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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
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SKINNY PUMPKIN SOUP

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Happy October! Although it involves my complete resignation to the fact that we're 3/4 of the way through the year, I always greet October with a measure of excitement. Many years ago my husband and I started the tradition of celebrating the arrival of October with a bowl of homemade pumpkin soup on October 1. This year, I have embraced my self-proclaimed title of "foodie" with a bit too much zeal. On a subconcious level I must have been trying to find a very personal way to pay homage to the October "squash of the month". No need for a Halloween costume this year. I already look like a pumpkin. Of course I've decided to pick October as the month to start a healthier eating program, since there's little temptation in the months ahead (insert canned laughter here). My first assignment ~ transform my traditional "October Celebration Pumpkin Soup" recipe into a "Skinny Pumpkin Soup" recipe without sacrificing flavor, richness, and
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ATTACK OF THE 65 POUND ZUCCHINI

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The world's largest zucchini, to date, is a whopping 65 pounds ~ the average weight of an eight-year-old boy. Wow! "Why the fascination with giant zucchini," you ask? Well, it all started back in around 1981 when my family decided to turn our side yard into a vegetable garden. After several weekends of sifting rocks and debris from the sandy soil (my brothers and I didn't mind...we were pretending to be 49ers panning for gold), adding in some good ol' manure (remember this was back in the days before organic soil and compost were readily available), and hoeing some rows, we we were ready to "grow". Please pardon the garden puns ~ I clearly can't help myself. We planted carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, corn, an assortment of herbs, and zucchini. I should probably mention that I grew up in Pebble Beach, California (simple little ranch home, not an estate) ~ an area not typically know for it's sunshine or good climate. We lived in the part of Pebble
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LUNCHBOX HEROES REVISITED ~ starring YOU!

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Back in August, my friend Jill inspired me to put together an article taking on the issue of picky eaters vs. school lunch. It's an issue I can relate to. Packing a healthy lunch for my eight year old daughter is a daily challenge. It's involved much trial and error and a lot of uneaten food. I think I have it figured out for now, but my formula alone was not enough to solve the woes of all the other parents out there. So, I consulted the EXPERTS: my dream team of amazing mom friends. Thanks ladies! I started off the discussion with one of my daughter's lunchbox favorites: HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX: What's great about this is that it's a fun activity as well. We start out by picking healthy items from the grocery store ~ nuts, dried fruits, seeds, whole grain cereals, etc... Have the kids pour all the ingredients into a large zip-loc bag and shake to combine. Instead of buying all of those prepackaged snacks that are loaded with preservatives and sugar, you ha
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WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU POLLY POCKETS...MAKE CAKE!

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A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO "THE POLLY POCKET PROBLEM" (cake model courtesy of Mackenzie Erickson, age 3) Rook No. 17 friend Gina H. from Oklahoma City recently posted a comment on Facebook that struck a c hord , "We have entered the Barbie and Polly Pockets era of parenting." Anyone else been there? Are ya there now? It was just a few years ago when the Pollys invaded my home en masse . Their teeny tiny shoes and micro mini skirts were scattered everywhere and I'm absolutely certain that if our civilization were to vanish, Polly Pocket shoes would be one of the few things that archaeologists would be able to find. I'm getting a disturbing visual of cockroaches skittering across an Armageddon landscape in little pink rubber shoes, but I digress. It got to the point where I would vacuum even more than usual, in the hopes that I'd suck up half a dozen Polly pieces in the process, but this tactic was futile. Polly apparel is apparently the only t
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DON'T MISS THIS GIVEAWAY FOR YOUR LITTLE SPROUT!

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Our friends Jaime and Lisa at Sprout Boutique have generously given us three fabulous gifts for this week's SWEET SUNDAY giveaway (formerly Sweet Monday Giveaways, but we felt disingenuous calling Monday "sweet"). One lucky winner, drawn at random will receive all of the following (a $50+ retail value) 1) Long sleeve cotton thermal shirt with in the "Give Peas A Chance" motif (size 6). 2) One pair of b&w polkadot certified organic legwarmers from BABEROO 3) One slate gray, supersoft cotton "Chalk It Up" t-shirt with the apple motif. (size 8) unisex (If you're the winner and need other sizes, the gals at Sprout have assured us that they'll accommodate) ENTERING IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3: HERE'S HOW TO ENTER: Visit the Sprout Boutique page on Facebook and join the group. -- AND -- Visit the Rook No. 17 discussion board on Facebook and post your answer to the baby related question Leave a comment at the end of this pos
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TIRAMISU FOR DOTTIE & YOU!

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I was nudged out of retirement this week for an opportunity to make some of my favorite little chocolate towers (I call them Parapets) for a very special birthday celebration. The inspiration for the flavor was the classic Italian dessert Tiramisu.    I started with a little round of lady-finger cake, soaked with Italian espresso; banded it in a collar of white chocolate with a cocoa butter transfer in a black floral scroll pattern (making me nostalgic for my mom's old calico dishes from when I was a child). Once the chocolate had set, the "Parapets" were filled with a dark rum laced mascarpone cream, and topped with a light dusting of cocoa powder. To commemorate the special occasion, I made chocolate letters that sat atop each Parapet to spell out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOTTIE". I made some extras so I could share the love around the neighborhood, and am posting a modified version of my recipes below so that you can make some for your friends and family too
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GIVEAWAYS ~ THE WAY TO GO...

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We absolutely fell in love with this adorable backpack from Made by Rae, and offered as a Guest Giveaway at Grosgrain Fabulous ! Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! Giveaways a a wonderful way for new companies, artists, crafters and bloggers to get international exposure and gain a fan following. If you have a product that you would like to promote through Rook No. 17, please contact us. HERE WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF OUR FAVORITE GIVEAWAYS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE THIS WEEK: 250 Greeting Cards from "Stay At Home Mom": ENTER HERE A pair of SEE KAI RUN shoes ~ your choice: ENTER HERE Honey Mommy is having a great toy giveaway sponsored by AllChildrensFurniture.com , who sells everything from kid's chairs to toys. ENTER HERE Visit Otherhood for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Curly Cue Wall Graphics ("Want to spice up your walls or put some spunk in your room? Curly Cue offers really cute and unique wall graphics".) ENTER HERE Dolce Mi
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