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

I LOVE PACKING CUBES!!!

My daughter is a big champion of packing cubes and has been using them for a couple of years. I was pretty satisfied with my jumbo ziplock bag method and didn't feel the need to change things up. The ziplock bags are great because they are protective and it's so easy to squeeze all the air out. I can fit so much into my suitcase and there is a barrier if anything should leak. They also make it convenient to bring home the dirty laundry and are super for wet bathing suits or other liquid souvenirs (perfume, wine, etc.).

You know how it is to buy gifts for the men in your life and this year I caved and bought hubby two sets of packing cubes. He travels so much for work, doesn't use the ziplocks, and is generally quite fussy about his clothes. I also threw in an electronics organizer, perfect for taming those charging cords and headphones. I found some reusable twist ties that attach directly onto the cables so they don't get lost and they are amazing for keeping the long wires from getting tangled.

Of course, I also ordered a set for myself to give packing cubes a try. I found the Bagail Packing Cubes on Amazon and they were highly rated and recommended by my daughter. I purchased a pretty teal set containing 4 sizes, from small to extra large. Also included was a drawstring laundry bag. The brand features extra durable cubes made of high quality nylon fabric. Two way easy-pull zippers are a nice bonus and the open mesh design makes it easy to see what's inside.

For our recent trip to Vegas I found I didn't need to use the extra large cube, a 17.5" x 12.75" rectangle that basically covers the entire bottom of a large suitcase. The small, medium, and large were perfect and obviously allow for compartmentalizing similar size items for optimum use of luggage space. Since I already do the Marie Kondo way of folding my clothes in drawers, it's very fast to select items to pack and add them to the cubes. If they aren't already rolled, this is the preferred method of putting your clothes within each cube. It was actually fun to pack! I also picked up a second set of lesser quality, smaller cubes at the discount store to handle any overflow of tiny items. These were less sturdy and the zippers were not as durable but they were good enough for light items I wanted to contain.

Once we checked into our hotel I discovered a lovely benefit of the packing cubes is being able to slip the entire set right into the dresser drawers. I was surprised that my cubes all fit into the bedside table. It was great to be able to have everything right there and easy to find. This system kept everything organized, tidy, and clean (and separate from husband's!!).

Also, another great feature is when it's time to pack up to go home. The cubes are ready to go, the laundry bag is full, and there's extra room for souvenirs. I've never been able to pack up faster from a trip! Usually it is a big ordeal the night before we have to check out but this time it was amazingly easy. It was much less stressful and hubby was able to quickly take care of his own packing. No more missing socks at the back of the drawer or under the bed!

Finally, if you ever find your luggage is overweight at the airport bag-drop, no more exposing your 'dirty laundry' to every other traveler while trying to lighten things up. Simply pull out one appropriately sized cube to pop into your carry-on and the lighter suitcase is good to go! Packing cubes are also excellent for carry on luggage and fit perfectly. I even used a couple small extra ones in my backpack to keep my Pandora jewelry and makeup bag easy to access.

Yes, I am a convert and I love packing cubes! They are so light, efficient, and convenient and I have to admit, better than all my ziplock bags. I found I packed more sensibly (and didn't overpack) and my suitcase wasn't nearly as heavy. I like to be organized and have things simple to deal with before, during, and after the trip. I still put my toiletry bag into a medium ziplock for a little extra insurance against any leaking and I always make sure to add an empty extra one for wet bathing suits. It is now my perfect packing system!!! Daughter was right, smart girl!

Disney World at Christmas!

It has been a short while since I posted as we were away in Disney World! I have never been at Christmas time and it was just as magical as I had imagined! This time hubby and I were able to take a somewhat slower pace and spend some time enjoying the special holiday festivals, decorations, and food, along with all the other amazing Disney attractions! I'm paying the price by being way behind on everything at home, including all the baking and shopping that go along with this time of year, but it was so worth it.

