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

Scalloped Thanks Card & Favour

I made a card like this for each of my stamping friends who joined me for a night of card making.  The simple design was inspired by Angie at Chic 'n Scratch.  She used a similar method for her August thank-you cards.

I used a Whisper White square card and Old Olive dsp (Old Olive is probably my most-used colour!).  I added a matching ribbon and a stamp from the Perfect Punches set.  (I knew I would use that set a lot!)  I punched it out with the Scalloped Oval punch and added some glitter.  I wanted to keep things really clean and simple so the ladies could use these cards for any 'thank you' occasion.

I also marked each place at the craft table with a monogrammed drink-crystal packet: everyone likes to get something with his or her initial on it and I don't think anyone threw it away, even though they did use the mix in their water bottles!   

Tzatziki

Having grown up in a city with many Greek restaurants, we love to have chicken brochettes with tzatziki yogurt dip.  This delicious mixture of mainly yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and olive oil makes a wonderful accompaniment for all kinds of meats and is usually found as a sauce in souvlaki and gyros.  I have made it from scratch on several occasions, but more often, when the mood strikes, I buy it prepared from the deli.  I like to marinate the chicken chunks in Greek salad dressing (or make my own marinade with lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, and garlic) and then skewer them and grill on the bar-b-que.  I make up separate kebabs of vegetables (usually onions, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms) to serve alongside.  Rice is the perfect side dish and the whole dinner takes me right back to Zorba's!  

Birthday Puzzle Box

Remember I made the Puzzle Magic photo puzzle for my DD's birthday surprise?  Well, this is the little box I made to put all the puzzle pieces in to give her.  I cut the box from the Wedding cartridge on my Cricut (there are similar boxes on Tags, Bags, Boxes, & More) using the Chalet paper from Creative Memories.  It co-ordinates with the card I made for her.

I decorated the box with some faux pearls on the top, ribbon for the handle, and a really pretty rose.  Her middle name is Rose so I thought that was perfect.  I glittered the layers and popped it up on some dimensional foam dots.  It turned out so pretty and is the perfect size to hold the puzzle! 

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes used to be really big back in the 70s and as kids we were occasionally allowed to buy the sauce in the can to make them.  But these days, of course, when I make sloppy joes it's from scratch.  There is a wonderful recipe here at Martha Stewart which makes the most perfectly flavoured filling to add to toasted hamburger buns.  I've been making them this way since 2005 - I follow the recipe as listed 'for the kids' and stop after step 2.  We really enjoy them just like that but you could easily add on the cilantro and avocados too.  The mixture is so simple to make and is just the right thickness to be able to pick up the sandwich - although it is still plenty sloppy!

Cinnamon Buns

Just a reminder for new readers that it is not difficult to make your own homemade Cinnamon Buns at home.  I use a bread machine to make the dough - which makes the process super easy!  You can of course make the dough by hand and let it rise until double in bulk, then proceed with the rest of the recipe from that point.  I just pulled these out of the oven and even my teenage son was agonizing over the smell!  Nothing gets to a loved one's heart (or tummy) faster than the smell of cinny buns in the oven!  Enjoy...
 

Pear Yogurt Kuchen

DH said we needed to eat up some of our pears since 35 of them were ripe at the same time!  I decided to make Pear Yogurt Kuchen, which required 5 pears.  It is made exactly the same way as the Raspberry Yogurt Kuchen I showed you in January except that you substitute about 5 peeled, thinly sliced pears for the raspberries.  It has a very mild & subtle flavour when made with the pears but it's still a lovely dessert.  You can watch the video below to see the method.  5 down...30 to go!

Baby Girl Birthday

This card was made using the retired Chalet Power Palette paper from Creative Memories.  It's perfect for a baby girl - and it just so happens I made it for my baby girl who just turned 18!  It's very cliche, but the time really does fly!

The card is 5-1/4" square with 2 layers of designer print paper.  I added a satin bow and a tag sticker, which I baby-powdered and popped up with Fiskars foam dots.  The scallop border is also a sticker and the sentiment is a rub-on from Stampin' Up.  Inside, I added another piece of paper, border sticker, and a small circle sticker at the bottom.  Cute & pink!  

Celebrate Good Times Scrapbook Page

This page was created using the new Creative Memories Cheerful Power Palette and Cricut cartidge.  I think it's so cute and don't you just love those colours together?

I started with the Designer-Print 12x12 paper pack and using various layers of co-ordinating paper, built my page around a 5x7 photo, a 3x3.5 photo, and a journal box.

The title, flourish, and flower element were cut using my Cricut Expression and the Cheerful cartridge.  The wavy border at the bottom of the page was cut using the Reminisce cartridge - which is full of amazing border patterns!  (I'm not going to need my border punches for a while as I explore all these great, intricate border designs.)  The page came together in no time and I'm really enjoying having all this new inspiration! 

Dry & Heat Embossed Happy Birthday

I really adore this card!  All the elements work perfectly together and I had a lot of fun making it.  I layered several squares of card stock and designer series paper (in Old Olive & More Mustard - a colour I don't use very often) and inked the edges of each one (with More Mustard ink) to get that great look of added depth to the card.  I ran the smallest square through the Cuttlebug using the birthday folder and added a piece of Chocolate Chip satin ribbon with a bow.  The Happy Birthday oval was stamped in VersaMark and then heat embossed with black embossing powder.  The stamp is from the Perfect Punches stamp set (Stampin' Up) and punched out with the Extra-large Oval punch.  I then inked it up using Tim Holtz distress inks (Antique Linen is my favourite!)  Inside the card, I just added a strip of embossed card stock using one of the Cuttlebug embossing folder Borders.  This is one of my all-time favourite cards: really simple and I love the Old Olive and More Mustard together.

Banana Nut Bread in the Bread Maker

Here's an easy bread machine recipe that's bound to please the banana bread fan in your life.  As always, it's the bread maker that does most of the work while you sit back and smell the wonderful aroma.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banana Nut Bread

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup mashed banana

2-1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3 Tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp butter, cut in 4

1-1/2 tsp fast rise yeast