Reviews and Other Stuff

Simple Mediterranean Lamb Chops

simple lamb chops recipe

 

Hello guys, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I promised to share with you some of the recipes I’ve been preparing in my kitchen lately. One of them is this simple Mediterranean-style Lamb Chops that I accidentally discovered while trying to make a Gyro, LOL. I honestly had a hard time perfecting that dish and even to this day, I’m still trying to figure out how I could do it better. So if you have any suggestions or any recipe on how to make a simple Gyro, let me know.

 

So, back to my newly-discovered Lamb Chops recipe, I actually love how simple this recipe is and anyone can absolutely do it with almost no margin or error, ha! On top of that, there are no overwhelming ingredients involved, just a few basic ones you’d typically find in your kitchen. Also, as someone like moi who is on a Keto diet for almost a year now and has a super busy lifestyle, this recipe is perfect. It’s pure protein and it’s super easy and quick to prepare.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

costco lamb chops frenched

 

Frenched Lamb Rack, sliced into 9 pcs (got mine at Costco)

 

For Marinating:

 

simple mediterranean lamb chops recipe

 

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp Oregano

1 tbsp Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

 

For Cooking:

 

1/2 cup Canola Oil or any cooking oil you prefer

 

 

DIRECTION

 

  1. Slice Lamb Rack into individual pieces and put it in a large bowl. Approximately 9 or 10 is what we need for this recipe.
  2. In a smaller bowl, combine all the ingredients found in the marinating list, and pour/rub it into the lamb. Make sure each meat’s surface is thoroughly coated.

marinating lamb chops

 

ย  ย  ย  3. Cover the bowl with the lamb and marinate for 30 minutes inside the refrigerator.

ย  ย  ย  4. After marinating, pour the Canola Oil into a cooking pan (mine’s about 12 inches in diameter) and heat it using medium fire.

ย  ย  ย  ย 5. Fry the lamb chops until they turn medium brown.

 

mediterranean lamb chops

ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย 

ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย Serve with sautรฉed Asparagus (optional)

 

Voila! That’s it! It’s super easy and ready to eat ๐Ÿ™‚ This recipe is good for two people. You can adjust it accordingly if you’re serving it for several guests. Enjoy!

 

Pantene Charcoal Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Pantene charcoal haircare

 

A few months ago, I reviewed the Pantene Micellar Shampoo and Conditioner haircare line, seen HERE. I did promise you guys that I will be investigating their Charcoal line as well, and today, we are finally going to talk about it and I’ll give you my opinion regarding how this collection perform based on my experience after using it for some time.

 

I’m not quite sure whether I’ve ever used a charcoal shampoo or charcoal conditioner in the past, but I’ve been really curious about them. It seems like they’re all the buzz nowadays. I do like the idea of using or adding activated charcoal to my haircare regimen since my hair tends to become a hot mess if I don’t wash it the following day, read more about that HERE. You can imagine my curiosity when I heard about the Pantene Charcoal line, so here goes my two cents…

 

Pantene Charcoal Shampoo Purifying Root Wash

 

Pantene Charcoal Shampoo Purifying Root Wash

 

Charcoal Shampoo Purifying Root Wash (10.1 oz – 17.9 oz: $5.99 – $9.99) – This is a purifying root wash shampoo which utilizes activated charcoal to deeply cleanse not only each hair strand but also the scalp. It’s meant to remove excess oil and product buildup from the hair which tends to weigh the hair down, thus looking flat and heavy. The result is a deeply-cleansed hair that looks bouncy, renewed, with volume, and fresh-looking even up to the next day without washing it. Kinda like a detox cleanse for the hair, it’s made without parabens, dyes, and silicones, so it’s perfect for those with color-treated or chemically-treated hair. The scent of this shampoo is surprising because it doesn’t have a strong charcoal scent, instead, this has some sort of a minty fresh clean fragrance which is really light and somewhat energizing to use. I love that this lathers well with just a few pumps and though I was worried at first that this might dry my hair, actually, it didn’t. I never noticed this stripping my hair off of its natural moisture. So technically, this is perfect for daily use. However, I still use my favorite daily moisturizing shampoo in combination with this, and that’s because we’re still in the cold dry Winter months and I need to keep some moisture in my hair somehow. I do believe that a combination of this charcoal shampoo plus your fave moisturizing shampoo would be a great tandem to help keep the hair at its best- not too oily and not too dry. I also believe that any charcoal shampoo like this one from Pantene is a must-have in the shower for twice or three times a week thorough detox hair cleansing.

