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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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My Favorite Breakfast ~ Catalonian Chocolate Crostini (Pa amb Xocolata)

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I'm willing to contend that there are few things that smell more glorious or taste more delicious than freshly baked bread.  I love the experience of baking bread from scratch, but life doesn't always afford me the luxury of the time to tenderly nurture and knead a golden loaf into sublime existence. So it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to try a new line of par-baked artisan breads ~ a marriage between Ecce Panis -- know for their hand-crafted, stone baked breads -- and Pepperidge Farm .  With simple ingredients like flour, water, and yeast -- and no preservatives -- the Ecce Panis breads make it easy to have warm, freshly baked breads ready-to-serve any time.   When you think of the perfect accompaniments for a loaf of fresh, crusty bread, what comes to mind? There was a time when my thoughts would have instantly gone to the savories -- Irish butter, cognac laced pâté, hot artichoke spread, and fresh, garlicky tomato bruschetta.  That all changed t
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How to Make Easy Personalized Candlesticks for birthdays, holidays, and hostess gifts

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"Originality is nothing but judicious imitation.  The most original writers borrowed one from another." ~ Voltaire I always hoped  that someday I'd have the chance to quote Voltaire here at Rook No. 17.  I never thought, however, that it would be in a post about birthday candles.  Yet these personalized candles are in fact an imitation, although I'd like to think a judicious one.   Last Tuesday, one of my favorite creative bloggers, Carolyn of Homework , linked-up a post to "A Little Birdie Told Me..." where she shared several techniques for Embellished Spring Candles.   I was positively struck by the simple brilliance of her tissue paper transfer method.  Then, just yesterday, as I was browsing a loca l boutique looking for a birthday gift for a friend,  I spotted a pair of lovely candlesticks printed with the message, "Happy Birthday." I knew in an instant that I could use the technique I had learned from Carolyn to make my very
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Doggone Good Canine Crackers~
Healthy, homemade treats for your dog

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This is a story about two picky little dogs: Pancho & Westley Who turned their leathery black noses up at every healthy doggy treat that came their way.   "Too dry!" barked Westley. "No flavor!" snarfled Pancho. "Gives me gas," whined Westley. Then one day, Their two-legged counterpart was baking some healthy homemade crackers and dropped one on the floor. "Mine!" growled Westley, greedily gobbling the fallen cracker. "More!" he howled. "Me too, me too, me too!" squealed Pancho. And that's how a kitchen fumble turned into a tasty triumph for two picky little dogs (and the people with whom they share the air).   Indeed, the dogs love them, but what's so great about these little crackers? Flax Seed:  Contains Omega 3 Fatty Acids for healthy skin and a glossy coat. Flax Meal:  Highly digestible protein and essential amino acids. Peanut butter:  F
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A Little Birdie Told Me...No. 64
Spotlight on Springtime Crafts & Treats

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Welcome to  "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday No. 64! 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. -------------------------------------- When I was a child, this was the time of year that I was positively consumed with anticipation for the day when the postman would arrive with a box from our grandmother; packed with vintage German Easter keepsakes from her childhood -- chenille chicks, papier-mâché egg boxes, pastel millinery flowers and cotton batting lambs. Springtime makes me sentimental for such nostalgic treasures. In the spirit of all that is soft, sparkling and speckled in spring, I give you this week's features... --------------------------------- Wooden Country Bunny DIY from The Cottage Market Embellished Candlestick DIY from Homework
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Repurposed Light Bulb Hot Air Balloon DIY

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Incandescent light bulbs have lit the world since the late 1800s, and for just as long a light bulb's journey has ultimately led to the waste bin.  Every year, Americans throw away more than a billion of these miraculous little orbs of glass, inert gas and tungsten filament.   Recently I came across a brilliant little sculpture by artist  Souther Salazar on Pinterest .  Titled "Lightbulb Balloon (orange)" the piece uses an incandescent bulb as the basis to create a whimsical hot air balloon.  Genius!   For my part in this week's Elmer's Glue 'n Glitter project for Collective Bias, I took my inspiration from Salazar's work and created a sweet and simple trio of light bulb balloons of my own.  What I love most about this project is that it repurposes items that might otherwise be destined for the trash:  water bottle caps, light bulbs, and fabric and trim scraps.  My cost for this project was under a dollar. Next time
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