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

Air Scrapbook Pages

 
I skipped over the last memorial photos I had to scrapbook and went on to the 'air' photos from the Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.  I posted the first half of the visit on April 12th (2011) in my Space Race layout and now these pics range from the Wright brothers to a 747 cockpit to the fashions worn by stewardesses in the 60s.

I was very loosely inspired by the June 2011 issue of Scrapbooks, etc. and a layout shown in the 'more is better' article.  Usually the magazine showcases elaborate pages with only one or two photos but there were several layouts featured in this section with multiphotos.  The tip demonstrated was 'block it' and basically instructs to place photos on card stock and then fill in empty spots with patterned paper, journaling and stickers.  I pretty much do this anyway, but I did like the way they used large stars behind some of the embellishments.  I had used a star border and stars on the Space Race pages so I thought using them again here would tie the layouts together.

Before arranging my photos, I added 2-1/2" wide strips of orange paper with rounded corners to each page.  I added my pictures - some matted, some cropped - and then layered in some stickers (really old ones from retired CM Power Palettes), a die-cut airplane cut from the Summer Vacation Cricut cartridge (to which I added a star embellishment from my stash), a couple of journal boxes, and some star brads from SU.  I cut the 'air' title using the Mini Monograms Cricut cartridge and matted the 'a' on a popped up star in green paper, which I found on the Hannah Montana cartridge.

To balance the stars on the layout, I added a couple more of them and then punched out portions of my photos using the 1-3/4" circle punch and adhered them right to the stars.

Half Whole Wheat Bread

This delicious loaf, made in the bread machine, combines equal amounts of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour.  You get extra flavour and nutrition in a nice, light-textured wheat bread.  (Makes a nice, big, 1-1/2 pound loaf, too!)

 

Half Whole Wheat Bread

1 cup + 1 Tbsp warm water

1 Tbsp honey

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp packed brown sugar

1-1/2 Tbsp dry milk

2 Tbsp butter

1-1/2 tsp fast rise yeast

Mmm, Smells Good!

I'm usually all about things that taste good but today I'm sharing my latest finds that smell good...really good!  The first is this fantastic hand and body cream from Pink by Victoria's Secret.  The scent is 'soft & dreamy' and smells like a combination of meringue and whipped cream...doesn't that just sound like it smells good?  I am obsessed with it.  Not only does it smell scrumptious, it is a really nice, thick cream and does a nice job softening the skin and keeping it that way.  This tube is only $12 (I would have bought the larger pump version but it wasn't available.)

 The next yummy smelling item is the Viva La Juicy scent from Juicy Couture.  The lotion is pictured here but I really bought the gift set for the eau de parfum.  It is so delicate and delicious - I can't stop sniffing my wrists throughout the day it's so good!  Definitely my current favourite.

 Lastly, I'm sharing this most incredible hand scrub by CND.  It's an almond exfoliator specially made for the hands and I swear I could almost eat it from the jar!  It smells like marzipan - an almond/cherry type scent that I've always loved, ever since we used to use Vidal Sassoon shampoo back in the 70s.  I use this scrub on manicure day to remove the dry skin from my hands and arms and moisturize.  It's pretty oily so you need to rinse it off well but the whole process is so luxurious - what a treat!

I hope you enjoyed this post about yummy things to smell...can't eat 'em but they certainly inspire me to use them by scent alone! 

P.S. Here is a photo of the Essie Tart Deco polish I mentioned in my post on May 15th...it is pretty bright and not something I would usually choose.  I think it will look nicer in the summer - especially when my skin gets a wee bit darker - and I know it will look excellent on my toes!  DH liked it a lot (he's a big fan of orange and it's a tad on the orangey side).  It went on a bit streaky and I probably should have done 3 coats but I didn't have the patience for that!

