All-Around Pinay Mama

Magnolia Pancake & Waffle Mix: The Best Pancake Mix Ever!

April 09, 2013

Cooking and eating pancakes are part of our family's regular breakfast for years. I've tried lots of pancake mix brands but nothing satisfies my taste.

I was looking for a brand that was comparable to McDonald's pancakes- creamy, milky, melts in your mouth, tastes just right, and not too sweet. I found all these in Magnolia Pancake and Waffle Mix!

The best pancake mix ever!

Cooking this is very, very easy. Just follow the cooking directions at the back of the packaging.

I only make a change on the amount of water. Instead of 1/2 cup, I always put 2/3 portion of the regular mug to get this consistency.

I make sure that I don't put too much water. I did it once and it made cooking a little difficult.

If that happens, bubbles may not form easily, the sign when you have to turn the pancake to it's other side. There is a tendency that the pancake would burn easily while the batter on top is still too wet. It's hard to flip it to the other side.

When you put the right amount of water in the mixture, when bubbles form on top, the one touching the pan is properly cooked, not burned

I also recommend that you use a non-stick pan, a surgical steel pan, like I use, or a porcelain pan, and not the thin aluminum pan. If you use a thin aluminum pan, it requires more oil so that your pancake doesn't burn immediately unlike when you use the first three that I mentioned above.

What is I do is I just brush a little oil on the pan. I want my pancakes healthy and not oily. I put one scoopful of batter on the preheated pan, then I lower down the flame.

In one 400 g pack, I can make 12-15 big pieces of pancakes! We eat them as is most of the time. If you want them to taste like the ones in McDonald's, use salted Anchor Butter and Clara Ole Pancake Syrup. You may also put fruits and use other syrups based on your preference!

My very own cooked pancakes made from Magnolia Pancake and Waffle Mix

Magnolia Pancake & Waffle Mix: The Best Pancake Mix Ever! 5 by allaroundpinaymama.blogspot.com

Our favorite, the very delicious and affordable pancake syrup, Clara Ole! It compliments the taste of my cooked pancakes. Courtesy: claraole.net

Pancake mornings will not be the same without Magnolia Pancake and Waffle Mix! Try it and I guarantee that you'll love it!

REVIEW: Natasha Beauty Lip Palette - PRECIOUS LIPS

March 20, 2013

I am fond of things that are "ALL-IN-ONE" type or multipurpose. They save space, practical, worth the money, handy, and multifunctional. My mom knows this and this is what I got from her last Christmas---one of Natasha Beauty's latest product, Lip Palette - Precious Lips.

Let me give you the details why I love this sooooooooo much!

List of Ingredients Found at the Back Portion of the Palette

Packaging and Contents

Natasha Beauty Lip Palette- Precious Lips is one of the two lip palettes launched on their December 2012 Catalogue. Natasha combined all their bestseller lip colors in 2 palettes--- Precious Lips and Tempting Pout.

Natasha Precious Lips and Tempting Pout Palettes for comparison

PROS: I prefer this palette compared to Tempting Pout, because I like to have a tangerine, red, fuschia, candy pink, peach, and light pink lip colors that suit my skin color. Just imagine buying all these lip colors individually that may cost Php150.00 and up depending on the brand. This is very impractical for moms like me who prioritize family expenses rather than personal wants and needs.

For Php 270.00 (paid by my mom of course), I am able to get six lip colors in one instead of one or two individual lip colors only. I also like its size. It's only 4" x 2.5"x 0.5" that makes it very sleek and small that can fit a cute purse even a small pocket. It weighs only 5.8 g that makes it very light. It has two small lip brushes that I use one for the lighter shade, and the other one for the dark shades. They are like professional lip brushes. They are not too soft nor hard. The tips are pointed that they can perfectly spread and line my lips with lip color. The packaging has no mirror but if I am in a well-lighted room, I can see my reflection on it's cover just like I am in front of the mirror. All shades are highly pigmented and true enough, they fit my fair skin. A small amount of lip color is enough to cover my entire lips. I can even mix and match the colors to create a new color. They also stay longer on my lips and I don't have to retouch often. It has the right shine that gives glow to my lips. They are non-greasy too.

This is the swatch that I applied on my arm. This photo was taken without flash.

I applied all colors on my lips for better visualization.This photo was taken without flash.

Lip colors in this palette may be used as substitutes to the following:

KISS ME- Avon Flamenco Red; Mac Cremesheen Lipstick Brave Red; NYC Retro Red Liptick

CRYSTAL ROSE- Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick Full Fuschia

CORAL PASSION-Mac Morange; Revlon Tutti Frutti

PINK DIAMOND- Rimmel Sugar Plum; Revlon Stormy Pink; Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick Show Orchid; WetNWild 505A

CANDY LUSH- Mac Cremesheen Lipstick Creme Cup; Revlon Wink for Pink

MELLOW PINK- Any peach or very light pink tinted lip balm

CONS: For those who have very dry lips like me, putting lip balm 30 minutes before applying any of these lip colors is a must to maintain the lips' moisture much longer. The lip colors tend to dry fast on my lips or become matte finish if I don't do this. Why 30 minutes before? It is due to clumping of the lip color when you immediately put it on right after applying lip balm. The lips should be able to absorb the lip balm first to avoid this. The lip color may serve as the sealant to lock in moisture.

Pros outweigh the cons! This is highly recommended especially to those women who want to try wearing different lip colors while on a budget. This is another proof that buying cheaper and affordable brands doesn't mean getting less quality.