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Showing posts from July, 2012

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

Strawberry Cheesecake Mini Cones ~
An Olympic Torch Inspired Dessert

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Last week I shared my tutorial for making easy and elegant little cones for savory appetizers or diminutive desserts! Today I'm sharing my recipe for a cheesecake mousse filling.  I dipped the fresh cones into cinnamon sugar, then piped in the mousse and topped them off with a fanned strawberry for an Olympic Torch inspired look! Flour Shop Boutique Cakerie Cheesecake Mousse  1/2 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin 2 Tablespoons room temperature water 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided 3 large egg yolks 1/2 vanilla bean, split & scraped 3/4 cup heavy cream 1.  In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the water.  Set aside. 2.  In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat cream cheese and half of the sugar.  Set aside. 3.  In a double-boiler over medium-low heat, whisk egg yolks, vanilla scrapings and the other half of the sugar until thickened and pale yellow (I use an electric whisk).  Remove from heat

Dangerous Cake & Magic Straws
Foodie Pen Pals, S. Illinois Edition

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This was my second month participating in the Foodle Pen Pal fun from  The Lean Green Bean . This go-round I was delighted to be paired up with a gal whose blog I've been following and enjoying for a long while:   Susie of Susie QT Pies Scraps of Life! Just look at all the fun treats that arrived in my box from Southern Illinois! Thank you Susie!! Cardinals Peanuts -- Susie and her family live just a short drive from St. Louis. Alongi's Italian Dressing -- The signature dressing from Alongi's Italian Restaurant, established in 1933 in the heart of Susie's small town. Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce -- Another local specialty! Duncan Hines Frosting Creations -- Some sweets from a sweetie Got Milk Magic Chocolate Straws -- For my girls. Recipes & Recollections from the Bethel Lutheran Church & School :  A book of recipes from Susie's church featuring pages full of wonderful recipes (many from Susie herself). My girls

Friends of Colleen Jorgensen ~ Giving Back Fundraiser

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"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa You may know my friend and fellow blogger Colleen. She's known as Mural Maker to the blog world.    Colleen is a caring person and is truly a giver by nature. She and her husband each took care of their aging mothers on a 24/7 basis. They were forced to live separately while they cared for the women who raised them. They did spend as much time together as their lives allowed, especially while caring for their 4 year old grandson. She and her husband Marlon were struggling to make ends meet after the thoughtless and fraudulent actions of one person turned their lives upside down. Just when they thought they had hit rock bottom, a glimmer of hope arose and it looked like there might be a way to erase (if that's even possible) 20 years of literally paying for an erroneous paper filed with a goverment agency. While in the process o

Free Vintage Graphics ~ Antique Sewing Ads with Children

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  Achooooo! Hey there my crafty friends! Please pardon  my sniffles. I had hoped to share my Olympic Torch inspired desserts this weekend, but since I'm buried under mounds of blankets (and homework) trying to fight off a fever and ear infection, the treats will have to wait.  Before I hit the books, however, I figured I'd procrastinate take a moment to share a few more charming graphics from my great-grandmother's scrapbook. This collection of images share two things in common:  They are all antique advertisements for items related to sewing or millinery and all feature children.   Which is your favorite?            Wow! Buttons, hats and a cure for Malaria all in one place! No wonder they call them the "good old days."

Free Vintage Graphics ~ Hot Air Balloons

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It's been a while since I've shared any free graphics or scrap sheets, so today I have both!  From the pages of my great-grandmother's 1876 scrapbook, come these two fanciful little hot-air balloon graphics.  You can download them individually, or as a scrap sheet.  I'm imagining them as the most charming little cupcake picks for a Bon Voyage party! Enjoy! Download the scrap sheet HERE

Olympic Torch Appetizer V1
Salmon Tartare in a Wonton Cone

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Yesterday I shared my tutorial for how to make these delicious, easy and versatile little wonton cones .  Today I'm sharing the recipe for one of my favorite fillings. If raw fish isn't your thing, I have something to tempt your palette tomorrow -- Mini Cheesecake Mousse Mini Cones. If you're still with me, here's my recipe for the  absolutely delicious, melt-in-your-mouth Salmon Tartare Olympic Torch Appetizers... Salmon Tartare Sashimi Style (makes enough for 12 cones) 12 Wonton Cones (recipe HERE ) 1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce   1/2 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil   1 Teaspoon freshly grated ginger root   1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste   1 garlic clove, pressed   The green portion of one scallion, thinly sliced    optional: 1 teaspoon minced serrano chili optional: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds   10 ounces sushi grade raw salmon * Eating raw fish can be dangerous if the fish has not been processed for parasites properly.  Please re

Easy and Elegant Olympic Torch Appetizers

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  The perfect appetizer for your Olympics Party (or any occasion) These savory little wonton cones are easy to make, can be prepared ahead of time, and can be filled with just about anything you'd like. They can also be rolled in cinnamon sugar for a small-bite dessert.   Filled with my Cheesecake Mousse , they're a guaranteed gold medal winner!   I filled mine with Salmon Tartare (I'll be sharing the recipe tomorrow), but I know that raw fish isn't everyone's idea of a good time.     Instead, imagine a spinach or artichoke dip, chicken or shrimp salad, or smoked salmon and creme fraiche.  There are so many creative possibilities! Here I've filled the cones with an apple chicken salad.  It gets its orange color from smoked paprika.  So delicious! What would you put in your wonton mini cones?    Wonton Mini Cone How-To  Won Ton Wraps (in the produce section of your grocery store) Kitchen shears or scis

Summer Fashion Grand Slam with Cookie's Kids

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At the pace my girls outgrow their clothes and shoes, it doesn't make sense to spend a fortune on their wardrobe.  When it comes to shopping, I'm thinking " Frugal " and my girls are all about " Fashion ".  It's nice when you can find a place where the two converge.   That's why I'm happy to be sharing an online store for kids with style and 'tude and the parents who outfit them -- #Cookie's Kids .  I love a company with a great story, don't you? In 1972, a young man named Cookie and his brother Marvin went into business together. They rented a 1600 square foot store in Jamaica, Queens, fixed it up, bought inventory and Summer and Fall, and opened a day after Thanksgiving with a full stock of holiday toys. The toys were a success and they put the extra money toward buying children's clothing for the next season. When that did well, they bought more clothing. The business was on it's way.   In the late '