Update/Revision to Cheesecake Recipe

So the other day, I wanted to make "cheesecake" again. I was just going to follow the original recipe that I had posted since I was satisfied with the previous outcomes. I had also bought a 9 " springform pan recently and this would be the second time using it....apparently I don't know how to use it properly (For those of you who don't know what a springform pan is, here is a picture of what it looks like. As I had mentioned in my previous post, it is definitely a worthy investment. I bought one from Fresh Co for $9.99. It's much easier to release the cake from this pan because the sides can detach from the base.)

Anyways, continuing with my sad story - after pressing the graham cracker crumbs and margarine paste against the bottom of the pan to form the base, I lifted the pan from the sides to place it in the oven. And halfway to the oven, the base detached from the sides and ALL the cracker crumbs spilled to the ground. Worse yet, the crumbs were mixed with margarine so after cleaning the mess, the floor was oily and slippery. Oh Joyce, why are you so clumsy?? 

So there goes the base. Grudgingly, I was about to start over again when I realized I didn't have enough cracker crumbs to make a second base! That was going to be the end of my world when it suddenly occurred to me that I should consult the all-knowing internet before losing hope. That was how I found an amazingly simple way to make a cheesecake base without using graham crackers. In fact, it tastes better! (Well, in my opinion at least)

So here it is:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix 1.5 cups of multi-purpose flour (I had used cake-flour but it shouldn't matter), 1 egg, 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 cups of margarine in a pan.

3. Press the mixture against the bottom of the pan to form the base.
4. Using a toothpick, poke holes throughout the base- this would allow steam to exit when put in the oven. Otherwise, the base may form a dome shape at the center.  

5. Bake in the oven until golden brown... (sorry, I forgot to time myself...)

Then you can continue with step 5 of the recipe on my original post.

So if you ever run out of graham cracker crumbs (cuz gravity happily pulled it to the ground), then try this out! I actually prefer this base than the original. Anyways, that's the end of my little update. Talk to you later ~

Windsor Arms Hotel Afternoon Tea Review

Not long ago, I went for afternoon tea at Windsor Arms Hotel with a few friends. Overall, it was a nice experience but I can't say that I will actively seek an opportunity to go back. 

When we arrived to the hotel, we were taken to a small room directly to the left of the lobby. It was lined with black wallpaper with a cozy fireplace against the wall and a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room was pretty but I had read from a review that there is another room that is more spacious and ornate. Indeed, as my friends and I went upstairs to the washroom, we were able to see that they had a larger hall which had not been opened. Since we had gone on a weekday, I'm guessing that there wasn't enough people to open the other hall. So if you want to be seated in the other room...then perhaps go on a weekend when there is more people? (I could be terribly wrong though and the room may never be open, hahaha) To be fair, I am already satisfied with the ambiance of our smaller room. 

The pretty chandelier in our room. 

 As expected, a myriad of silverware was placed before each person and um...good thing I didn't have any English spectators during our high tea - I couldn't figure out what to do with some of the utensils, hahaha. 

The aftermath after we "ladies" devoured everything - but yeah, as you can see, our table was filled with silverware, dishes, teapots and cups. 

Now onto the food.

The menu for our high tea was set in that we do not have a choice in what to order - the menu is provided on this link. The only exception was that we were given a choice for tea...there were at least 5 pages of different teas on the menu (I had wanted to try something new so I just picked the one whose name I could not pronounce, LOL.) 

In general, I was happy with the taste and appearance of the food. The scones were delicious and the sandwiches were moist and flavorful!  However, the "petits fours" desserts were too sweet and heavy for me. Below are just a few pictures to make your mouths water, haha. 

These  were the "petits fours". They looked very appetizing but unfortunately, they were too sweet for my liking. 

Anyways, most of my comments have been positive so you might wonder why I probably won't go back again. Well, we had to wait quite a while for the waiter to come take our order. The waiter was polite and there was nothing wrong with his service, but there were only two waiters servicing the room. This was a problem because we were limited in our sitting time and our orders were taken last. As a result, by the time our sitting was over, we had still not finished our food. Perhaps we had lost track of time while talking with one another but I also think we lost some time because of the slow service. 
 
Also, throughout our high tea, there was an extremely unpleasant drilling noise that originated from the neighbouring room. It was disturbing; people were startled. I felt that the hotel could have arranged for the construction to happen at another time when there wasn't anyone dining in the next room. If that wasn't possible, they could have arranged for us to dine where the noise would be less disruptive...not the room right across the wall. 

Overall, I did enjoy this experience since it was fun to just dress up and have a good time with friends. I don't have any complaints about the food (the Petits Fours may not have been my favorite but I don't have a taste for sweets in general) and the décor in the room was pretty. However, the service could have been quicker and the construction could have been done without causing so much disruption.

I would recommend this place for those who have not had high tea before (since the construction probably won't last forever) but I think once was enough for me. I tried to give my honest opinion about my experience and I do realize that my feelings are mixed (um...at least I'm not biased?). Anyways, hopefully this review would be useful for anyone who is thinking of going to Windsor Arms. If anything, just give it a try! Perhaps you'll get quicker waiters and no construction next door, hahaha 

Thoughts on Beauty & Natural Skin Care Products

When exam season comes, there is always one thing that happens - my acne breaks out.

