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

Happy Planner Accessories

Wow, time is certainly flying by! I'm not sure where the week went since I last posted! I have been cooking up a storm and taking lots of pics for you but have barely been to my computer in (obviously!) days. I've also been what I like to call, Plannering...my verb for prepping my Happy Planner pages for the week ahead, when I have a small chunk of time.

I start by choosing a colour scheme for the week and adding stickers and washi to establish a base. I add in what I already know (appointments, workout schedules, and to-do lists) and once those are written down, I sprinkle in some fun inspirational quotes or additional cute stickers for decoration. It's a lot of fun but I can spend way too much time on it. Those stickers are addictive!

I bought some gorgeous covers for my planners and I really like having them both to protect the pages and keep some stickers handy in the front pocket. I also really need the pen holder on the side. I now have my regular daily planner, my fitness planner, and a mini for meal planning. I was finding that figuring out what we were going to eat (in advance) had gone by the wayside and I was scrambling when dinner time came around. It's not how I like to run things and a lot of fresh food (and leftovers) were going to waste because I wasn't organized.

The mini is really cute to work with and the size keeps things compact and portable. I make a shopping list for the week from one of the tabbed add-on lined pages and keep track of what needs to be assembled for each meal. I can take a quick look through the fridge, cupboard, and deep freeze to see what needs to be eaten up and what ingredients I have on hand for different dishes. It's a process I used to do for many years when we were a young family trying to stretch the grocery budget and it was very efficient. I also have a page where family members can add their requests or cravings and a section where I note which new recipes to try and where to find them. Best of all, I can look forward to the days where I have the DATE NIGHT or TAKE OUT stickers and I don't have to cook!!!!

The fitness planner came in a kit which includes the book, a pen, stickers, post-its and a magnetic page marker. It's a great way to get started because all the essentials are right there from the beginning. I added a pack of dividers which are plastic, tabbed 'dashboards' for quickly marking your page and keeping sections separate. I like that they can be decorative and functional; there are many ideas on YouTube for how to customize the dashboards. I've added photos and quote stickers and even used one to hold the most-used post-it notes.

One last thing I picked up (not the Happy Planner brand which are not available in my store) were some high-lighter pens. I chose the Sharpie ones from Staples since I exclusively use Sharpie pens. They are perfect for lefties because they don't smudge! The high-lighters are excellent and I love the chiselled view-through tip. The 3 colour pack lets me quickly see what tasks are important or time sensitive. Love 'em!

It's been almost a month since I started keeping the planner(s) and I truly think they have been keeping me on track. I am especially loving the fitness version because I need to keep myself encouraged and inspired. It really helps! Thanks for checking in and I will definitely be back with all those recipes I've been cooking up!

Pampered Chef Bamboo Salad Claws

I haven't bought any Pampered Chef items in years, not because I don't love their products but mostly because I'm out of that mommy-group home sales party circle. Everything I have from this company has been fantastic and I still use them all, from the stoneware to the spiky thing that holds a roast or loaf while you cut it (plus many other useful items!).

My daughter was washing a microwave pot while we were face-timing and I was intrigued. It has a lid which acts as a strainer and it's ideal for microwaving vegetables or heating soup. That pot was the reason I revisited Pampered Chef and nowadays, one can just go ahead and order on-line with no need to attend a ''party". I purchased the small size cooker (for son to heat his tomato soup) and a family size for broccoli (for example) for five+ of us. They are a little pricey for plastic but the lid sealed the deal for me.

While I was on the site I checked out the sale items. I couldn't believe that the Bamboo Salad Claws were on special offer for under $5 bucks! I have a Pampered Chef bamboo spoon (and a bamboo cutting board) and they are simply wonderful. The bamboo doesn't absorb any odours or flavours so you can stir garlic in your tomato sauce in the evening and then porridge the next day without having a garlicky breakfast cereal. I ordered two sets of the servers, one for myself and one for my daughter. They are solid, beautifully made, and clever. There is a ridge on the back of the claws so they rest on the bowl edge and don't fall in! They also work amazingly well to scoop and serve salad. We eat a lot of salad and I always add small, chopped green onions and other tiny diced veg and the flat surface of the second claw holds all that small stuff so well. I absolutely love these salad servers!

One last thing I got was a large classic batter bowl. I think my sister has one and I've always thought it was great. It's a lovely, heavy glass measuring bowl with a spout and lid. The large one I got holds 8 cups and is microwave, dishwasher, AND oven safe! I use this type of bowl so often for my baking so I'm glad I finally have a fancy Pampered Chef one of my own. I did throw in a cute rubber scraper/spatula that was also on sale. I can never have enough of those on hand and the good quality ones are hard to find.

Definitely check out the Pampered Chef website for some great deals if you are in the market for some cookware or utensils.

Creative Memories Crop Caddy

I didn't technically need a new storage method for my Creative Memories tools and supplies but as soon as I saw the video release of the new Crop Caddy, I was smitten. I loved that there was a place for the most-used items, including pockets for all the Custom Cutting System patterns (which I'd had tossed in a drawer! Not the ideal way to stash these precious shapes). The tote is a great price so I treated myself to an organizer I knew would work well on my cropping table.

