Posts

Showing posts from August, 2013

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

Image
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

Wearable Art: Ephemera Collaged Ballet Flats
{with Martha Stewart Decoupage}

Image
This post was sponsored by Martha Stewart Crafts/Plaid and Blueprint Social. All opinions are genuine and 100% my own.   Decoupage is an art that dates back centuries. From peasants in 12th Century China to gentlewomen in 18th Century England, decoupage -- the art of applying paper cut-outs under varnish -- has spanned continents, social strata, and generations. photo source: http://www.plaidonline.com Today, I'm pleased to be sharing my own decoupage project that pays homage to the past, but with products from Martha Stewart Crafts that are all new! Now at Michaels Arts & Crafts stores, you'll find a full line of multi-surface Martha Stewart Crafts Decoupage products that include paper cut-outs, fabric die-cuts, decorative trims, decoupage brushes and tools ~ more than 50 products in all. The decoupage finishes come in a versatile array of formulas for paper, metal, wood, glass and even fabric. All decoupage formulas are dishwasher safe, machine was

Gluten-Free Baking: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Image
On an adventure up the coast a few weeks ago, my friend Kelly and I stopped at a wonderful little bakery where I purchased two gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies.  The first I enjoyed with my cup of coffee and the second I tucked into my glove box to save for my daughter.  After a day of thrifting and fabric shopping, we returned to the car where we were greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies.  In the heat of the car, my cookie had reached the perfect temperature for maximum chocolate meltiness.  It never made it to my daughter. That warm, peanut-buttery morsel has been on my mind, and yes, the guilt has been nagging me.  So, this past weekend, I tried to come up with my own version.  They were delicious indeed, and like the original, are best when warm.  You've heard of icebox cookies?  These are the perfect glove-box cookies!   Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies -- Gluten free (makes approx. 30) 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup (1 stic

Vintage Graphics: Penmanship, Copperplate and Antique Alphabets

Image
Since it's Back-to-School time, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share some of the ephemera in my collection that relate to the classroom, the ABCs, and the nearly lost art of penmanship. Please feel free to download and use for non-commercial purposes. As always, you're welcome to share your projects on the Rook No. 17 Facebook page.    

Feels like Fall: Red Lentil Carrot Soup Recipe

Image
  About a month ago, we experienced an especially winter-like day.  Foggy days are not uncommon here, but this particular day was downright bone-chilling. It was the kind of day that called for staying in pajamas, stoking a fire in the hearth, and warming up with a bowl of hearty soup.  Stepping out to the grocery store was out of the question, so I decided to rummage through the pantry.  A jar of red lentils beckoned, and I answered the call with a delicious soup combining the warmth of aromatic Eastern spices, the sweetness of fresh carrots, and the bright notes of fresh herbs.  Since it was smack-dab in the middle of summer for much of the country, I decided to keep the recipe on shelf until fall.  Sure enough, the fall weather came blowing in this week, and I decided that the time had come to make another batch of Red Lentil Carrot Soup and share the recipe with my readers.  To my chagrin, the recipe was nowhere to be found.  So, I went back to the drawing board, meticulou

Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes

Image
  Rhubarb season is entirely too short in my opinion.  So when I came across a bounty of ruby stalks at my local grocery store the other day, I stocked up.  First, my husband made enough Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam (recipe HERE ) to keep him in yogurt parfait heaven till January.  With what was left, I whipped up a batch of free-form rustic tarts -- with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb enveloped in a flaky, buttery crust.  I made a gluten-free version as well and they came out delicious.  The gluten-free recipe could still use some refinement, however, so that post will have to wait for another day. What are you waiting for?  Get out there and grab some rhubarb before it's gone! Buy extra, chop it and freeze it.  That way you can enjoy these individual pastries any time the mood strikes. Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes (makes 8) For the crust ( a Martha Stewart recipe ) 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup (2 sticks

Artful Scrapbooking, Simplified!
Product Review: Project Life Memory-Keeping System