 

Pantene Charcoal Conditioner Renewing Cream Rinse

 

Pantene Charcoal Conditioner Renewing Cream Rinse

 

Charcoal Conditioner Renewing Cream Rinse (10.1 oz – 17.9 oz: $5.99 – $9.99) – This activated charcoal conditioner doesn’t look very charcoal-ish by appearance and feels very light yet creamy. It also doesn’t weigh the hair down, and it’s infused with Vitamin B5, rich antioxidants, plus it’s formulated without parabens, dyes, and silicones. So, it’s color-safe and it works for processed hair. The scent of this is just like the Charcoal Shampoo above which is slightly minty fresh. I like this conditioner a lot because it doesn’t leave any residue on my hair and it doesn’t weigh on my very long strands. On top of that, it makes my hair look healthy and shiny without being too oily the next day.

 

pantene charcoal haircare

 

Overall, I find these Pantene Charcoal Shampoo and Conditioner to be somewhat better than the Micellar haircare line because I feel like these really remove excess oil and product buildup from the roots and they surprisingly don’t dry the strands. They’re pretty much perfect for everyday use and they keep the hair clean and fresh for longer period. Also, these are really lightweight for the hair so they make it bouncy. Apart from being friendly to color-treated and chemically-treated hair, these are definitely perfect for those with oily hair types. On the other hand, I still feel like I want to try and investigate some other activated charcoal-infused haircare out there, but for now, these are my fave Charcoal hair care products so far and they’re pretty much easy to find, not to mention being so affordable.

 

FYI: I will be testing the latest Pantene Rose Water Collection soon. Will update you guys about it.

 

Have you tried any Charcoal-blend haircare products before?

 

The Pantene Charcoal Shampoo and Conditioner are currently available at Amazon, Target, Walgreens, and in most drugstores everywhere.

 

 

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case Review

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case review

 

As someone that travels quite often, I’m always juggling from one makeup case to another. For me, functionality is very important and I prefer the type that doesn’t take up much space in my bag, provided that it can also hold a substantial amount of beauty products. Lately, I got a hold of the Voyage makeup travel case from Case-Up Miami ($27-$33) which was sent to me, and I’m really amazed by the case’s usability.

 

Voyage Makeup Travel Case

 

First of all, the case looks sleek and has a neat and elegant design. It feels durable and it’s made of vegan leather. The case itself unfolds into three foldable mesh pockets with different compartments for compacts, palettes, lipsticks, etc. The mesh pockets are meant to keep the makeup dry and they are easy to clean with just one swipe of a tissue or a wet cloth. Also, this makeup case has a built-in hook/hanger which makes it easy to store and access the makeup from the inside. I like this idea a lot especially for traveling because sometimes there are some hotels that don’t have a lot of space for toiletries or for a few makeup cases, and I, for one, is guilty of bringing too many unnecessary makeup items, LOL. Because of that, I’ve been thinking of trying out some makeup cases like this Voyage which basically can be hanged behind the door with a towel rack, hook, or a doorknob. This concept saves space and prevents overcrowding the bathroom counter.

 

case-up miami makeup travel case review

 

The Voyage makeup case feels strong and the rose gold zippers feel robust. Its 10โ€ x 7.25โ€ x 2.5โ€ in size and is large enough to fit a lot of different kinds of makeup; from a few liquid foundations down to a few large eyeshadow palettes, plus some compacts, and even a beautyblender. There’s definitely a compartment for any of them. There’s even a place to organize a couple of makeup brushes and secure them in place with a protective flap which keeps them clean.

 

case-up review

 

Unlike some makeup cases where you have to dig deep to find a particular beauty item, this Voyage case makes it easy to find the makeup product you want fast and easy. Also, this can fit anywhere, either in your gym bag or even in your carryon. It’s even hard to tell if it’s a makeup case or not because it looks pretty and versatile enough to be stored anywhere.

 

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case

 

Overall, the Voyage makeup case is a functional makeup case that not only protects and organize each makeup item well, it’s also designed to maximize storage capacity while aiming at saving space either in your home or during your travels. Therefore, I recommend that you guys take a serious look at it.

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case by case-up miami

The Voyage Makeup Travel Case comes in two different colors: Midnight Blue/Pink Blush: $27 and Prime Black/Copper Rose: $33. It is currently available at Amazon. For more information, visit its website at http://www.case-up.com

 

*nail color: Essie Paint The Gown Red, see the swatch HERE.

 

(Disclosure: Product sample provided by Case-Up Miami. The reviews, photos, and opinions herein are solely mine)