Wrap It Up Birthday Bag

I made this cute bag for my friend's birthday and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  I started by cutting the bag from the Wrap It Up Cricut cartridge, which can be found on the 'Box' Creative Feature Button for the <JstMrd> icon on page 46.  I sized it on my Gypsy to 7.25" and cut it using Not Quite Navy Textured card stock.  It is such a pretty colour!

I cut some panels to fit all the sides using the Green Tea dsp (SU, retired) and inked up the edges with Not Quite Navy ink.  I rounded the tops of the panels to match the large scallop at the top of the bag.  Next, I ran a small piece of the card stock through the Cuttlebug and embossed it with the scallop border folder and added it to the front side of the bag.  I stamped the Happy Birthday from the Punch Bunch stamp set and punched it out with the Scalloped Square punch.  I popped it up with dimensionals.  I attached a piece of Old Olive satin ribbon through one of the handles with a matching brad.  Finally, I added three felt flowers - the Felt Confetti 'Eyelet' from Michael's own brand, which were part of the haul 'o gifts that Steph sent to me.  They were just perfect to add a little decoration to the front of the bag.

Inside, I slipped in two products from my favourite Signature Collection from Bath & Body Works: Warm Vanilla Sugar.  I got my friend the shower gel (delish!) and anti-bacterial hand spray - why, just because you are killing germs doesn't mean you have to smell like a hospital!!  Happy Birthday, my friend!

Helping Hands

Meet my new best friends!  Since my goal is to grow my nails long enough to do a French manicure, rubber gloves are now a necessity.  All the water and detergents my hands come in contact with during the day are counter-productive to my manicure and my nail beds.  When bare nails get soaked they absorb the water and swell - then dry - causing nail polish to peel and the nails themselves to dehydrate.

I used to hate wearing gloves since they felt cumbersome and awkward to work in but now I prefer it.  I can get the water much hotter when doing the dishes and cleaning without getting scalded, I don't have to worry so much about getting cut or jabbed with a knife or can lid, and cleaning the bathroom isn't quite so gross!

These gloves are nicely lined so they're easy to get on and off and only cost $0.99 cents.  I bought a pair to keep in each bathroom, a pair for my cleaning caddy, one for the garage for washing the car, and of course I keep a set in the kitchen.  I also picked up a couple extra packages to keep in the drawer in case one springs a leak.  They are helping a lot to keep my hands in good shape and my nails strong.  I just can't figure out how I'm going to clean the fish tank...

Strawberry Shortcakes

 
Strawberry season is just around the corner (and has already arrived in the U.S.) so I couldn't resist making and sharing this variation on Strawberry Shortcakes featured in the Healthy Makeover article of the June 2011 issue of Good Housekeeping.

While fresh strawberries are the feature of the dessert, the biscuit here is made with less sugar and fibre-rich oats, plus there is a Greek yogurt and sour cream filling recipe to use instead of whipped cream.  Greek yogurt is all the rage at the moment so here's another way you can use it.

To be honest, I used cream in my Strawberry Shortcakes because I was in a hurry and it was in the fridge.  The biscuits were a little less tender than I would prefer so I'd probably turn to my usual shortcake recipe next time.  Don't get me wrong, this recipe was totally delicious and everyone devoured their serving...and the second!

You can find the recipe for the Good Housekeeping Strawberry Shortcakes here. 

Congratulations Medallion Card

 
You may recall I did a scrapbook page using a faux embossing technique demonstrated in Scrapbooks, Etc. magazine.  By placing strips of identical card stock punch out with one or more border punches onto the base (whether it be a scrapbook page background or a card), a textured, embossed look is achieved.  I thought about applying that technique to a card.

I started with Green Galore card stock from the SU Bold Brights (not something I'd usually pick) for my card base and ran it through the Cuttlebug with a frame embossing folder.  Next I used a Stampin' Up scallop border punch and an EK Success border punch to cut the strips.  I stamped the Congratulations (from the SU Congrats set) in VersaMark and heat embossed it with white powder.  I stamped the medallion from the Artistic Etchings set using white craft ink (SU) and heat embossed it as well.  I punched it out with the 1-3/4" circle punch and layered it on a 2" Only Orange card stock scallop.  I tucked a snippet of white satin ribbon underneath before adhering it to my card front (to serve as the focal element and cover up the crown of the embossed frame.  Since I used the frame in landscape mode, and it is intended to be used in portrait mode, the crown was sideways and I needed to hide it).

