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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

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO?

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GRANOLA CRUNCH BANANA MUFFINS Got a bunch of bananas sitting on your counter looking sad, soft, and lonely? Don’t toss ‘em. Instead, mix up a batch of these quick and delicious muffins. They’re light and fluffy with a contrasting sweet crunch from the granola topping. Dare we say your family will go bananas for them? 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon table salt 3 very ripe bananas, soft, darkly speckled, mashed well ¼ cup plain or honey yogurt (we prefer greek style) 2 large eggs, beaten lightly 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup (approx.) granola ¼ cup (approx.) raw or turbinado sugar 1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Line two muffin pans with 18 paper baking cups; set aside. 3. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl; set aside. 4. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl.

OLLALLIE, BY GOLLY!

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IT'S OLLALIE PICKING TIME AT GIZDICH RANCH ! TAKE A STEP BACK FROM THE RUSHED PACE OF LIFE, PACK UP THE FAMILY AND HEAD TO WATSONVILLE FOR A FUN DAY OF BERRY PICKING. WHAT TO BRING SUNSCREEN AND/OR A HAT WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES THAT YOU DON'T MIND GETTING BERRRY-STAINED YOU CAN BRING BASKETS OR BUCKETS FOR PICKING, OR CAN USE THE ONES THEY HAVE THERE. A CAMERA OPTIONAL: A LARGE COOLER LINED WITH ZIPLOC FREEZER BAGS OF ICE. BUY ONE OF THE BERRY FLATS AT THE BOOTH FOR ONLY ABOUT $1 AND TUCK IT RIGHT IN TO YOUR ICE-LINED COOLER TO KEEP THOSE BERRIES FROM COOKING IN YOUR HOT CAR. MORE FUN AFTER BERRY-PICKING... DON'T MISS THE PIE SHOP BACK AT THE MAIN RANCH. HERE YOU'LL FIND BATHROOMS, A NICE GIFT SHOP, AND A BIG RED BARN WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE A PIECE OF ONE OF THEIR PHENOMENAL PIES AND SANDWICHES TOO, TO ENJOY OUT IN THE PICNIC ORCHARD. WHILE THERE THE KIDS CAN PLAY ON THE HAYSTACK STRUCTURE AND OLD TRACTOR ~ GREAT PHOTO OPS! IN THE GIFT SHOP Y

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

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LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES? AVOID THE BIG-BOX STORES? GET GOOD VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY? TIRED OF GIVING THE SAME OLD JUNKY TOYS AS BIRTHDAY GIFTS, KNOWING THAT THEY'LL BE AT THE BOTTOM OF A CLOSET BY NEXT WEEK? TRY ROOK NO. 17'S TOP PICKS FOR DOWNTOWN PACIFIC GROVE BUSINESSES THAT YOU SHOULDN'T MISS: A NICHE IN TYME ~ 588 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove, 831.643.9931 ~ FROM THE STREET YOU MAY JUST THINK YOU'RE PASSING ANOTHER HIGH-END JEWELRY STORE. DON'T YOU DARE WALK BY WITH YOUR SNOOT IN THE AIR, OR YOU'LL BE MISSING OUT! FROM THE MOMENT YOU WALK IN YOU'LL BE GREETED BY THE ZEN-LIKE PATTER OF THE INDOOR FOUNTAIN AND THE EVER-FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL OWNER. AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THE NUMEROUS CASES YOU'LL DISCOVER UNIQUE JEWELRY MADE BY LOCAL ARTISTS, SPECTACULAR ESTATE PIECES, GEMS, ROCKS AND MINERALS. THERE IS SOMETHING HERE FOR EVERYONE! TRULY. MY DAUGHTER'S CLASS HAS BEEN LEARNING ABOUT FOSSILS AND GEOLOGY THIS YEAR, SO AS

I, DARIA...

