sound but nothing that I couldn't sleep through.

This is definitely something I would recommend for a small animal. The only down side I can find is that it can break easily and also the 6.5" size of the regular can be too small for larger hamsters (my hamster is a tiny, dainty girl), but the 12" size is much too large for a hamster. It would be better if they had something in between.

Cover Girl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner

During my Christmas drugstore run I also picked up Cover Girl's Liquiline Blast eyeliner. Now normally I'm not a huge Cover Girl fan, but any eye pencil that claims to be just like a liquid liner I have to try.

Cover Girl boasts that " With Liquiline blast, you'll get all the intensity and staying power of a liquid with the ease and blendability of a waterproof pencil. Use the liner as-is for intense definition or smoke-it-out with the built-in smudger end for a subtle, smoky look."

 

I bought this product in the color "Black Fire", but it is also available in 5 additional colors. At first I was a little bit hesitant on using this because I didn't want to be disappointed. When I eventually tried it I loved it! This liner glides on very smoothly (yes, similar to a liquid liner). The black shade is more matte than a liquid liner but it is a deep, pigmented black. I also find that it is equally good at creating thin and thick lines. As far as staying power goes, I find that I can wear this all day with very minimal smudging - although you want to let the liner set for a few seconds before you open your eyes or it can smudge. I have also slept with this on and woken up to minimal smudging also (however after 12+ hours it can start to get a little dry and flaky).

The only downside that I find with this eyeliner is that you need to manually sharpen it, which can cause breakage. It would be much better if it were mechanical!

This is definitely a product that I would recommend.

Maybelline's Eye Studio® Master Drama Eyeliner

Since Christmas was coming up I decided to make a run to the drugstore to see what was new in the way of eyeliner. I came across Maybelline's Eye Studio® Master Drama Eyeliner and decided to try it in the color "Midnight Master", a dark black.

This product's claims:

• Creates dramatic, rich color payoff
• Lasts 24 hours for smudge-resistant wear
• Has a skip-proof, creamy glide

 I definitely got the rich, dark black that I was looking for which made my eyes look very dramatic. The product formulation is very creamy which makes this eyeliner glide easily across your lid, however I did find that since the formulation was so creamy it didn't hold a point well and there were times when I wanted a thinner line which was difficult to achieve as the eyeliner has a tendency of flattening out at the tip.

 

I would have to say that this eyeliner lasted a long time, however their claim of 24 hour smudge-resistant wear was not entirely accurate. My liner stayed put pretty well during the day, however after about 12 or so hours my liner did start to smudge slightly (nothing super noticeable, but if you're a perfectionist with your makeup you will definitely notice it). I actually fell asleep with this eyeliner on one night and woke up to some smudging but nothing horrific. This eyeliner was also one of the few that stayed on my waterline pretty well and still looked vibrant after a few hours, considering I have very watery eyes that wash away pretty much any eyeliner on my waterline!

This is definitely a product I would try again and would recommend to others that are trying to achieve a dramatic look with their eyeliner, however if you are someone who likes a thinner line you may want to skip this product.

Burger King's Angry Poutine

I decided to venture out to Burger King during my Christmas break to finally try their Angry Poutine. After the disappointment with BK's Bacon Poutine I wasn't really holding out much hope for anything better and I have to admit that I was putting this off as long as possible.

The Angry Poutine starts with the classic poutine recipe but substitutes the gravy for Burger King's Angry Sauce and adds jalapenos and crispy onion rings.

My first impression was pretty good.The Angry Sauce is like a spicy sweet and sour sauce that adds a nice sweet kick along with a little bit of heat that is accentuated by the jalapenos. This poutine was not overly salty (which I think is because this poutine doesn't contain BK's sodium ridden gravy), however I could have done without the onion rings which weren't really crispy or even rings (they were more like battered onion chunks) and just sat on the top of my poutine. Also, the Angry Sauce was only warm enough to slightly melt the cheese curd so I was left with soft chunks of cheese.

All in all, this is something that I would try again. It's not overly fabulous, but is a nice enough substitute to regular fries. If I do try this poutine again, I would have it at a different BK, the one I went to was the same one that I tried the Bacon Poutine at and I'm sure there are BK's out there that make this better than my particular location.