There were hundreds of absolutely huge, gorgeous, and elaborate Christmas trees around the parks and resorts making for beautiful backdrops to the fun. We participated in the Holiday Cookie Stroll in Epcot where you pick up cookies around the entire World Showcase, getting proof of purchase with a stamp in the Festival Passport. It was a lot of fun to try all the different holiday cookies (Red & Green Chocolate Chip, Peppermint Sugar, Green & White Sugar, Black & White cookie, and Gold Chocolate Chip cookie) and then get a complimentary Red & Green Mickey Sugar completer cookie and a glass of milk at the end. To be honest, I couldn't make it to the grand finale, having eaten far too much cookie for one day! You actually don't have to do the stroll in one visit but since I was late to the game, it was our only chance. While I didn't like the Black & White cookie as much as I thought I would, the sugar cookies were definitely tasty!

Keeping with the cookie theme, a highlight of the visit to the Grand Floridian resort was seeing the enormous and fantastic Gingerbread House in the centre of the lobby. This spectacular sight takes more than 2 months and 840 hours of labour to produce, requiring a staggering list of ingredients! From 1,050 pounds of honey to 35 pounds of spices, there are 5,089 gingerbread shingles alone! There is even a SHOP inside the house and of course I bought a shingle and a bag of various gingerbread treats. These are not crispy gingerbread men cookies but more like German gingerbread - soft and with a hint of cherry (to my tastebuds, anyway!). I didn't eat any until I got home but needless to say, it is all gone now!

It was so much fun to indulge in these special festive treats and I loved it. I will be sharing some more of our trip in future posts, including the exclusive Pandora charms I bought to add to my Disney collection and my thoughts on the new Toy Story land and rides!

My Pandora Story...and a little bit of Las Vegas

Due to vacation schedules we 'had' to take our holiday now (or never).  Not that I'm complaining but back-to-back trips within a month of each other is tough on the waistline...and the wallet...especially when there is a Pandora outlet involved. Hubby and I celebrated our anniversary in Las Vegas and while we always enjoy the beautiful hotel, the amazing food, and the really fun concerts, truth be told I was 100% most excited and looking forward to seeing the U.S. Pandora outlet for myself. I had watched YouTube videos and my sister had recently been there so the anticipation of being able to get a proper look first hand at what was available in the retired charms trays was very enticing.

Some highlights from this visit (other than the outlets!) included seeing Rod Stewart, eating at Gordon Ramsey's Fish & Chips, and Raiding the Rock Vault one more time (we were SO close!). The Rod Stewart concert was a last minute replacement for our cancelled Barry Manilow show (he got sick right before opening night). It was so much fun and I can't believe how great he looks and sounds at 73! He is amazing! The fish and chips were excellent and even though I hadn't really felt like going all the way to the Hard Rock Hotel, Raiding the Rock Vault was an incredible show that had us on our feet clapping and cheering.

Just before we left I filmed a video after being tagged by Emily of fashionstoryteller in her My Pandora Story question and answer vid. It was a lot of fun to think of responses regarding my Pandora collection and come up with a way to creatively showcase them on film. Here is the result and I hope you enjoy hearing some details about how I got started with my bracelets, what charms I have and want, and what's next on my wish list. Now that I'm back and holidays are done for quite some time I will have much more to share with you in upcoming posts. Please come back to visit!

 

Pandora Travel Jewelry Cases

I love collecting the gift-with-purchase travel jewelry cases from Pandora almost as much as the charms! They are beautifully made with lovely details and are great for storing and (traveling with) bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces and extra charms. Each offers different configurations of compartments, pouches, straps and clips, depending on the size of one's collection and the needs of the occasion. It's always a good idea to keep jewelry organized and protected to avoid scratches, tangling, and misplacement!

