Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

Chocolate Butterscotch Cereal Bars

Here is another variation on the traditional Rice Krispie Square and they are absolutely delicious!  My kids went crazy for these and even though they are really sweet, I must admit I had a few of them myself.

My video shows you how simple they are to make and here is the ingredient list.

Chocolate Butterscotch Cereal Bars

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Weekend Fun

It has been a very enjoyable and busy weekend.  I hosted a scrapbooking crop and we had a great time catching up and getting some pages completed in our albums.  Here is the little treat bag I had waiting for my friends: I embellished the topper with the new Embossed Star Maker from Creative Memories.  This punch is neat because you can cut out a plain star or flip a switch and get an embossed star in the middle and cut-outs on the tips.  Very pretty!

For lunch, I planned the menu around a Mexican theme.  I served chicken quesadillas that were really yummy and easy to prepare for a crowd.  You can find the recipe HERE.  (My DH loved the left-overs!)  I also made a wonderful Southwestern Bean Soup that was so hearty and tasty.  I did add some black beans and rice to the soup to make it even better.  I will definitely be making that again!  It was also super fast and easy to make and I just kept it hot in the crock-pot until lunch time.

It was awesome to be with my friends doing something I love, and I finished my latest Disney album!  That means it's time to plan the next trip!
 

Time to Renew Your Emergency Kit

  Now would be an ideal time to check your EMERGENCY KIT .  I like to replace the water bottles with fresh ones (you can use the "old" water in the coffee maker, kettle, lemonade jug, or dog dish!) and go through the food stuffs bag and replace the items with new ones (even if the canned goods are not labeled as expired, it's still a good idea to rotate the inventory to keep it as fresh as possible).  I will bring the old stock upstairs and into my pantry to eat within the next couple weeks and replenish the supply in the emergency bag.  The kids are usually on-board with this process since that means the chocolate bars, processed peanut butter, and fun granola bars are up for grabs.  It's also good to check the sizes of the clothing you have packed up, especially if you have younger children who have grown since last fall.  There's no point keeping extra t-shirts in there if they don't fit.  Don't overlook the batteries as well - it wouldn't hurt to put some new ones in the supply bag.  I know the States have already experienced some rough weather, including tornadoes.  Our season is on the way and I always want to be prepared...just in case!!

Cricut Rewards

  I have had my original Cricut since 2008 and have acquired various cartridges ever since.  Provo Craft started adding Rewards Certificates inside the cartridge boxes at some point in '08 and I just filed them away...until now!  After I got my Gypsy and was rewarded another 200 points, I realized that I had actually accumulated rewards to a 1200 point level.  There wasn't a lot to choose from but I was certainly happy to pick the Designer's Calendar plus Christmas cartridge set.  Although many people complained on the message boards that shipping from the Cricut Rewards site was really steep to Canada, it only cost me $5.81 to get the gift - not bad for a $50 or so reward!  (Maybe PC listened and found a more economical way to ship).  The package arrived in no time at all and I am looking forward to playing around with these 2 'new to me' carts.  There are a lot of icons on the calendar one that would work in scrapbooks or cards too.  The only thing I am not thrilled with is the big, double-sized box the bundle set came in - it doesn't match all my other cart containers and being a little compulsive that way, well...it just drives me a little crazy!  (Luckily, I have my Gypsy now and I don't really have to look at the actual cartridges any more!)  Hmm, now maybe I'll started saving my points for the GOLD EXPRESSION machine!  Hey, it's only 8000 points!!

So Dear

  Here's a card made using paper-piecing with an image cut by my Cricut.  This time I used the Create A Critter cartridge and cut this adorable dear for the front of my card.  It layers up really easily because you don't have to add the little tiny pieces any more - this cart cuts each layer to create the effect of eyes, mouth, nose, etc.  The smallest piece I had to deal with was the collar.  To enhance my card, I used my white gel pen to outline the sentiment, plus the Eyelet Punch from Stampin' Up to add a scalloped border to my patterned paper layer, and of course a ribbon.

Inside the card I added some Amy R stamps and a punched-out heart using the Sweat Heart Maker from Creative Memories.  This card is for one of our favourite teachers and I think she will really like it. 
 

Crock Pot English Beef Pot Pie

This recipe for English Beef Pot Pie was so easy to prepare because the majority of the cooking is done in a slow-cooker.  Basically, you make a stew right in the crock-pot and when it has cooked all day (becoming wonderfully tender and succulent) you just spoon it into a baking dish and top with a quick-to-mix biscuit topping.  Pop it into the oven for less than 1/2 an hour and you have a fabulous, 'slow-roasted in the oven taste' in no time at all. 

