Posts

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

Lemony Couscous Salad and Other Recipes for Gourmet Outdoor Cooking
{Campfire Cuisine Book Review and Giveaway}

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The summer camping season is almost here! Why not try out a menu that goes beyond baked beans and weenies? Camping provides new challenges and  exciting opportunities for those  who love to cook and enjoy great food. Recently I had the opportunity to preview Campfire Cuisine by Robin Donovan (Quirk Books, ISBN 9781594746284, April 30, 2013) . Slim enough to slip into a backpack, but packed with creative recipes, this 191 page book is the ultimate guide for die-hard foodies and novice cooks alike. You can enter to win a copy at the end of this post.   My girls' annual Girl Scout camping trip provided the perfect opportunity to try out a handful of recipes from Campfire Cuisine with a big group of kids and foodie parents. Our group campsite was situated on a bucolic private pond. The girls had fun observing the wildlife and wildflowers in the area. They also enjoyed some traditional Girl Scout activities like soap carving. Campfire Cuisine

Apple for Teacher -- A Teacher Appreciation Week Snack

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  This is a quickie -- just wanted to share my twist on the old "apple for teacher" tradition that I brought to school for Teacher Appreciation Week . Last night I whipped up and portioned a double-batch of my Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Apple Dip .  This morning, I bundled a single serving cup of dip with a bag of sliced organic apples.  I tied it all together with a sweet little red polkadot washi tape.   It was a perfect grab-and-go treat for our hard-working teachers.  I hadn't planned on writing a post, but the treat was such a hit that I figured I'd share! 

Mother's Day Gift DIY: Make an Etched Glass Pie Plate
with Martha Stewart Crafts #marthastewartcrafts #mothersday

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Mother's Day -- It's as American as Mom and Apple Pie! In f act, today's project is all about celebratin g the special pie maker in your life.  With the help of Martha Stewart Crafts , I designed this quick and easy gift that is all at once meaningful and deliciously useful.   This is a great project for beginners. For the person who puts love into everything they bake, a personalized etched pie plate is the perfect gift and is, well...sweet as pie!   The idea for this project came about when I was looking for a meaningful gift for my step-mom's birthday back in March (She h appens to make the best apple pie I've ever eate n) .  I decided that a pie plate e tched with "Nana Makes the Best Apple Pie" would be the perfect gift.  I didn't think I had the time or the skills to make one myself, so I jumped on Etsy and found a wonderful gal who was able to bring my vision to life and ship it just in the nick of time.   Enter

Free Vintage Clipart: Retro Kitchen & Cooking Graphics

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  A few weeks ago I came across a charming little cookbook from the 1950s while browsing through a local thrift shop.   I love the style of the cheery green and red illustrations.  I can't wait to make some dish towels featuring these merry images and kitchen cliches. What projects will you cook up? Right-Click on the individual images to download and save. Or, you can download a free scrap sheet HERE .  

Recipe ~ New York Coffee Cake Dunkers

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  Are you a Crumb Picker ? Come on, you know what I mean... ...Are you one of those types who picks the crumbs off of the crumb cake when you think no one is looking?   I'm unashamed to admit that I'm the little bird that ha s   pecked at many a streusel, crumb cake and cobbler.   Of course, some do resent this penchant for picking especially when it's their piece of pie that's been pecked. It was this sweet, cru mbly conundrum that inspired me to develop a r ecipe for a coffee cake cookie that is all about the crumbs.  It's part biscotti, part coffee cake, and is loaded with buttery, crumbly goodness.  It's a coffee cake that you can dunk in coffee or milk . It's not too hard, not too sweet, and is good right down to the last crumb! New York Coffee Cake Dunkers Prep Time:  30 minutes Chill & Bake Time:  1 hour Yield:  Approx. 4 dozen dunkers  For the cru mb topping 2/3 cups granulated

Gevalia, Take Me Away ~ New Gevalia Single-Serve Coffee Cups #CupOfKaffe

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I'd love to be able to say that it's been quiet around here these past few weeks because I've been on holiday ~ exploring the natural beauty of our rocky shores, enjoying good food, great coffee, and the company of my family ~ sand between our toes s ea air leaving salty kisses on our skin. Alas, the reality is that I've been up to my eyes with textbooks, term papers and final exams. I've seen my share of late n ights . My steady companion through the wee a.m. hours -- my cup of coffee.     The timing couldn't have been better to give the rich, never bitter taste of Gevalia single serve coffee a try.  ( You can take a tour of my path to purchase in this Go ogle+ Gallery .)           Gevalia...take me away! Perhaps any old cup of Joe could have helped me power through the paperwork and late night study sessions, but why sacrifice quality when you don't have to?     With the N