I filmed a short overview of the Pandora travel jewelry boxes I have been able to get my hands on and the benefits (or limitations) of each. If one is buying on-line from an auction or private seller it may help to be able to see the different options - that was definitely something I was looking for while researching older gift-with-purchase cases. While there are obviously other brands of jewelry boxes, cases, and rolls available that will work with charm bracelets, for an avid Pandora fan and collector, there is something special about having a genuine logo-ed item.

Here is the video!

Royal Wedding Celebration!

I am very excited for the Royal Wedding on Saturday and will definitely be up early to watch. Even hubby is on board knowing I will be serving English Cream Scones at 6:00 a.m. There is nothing like enjoying these tender biscuits with clotted cream or Devonshire Double cream and a wonderful jam. I made a special trip to the British foods store to gather all I needed for the day and it took all my willpower to talk myself out of getting the souvenir Meghan and Harry gold-rimmed plate.

There is a bit of the Christmas fruitcake I made last winter to serve as a wedding cake stand-in (since I don't have time to make a Lemon Cake this week) and I plan on Cornish Pasties with potato, onion, and swede/rutabaga (you can find the recipe I used IN THIS POST) for dinner.

With all the media coverage on t.v. I had to pull out my scrapbook from our trip to England in 2016 to find my photos of Windsor (see them HERE) and re-live that amazing tour of the castle. It made me yearn to return and we so enjoyed the town of Windsor it is hard to see everyone standing where we stood, celebrating without us. Well, it looks like it will be a beautiful day and I cannot wait to see the bride and groom.

You can watch me make scones in my video below...an excellent treat to serve with tea!

Disney & Pandora Combined!

There is a new 'land' in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom and it's named Pandora! Based on the movie Avatar, this new experience is a stunning recreation of some of the gorgeous and complex landscapes from the fictional lush planet. It is reported to have cost $500 million dollars to build and it's not difficult to see why when you walk through the incredible land. There are two main attractions to enjoy, the first being a boat ride that is magical and enchanting as you journey through a bioluminescent rainforest. The second is one of the most extraordinary rides I've ever taken!

Avatar Flight of Passage is unlike any other 3D experience as you ride on the back of a mountain banshee. I won't spoil it with details but I loved every second of it. We were lucky to have FastPasses but I think the 2 hour stand-by wait time would be worth it. It is an incredible feeling of flying and there are so many details that are just mind-blowing. I can't begin to explain how unique and exhilarating those 5 minutes are and I am still mesmerized!

Our trip was a wonderful chance for our whole family to be together and we had the best time. As always, as hard-core Disney fans, we enjoyed all the different aspects of the vacation, from food, to parks, to resort. Oh, and the food! Before we left I watched so many Disney Food Blog videos with tons of advice and enticing suggestions. I was so pumped to try new snacks and foods we hadn't before and it was amazing to actually finally get to taste everything.

 

A few highlights were: the pineapple upside down cake with Dole whip, the All American sundae with peanut butter and chocolate, the giant chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, and beignets. Yum! We also enjoyed cupcakes and chocolate covered marshmallow rice cereal treats, poutine with bacon cheddar sauce (for the non-vegetarians), mango pie, and of course, the usual popcorn which is still incredible! So not the healthiest fare but we did walk almost 100 km during our six days there. It was all terrific!

This year was special because I was also super excited to be able to pick up some park-exclusive Pandora charms. I will share those in another post but safe to say it was a Pandora-filled trip, with both the attraction and the jewelry being front and centre in my magical wishes. It all went too fast but now I am home I can re-live the memories with photos and gorgeous souvenirs...

Tall Ship Whale Adventures & Joanne's Famous Pirate Soup Recipe

Well, if you check here occasionally you may have guessed that I've been away on my road-trip. We packed up and drove to New Brunswick for both some rest and some adventure. We stayed at the gorgeous Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews and thoroughly lost ourselves in the peaceful, low-key surroundings and fresh salty air. We lucked out with lovely weather and certainly took advantage of the beautiful walking trails, the abounding nature around us, and the delightful St. Andrews by-the-sea.

