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Showing posts from February, 2013

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

The Cat's Meow: A Vintage Cat & Kitten Scrap Sheet for You

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  I'm positively smitten with these kittens! I couldn't resist adding this vintage West German scrap sheet to my collection when I spotted it at a tag sale this weekend.  C'mon, it's cats in hats! Download and enjoy. It's FREE! Happy crafting!

Free Vintage Graphics: 1913 St. Patrick's Day Postcard & Clipart

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This weekend my girls and I had some fun poking around a small vintage flea market. One of my treasures was this charming little Saint Patrick's Day postcard, dated 1913. The postcard is addressed to Rosy from Nelson.  From the content and inscription on the front, they appear to have been school chums.  So sweet! I cleaned up the original image and created a piece of clipart as well for you to use this St. Patty's Day.  I think the medallion would be perfect for cupcake picks!   If you have some creative fun with these images, you're welcome to show off your creation(s) on the Rook No. 17 Facebook page:  HERE .  

Everything's Coming Up {PEEPS} Bunnies Bouquet ~ A Dollar Store DIY

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I'm so excited to share this sweet little Easter craft! It's easy, inexpensive, and scrumptiously charming! Inside each silky tulip blossom is a soft and sweet marshmallow bunny. You can find almost everything you need at your local dollar store (except the Peeps themselves).   Each bouquet takes only a few minutes to make. Everything's Coming Up Bunnies Bouquet Time:  approx. 5 minutes Cost:  approx. $3/bouquet Materials Marshmallow Bunny PEEPS (7-8 per bouquet) 1 bunch silk tulips (I found pink, purple, white and yellow at my local Dollar Tree) 1 sheet scrapbook paper per/bouquet clear cellophane scissors transparent tape 4 round toothpicks, broken in half   Step 1:  Insert a toothpick half, p ointed end down, into the center of each flower.  T IP:  I found it best to try to insert the toothpick in the hole in the center that attaches the blossom to the stem.  Avoid displacing the stem by inserting

Hatched from Scratch: Mini Coconut Nest Cupcakes

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What comes to mind when you think of springtime? For me it's robin s' egg blue, Easter baskets, spotted newborn deer on their wobbly little legs,  flowering tree s and the sweet songs of birds nesting amid their blossoming branches.   It's the latter that inspired these dainty little cupcakes.   Atop a tender mini lemon cupcake (with coconut cream cheese icing) sits a nest of toasted coconut, gently cradling a tiny speckled chocolate egg. I pack the tiny cakes in repurposed egg cartons that I've decorated with custom labels.  I'm sharing free downloads at the end of this post.   Look!  One of the nestlings has hatched ! Mini Lemon Cupcakes (makes 4-5 dozen, depending on the size of your baking cups) 9 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs zest of one lemon 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons rea

Retro Craft: Crazy Hair Pencils and Valentine Printable

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I fondly remember these crazy haired pencils from the 80s. My friends and I could hardly get enough of them. We made them in scouts. We made them in camp. We made them at birthday parties.   Ahh...the joy of smoothing out your pencil critter's hair, then rolling the pencil rapidly between your palms to achieve maximum crazy hair volume.  I guess times were simpler then...we didn't have a thousand channels on TV, and handheld video games were still a decade out. When brainstorming a fun valentine project for my girls to make this year, the old pencil project came to mind.  I had a hunch that even the children of the digital age would have a hard time resisting their wacky charm.    The project was a hit at home and pencils were a smashing success in the classroom.  Of course, we couldn't bear to part with them all. (If you don't hear from me in a few days, someone may have to intervene and hide my crazy haired p encil) . How

Retro Valentine Humor ~ 1950s ~ Would You Like to Go Steady?

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  The girls and I are busy chocolate-dipping and hot gluing in preparation for Valentine's Day, but I didn't want you to think I had forgotten about you, friends! So, here from my collection is a really swell little Valentine card that captures the style and humor of the era.  Enjoy!

Sweet Idea: Edible Valentines Day Tic-Tac-Toe
(& Valentine Bingo from Martha Stewart too)

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Here's a Valentines Day card, activity and treat all rolled into one --  Valentine Tic-Tac-Toe with sugar cookie Xs and Os! My inspiration?  The adorable Bingo-style Valentine Set* and Wood Stamp Set* from Martha Stewart Crafts.  The pack includes 18 cards, envelopes, and sheets of stickers (25/sheet) -- everything you need for a no-fuss, beautifully coordinated valentine.  You don't have to be crafty.  Just place a card and sheet of stickers in the envelope.  Embellish the envelope with your favorite Martha Stewart stickers (I love the cupcake collection) and rubber stamps! Easy! I couldn't think of a better way to compliment the game-style valentine cards from Martha Stewart Crafts than to come up with my own little classic game-inspired sweet treat to go with it!  Using Martha's classic sugar cookie and royal icing recipes, I whipped up a batch of buttery little cookie game pieces.     The iced cookies got a final touch of whimsy w