When it arrived (along with some other goodies like paper packs, variety mats, and tape runner refills) I was surprised how small and compact it is. It sure does hold a lot of stuff but doesn't take up much room on my desk at all. I couldn't wait to fill it up and referenced the video once again to see how CM added all the supplies. I even had room for my heart and wavy square cutting patterns which had sadly been stored away since we moved over two years ago.

I love the tiny square pockets for the corner rounder, pens, and tape runner but I did find it a bit of a tight squeeze for my trimmer. I don't know if it's because it's an older model but it kind of looks like a snug fit on the video too. That would be my only criticism but it's a minor thing. The trimmer just goes in on a very slight angle.

I much prefer having all my stuff right beside me rather than tucked away in a drawer. I find I use my cutting system more now that it's at my fingertips and I no longer go searching for my pens, scissors, and multi-purpose tool (one of my all time favourite and most used items!). I was correct in my original instinct that I should absolutely order this cute and functional caddy. :)

I have been scrapbooking like crazy and having such a good time doing it. I am almost caught up from the spring, except for our summer getaway to New Brunswick. I plan on doing a separate album for those travel pics so I look forward to concentrating on them when hubby is away for work. I'm excited because I love having fun with the small 8x8 albums - they are so quick to put together and I have to get creative to make everything fit in a beautiful way. I also finally got to use the Maple Leaf punch I ordered a while ago and it is SOOOO PRETTY! It punches so smoothly and crisply and makes gorgeous leaves just the right size. I added them to my Canada 150 day page AND they worked perfectly on our camping photos layout. Love it!!!

Easy Way to Drizzle & Mocha Spice Cake Recipe

Every year I must make a Mocha Spice Cake for my hubby's birthday. It's a fabulous dessert, a tender chocolate cake made with a splash of coffee and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It's topped with a fluffy 7-Minute Frosting and then accented with a drizzle of UN-sweetened melted chocolate. That hint of unsugared chocolate is just enough to cut the sweetness of the frosting which makes for an unusual cake with an interesting flavour.

I've always struggled a bit with the 'drizzling' part of the process. The baking chocolate is melted with a bit of butter and then needs to be poured over the delicate, egg white 7-minute frosting. I've tried drizzling from a spoon (unpredictable and uneven application), using a ziplock baggie with the corner cut off (gloopy and thick), a professional icing bag (very messy and overkill), spreading with a knife (lacks a pretty finish), or dotting by dropping (too concentrated).

This time I had an idea to use a cheap little lunch squeeze container my daughter bought for taking mustard to work. I used a tiny spoon to fill the bottle with the melted chocolate and then squeezed it out of the small nozzle top. It worked so well! I got even, thin lines of drizzled chocolate covering the entire cake so each piece was as good as the next. It was still messy to wash up but overall this method of chocolate application was much easier and quite decorative. Happily, I usually only make this once every August so I don't have to do much drizzling the rest of year!

You can get the recipe for the cake and frosting below...

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Cycling Rice Cakes

Cycling rice cakes aren't anything like those crunchy, chip-like flavoured snack food ones in the bag. These are high energy squares of cooked rice with added flavourings, like raisins, apple, and cinnamon. I learned about them from watching GCN videos (the Global Cycling Network) and they are a favourite food of pro racers while on the bike. They can be kept in a jersey pocket while riding, are quick to eat (barely need chewing), and pack easy to digest nutrition. The rice cakes sounded good and since they seem to be a universally eaten cycling food, I thought I'd give the GCN recipe a try.

Basically, the rice cakes are cooked short grain rice, such as arborio, combined with flavours and then cooled in a pan, chilled, and cut into portable squares. There is a lot of energy and calories going into the rice from brown sugar, apple juice, and dried fruit but that burst of energy is what long ride cyclists and racers require. I used my Instant Pot to cook the rice (really it's a sweet risotto) and then I mixed in the raisins, dried apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. We tasted it warm straight from the pot and it was delicious!!! If you like rice pudding, it had a very similar flavour.

The cooked mixture is spread into a baking sheet and cooled before it's chilled overnight in the fridge. In the morning, I cut the solidified rice into squares and wrapped them individually. Cooked rice needs to be handled carefully in terms of food safety and should be kept refrigerated or frozen, and not left a room temperature longer than a couple hours. The rice cakes tasted a lot less sweet once they are cold (which is another reason why there is so much sugar in the recipe), but were quite good. However, I did not enjoy the squares as much once they had been frozen and then thawed. The texture was much more dry and the flavour much more subtle. They weren't horrible or anything, just not as good, but they still served their nutritional purpose and eased hunger pangs after a ride. Since we are not racing or in the saddle for hours and hours, I cut the squares into very small portions and we only have the rice cakes occasionally.

