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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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IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO GRANT A CHRISTMAS WISH!

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While reading some of my favorite blogs today I came across a post by my friend Tabitha over at I Choose Bliss .  It really touched my heart and propelled me into immediate action.  I hope you'll feel the same way too: "Diana Biorkman needs your help in making her son's wish come true. She has a 5 year old son, Noah, in the last stages of a 2.5 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week and Noahs request is to get lots of Christmas cards. Please consider sending cards to: Noah Biorkman 1141 Fountian Viewcircle South Lyon, MI 48178 Please let this precious child know he is DEEPLY Loved. FILL HIS MAILBOX WITH JOY" I set out some doodads and paper scraps I've been collecting for just such a project and let my 4-year old daughter Max get creative making a card for Noah.  She really got into the spirit of making a special card for this little boy that I told her was very sick.  It's never too e
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COLD TURKEY ~ THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING CONUNDRUM

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OKAY, LET'S TALK TURKEY!   After all, that time of year has crept up on us with stealth and a loud and blood curdling, " GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE !"    First some Turkey tips from this Bird about Another: 1)  Try a kosher Turkey.  They are held to the strictest standards and are therefore of very high quality, are extremeley clean (cleaned and processed by people, not by machines in giant factories), and come already partially brined, and that means a nice juicy roast! 2)  If you're buying a regular or heirloom bird, be sure to brine it.   Heirlooms and free-range birds can be wonderful, but are often a little drier than regular turkeys.  Not sure where to put your bird while brining?  Try a small cooler.  It will keep it cool and won't take up valuable space in the fridge.  Alton Brown has a great brine recipe on FoodNetwork.com . 3)  Consider cooking your stuffing outside of the bird.  Not only is it safer (sparing you the potential for an u
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ONE WARM COAT ~ A HEARTWARMING CAUSE

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Is your child's school, club, or team looking for a way to make a difference in their community this winter?   Consider a " ONE WARM COAT " DRIVE:  It's as easy as printing up a flyer, setting out a box, and registering with " One Warm Coat " online  to get connected with agencies in your area that will distribute the coats to people in need during the cold winter months.  "Take a peek in your closet, garage or chest to help out those not quite so blessed. Should you find a coat you do not wear Just bring it here to show you care. It’s getting cold And you may find It warms your heart to be so kind. Coats and Jackets: New and old Recycled here to fight the cold . It doesn’t matter: Big or small Our humble box accepts them all."                                 ~ Troop #2033's One Warm Coat Poem I am proud to say that this will be the third year that my daugher's Brownie troop will be organizing a &
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STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD CHICKEN-APPLE DRESSING
(TAKE THIS SQUASH AND STUFF IT!)

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Running some last-minute Halloween errands this week I was startled to find that as far as the retail world is concerned, Halloween is long gone, Thanksgiving has been leap-frogged right over, and it's CHRISTMAS!  Poor little Turkey Day!   Well, the big box stores may be decking their halls with boughs of holly, but I've got some serious Pilgrimizing to do around here.  To kick off Turkey Month, I'm going to do old Tom a favor and offer a wonderful alternative to stuffing his cold, pink carcass (did I hear someone say Salmonella?) with soggy bread.  Introducing the STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD AND CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE DRESSING.  The presentation is festive and lovely, and this sweet and savory stuffing always brings guests back for seconds!  Gobble Gobble! STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD CHICKEN-APPLE DRESSING • 1 (4 to 5 pound) pumpkin • 1/4 cup melted butter • Salt and pepper • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 small onion, finely chopped • 2 shallots, c
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GETTING MY LUCKY DUCKS IN A ROW...

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Many thanks to everyone that participated in October's contests and giveaways with your wonderful comments, subscriptions, and support!  It was especially fun (and hilarious) reading through all the captions for the ABC Nursery Blocks Caption contest.  Without further ado, here are the lucky duckies: Babygags Baby Apparel Giveaway:  MS. BIBI (please email me with your mailing address and choice of t-shirt or onesie) Set of Cupcake Cuties:  ROYAL FAMILY (please email me your mailing address) ABC Nursery Block Captions:  HONEY MOMMY (please email me the address where you would like your 1-year subscription to Bon Appetit sent) "Does this make my butt look big?"  ~ Honey Mommy
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LITTLE GREEN GOBBLIN'S ~ A PERFECT AND EASY HALLOWEEN APPETIZER

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My clever and crafty friends Jaime and Lisa over at Sprout Boutique turned me on to this one: These simple, delicious, elegant and Halloweenishly green appetizers are made using just four simple ingredients:  blue cheese, cream cheese, seedless grapes and pistachios. Pistachio Blue Cheese Grape Appetizer (a.k.a. "Little Green Gobblin's for the holiday's sake) 1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios 1 large bunch seedless red  grapes (40 to 60 grapes) In a small bowl combine cheeses. Wrap a little of the cheese mixture around each grape to form a ball. Roll in chopped nuts. Cover and chill grapes for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Can be prepared a day ahead.
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JON & KATE ~ THIS COSTUME'S GREAT!

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Halloween brings out such creativity in people! And it can help to relieve our pop-culture induced angst too. Take for example, my friend Chris (known him since elementary school ~ reconnected recently on Facebook ):  His lovely wife Michelle has been often told that she looks like Kate Gosselin.  Okay, so it's a step up from being an Octo-mom look-a-like, or told you have the fashion sense & IQ of the Housewives of Orange County.  Nonetheless, Michelle could do without the comparison.  When Chris and Michelle are out together the problem becomes compounded:  "Hey look, it's Jon and Kate!" (even though Chris bears no resemblance to Jon except the fact that they're both Asian).    But then, this Halloween, Chris and Michelle needed costumes.  It took some convincing, but once Michelle was on board, her creativity took over.  The couple went to Kohls and Ross to buy "Gosselinesque fashion" (Chris coined this new term).  It was even Michelle's
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