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Showing posts from January, 2014

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

From Geek to Chic: Find the Perfect Valentine's Gifts with Luvocracy.com

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Luvocracy and I really, truly "luv" it!   You're suddenly struck with the inevitable fact: Valentine's Day is just around the corner... You flashback to that time you were browsing online and saw that certain something that had your loved-one's name written all over it... but you can't quite remember where you saw it, or exactly what "it" was for that matter (it was July, after all, and life's been a whirlwind since then) Now you're not sure what to get The fallback box of chocolates? Sigh... Sound familiar? For me, this scenario plays itself out time and time again -- birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas, etc.  My memory...oh the poor gal just 'aint what she used to be.  When it comes to remembering the "perfect gift" from the time I first see it to the time that I need it, I could definitely use some help. Enter... Luvocracy.com  No

Chinese New Year Craft: Free Printable Red Envelopes and Template

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  恭禧發財 Gong Xi Fa Cai! Gong Hey Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year!  2014 is the Year of the Horse, so I've designed a fun little horse-themed red envelope for the Chinese New Year.   You can download the template for free HERE . Simply print on a nice quality paper, cut out... ...fold in the side and bottom tabs first.  Apply glue. Then fold the top piece over and press to adhere.

Warm Up With: Mushroom Marsala Soup

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With "soup weather" sweeping the country, I figured it was the perfect time to share my favorite winter warm-up -- A hearty meatless soup featuring Porcini and Crimini mushrooms, fresh thyme and Marsala wine.  Mushroom Marsala Soup (adapted from Rachel Ray's Mushroom Soup with Marsala ) 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (approx. 1 cup) 4 cups chicken stock 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced  3 shallots, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped kosher salt and pepper to taste 1 cup Marsala wine 2 cups boiling water 1/4 cup half and half 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped Optional: Lemon olive oil (I prefer Oliviers ) Optional Hardware: If you have a mandoline, I recommend slicing the criminis and shallots on the 1/8" setting. Stick (immersion) blender Step 1: In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil.  Add dried porc

Free Printable Ticket Style Party Invitations -- The Lego Movie

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Our cost on these invitations? A mere 20-cents each!  Here's how you can do it too... We are a family of Lego fanatics.  Our favorite lazy day activity is to clear the dining room table and build up entire Lego civilizations for hours.  The February release of The Lego Movie inspired my youngest daughter to have a Lego Movie themed birthday party.  I'll be sharing all of our ideas, activities and crafts in the coming weeks. Our first step in the Lego Party planning process was to create an eye-catching invitation.  For my daughter's Toy Story Birthday Party, we purchased customized ticket-style invitations.  We wanted to do the same for this party -- they look great, are so easy, and are very affordable.  Unfortunately, we couldn't find one online that suited our needs.  So, I decided to design my own.  I saved a copy of the blank template so that I could make it free for others to use (for non-commercial purposes, of course, since I don'

Game Day Gourmet: Cranberry Balsamic Party Meatballs {be #CartonSmart}

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carton Smart for SocialSpark . All opinions are 100% mine. In this sponsored recipe post, you'll learn about: A great way to make use of a common holiday leftover How to add a gourmet twist to a classic game day party food How to make your parties more earth-friendly with a primer on how to Be Carton Smart Ready? 1.  What can I do with leftover cranberry sauce? Every time we've hosted a holiday dinner, we always end up with at least one container of leftover cranberry sauce.   Sound familiar? If so, you're going to love this delicious and easy recipe for slow-cooker party meatballs.  In fact, with New Year's Eve and Super Bowl parties just around the corner from your holiday feast, you're probably going to wish you had more leftover cranberry sauce once you've tried these saucy little beauties.  2.  Party Food ≠ Junk Food You can still serve delicious party f

Seeds of Friendship ~ Free Printable Seed Packet Valentine DIY

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  I'm really excited to be sharing the valentine project that I created for my girls to give to their friends at school this year!   I've made it easy for everyone to plant the seeds of friendship this Valentine's Day with these  DIY Seed Packets.    Simply print the packets on regular copy paper, cut out, glue the tabs and fold.  Fill with delicious and nutritious candy-coated sunflower seeds! Download the free printable seed packets HERE . Enjoy! I found candy-coated sunflower seeds in this great modern palette at Trader Joe's.  I portioned 2 Tablespoons per packet before sealing the envelope with an Elmer's Extra Strength Glue Stick. ---------------------- This post has been linked-up with: Think Pink Sunday @ Flamingo Toes BFF Open House Link Party @ The Answer is Chocolate  The Inspiration Board @ Homework

Giveaway: Temp-tations Old-World 6-piece Stoneware Baking Set

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I love to cook and bake, enjoy beautiful presentation, and appreciate great value and high quality... ...which is why I'm enthusiastic to share my review of temp-tations® presentable ovenware from Tara McConnell.  In November I was provided with several pieces of the  temp-tations® presentable ovenware for review.  I've been living with these pieces and loving everything about them.  They've become my go-to baking and serving pieces -- not a mere passing fancy, but a line I've grown so fond of that I plan on adding to my collection and gifting temp-tations® to friends and family. It's easy to talk about what I love about temp-tations® , but here are the top 3 reasons I recommend starting your collection today:  1)  Save Time:   I'd rather spend my time with my family than in the kitchen washing dishes. temp-tations® pieces go from oven to table to refrigerator, which helps cut down on time otherwise spent on plating, pres