We toured several interesting places nearby, from the Ganong chocolate factory to the National Park blockhouse, and more about those in a later post. Today I want to start with the best and the highlight of our trip. When I searched for 'things to do in St. Andrews', the suggestion that jumped out at me was the Tall Ship Whale Adventures. Not only had I never experienced anything even remotely close to this excursion to (hopefully) see whales, the idea of sailing on a straight-from-the-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean tall ship was too exciting to imagine. I called to make a reservation way back in the planning phase of the trip and got even more pumped for the tour after speaking to the office. They gave me all the details about what to expect and I felt very comfortable that I was going to be very safe and wasn't going to get seasick!

Once we were in St. Andrews, we checked in at the Jolly Breeze the day before our sailing to confirm and verify the weather for the next morning. The most incredible aroma of simmering soup permeated the store/office and even though we were delighted breakfast was included with our tour bright and early the next morning, we were almost disappointed we weren't going to get to have that soup for lunch on an afternoon trip! The split pea soup, we learned, is made fresh for the p.m. guests and (sadly) is not for sale (yet????). Fortunately, the recipe is included in the brochure and the first thing I did the day after we got home was make a batch for myself.

The soup is simple and hearty and perfectly 'Blue Zone'. I just love having a bowl of soup for lunch and while I adore the lentil and minestrone 'live to 100' soup I've been making, the split pea is a delicious change. The recipe is called Joanne's Famous Pirate Soup and Joanne herself has kindly provided me a pdf copy to share with you!!!!!!! This is one of those 'laminate' worthy recipes that I am definitely going to heat-seal in my laminator because I will be making it over and over again.

If you are ever in St. Andrews in New Brunswick, Canada, I highly recommend you take the Tall Ship Whale Adventure trip. We were soooo lucky and were able to see a beautiful, massive Finback Whale while we were in the Bay of Fundy (in addition to the seals and Harbour porpoise) so that was an incredible experience for sure. I can't wait to scrapbook all my photos and memories!

You can find out more information about the Jolly Breeze and see the colour recipe in the brochure HERE. You can download the pdf recipe here:  Download Pirate Soup from Tall Ship Whale Adventures

I have so much more to share with you...just as soon as I get can...so please check back!

Holiday Scrapbooking

I've been scrapbooking our vacation pics on the holiday weekend...and I'm almost finished! I had a blast re-living a great trip (one of my favourite aspects about the hobby) and am thrilled to have got the whole album put together in a couple of days. The 8"x8" size album is so fun to work with because each page comes together quickly. I tend to take a lot of close-up shots so there isn't much cropping to do. That makes for beautiful photos but also presents a challenge in a small album. I find myself loading up the empty pages with my photos, making use of every inch. I didn't have room for a lot of embellishments but I think the layouts turned out great regardless - clean and simple with the snapshots taking centre stage. I also didn't leave much room for journaling but with this type of relaxed beach vacay, the photos are pretty much self-explanatory!

The Cool Serenity designer paper pack I picked from Creative Memories was absolutely ideal for my pictures. Not only were the prints and colour palette great for sunny ocean photos but the tones of the shades just seemed to work perfectly. I added some memorabilia using little plastic envelopes (shells, etc.) and popped up tickets and business cards with some dimensional adhesives (I still have a few kickin' around from my card making days).

My final steps for this album are to add a few notes under some photos and add page protectors before I share it with the family. Oh, I also have to clean up the absolute disaster of a table in my workshop. When I crop I go for hours full speed and don't stop to organize or clear the scraps until I'm done (I kind of quilt like that too). So. Much. Fun! Enjoy your day!

Island Time

I know I have been absent but I've been on 'island time'. We had a wonderful week away in the sun and have returned very relaxed! That doesn't mean, of course, that I left my sewing behind. I packed up my trusty English Paper Piecing kit and caboodle and loved every stitch overlooking the ocean (or the runway...or the airline seat tray or the ball game on t.v.!). I kept to my quota of one flower a day and actually exceeded it while in the air. The hobby even relieved some of my flying anxiety, which was great.

