Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

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Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookies form a perfect partnership with a

Family Fun in the Bay Area -- CuriOdyssey at Coyote Point

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Looking for something fun to do with your family in the San Francisco Bay Area this summer?  How do you like the idea of a place with hands-on, totally interactive exhibits --  a place where science and wonder meets fun and play?  Add to this getting up-close-and-personal with California wildlife -- from playful river otters and bobcats to eagles and kestrels and a window into an active beehive!  


This past weekend, my family had the opportunity to attend the opening of the Backyard Science Exhibit at the CuriOddysey Museum at Coyote Point in San Mateo (about 20 minutes outside of San Francisco).   We met up with Holly of 504 Main and her crew, and the kids had a blast experimenting with gears, light, currents, cascades, and sounds.  Our kids range in age from 4 to 10; While the older ones really got in to the lessons and scientific principles behind each exhibit, the little ones were able to enjoy each experience at their own levels, with wonder and curiosity.


The CuriOdyssey Museum is nestled within the Coyote Point recreational park, with sweeping views of the bay, and sits on a beautiful 1.3 acre garden.  The pace is mellow and unhurried; the staff knowledgeable and friendly; the grounds immaculate; the exhibits, activities and habitats well laid out.  Don't just take my word for it (*wink*), in 2010, the museum was recognized with the Nickelodeon Parent's Pick Award for Best Museum in the San Francisco Area!

Here are some of the highlights from our visit:

Hands-on fun in the "Science of Nature" and "Tinkering" Exhibits
Playful exploration at "Backyard Science"
A Channel Island Fox, Great Blue Heron, Western Pond Turtle, American Kestrel, Turkey Vulture, Coyote & Bobcat were some of the animals we "met".

The highlight, for my daughter, was when she bonded with the coyote -- sharing a moment of quiet reflection and mutual respect.

Probably the most unusual creatures we came across that day -- we kept our distance.  They looked ferocious!

Special thanks to the SITS Girls for sending this opportunity our way and to Hillary Hempstead and our generous hosts at CuriOdyssey.  My family looks forward to returning again soon!

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