Inside, I attached a piece of the orange card stock to the top of the card, to hide the reverse side of the embossed frame, and to provide a nice mat for a picture of the recipient.  (One of my favourite things to do on personal cards is add a photo printed on vellum.)  On the bottom of the card, I added white card stock on which to write and added the little stamped icon from Artistic Etchings - I really like the bit of colour it adds. 

Fab Four Scrapbook Layout

 
This 2-page layout showcases photos from a Beatles tribute concert we attended.  I knew I had the word 'four' on the Graphically Speaking Cricut cartridge, but I was really pleased to find 'FAB' on the Create a Critter cartridge!  That's probably the best feature on the Gypsy - being able to search for whatever word or image you need.  The Gypsy will find all examples of the searched item and highlight the cartridges linked to the Gypsy (ie. ones that you own).  It's such an easy way to find what you are looking for, especially if you've accumulated...ahem...more than a few cartridges!

I chose the Nancy O'Dell Hummingbird Collection paper for my layout and cut the title from the matching photo mats.  The photos I took of the band were not very clear so I ended up using them more as a background and featured the photos of my DD, hubby and me.  I singled out one great pic of my daughter and cut it, and a mat, using the small circle pattern from the Custom Cutting System (CM).  I also used two circle punches to layer a small 1-1/4" photo (we had an incident with a rolling dinner roll...it was really funny, so that's why there's a photo of a bakery item on my layout).  Three shots create a photo strip down the centre of the right-side page and I rounded the corners of the photos and the mat.  I cut a little mat by hand for the ticket stubs and popped it up on dimensionals.

Craft Room Tour

As promised, here is the video tour of my new workshop space.  I haven't finished decorating yet and there may be things I eventually move around, but for the most part I'm moved in.

I'm always interested in how others store all their craft supplies so I show you how I've organized mine.  I tried to keep a scrapbooking section and a stamping section so that the items which belong to each are readily at hand.  Of course, there are some cross-over tools and supplies but it's not like I have to go very far to get them when I need to!

It's funny to me to think the whole project grew out of this little pencil sketch I drew one night while watching the old console t.v. I used to have in the room...I was frustrated by the storage and work space I had so I just doodled what my dream workshop might look like.  I am very happy with the way it turned into reality and it is such a pleasure to now have a beautiful and functional craft room!  It's a holiday today in Canada so I'm planning on spending a good part of my day in the workshop!

Enjoy the tour!

Hawaiian Ham Bake

I had leftover spiral ham and wanted to make a casserole so this Hawaiian Ham Bake fit the bill - I had all the ingredients on hand and it was quick to assemble.

Instead of a creamy concoction, this dish has a sweet-and-sour sauce that is served over rice.  We really liked the flavour...the only complaint was that it is very sweet!  If I made it again I would reduce the amount of sugar by at least half or more.  I also used half the amount of raisins and since the recipe calls for more pineapple juice than what is drained from the tidbits you'll need to have a can of juice to make up the difference.

Hawaiian Ham Bake

3 cups cubed fully cooked ham

1 med. onion, thinly sliced

1 sm. green pepper cut into rings

2/3 cup raisins (I used less)

1 can (8 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I would use less)

3 Tbsp cornstarch

3 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups pineapple juice

1/2 cup cider vinegar

4-1/2 tsp soy sauce

Hot cooked rice

In greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer the ham, onion, green pepper, raisins and pineapple.  In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, mustard and salt. Stir in pineapple juice and vinegar until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook & stir for 2 mins. or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce. Pour over pineapple. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 mins. or until heated through. Serve over rice.