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
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HALLOWEEN SCAVENGER HUNT ~ Free PDF!

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Last year for my daughter's 7th birthday she requested that her party include a scavenger hunt. My husband and I had a lot of fun just putting the list of items together. We combed the internet, drove around town seeking inspiration, and went into a few local stores and public buildings making arrangements with the people who worked there. What resulted was an outrageously fun time for about twenty of my daughter's friends, plus their parents, siblings, and even some grandparents. What I loved about this party was that it got everyone outdoors in the fresh air, moving around, seeing our hometown from a new perspective. It required teamwork and strategy, creative thinking and a good sense of humor. We live in the small Victorian town of Pacific Grove, California. Folks that know ol' "PG" will know right away that I likely reside in a "cottage", "bungalow", or "Victorian Charmer", all euphamisms for teeny-tiny-house-on-a-postage-sta
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THE BEES KNEES

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We think Sarah at Bit of Whimsy Dolls is simply "the bees knees"! In fact, the girls and I have Sarah to thank for keeping us "busy as bees" last week when we were home sick. The girls and I were getting cabin fever, and had the itch to be creative, so we shut off the tube, jumped online, purchased one of Sarah's PDF patterns for her original Baby Bumblee, and went to work. Our baby bees turned out absolutely adorable and are being snuggled by two very happy, and now healthy little girls. Thanks Sarah! To purchase patterns from Bit of Whimsy Dolls, visit http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/pdf-epatterns/ Check out Sarah's blog: http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/blog/ You can even try out a pattern, for "Eddie Earthworm" FREE here: http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/eddie-earthworm/
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ROOK NO. 17 SAY'S "I DO" TO:

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If there's a wedding in your future , or if, like me you're happily married but still enchanted by the dresses, the cakes, the whimsy and drama of weddingdom, you won't want to miss a new blog from author, wedding planner, style maven, and our very good friend, Holly Lefevre. HIP, STYLISH, AND TOTALLY COOL WEDDINGS is the ultimate "glam guide for the savvy bride." Holly describes this latest creative endeavor as, "Hip, stylish, & totally cool weddings for the budget savvy bride with above-average style, a fabulous and fun sense of herself, and distinctive ideas about her wedding. It speaks to the hip bride who knows the importance and impact smart spending and savvy thinking can have on her life and her wedding style." We especially enjoyed the first installment of her feature tackling " WEDDING MYTHS ". We're looking forward to an interview with Holly precluding the release of her latest book, "The Everything Wedding
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FLOWER FAIRY TUTORIAL

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By popular request, we've put together a free PDF tutorial so you can make some of these enchanting little flower fairies at home. Please share and enjoy. If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a Flower Fairy Kit (includes everything you need to make three flower fairies, except the glue and wire cutters), please leave a comment below. Be sure to note an email address where we can reach you if you're the lucky winner of the October 1 drawing. Two winners will be chosen at random. Flower Fairy Tutorial
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All-Day Apple Butter ~ A Must-make crockpot recipe for fall

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  With the crisp, cozy, cinnamon-spiced season of Fall just around the corner, what better way to usher in the season than with a day of apple picking at a local farm? This month, farms all over the country open up their orchards to give us cityfolk the opportunity to stroll beneath their leafy canopies, heavy with crimson and golden fruits; to fill our bushels and baskets to the brim; to share the bounty with our friends and neighbors, the smell of flaky pies and tender dumplings wafting from our kitchen windows... For those on the Monterey Peninsula, the place to visit is Gizdich Ranch located at 55 Peckham Road in Watsonville. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily you can pick Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Pippin apples for just $1.35/pound. Bring your own boxes or baskets, a picnic lunch and enjoy a memorable day with the family. Try one of our favorite family apple recipes ALL DAY APPLE BUTTER (it's absolutely divine over vanilla ice-cream ~ like a war
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LUNCHBOX HEROES ~ ENTER THE POWERBALL

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We received an anonymous request during our contest from a reader who is looking for a "recipe for raw energy bars for kids lunches." Here is a recipe for our family favorite, compliments of Wondertime Magazine, September 2008 : LUNCHBOX POWERBALLS "These wholesome little snacks are simple to make and rival cookie dough eaten right out of the bowl (not that we'd do that). The easiest way to make them is to combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer, but the fun way is to push up your kid's sleeves and let her mush it all by hand." Makes 40-48 cookies Mix together 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup honey until smooth. Gradually add in 3 cups old fashioned oats and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed . Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup any combination of nuts and soft dried fruit (try 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup each of raisins and dried cranberries) and mix gently in your stand mixer or smush together by hand. Roll into Ping-Pong-size ball
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AND THE WINNER IS...

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Thanks to all the friends and fans that participated in our first giveaway. It was fun reading all of your comments and stories. The challenge is on to meet all of your recipe requests ~ a challenge we look forward to in the coming weeks. We've already made some progress in tracking down the famous artichoke cupcake recipe for Holly, and are crossing our fingers that the talented baker that came up with this unique creation will be willing to share his genius with our readers. So, without further ado, the winner is...SAMANTHA STEWART! Congratulations Sam! You were interested in some great salad recipes, so we hope you'll give our "Peas, Love & Orzo" a try. You also inquired about some recipes for gazpacho. Turns out our pal Martha did a whole feature on gazpacho in the September issue of LIVING, and we're eager to try all four recipes, especially the "Gazpacho Ajo Blanco". You'll receive a copy with your t-shirt. But for instant gratification,
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