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EARLIER THIS YEAR A FRIEND SENT A "FORWARD"-- YOU KNOW THE TYPE~ SLIDESHOW OF PRETTY SCENES, CHILDREN AND FUZZY LITTLE BABY CRITTERS, SENTIMENTAL MUSIC AND MOVING MESSAGES. AT FIRST, MY INNER PUNK REBELLED AGAINST THE SUGARY SWEETNESS OF THE PACKAGE. I SQUIRMED. I WAS IRRITATED. APPARENTLY I HAVE A LOW THRESHOLD FOR MOVING VISUAL IMAGERY COMBINED WITH SHOW-TUNES PLAYED ON A HARP, BUT STILL I WATCHED THROUGH TO THE END. MY FRIEND HAD TRULY SHARED SOMETHING GREAT AND I ALMOST POO-POOED IT IN TO MY TRASH BIN (FOR SHAME!). THE MESSAGES WERE SIMPLE, YET PROFOUND. I COULDN'T EVEN BRING MYSELF TO DELETE THE FILE AFTER I READ IT. I FELT AN URGE TO SHARE IT, BUT HOW? SO FOR ANYONE WHO STILL HARBORS SOME TEENAGE ANGST THAT PREVENTS THEM FROM FALLING UNDER THE SPELL OF HALLMARKIAN SENTIMENTALITY, HERE IS THE SUGAR-FREE VERSION. ENJOY! · Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile · Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes a day · When you wake up in the morning, compl

HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?

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EVERY YEAR MY GIRLS AND I PREPARE A BATCH OF CARAMEL APPLES TO HAND OUT TO TEACHERS AND STAFF ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. WE'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH VARIOUS RECIPES, BUT THIS YEAR WE FINALLY FOUND A KEEPER, COMPLIMENTS OF OUR FRIENDS AT DIVINEDINNERPARTY.COM (CHECK THEM OUT). THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS RECIPE IS THAT THE CARAMEL CAN ALSO BE PUT IN TO A MASON JAR AND SAVED IN THE REFRIGERATOR TO REHEAT FOR SENSATIONAL ICE-CREAM TOPPING. AFTER REMOVING FROM HEAT, YOU CAN STIR IN SOME DARK RUM FOR A KNOCK-YOUR-SOCKS-OFF CARAMEL RUM SAUCE ~ YOU HAVEN'T HAD APPLE PIE 'TIL YOU'VE HAD APPLE PIE WITH CARAMEL RUM SAUCE! CARAMEL APPLES  WITH REAL HOMEMADE CARAMEL adapted from divinedinnerparty.com This caramel apple recipe makes enough caramel for about 8 to 10 medium sized apples. I  recommend Fuji apples for the perfect combo of tart and sweet and lovely color. Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter  2 cups dark brown sugar, packed  1 cup light corn syrup  1 14oz. ca

SEW WHAT?

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OUR FRIENDS AT BIT OF WHIMSY DOLLS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN, INTRODUCING THREE NEW ADORABLE PATTERNS JUST IN TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, "HOW AM I GOING TO KEEP MY KIDS BUSY THIS SUMMER?" FOR THE BEGINNING SEWER, CHECK OUT THE "MY FRIEND DOLLS". THEY ARE FIRST IN A SERIES OF EASY-TO-SEW PROJECTS FROM THEIR "SEWING WITH ABBY" LINE. ABOUT THIS LINE, BIT OF WHIMSY DOLLS SAYS, "THE GOAL ...IS TO INSPIRE CHILDREN AND PROVIDE AN EASY PATTERN WITH A QUICK REWARD FOR SHORT ATTENTION SPANS." THEY'VE ALSO CREATED A FULL START-TO-FINISH SERIES OF VIDEOS AVAILABLE AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE INSTRUCTIONS, SO EVEN IF YOU'RE A BEGINNING SEWER TOO, YOU AND YOUR CHILD CAN HAVE FUN LEARNING TOGETHER. The doll pattern, plus instructions come to only about $5, so why wait? You can find the "My Friend Dolls" and many other charming projects at http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/ . Be sure to check out their "PAY IT FORWARD" feature! We love i

HUNGRY FOR CHANGE?

