Posts

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
Read more

Recipe: Salted Shortbread Toffee

-
Image
  Necessity is the mother of invention , indeed! With the sudden realization that I had nothing to bring to a New Year's day party, I scoured the cupboards and flipped through the recipes I had enjoyed during my December candymaking spree to see if the stars would align.  Well, close enough -- I was just a bag of pretzels shy of being able to make pretzel toffee.  A box of shortbread cookies came to the rescue, making this simple and delicious confection a new family favorite! Salted Shortbread Toffee Ingredients Nonstick Cooking Spray 4 sticks (1 pound) salted butter, cut in to 1" pieces 2 cups granulated sugar 8 ounces shortbread cookies, broken in to bite sized pieces 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Ghirardelli) 1 Tablespoon fine flake salt (Maldon, Fleur de Sel, Sel Gris) Hardware Half Sheet Baking Pan (13x18x1) Aluminum Foil Wooden Spoon or Silicone spatula Candy Thermometer  Small offset spatula or silicone spa
Read more

Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice
A Little Birdie Told Me...No. 53

-
Image
A page from the 1915 book, Fifty-Two Sunday Dinners . ---------------------------------------- Welcome to  "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday No. 53! If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to  join the party after the features below. -------------------------------------- Last week's most clicked posts  shared this in common: Sugar & Spice.   -------------------------------------- From Sweet as Sugar Cookies Pumpkin Chai Bubble Bread -------------------------------------- From Bijouxs Upside-down Caramel French Toast -------------------------------------- From Whole New Mom Cinnamon Sugar Taste test and blends       --------------------------------- If you've been featured  (here or on Facebook ) feel free to grab a "featured on"
Read more

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
VICTORIAN FRAMES AND GRAPHIC ELEMENTS

-
Image
  Happy New Year friends! Here's to a year full of joy, adventures, laughter, creativity and inspiration! To start the year off with a festively festooned flourish, I've dusted off some of my gilt paged tomes and selected some of my favorite Victorian graphic elements for you to use in your projects. Enjoy!      
Read more

A New Twist on a Classic New Year's Tradition~
Southwestern Black Eyed Peas

-
Image
Southwestern Black Eyed Peas shown here with Mexican Chorizo and Avocado over Chile & Cheese Grits. A New Year's tradition that dates back to the American Civil War, eating black eyed peas on New Years day is thought to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.     The peas (actually a variety of bean) are said to represent coins, and are symbolic of growth and prosperity because of the way they swell as they cook. Traditionally prepared with greens such as collard, mustard, or kale, the green symbolizes paper currency. Southwestern Black Eyed peas make the perfect New Year's Day breakfast when served with fresh avocado and a fried egg on top! Eating black eyed peas, or Hoppin' John (when served over rice) is part of my family's New Year's Day tradition.  This year, I wanted to experiment with a new spin on the classic and came up with this delicious recipe for Southwestern Black Eyed Peas ! If you're a fan of Mexican, Tex-
Read more

Recipes for When It's Cold Outside~
A Little Birdie Told Me...No. 52

-
Image
Did you know: The song "Baby, Its Cold Outside" was written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and was premiered when he sang the duet with his wife at their Navarro Hotel housewarming party. ---------------------------------------- Welcome to  "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday No. 52! If you're here to share a craft, recipe or project post, you'll find the linky and the specifics on how to  join the party after the features below. -------------------------------------- It may not snow in our sleepy little Victorian town by the sea, but brrrr....it sure has been downright bone-chilling cold lately! With keeping warm and cozy in mind, today's features are recipes that are sure to warm body and spirits during the cold Winter months.   -------------------------------------- From GirliChef Ponche Navideño Traditional in Mexico, this warm holiday drink includes guavas, suga
Read more

A Very Star Wars Christmas...

-
Image
  From my family to yours, Wishing you... Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Happy New Year! --AND-- May the Force be With You! ~ The Ericksons We used the image above for this year's holiday card.  The costumes were pieced together on the fly by delving in to our dress-up bin and rummaging through my craft stash. The photo was created by taking a series of photo strips using the Pocketbooth iPhone app. Then, we chose our favorite photos and assembled them with the collage function in Picassa.   The Elf on the Shelf shot was a snap to make -- Red pajamas and a piece of felt snipped into a collar. 
Read more

Start a New Year's Tradition ~
The "New Year in a Can" Tutorial
( An Elmer's #GlueNGlitter Project)

-
Image
The New Year is a great time to make new goals and to reflect on your dreams for the future.  AND New Year's Eve is a perfect time to start a new tradition!   As part of the Elmer's Glue n' Glitter group through Social Fabric , I was given the opportunity to come up with an inexpensive, fun and meaningful tradition to share with friends and family on New Year's Eve.  I was inspired by my friend Barbara, who told me, last year,  how she writes down her hopes, wishes and dreams for the coming year and places them in a special box -- to be opened for reflection mid-year, or on the following New Year's Eve.  I loved the idea and stowed it away in my memory to share with my family this December 31. The New Year in a Can By upcycling a soup can with some scrapbook paper and my free printable label, you can share this tradition with your family and friends too.  They're inexpensive, easy, and quick to make so you can make a whole batch to g
Read more