Speaking of GCN, I am such a GCN fan that I ordered a bunch of gear from their on-line store. I bought a new hoodie (so fluffy and cozy!), a beautiful cycling jersey made in Italy, a geeky fan GCN water bottle (which is the exact CamelBak Podium model I currently use but red with the logo), and a phone pouch. Everything was awesome and I was also delighted to get a postcard featuring the presenters and a couple of stickers. They are now in my scrapbook album! :)

Blue Zones Cabbage with Rice

One of the goals I set for myself in my fitness planner was to cook 3 new Blue Zones Solution recipes per month. There is something about the act of writing down a task that simply makes me do it! I read through the recipes and not only made the amazing Ikarian Stew once again, I tried the first of my 'new' dishes. For this week I chose a simple Cabbage with Rice mix.

The recipe is a fabulous one-pot vegetarian main meal but also could be served as a side. It's a matter of sautéing  a small cabbage cut in chunks, a couple of onions, three carrots grated in the large holes of a box grater, and an entire cup of fresh dill fronds, which adds such an incredible flavour to the rice and cabbage. Then a cup of raw rice is added with 2 cups of vegetable broth and the mixture is simmered for twenty minutes until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender. A sprinkle of salt and pepper is added and upon serving, maybe a squeeze of lemon (which I didn't try but is supposed to brighten the flavours). The Cabbage with Rice is filling and tastes so good - dilly and olive oily.

I absolutely loved this recipe and the batch made enough for my lunches for the week. There are supposedly 4 servings in the pot but they were huge so I divided it up a bit more. It reheats well in the microwave but I'm not sure if the cabbage with rice would freeze well, thinking it might be a bit mushy when thawed and warmed once again.

Two thumbs up for this easy dish and that gets one check mark of three in my planner. I have picked out at least 4 more recipes I want to try from the book, including a Greek salad and stuffed peppers. I love eating this way!

Happy Planner!!!!!

Well I have been bitten once again by the planner bug. I've been using the amazing Quilter's Planner for two years but with the exchange and delivery to Canada, it was just too expensive to justify this year. Instead, upon my daughter's urging, I switched over to the Happy Planner. The Me and My Big Ideas (Mambi to the 'planner babes' crowd!) line is available at Michaels so it is really convenient to grab a new book and all the incredible accessories and supplies that go along with it. I can go any time I want with no duty, exchange, or delivery...and Michaels has awesome coupons!!

It is really fun to have a whole range of choices when it comes to both customizing and decorating the Happy Planner. #1 on my list is the amazing feature of being able to remove the planner pages. As a 'lefty', anything with a spiral binding is a problem. It hurts, it leads to smudging, and it's totally awkward to use. Being able to pull down on the pages so I can work on them flat on the table is a blessing!  It's also very nice to be able to take a chunk of the planner bulk out until you need it (i.e. I removed the second 6 months of 2018) so the book is light and portable...and there's now plenty of room for FUN add-ons!!!!!

I bought a few sticker packs that are great for embellishing the layouts for each week. The beautifully themed stickers are a great starting point for adorning the 'data' of my days and are, of course, exactly the right size for the date boxes.  After all the to-dos and appointments are written in it's super fun and creative to go back and add cute stickers, inspiring quotes, motivational accents and tick-boxes. I am loving the whole process!

I even printed off some perfectly sized photos to add to the pages. There IS a punch from Happy Planner to make that even easier but it isn't available in Canada yet. Boo.

I'll share some of the other great accessories I got in another post. At the moment, I need to feed the dog. And write that down. In. My. Planner! Is there a sticker for that????

Frozen Chocolate Dipped Bananas

I was scrolling through my Twitter feed when I saw an ad from Today's Parent magazine for Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas. It was something I couldn't resist clicking on and the recipe was SO easy I had to make it right away. We were just sitting down for a movie so I grabbed a few popsicle sticks (which I always have on hand from the dollar store) and cut two ripe bananas in half. After poking a stick in the centre of each I popped them into the freezer for two hours.

When the timer went off I quickly melted some semi-sweet baking chocolate (that's all I had on hand. The recipe calls for milk chocolate but I didn't even have any chocolate chips, let alone a Hershey bar sitting around) and a bit of coconut oil. Since I was only making 3 bananas I just guessed on how much I'd need. I used 6 oz. of chocolate and about a teaspoon or so of the oil.

I dipped in the bananas-on-a-stick and the chocolate coating hardened pretty instantly. I didn't worry about adding any extra goodies as shown in the video (nuts, sprinkles, candy?) and I served them plain immediately. Oh my gosh! They were AMAZING! The texture was just right - not too frozen/hard/dry as commercially frozen chocolate bananas (which I've only had at Disney, I believe) and not mushy like Yonanas. Simply ideal. And the chocolate? Ugh, sooo good! I was really stunned how something so simple could be so incredible...and husband and daughter thought so too. Very, very, tasty. I am totally 100% going to be making these again soon. I didn't even feel guilty!

There was a bit of melted chocolate remaining and we all stood around the counter and dipped apple slices into it to finish it off. Like fondue, only faster! Yum!

I found the video for you HERE!