Taiwanese Holiday~雙十節/Double Ten Festival!

Today just so happens to be... Double Ten Festival! 99/10/10! Written with a Gregorian calendar it is 10/10/10

What is Double Ten Day? It is the anniversary of the start of the uprising on October 10, 1911 rather like 4th of July in America. So this year is Taiwan's 99th birthday! Next year will be 100!! If you would like to read more about this holiday, here is the wikipedia entry for it.

There was a big celebration, but the TV here had bad reception so we did not watch it but I can hear fireworks!

Happy Double Ten Day to everybody! Cherish your freedom, independence, and liberty (and justice for all??). You are more fortunate than you know

Tiana's Kitchen~Asian Pear Hand Pies

Autumn weather means time for baking!  Sweet apple pies, savory breads, toasting pumpkin seeds, baking large cuts of ham or turkey, the whole deal!  Unfortunately, I only have a little toaster oven

But that's ok! Today I bring you some Asian Pear Hand Pies!  They are an easy, low-calorie, low-fat, on-the-go food.  Able to be made with minimal ingredients and just a toaster oven and a stove top burner.


Made with milk toast for the pie skin, this is a quick bake and smells very fragant!


Ingredients
1 Asian Pear
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 lime
8 slices milk toast (adjust depending on the size of your toast)
1 egg

Directions
Assemble ingredients!


Peel and Dice Asian Pear


It is best to get smaller pieces so it will become soft easily

Throw everything into a wok or non-stick pan and add the brown sugar for a little bit of sweetness


Cut the lime into halves and squeeze out the juice into the pan



Stir and cook over medium heat. The pears will start to get a little bit brown



Sort of like carmelized onions!


Let it cook. Meanwhile, cut the crusts off your bread. Try to cut as little as possible allow for more filling room. Flatten your bread with a rolling pin. I did not have a rolling pin so I smashed them with a knife, much like garlic!


Spoon some filling into the center of the bread


Fold in half and pinch shut


Brushing with a beaten egg is optional for a more pie-like finish!


Place in a toaster oven and toast until golden brown. My toaster oven was set at 1000W and I toasted for about 4 minutes


Not wanting the crusts to go to waste, I dipped them in the remaining egg and toasted them as well, making a delicious new invention of eggy bread sticks!

All Hallow's Eve Approaches...

Wow, we are a week into October already! Halloween is fast approaching, and I am extra excited for it this year because I have been unable to dress up for the past few years due to work

My favorite idea for a Halloween costume was going to be a "dead lolita". More specifically, an ita who had been killed by Lolitists. I had an idea to use my old ita dress and cover it with blood, create a parasol stab wound, cuts, bruises, messed up hair, the whole deal! Unfortunately, I never got a chance, and now I don't have any of my ita clothes with me. Not that I would have been able to go all out anyway! Halloween is mostly a holiday for children here. The English school I am working at, Joy English, has some Halloween plans and all the teachers and students are dressing up! But everybody is being relatively "tame" in their costumes. Many witches, wizards, masks, etc. Most of them have no idea why Halloween is celebrated! They just want some candy But that's OK.

In order to get into the Halloween mood, I am planning on introducing some simple recipes or crafts this month on this blog! They may not be specifically "Halloween" themed, but hopefully autumn-y in general :) I will probably just wear Hime Lolita style and tell everybody I dressed up as a princess. Not the fanciest Halloween ever, but hopefully at least I can make some spooky atmosphere by myself

Blog Bump! The Secret Lives of Princesses at Lolita Charm

Sometimes I run across a post on another blog that I find very interesting or fun and would like to share it. Today I saw a fun little post on Lolita Charm about a book called "The Secret Lives of Princesses" which I would love to read, but am most likely not going to find here Click over to her blog to read about it!

There is, however, a website where you can read about the book and play some fun little games!

I took the personality quiz and here is my result:

Just thought it was something fun that I should share!

Review~Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 50+

Today I am excited to share a product review! Sunblock is a very important part of daily skin care. Many people do not like to apply sunblock (myself included!) due to the greasy texture of high SPF sunblocks, the smell, or the "cake-y" feeling on your face

Sun protection is an especially important topic for Lolitas due to the "porcelain doll" look that many strive to achieve. Whether you prefer a healthy glow or try to stay as pale as possible, sunblock is important for preventing wrinkles and skin cancer, which is not lolita at all!

I have been using this sunblock for 2 months now, so I feel that I can write a good, comprehensive review on it




At Love Boat summer camp, two of my roommates had this sunblock in SPF 45 and SPF 55. I tried it based on their recommendations, and I must say, it works wonderfully!

Texture: Very light and sheer. I use liberal amounts of sunblock (hey, you are supposed to use a lot to get the advertised SPF!) and it still absorbed quickly and did not feel any different than wearing a full face of liquid foundation.

Cost: In Taiwan, this sunblock costs about NT$499/US$15. On the website it goes for US$10.99, but is currently on sale for US$8.99! I assume most stores will have it for the US$10.99 price :) So those of you in the US are getting a much better deal than I am! I do still feel that this sunblock is worth the money though

Protection: Broad spectrum (UVA/UVB), PA+++, and available in SPF 30, 45, 50, 55, 75, and 100. In all honesty, beyond SPF 50 the protection is only marginally better. I would suggest getting the 45 or 50. Even if you do not apply the recommended amount of sunblock, you will still be getting more protection than the SPF 30 (minimum recommended SPF for outdoor use). Really though, you should apply the recommended amount ;)

Extra Points: Waterproof, sweat-proof, non-comedogenic (will not clog your pores), and PABA-free!

Cons: My only complaint for this sunblock is how runny it is. Because it is so lightweight, the texture is very thin and it is easy to squeeze too much out at once. Be careful the first time you use it and squeeze gently!

Repurchase? I already have ;) Got one on sale for NT$395/US$13 or so!