I didn't do too much shopping but did pick up a couple things. The first was a tube of gorgeous Roxanne appliqué needles. I wanted a quantity of size #10 since those are the ones I like best from a sample pack I've been using. Roxanne's are made in England so I know they are of good quality and once I got back to the hotel and tried one, I was in love! They simply glide through the fabric, feel terrific in my hand, and I was delighted to see the wee tiny sea shell on the tube stopper. What a perfect souvenir from my vacation.

I'll share the other goodies in second post since I have a ton of laundry to do and have to figure out how to cook dinner again. I'm so sorry to have missed writing for you but with no secure wifi and the call of the ocean breeze, I just couldn't make it happen.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms...I was spoiled by my babies but sure do miss my own mum. 

Meeting Goals & Escaping the Ditch

Hello! It has been a busy few weeks around here with 3 work events and a trip to Vegas. I am so pleased that I reached my goals before the social season hit and I was able to head into vacation feeling great! We had a wonderful time walking a zillion miles a day, seeing shows and eating at the restaurants we love. No trip to the southwest would be complete for us without visiting In n Out Burger and Johnny Rockets - both offering burgers, fries, and shakes yet different in their own ways. Very enjoyable! We also splurged on the gorgeous Vic & Anthony's in the Golden Nugget and relaxed at the Italian Trevi restaurant at the Forum Shops in Caesar's Palace. We were very disappointed with the change at the fried chicken place we'd found on a previous trip, now more of a loud club than a restaurant. The menu was different and we couldn't hear ourselves over the 'music' so we left. Overall, we ate well but burned off most of it taking the stairs and walking for miles. I came back as healthy as when I left except for a nasty head cold. Whether that came from socializing before or handrails in Vegas (despite good hygiene and sanitizing), it kind of sucks to be sick now with so much to do.

As far as entertainment, Celine Dion was the highlight of the trip and her concert was phenomenal. I'm not even a super fan but appreciate her talent. She did not disappoint! We were very lucky because she had cancelled the previous week's shows due to illness. We saw a broadway review show, Showstoppers, that was excellent, a female impersonator show that was...interesting (!), and on a spur of the moment fluke, were able to get tickets to see an evening of 'sit-down comedy' with Eric Idle and John Cleese of Monty Python fame. It was a sweet and funny couple of hours with two performers from my childhood and it brought back such fond memories of watching the Flying Circus with my parents.

Before I left on holiday I attended the sewing machine class I'd scheduled. As soon as I sat down and the instructor said we were going to learn to wind a bobbin, I was a little dismayed! We went through a few stitches and feet and how to clean the machine, made some samples to include in the binder of information, and discussed thread and needles. Overall, nothing new to me but for those who do not enjoy working through a manual, it was probably a good overview. Since I have a basic model one class was plenty and I don't have to go back (it's a bit of a drive and I don't enjoy moving my sewing machines!).

Speaking of machines, I saw a couple locations of a store in Vegas that has vintage sewing machines in their display windows. Like, many, many machines. Now I know where all those unwanted machines end up since I'm sure they have hundreds in their larger store. I had to stop and look at them, of course, but I never did get inside to see what the store sells!

I didn't completely forget about quilting while away, snapping this photo of the carpet at the buffet. I spent my time in line tracing the design in my mind and decided it would be an excellent free-motion quilting design! I am taking a new Craftsy class, Escape the Ditch: Empower Your Quilting, which uses the Sweet 16. I am so excited to learn some new sit-down techniques and I'll be sharing more about this class - and the amazing upcoming Black Friday sale - later this week! Please come back for all the crafty details!! I still have a couple UFOs to finish so this design - and Helen Godden's class, will be perfect.