English Beef Pot Pie

2 lb beef round steak, cut into 1" cubes

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 med. carrots, peeled & sliced

3 med. potatoes, peeled & sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes

Place meat in crock-pot.  Combine flour, salt & pepper.  Toss with steak to coat thoroughly.  Stir in remaining ingredients except biscuit topping, and mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on low 7-10 hours.

One hour before serving, remove meat and veg and pour into shallow 2-1/2 quart baking dish.  (Although the recipe doesn't include this step, I added some gravy thickener to the gravy remaining in the crock-pot and brought it to a boil in a small saucepan to thicken it before pouring it over the meat mixture.)  Preheat oven to 425 F.  Cover meat mixture with biscuit topping.  Bake for 20-25 mins.

Biscuit Topping

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients.  Cut in shortening.  Add milk. Stir well.  Pat out on floured board; roll out to cover baking dish.

I'm Pulling For You

This is my first card using the Just Because Cards Cricut cartridge.  Although I probably won't use this particular card too often, I love how it turned out and it's perfect for my friend who is undergoing some nasty dental work.  (Get it?  I'm "pulling" for you? lol!)

There are a lot of cuts available on this cart, including the phrase, icons, inserts, and envelopes - really pretty envelopes, in fact.  This one features the cute wagon, which I layered up in designer paper and silver card stock for the chrome accents.  I added a bit of linen thread as a bow, some ribbon around the centre layer, and co-ordinating brads in the wheels.  I used a rub-on sentiment "my friend" on the cute
tab, which doubles inside as a place to write a note.  Really adorable - I can't wait to make some more cards from this cartridge!

Strawberry Banana Loaf

  Here's another fantastic way to use up over-ripe bananas, especially now when you can get fresh strawberries in the grocery store.  This is a hearty quick bread (with the addition of rolled oats) that combines the wonderful flavours of strawberries and bananas. 

Strawberry Banana Loaf

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup mashed strawberries

1/2 cup mashed banana

1-3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

greased 9x5 loaf pan, 350 degrees F, 1 hour

Kuranda Bed & NYC

We have had a terrible time with our Yellow Lab chewing.  In the home, we can control what he has access to and, other than a few stolen tea towels and magazines, the worst of it seems to be over.  But when we have to kennel him during vacations, I am presented with a dilemma.  I can't stand the thought of him being on a cold, cement floor but every time he is boarded, he chews up his bedding.  When he first came to us we gave him a synthetic sheep's wool pad.  That lasted about 10 minutes! Since then, I have always sent a comforter for him to lie down on.  It has fared no better and I was very concerned about the stuffing he was ingesting.  At home, he sleeps on a nice, big round cedar-filled dog pillow and he never chews it.  During our last vacation I thought if I sent his "home" pillow along, surely he wouldn't chew it.  Wrong.  It came back with 3 big holes in it.  I knew for my own piece of mind I would have to solve this problem.  If only I could find something that would keep him off the ground and he would be unable to chew.  I think I may have found it: the Kuranda bed.  I purchased the aluminum 40 oz. vinyl bed - a cot-style dog bed.  It is guaranteed to be chew-proof.  I haven't tried it at the kennel yet, but since the sturdy fabric is totally encased in the metal pipes, there is no "starting" point for the dog to get a hold of it and start chewing.  Sam was very curious while we were assembling the bed and went on it right away.  (The photo is a little blurry because his tail was wagging the whole time!)

I think it will stand up to him and is just the solution I was looking for.  I will be able to enjoy my next vacation so much more knowing that he is both comfortable and safe.   I wanted to share this information in case you have a dog and are in the same predicament.  The Kuranda website can be viewed here.

My daughter just got back from New York City where she had an amazing adventure.  The text I received from her said it all in 5 words: 'Having a blast. Don't reply'.  And what made me happy?  First thing she told us when she got home: "I'm so sick of junk food.  I WANT FRUIT!"  We laughed at that one!

I was thrilled with my souvenir: a magnet from the Today Show (I'm a Today Show junkie) and this photo:  I think she was trying to make me jealous but luckily it's only a cardboard cut-out!  (Payback for this photo from Vegas, maybe?) 

It was pretty cool to think she was at the exact location I see every morning at 7:00 a.m... Now it's only my youngest daughter and I who haven't been to NYC...I think we will have to have a mother/daughter trip sometime! 

Blueberry Sauce

  I call this my emergency dessert because as long as I have frozen blueberries and vanilla ice cream in the freezer I can whip up a scrumptious delight that's even nice enough for company.  It couldn't be simpler to make Blueberry Sauce: just combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and one cup of frozen blueberries (or fresh, for that matter) in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then simmer until the desired consistency - only about 5-10 minutes.  Pour that delicious, fresh sauce over great-quality vanilla ice cream and you have a simple and quick after-dinner sweet.  Just be warned: your teeth will be blue!