Image
This post is part of a paid campaign with American Crafts, but all opinions are my own. Less time on memory keeping = More time for memory making As an artist and aesthete I often find it difficult to reconcile the discrepancy between how I want things to look and the amount of time available to achieve that level of quality and style.  Sometimes I find a way to compromise, and other times I simply put my plans on hold.  Such is the case when it comes to memory books.  I confess, my album-keeping days came to an end with the birth of my second child.  I simply couldn't keep up.  The desire was there, but I didn't feel that I had the time necessary to devote to memory-keeping. Frankly, I find the art of scrapbooking a bit intimidating.  I'm in awe of those master scrappers who've devoted their artistic passion to crafting page after page of layered, enveloped, bordered and bedazzled showcases for every special moment of their lives.  I watch in awe, perhaps

Classic Fall Giveaway with $600 in Prizes!

Image
  I'm thrilled to be participating in this year's Classic Fall Giveaway organized by Janette from The Johanson Journey and Connie from Measured by the Heart .  I've teamed up with these talented ladies and 15 stellar co-hosts to share an amazing giveaway to get this season started right!    Row 1  Connie from Measured by the Heart Janette from The Johanson Journey Row 2   Sarah Kate from The Wanderblogger Taralyn from Keep Moving Forward with Me   Emmy from EmmyMom One Day at a Time Jenn from Rook No. 17 Susanna from Zealous Mom Row 3  Vivienne from The Vspot Blog Mariah from Giggles Galore Autumn from Stay Gold, Autumn Kimberly from A Night Owl Abbie from Lovin’ Our Chaos Row 4 Cheryl with That’s What {Che} Said Heather from Setting for Four Gail from My Repurposed Life Jaime from Love.Jaime Nicole from Life’s a Beach Thank you to ou

After School Snacks for Picky Eaters
{Sponsored by Cooking Light} #BTSatSafeway #ad

Image
This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group ™ and Cooking Light , but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BTSatSafeway   http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO . In the spirit of the Back-to-School season, here's a pop quiz: True or False? 1. My child is hungry when they come home from school. 2. My child is a picky eater. 3. I prefer to feed my child foods that are minimally processed and have nutritional value. 4. I enjoy trying new recipes. If you answered True to any of the above, we have something in common. Shortly before school started last week, I had the opportunity to apply for a campaign to work with CookingLight Magazine on a Back-to-School post focusing on quick, easy and healthy recipes for picky eaters. Since I'm a longtime fan of CookingLight recipes, shop at Safeway , and have two very picky eaters starting school this month, I knew that this campaign would have real value for me and my readers. I

Free Victorian Scrap -- Vintage Sailing Ships

Image
Hello friends!  It's been a busy back-to-school week here, but I didn't want you to think that I had sailed off into oblivion. Coming up this week, I have a huge giveaway, a great recipe for picky eaters (sponsored by Cooking Light) and will be guest posting on the Pfister blog.  In the meantime, I'm pleased to be sharing these two wonderful Victorian scrap images of clipper ships from my collection. Click on the image above to download from my PhotoBucket gallery. Click on the image above to download from my PhotoBucket gallery. And here's a full sheet PDF for card-making and collaging:  Click HERE for download.

Recipe: Homemade Gourmet Ketchup
+ a Printable Vintage Catsup Label

Image
If someone had told me one year ago that I'd someday be singing the praises of ketchup, I would have told them to take their crystal ball in to be serviced.  Unless it's mixed up in a fry sauce or is on a burger, I've been perfectly content to live my life without that high fructose laden tomato condiment.  That all changed a few months ago, however, when my family stopped for a bite at a wonderful little cafe and charcuterie in Solvang, CA.   Served alongside my daughter's house-cured hotdog and crispy potato wedges at Succulent Cafe was a homemade ketchup like no other.  "Try this!" my husband insisted.  I threw him the " You know I don't eat ketchup {dorkpie} !" face.  " Seriously.  You have to try it, " he persisted.  He would not relent till I tried it.  I'm glad I gave in.  The homemade ketchup had a rich tomato flavor, not too sweet and the perfect tang.  The flavor was so complex that we found ourselves wanting t