Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

-
Image
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

Artful Scrapbooking, Simplified!
Product Review: Project Life Memory-Keeping System

-
This post is part of a paid campaign with American Crafts, but all opinions are my own.


Less time on memory keeping = More time for memory making


 As an artist and aesthete I often find it difficult to reconcile the discrepancy between how I want things to look and the amount of time available to achieve that level of quality and style.  Sometimes I find a way to compromise, and other times I simply put my plans on hold.  Such is the case when it comes to memory books.  I confess, my album-keeping days came to an end with the birth of my second child.  I simply couldn't keep up.  The desire was there, but I didn't feel that I had the time necessary to devote to memory-keeping. Frankly, I find the art of scrapbooking a bit intimidating.  I'm in awe of those master scrappers who've devoted their artistic passion to crafting page after page of layered, enveloped, bordered and bedazzled showcases for every special moment of their lives.  I watch in awe, perhaps with a touch of jealousy.  Or perhaps I'm just afraid that once I enter the world of extreme scrapbooking, I'll be hooked on a new hobby that I have no time to indulge in. 


 Regardless of the reason, I was excited when the opportunity came across my desk to sample and review a whole new concept in memory-keeping:  Project Life from Becky Higgins.  Project Life is a super-simple approach to scrapbooking designed to simplify and streamline the whole process.  With this back-to-basics approach, I don't have to fuss with special tools, glues and costly do-dads.  


Easy, but not cheesy

Project Life delivers designer style and archival quality papers.  For novice and seasoned scrapbookers alike, this translates into a chic, artful and professional-looking scrapbook. You're saving time, not sacrificing quality.  I love that!


I like feeling excited about my projects, not overwhelmed.


When I signed up for this campaign, my original idea was to do a simple 2-page layout of my girls' back-to-school experience. To be honest, I was dubious about my ability to carry on once school started. But once my package from American Crafts arrived and I became more familiar with the system, I realized that the solution to my scrapbooking conundrum was at hand. The scrapbook page inserts were so charming, fun and inspiring that I could hardly wait to start.



The fact that the system is so straightforward and streamlined gave me the confidence to dive right in after the girls went to bed one evening.  Rather than starting with back-to-school, I decided to dedicate the whole album to my family, starting with tribute pages and following the family through the whole year.


I had the joy of trying out the Dear Lizzie 5th & Frolic Core Kit which features an array of light blues, pinks, greens, yellows and airy neutrals. The vintage-inspired icons include birds, ephemera, foxes, houses, cameras and clipboards. The edition has a distressed feel, which appeals to my nostalgic sensibilities.


I adore the classic look and feel of cloth-covered albums, and this black and white vintage camera print fit my tastes to a T. 


I started out with a page dedicated to the whole family.  I was finally able to properly showcase some of my favorite family photos.   Thanks to the pre-formatted pages and color-coordinated inserts, the page came together in a snap!

Here's the page I created in celebration of my younger daughter.  

And here's her big sister's page.

I loved how easy it was to add a personalized touch to the page with a hand-written acrostic.

Tonight after the girls head off to bed, I'll be working on a 2-page spread featuring the girls with all of their kid-cousins.

Are you ready for Project Life?

"Whatever your stage of life. Whatever your family circumstances. Whatever your lifestyle. Project Life is designed to help anyone and everyone get their pictures into a book," says Becky Higgins, creator of Project Life.

Where can you find Project Life?

Michael's craft stores carry one of the largest selection of Project Life, including two exclusive core kits and several exclusive albums. 



Popular posts from this blog

Vintage Folk Art Style Paper Mache Snowman Tutorial

-
Image
With the Christmas tree curbside, and the ornaments all neatly packed away, I'm thankful for my small collection of winter decorations that can be left out a bit longer to grace my home with their snowy sparkle and winter whimsy. I would have loved to have had the time to share this sweet little tutorial earlier in the season, but the holidays were busy (as they always are).  Now that things have slowed down, this may be, perhaps the best time of all to fix yourself a mug of cocoa or coffee and enjoy the process of creating a vintage style paper mache snowman at your leisure.  He is sure to bring smiles to all that behold him, all winter long! This is the snowman that my 7-year old made. The real stick arms were her wonderful idea! This is a fun project t o do with children as well. The process is very simple , versatile, and inexpensive.  The fram e for the figure is ma de from aluminum foil which can be worked into the shape of characters for any occasion .  I&#
Read more

Recipe: New World German Brown Bread -- "Squaw Bread"

-
Image
I recall, as a child, going to The Chart House restaurant and looking forward to the basket of freshly baked breads.  My favorite was always the dark brown, slightly sweet bread that the servers called "Squaw Bread".  I've heard that a similar bread is served at The Cheesecake Factory.  The name has gone out of fashion, since "squaw" is a derogatory term for a Native American woman.   The history of this bread can in fact trace its roots to Native American origins when German pioneers combined their traditional German Brown Bread recipe with ingredients available to them through trades with the native people during their westward travels. No matter how you slice it, this New World German Brown Bread is easy to bake and so wonderfully delicious to eat.   Print With Image Without Image New World German Brown Bread Yield: 1 large loaf Author: Jenn Erickson Prep time: 1 H & 50 M Cook time: 45 M Total time: 1 H &am
Read more

Vintage Style Folk Art Black Cat Halloween Bucket
(made from a $1 plastic pumpkin)

-
Image
One of my favorite characters from vintage Halloween folk art is the black cat ~ always sporting a mischievous look and a cheeky grin.     Last year, I transformed a trio of styrofoam pumpkins from the dollar store into paper mache folk art .   This year, with the same $1 budget in mind, I set to work on a classic blown plastic jack-o-lantern treat bucket -- the same jolly guy that's been around since I was a kid.     Although I'm nostalgic for his familiar orange mug, I thought it would be fun to transform him into a wiley black cat.  So, one afternoon, my daughter and I grabbed an old newspaper and our Mod Podge and set to work... Vintage-style Halloween Folk Art Black Cat 1 blown-plastic pumpkin treat bucket, any color Newspaper Mod Podge or Paper Mache paste E ar template (download HERE ) Heavy card stock or a manilla folder for the ears pencil and scissors Paint brus hes of various sizes Black acrylic paint Assorted acrylic pa
Read more