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TIRED OF OVER-PROCESSED, GENETICALLY ENGINEERED, CORPORATE-GREED MANIPULATED FOOD OPTIONS? LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT WAY, SOME SOUND RESEARCH, A WAY TO BE INFORMED? WANT SOMETHING BETTER FOR OUR CHILDREN? THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ARE NOT ONLY GOOD-READS, BUT ARE LOADED WITH INSIGHT, RESEARCH, AND REVALATIONS ABOUT OUR NATION'S CURRENT WAY OF EATING THAT HAS LEAD TO AN EXPLOSION IN OBESITY AND OBESITY RELATED ILLNESSES. Here's the book that inspired this Post. We just finished reading The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler, MD. It was fascinating, illuminating, and positively life-changing. "Conditioned hypereating is a biological challenge, not a character flaw, says Kessler, former FDA commissioner under presidents Bush and Clinton). Here Kessler (A Question of Intent) describes how, since the 1980s, the food industry, in collusion with the advertising industry, and lifestyle changes have short- circuited the body's sel

VELVET CUPCAKES

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LOOKING FOR SOME SENSATIONAL SWEETS FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY OR SPECIAL EVENT? IF YOU HAVE A DISCRIMINATING PALETTE AND AN EYE FOR COUTURE DESIGN, YOU'LL LOVE WHAT OUR FRIEND CONNIE IS DOING AT VELVET CUPCAKES. WE RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INDULGE IN SOME OF HER DIVINE CREATIONS. The Lemon Velvet cupcake was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The cake itself was indeed "velvety". The vanilla cupcake was speckled with real vanilla bean and brought high praise from young and old alike. But euphoria really set in when we had our first blissful bite of the Mocha Java ~ the espresso flavor was intense and married perfectly with the moist and decadent chocolate cake. Hungry yet? To find out more about Connie and her inspired little creations, visit www.velvetcupcakes.org . Her packaging is lovely and the cupcakes travel very well too.

LITERARY LULLABYES

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MAGICAL BOOKS FOR BEDTIME Here are some of our favorite stories to share with our little ones at bedtime, sure to set their imaginations in motion for a magical journey to dreamland. Good Night, Fairies , by Kathleen Hague~ “Children enamored with the notion of fairies will drink up Kathleen and Michael Hague's lush picture book like nectar. When a mother is asked by her child about how fairies spend their days and nights, she embarks on a dreamy account of these mysterious, magical creatures. For starters, fairies hang the stars in the sky each evening "so every child will have a night-light." They also teach birds to sing, paint the wings of butterflies, comb mermaids' hair, and sleep "on leafy beds in secret gardens." The wondering child falls asleep to these poetic musings, welcomed to dreamland by the fairies. Lyrical colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations, filled with elaborate detail, accompany this gentle bedtime story. Readers are challe

EAT YOUR SPINACH!

Greek “Meatball” Pitas Trying to find clever ways to get your kids to eat their veggies? These Spanakopita inspired turkey meatballs are devoured by kids and grown-ups alike. The meatballs are also great as a warm or cold appetizer ~ just add toothpicks and a bowl of our greek yogurt dip (TZATZIKI). They pack well in lunchboxes too! 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling 1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 1 10oz. box frozen spinach, defrosted and well drained 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 pound feta cheese, finely crumbled 1 package ground turkey breast (approx. 1 – 1 1/3 pounds) 2 teaspoons salt 1 package pita or flat bread Tzatziki 1/3 cup seedless cucumber peeled, trimmed and chopped 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped 1 1/2 to 2 cups Greek Yogurt 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 tsp oregano Salt and pepper to taste Toppings Chopped lettuce Chopped tomatoes Chopped cucumber Kalamata olives Thinly sliced re

BLUEBERRY CRUMB-CAP MUFFINS

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Blueberries are in season, so make a batch of these perfectly delicious muffins today... Ingredients: 4 TB (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly 2 cups (10 ounces) AP flour 1 TB baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 large egg 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups (10 oz) sour cream 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed Crumb Cap Topping (See step 12 below) Powdered sugar for dusting Preheat oven to 350. Adjust rack to middle position. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Melt butter in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk egg in a second medium bowl until well-combined and light in color (approx. 20 seconds). Add sugar and whisk until thick and color lightens to a pale yellow. Add melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine. Add the berries to the dry ingredients. Gently toss to coat berries. Add the wet mixture and fold with