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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

PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM FOR OUR INDIAN SUMMER

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Due to the bassackwards microclimate of the Monterey Peninsula, we are intermittently experiencing a beautiful Indian Summer ~ Days of warmth and sunshine, with just a subtle backnote of Fall crispness lingering in air.  Have you ever wondered what's up with that layered-tank-top-and-long-scarf look that's so popular with the Old Navy/Gap set?  They're not totally nuts ~ they were probably raised in an area that experiences the Indian Summer.  One day you're bundled up in fleece and Ugg boots (this uniform is standard issue in our area).  On the menu:  a cozy Pumpkin Soup and crusty whole grain bread enjoyed fireside.  Next day your sporting shorts and flip-flops.  On the menu?  Well, you're still feeling "Fall", but suddenly hot soup doesn't have quite the same appeal.  So, here in the land of topsy-turvy seasons we've learned to adapt our favorite seasonal recipes to compliment the "climatary quirks", as it were.  If you're

VINTAGE PAPER DOLLS ~ FREE PDF ~ PART II ~ a wardrobe upgrade from The Graphics Fairy!

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I was catching up with some of my favorite blogs today, which of course means spending some time with The Graphics Fairy .  I was delighted to find that she and I both have one of the same darling little paper dolls in our collections.  I decided to repost my free paper doll PDF and include a link to The Graphics Fairy so that anyone with this Paper Doll can have the full wardrobe (I believe hers is a Gaucho costume and is simply too flippin' cute!).   A few years ago I spotted these charming vintage paper dolls at an antique store in Santa Rosa. Not wanting to "impulse shop", I left them behind; only to find that I couldn't get them out of my head. Fortunately, my little brother was living in Santa Rosa at the time and was sweet enough to pick them up and mail them to me. At the time I had so many plans for the darling quartet of paper people, but I soon became preoccupied by two real life baby dolls (my daughter Madeleine, followed by her sister Max, three

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO GRANT A CHRISTMAS WISH!

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While reading some of my favorite blogs today I came across a post by my friend Tabitha over at I Choose Bliss .  It really touched my heart and propelled me into immediate action.  I hope you'll feel the same way too: "Diana Biorkman needs your help in making her son's wish come true. She has a 5 year old son, Noah, in the last stages of a 2.5 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week and Noahs request is to get lots of Christmas cards. Please consider sending cards to: Noah Biorkman 1141 Fountian Viewcircle South Lyon, MI 48178 Please let this precious child know he is DEEPLY Loved. FILL HIS MAILBOX WITH JOY" I set out some doodads and paper scraps I've been collecting for just such a project and let my 4-year old daughter Max get creative making a card for Noah.  She really got into the spirit of making a special card for this little boy that I told her was very sick.  It's never too e

COLD TURKEY ~ THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING CONUNDRUM

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OKAY, LET'S TALK TURKEY!   After all, that time of year has crept up on us with stealth and a loud and blood curdling, " GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE !"    First some Turkey tips from this Bird about Another: 1)  Try a kosher Turkey.  They are held to the strictest standards and are therefore of very high quality, are extremeley clean (cleaned and processed by people, not by machines in giant factories), and come already partially brined, and that means a nice juicy roast! 2)  If you're buying a regular or heirloom bird, be sure to brine it.   Heirlooms and free-range birds can be wonderful, but are often a little drier than regular turkeys.  Not sure where to put your bird while brining?  Try a small cooler.  It will keep it cool and won't take up valuable space in the fridge.  Alton Brown has a great brine recipe on FoodNetwork.com . 3)  Consider cooking your stuffing outside of the bird.  Not only is it safer (sparing you the potential for an u

ONE WARM COAT ~ A HEARTWARMING CAUSE

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Is your child's school, club, or team looking for a way to make a difference in their community this winter?   Consider a " ONE WARM COAT " DRIVE:  It's as easy as printing up a flyer, setting out a box, and registering with " One Warm Coat " online  to get connected with agencies in your area that will distribute the coats to people in need during the cold winter months.  "Take a peek in your closet, garage or chest to help out those not quite so blessed. Should you find a coat you do not wear Just bring it here to show you care. It’s getting cold And you may find It warms your heart to be so kind. Coats and Jackets: New and old Recycled here to fight the cold . It doesn’t matter: Big or small Our humble box accepts them all."                                 ~ Troop #2033's One Warm Coat Poem I am proud to say that this will be the third year that my daugher's Brownie troop will be organizing a &

STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD CHICKEN-APPLE DRESSING
(TAKE THIS SQUASH AND STUFF IT!)

