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

Weight Watcher Wellness Wins

Since the former Weight Watchers converted to WW and a focus on wellness and overall health, the company has offered members a new rewards program. With the simple act of tracking (meals, activity, and meeting attendance) we earn points. These are all things I track on a daily basis anyway so being able to collect 'wins' towards fun swag is just a bonus. Each meal and activity counts for 5 WellnessWins and a weekly weigh in at the meeting earns 25 points (50 for lifetime members).

It takes no time to accumulate enough points to redeem and there are 3 tiers to aim for. I chose to cash in 1,500 wins and get a "Go for it" traveling shoe bag in blue. I actually intended to get the water tumbler (since my Starbucks one sprung a leak!) but opted for the more substantial and useful shoe bag. I was delighted when the package arrived on my doorstep in a couple of days, delivered by courier. It was sent in a WW branded shipping bubble bag, wrapped in tissue, and included a congratulatory card. Nice touches!

The bag is durable and large, with a handle and sturdy zipper. It is made from neoprene and the only downside was a strong odour. I left it in the garage to air out and it's much better now. I am very sensitive to strong scents and the chemical/rubber smell bothered me. I'm pleased it has since dissipated. The shoe bag is going to be very useful for my summer travels but would be great for those running to the gym or taking a change of shoes to the office, beach, or WW meeting in the winter!

There are other many other rewards to choose from, including journals, hats, and pouches in tier 1; totes, water bottles, sleep set or socks in tier 2; and a duffel bag, wine tumblers, yoga mat or USB charger in tier 3. Fun, motivational, branded items that are an extra bonus for following the program. I have definitely tracked more carefully since beginning to collect the wins and I'm probably going to get the pouch or cup next!

Kodiak Cakes Pancake & Waffle Mix

I finally found Kodiak Cakes Pancake & Waffle mix at Costco. This has been a favourite of Weight Watcher members for a long time but was difficult to find in Canada. While western provinces seemed to get it fairly early on, here in Ontario we had to wait until recently to stock up on the high protein baking mix.

My daughter gave me one bag from her box and I made the pancakes first. They certainly did fill me up for a lower amount of WW 'points' but the flavour was not as good as I was anticipating. My homemade pancakes (especially the buttermilk ones!) are soooo yummy and it's a high standard for a boxed mix to meet. Still, on my own visit to Costco I did purchase a full box of Kodiak Cakes. I knew there were many recipes online to try and since all that protein does keep you full, (and as a vegetarian I'm always looking for alternate protein sources), I wanted to give it a second chance.

I started with some simple muffins. I love being able to quickly grab a healthy, homemade muffin to pack in lunch or have with tea in the afternoon slump time. I find I can satiate that 'home baking' craving well with a soft, tender muffin without going too overboard with calories. I usually make a bran or banana muffin, using only 1/4 vegetable oil and not much sugar - I don't like them too sweet or cake-y. I adapted the Kodiak recipe by using skim milk and vegetable oil instead of butter. Further, I replaced the (too) large amount of brown sugar with 1/4 cup stevia and one tablespoon of raw coconut sugar. That was plenty sweet for me and since there is quite a bit of spice added to the batter, the flavour is terrific. I also added a cup of frozen blueberries for added nutrition and flavour. Don't be afraid to make recipes work for you!

The muffins were excellent and truly satisfying. I probably won't be making any more pancakes with the mix but have already whipped up another batch of muffins! This time I used leftover pumpkin puree in place of the applesauce with excellent results. I wanted to keep the points low but you could certainly throw in some raisins or cranberries as well. Check out the Kodiak website for tons of other recipes, from quick breads to savoury biscuits and more. You can find them HERE.

Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Review

One great bonus of having daughters is that they let you know about awesome new beauty products! My daughter was determined to get a Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer. She'd heard great reviews from a friend at work as well as on YouTube and couldn't wait to try it on her very thick, wavy hair. The dryer is incorporated into a round brush so it both dries and styles (and volumizes!) at the same time. This particular Revlon Pro Collection model was always out of stock due to such high demand but she kept checking and finally snagged one.

Once it arrived we all tried it and were just as convinced as the online testers. It definitely smooths and styles and the ceramic coating and ionic technology help to reduce damage (our hair was so smooth, shiny, and really soft!). There are two heat & speed settings as well as a cool option. The brush is really large and the tangle-free bristles really hold the hair well (so you can pull it taut and help straighten) and the shape of it just gives the most gorgeous results. Depending on which way you position the brush (pulling under towards your neck or outward, flipping up the ends) you can get two different looks. You can also use the brush to dry and straighten the hair by simply brushing normally while drying.

I was so impressed I started checking on-line daily so I could get one for myself and another for my other daughter. Finally, after a couple of frustrating weeks of 'sold out' messages I just happened to refresh my Wal-Mart shopping cart and there it was, the 'limited quantities' disclaimer! I was able to get 2 (I was SO excited to quickly place the order to make sure they were mine!!!) and am so happy to have one of these amazing dryers in my bathroom (daughter #2 was as well!). I don't use it all the time (since I love my ponytail for at-home days!) but when I do, I love the results. The box says it's 'lightweight and ergonomic for maximum comfort and ease of use' but I find it a bit of a beast! It is also very, very hot on the high setting (something I knew from the many YouTube videos I watched prior to purchase), so I use the low setting on my fine, thin hair. The dryer is also quite loud but luckily, it doesn't take long to dry my hair at all! I am very happy with this purchase and if you're interested I would recommend watching the many excellent review and demonstration videos online for more information.