Well to be fair, my skin has never been great and even when I don't have school, I do get the occasional pimple here and there. It is something that has troubled me since junior high and I even remember a guy in high school telling me to try out some acne cream - needless to say, that would be a stab to any girl's self-esteem. So for anyone who may be dealing with skin issues, yes, I do know how it feels to be in your position and it's a terrible feeling to be self-conscious. 

Well, I've tried numerous acne products (Benzaclin Topical Gel, Tactuo Acne Cream, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Acne Treatment...etc) and none of them work as well as the natural products I'll introduce now - Lemon Juice and Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

Lemon Juice:

First, I'll tell you what lemon juice is supposed to do and then what it has actually done for me after a month of application. Lemon juice contains citric acid which has a lower pH than what P. acnes (the bacteria that causes breakouts) can withstand. So when you apply lemon juice to your skin, the bacteria that resides in your pores should be killed. Also, lemon juice has exfoliating properties that quicken the removal of dead skin cells. This is the reason why lemon juice is also supposed to reduce acne scars and even out our skin tone. Furthermore, lemon juice is a natural bleacher that should be able to whiten our skin. 

After a month of applying lemon juice, my skin is virtually clear except for the occasional one on my chin so I definitely do believe that it can prevent breakouts! I have also noticed that my acne scars have softened but have not completely disappeared. However, given that I had only used it for a month, I can't ask for anything more. In terms of its effects as a skin bleacher, I haven't noticed any changes in my skin colour. It's also not something I would want since I only apply it to certain areas, hahaha...not sure if I would want blotches of pale skin. 

Overall though, I'm quite impressed by how effective it is at keeping my acne under control. It's definitely something I would recommend others to try. I usually apply fresh lemon juice onto my T zone for a few minutes and then wash it off with water. I would do this every other day. Like many others who suffer from acne, I have combination skin where my cheeks are dry but forehead, nose and chin are more oily. That is why I only apply lemon juice onto my T zone since it would be too irritating for my cheeks. 

I've read online that some people dilute the lemon juice with water and that was what I initially did but then I became too lazy, hahaha. I haven't noticed any harm with applying undiluted juice onto my face but I wouldn't recommend it for those with more dry and sensitive skin. Also, as a warning, when applying lemon juice for the first time, it will likely sting. It did sting for me but now, I don't feel anything. Maybe I got used to it? Anyways, just a heads up, but it's not that bad. 

One last thing - it's VERY important to put on sunscreen if you had applied lemon juice to your skin. Lemon juice makes your skin more sensitive to UV rays so you should find a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB - a higher SPF won't hurt either. If you don't...you'll end up with blotchy skin since the areas where you had applied lemon juice would tan more easily. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest class of olive oil with the lowest acidity. It contains antioxidants like vitamin A and E which, when applied to the skin, would help repair damage from the sun, diet imbalances, lack of sleep...etc. In this way, olive oil is supposed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. As an oil, it can serve as an effective moisturizer for dry skin and it can also be used as a cleanser to prevent acne breakouts! That might sound a little counter intuitive - apply oil to my acne prone skin to...prevent acne? Well, I'm no chemist but I do vaguely recall that "like attracts like". Olive oil is a hydrophobic substance (meaning it is repelled by water but attracted to fatty substances) and it will stick to other hydrophobic substances like skin oils and greasy makeup. When olive oil is used as a cleanser, it will stick to the dirt and oils that you do not want on your skin; when the olive oil is then removed with a towel, the unwanted substances will be removed as well. As a side, olive oil is also supposed to increase the growth of your eyelashes and eyebrows. 

Now, after about a month of application, I have noticed that my skin is smoother and more moisturized. I actually use olive oil in place of my moisturizer since it's much more effective (not to mention, so much more cost-friendly)! I don't have wrinkles so I'm can't attest to its anti-aging properties but I have used it as a cleanser/makeup remover and it has been effective for removing even waterproof mascara. Unfortunately, I haven't noticed any differences in my eyelashes but it's only been one month so I am still hopeful!

As a cleanser, I would just apply EVOO onto my face with my fingers (making sure they are clean) and gently rub it onto my skin for 1-2 minutes in a circular motion. Then I would run a towel under hot water and place the hot towel onto my face to open up the pores. When the towel has cooled, I would rinse the towel and use it to wipe my face one more time to remove any excess olive oil. After that, my face should be clean and I would apply my moisturizer....which happens to be more olive oil, hahaha. 

This cleanser is effective and I've read many positive reviews about it online. However, the process does take some time and I usually run late in the morning so I've reverted back to using my normal cleanser - La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Gel. This is a product that I also highly recommend as I've tried numerous other cleansers specific for acne prone skin but this one seems to suit me best. It effectively removes any impurities without irritating or drying my skin. So yes, olive oil can serve as an effective cleanser although its application takes too long to suit my lifestyle. Who knows, it might suit yours though!

As a moisturizer, I would apply EVOO onto my face with my fingers (making sure they are clean) and leave it on for 2-3 minutes. Then I would just wipe the excess oil off my face and I would be left with softer and more supple skin. I still use EVOO as a moisturizer and I don't think I will revert back to any drugstore products since nothing has even matched its effectiveness when it comes to nourishing my skin. 

As a make-up remover....honestly, I just rub olive oil all over my face to dissolve the makeup and then wash it off with water. 

*Well, that is that! Results and effects will vary from person to person but I can say that lemon juice and olive oil are both very effective natural skin care products for me. It has helped improve my skin and hopefully it may do the same for yours as well. If anything, no harm in trying, right? Anyways, I'll talk to you later!*