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Running some last-minute Halloween errands this week I was startled to find that as far as the retail world is concerned, Halloween is long gone, Thanksgiving has been leap-frogged right over, and it's CHRISTMAS!  Poor little Turkey Day!   Well, the big box stores may be decking their halls with boughs of holly, but I've got some serious Pilgrimizing to do around here.  To kick off Turkey Month, I'm going to do old Tom a favor and offer a wonderful alternative to stuffing his cold, pink carcass (did I hear someone say Salmonella?) with soggy bread.  Introducing the STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD AND CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE DRESSING.  The presentation is festive and lovely, and this sweet and savory stuffing always brings guests back for seconds!  Gobble Gobble! STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD CHICKEN-APPLE DRESSING • 1 (4 to 5 pound) pumpkin • 1/4 cup melted butter • Salt and pepper • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 small onion, finely chopped • 2 shallots, c

GETTING MY LUCKY DUCKS IN A ROW...

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Many thanks to everyone that participated in October's contests and giveaways with your wonderful comments, subscriptions, and support!  It was especially fun (and hilarious) reading through all the captions for the ABC Nursery Blocks Caption contest.  Without further ado, here are the lucky duckies: Babygags Baby Apparel Giveaway:  MS. BIBI (please email me with your mailing address and choice of t-shirt or onesie) Set of Cupcake Cuties:  ROYAL FAMILY (please email me your mailing address) ABC Nursery Block Captions:  HONEY MOMMY (please email me the address where you would like your 1-year subscription to Bon Appetit sent) "Does this make my butt look big?"  ~ Honey Mommy

LITTLE GREEN GOBBLIN'S ~ A PERFECT AND EASY HALLOWEEN APPETIZER

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My clever and crafty friends Jaime and Lisa over at Sprout Boutique turned me on to this one: These simple, delicious, elegant and Halloweenishly green appetizers are made using just four simple ingredients:  blue cheese, cream cheese, seedless grapes and pistachios. Pistachio Blue Cheese Grape Appetizer (a.k.a. "Little Green Gobblin's for the holiday's sake) 1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios 1 large bunch seedless red  grapes (40 to 60 grapes) In a small bowl combine cheeses. Wrap a little of the cheese mixture around each grape to form a ball. Roll in chopped nuts. Cover and chill grapes for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Can be prepared a day ahead.

JON & KATE ~ THIS COSTUME'S GREAT!

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Halloween brings out such creativity in people! And it can help to relieve our pop-culture induced angst too. Take for example, my friend Chris (known him since elementary school ~ reconnected recently on Facebook ):  His lovely wife Michelle has been often told that she looks like Kate Gosselin.  Okay, so it's a step up from being an Octo-mom look-a-like, or told you have the fashion sense & IQ of the Housewives of Orange County.  Nonetheless, Michelle could do without the comparison.  When Chris and Michelle are out together the problem becomes compounded:  "Hey look, it's Jon and Kate!" (even though Chris bears no resemblance to Jon except the fact that they're both Asian).    But then, this Halloween, Chris and Michelle needed costumes.  It took some convincing, but once Michelle was on board, her creativity took over.  The couple went to Kohls and Ross to buy "Gosselinesque fashion" (Chris coined this new term).  It was even Michelle's

The Cutest Halloween Costume ~ Maiden Voyage

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Last year my friend Maureen blew everyone away with the Hot Air Balloon costume she crafted for her daughter. Maureen has very generously offered to share with us her inspiration, her tips and how-to for this absolutely delightful costume that is sure to "carry you away..." FOR MORE OF THE  "BEST HALLOWEEN COSTUMES YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF" CLICK HERE . Rook No 17: This wasn't the first time you've come up with an amazing original costume. So, Mo, tell us: where do you find your inspiration? Maureen: I usually get my inspiration when I find a unique costume idea that is original and makes me laugh. I find the ideas online, from books or magazines. Rook No. 17: Do you work from books, online tutorials, or templates? How do you do it? Maureen: I wing it! I look at a picture of what I am trying to make and try to figure out how to construct the costume. If I think I can pull it off, I draw out my plan and start collecting materials.

BOUTIQUE CHIC DIY CHEAP SERIES ~ SKELETON CREW

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COST: Under $2/piece TIME: 15 minutes/piece DOLLAR STORE CHEAP TO BOUTIQUE CHIC IN A FEW EASY STEPS... Can you roll paper into a cone? Can you fold an old fashioned newspaper hat? Well, grab your hot glue gun and lets get going... Here's what you need: Glitter skulls (found mine at the Dollar Tree) Can't find glitter skulls? Buy a cheap plastic skull, cover with craft glue, then glitter liberally. Vintage sheet music and/or book pages (I pick up old dictionaries that are falling apart and would otherwise be thrown in the garbage at the end of a garage sale) Craft glue Ultrafine glitter, silver Glue gun Paper cupcake liners Tissue Paper Fringe ~ it's called Festoonery , but you knew that already didn't you, you crafty devil? If you don't have festoonery in your bag o' tricks, follow the easy tutorial below to make your own First, open up 4-5 cupcake liners. Put a dot of glue in the middle of each paper, then stack. Glue stack to the b