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Showing posts from February, 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

Paper Scrap Stashbuster: Snail Mail Thank You Card DIY

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The handwritten letter may be going the way of the magazine and the incandescent lightbulb, but I still think it's important to teach my kids to express their gratitude for the generosity showered on them by family and friends with a thoughtfully done thank-you note. (Even when it's a few months late)   I confess: We're egregious at getting thank-you notes out in time, especially after the winter holidays.  We always have the best of intentions, but then time gets away from us; we get caught up in the day-to-day hubbub and suddenly * poof * it's February.  So this year, we set aside a Sunday, cleared off the coffee table, and pulled out a hodgepodge of craft supplies and paper scraps.  The girls and I came up with this cute little family card-making project that perfectly expresses both our gratitude and the slowpoke nature of its delivery. This card gives a whole new meaning to the term "Snail Mail". Snail Mail Scrap-Paper T

The LEGO Movie Party: The 3D Emmet Minifigure Cake

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It's been a few years since my husband and I collaborated on a 3D cake, but our daughter's The LEGO Movie themed birthday party presented an opportunity that was too fun to pass up.     My husband and I have been LEGO fanatics from an early age, so the idea of bringing a minifigure to life in cake was an adventure in creativity and engineering that we could hardly wait to start. The birthday girl was delighted to see Emmet on the table when she woke up on the morning of her party. Here's a little peek at the process from start to finish:  We started with photographs of an actual minifigure, both front and side views.  We enlarged the photos to the size that we wanted the final product to be. From there, we began construction on a PVC framework. We made a large batch of Krispie Treat bricks.  Next, we inserted the bottom portion of the PVC frame into the Krispie Treat block.  The frame clicked into the board just like a L

Here's the Scoop: Mini Meringue Treasure Cone #Valentines

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These miniature meringue-topped cones are as sweet as can be. Your Valentine will delight at the secret message and surprise inside!   This project was inspired by the mini-mallow cones from my mom's NYC childhood.  When I found these diminutive ice cream cones I knew right away what my girls and I would be making for their school valentines this year. With time-saving and ease in the forefront of my mind, I had originally planned on using pre-made mini meringues.  If baking isn't your thing, and you can find pre-made meringues, by all means use them.  Nary a pre-made meringue was to be found in my local stores, however, so I whipped up a batch of my own.  They require only a few simple ingredients, and you can tint the meringue any color you wish. If you've fallen in love with this sweet Valentine idea, please Pin-it . When you're ready to get started, here's the "scoop"... Mini Meringue Treasure Cone Val

Valentine's Recipe: Champagne Gold Leaf Truffles

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Rich and silky champagne-kissed chocolate truffles... ...what could be more romantic? A touch of edible gold-leaf makes these homemade delicacies as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palette.   Last night, seven lovely ladies gathered at my home for a truffle-making workshop.  We made three types:  Raspberry Dusted Dark Chocolate , Honey Truffles , and Champagne Gold Leaf.  All three truffles follow a very basic recipe involving heavy cream, good quality dark chocolate, and butter.  If you can boil water (or in this case, cream, you can make truffles).  Here's how... Champagne Gold Leaf Truffles Yield:  approx. 3 dozen 1 3/4 cups high quality chocolate* 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tablespoons butter, softened 3 Tablespoons Champagne  For dipping and garnish 10 ounces high quality chocolate, chopped Gold leaf (I purchase mine at Michael's.  A .1 oz. bag costs around $8 and will cover several hundred truffles) A small paint brush Step 1

Vintage-style DIY: "True Love's Kiss" Valentine's Day Gift Tags

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Often, the subjects in vintage photos look serious, stodgy and downright uncomfortable.  Yet when cupid's arrow hit its mark, old-fashioned inhibitions apparently flew out the window.  I absolutely love old photos that capture the passion of true love's kiss! Taking my inspiration from the "Wishing Tree Tags" from Jenny Doh's new book Stylish Weddings ~ 50 Simple Ideas to Make from Top Designers , I created a set of "True Love's Kiss" gift tags for Valentine's Day.  Tie them on to a special gift, or hang the whole collection from a natural branch or flowering plant.   Next week, I'll be giving away a copy of Jenny's beautiful book  along with my highlights and review.     Without a word, these tags say so much. Don't you think?  To make your own, here's what you'll need to do: " True Love's Kiss " Valentine's Day Gift Tags Materials Image files of vintage

Family Recipe ~ Ouzo Kourambiedes ~ Greek Butter Cookies

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Cultures from all over the world have their own version of the powdered-sugared butter cookie:  The Mexican Wedding Cookie, the Russian Tea Cake, Viennese Crescents, English Butterballs, American Snowballs.  No matter the variation or what you call them, these buttery little morsels are delicious.   This recipe hails from the homeland of my husband's ancestors -- Greece.  Even within this single country, there are many variations on the Kourambiedes recipe.  Some recipes call for almonds, some for brandy, and others for whole cloves. So with so many variations and recipes out there, why try this one? My husband's people, who lived in the village of Vlahokerasia (in the Arcadia region), made their kourambiedes with butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, an egg yolk and a generous pour of ouzo.  The recipe yields a bite-sized cookie that is ethereally light.  They really do melt in your mouth.  They're not too sweet and the ouzo adds a certain-some