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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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GIVEAWAY -- Trudeau Kitchen Tools

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If you love to cook or bake, chances are you appreciate quality kitchen tools. Recently, my family and I had the opportunity to review the Stress Less line of kitchen tools from Trudeau .  These ergonomically designed tools bring a new joy to cooking by reducing the stress often caused by traditional  kitchen gadgets .  The forward thinking line of products from Trudeau use a patented 4:1 gear ratio engineering that alleviates the strain often put on one's joints. We created a delicious Sweet Potato Foccacia with Toasted Pine Nuts using the Trudeau Stress Less tools, and I'll be sharing the recipe on Rook No. 17 tomorrow!   We found the tools to be easy to use, easy to clean, and loved the fact that Trudeau stands behind their products with a lifetime warranty .  My girls had fun doing their own "cooking show" where they showed how easy it was for them to help in the kitchen using Trudeau's Stress less products! You can enter to
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A Little Birdie Told Me... is BACK!

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After taking a week to rest, recharge and reconnect, our little party is back! -------------------------------------- Welcome to "A Little Birdie Told Me..." Tuesday No. 74! 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. -------------------------------------- While on hiatus I rounded up some great giveaways for June. Stay tuned for... A copy of the brand new book: Mod Podge Rocks! Trudeau Stress Less Kitchen Tools --------------------------------- This certainly isn't the biggest party on the block. But big isn't really the point here. It's about being real, genuine, and connected. Community vs. lipservice   Fly bys are welcome But regulars keep the community strong. true-blue friends birds-of-a-feather   Thank you for sharing the creative threads from
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The Perfect Summer Dress~
The SUNSHINE Dress from Fresh Produce

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A girl can dream, right? I love fashion, but have a hard time finding clothes that fit my cakesmithing curves.  As a mother of two, I like my clothes to be chic but versatile, easy to care for and comfortable without being frumpy.  I long for perfectly fitting frocks that can go from a walk on the beach with girlfriends, to chauffeuring kids to after-school-activities, to sipping a glass of wine at sunset in an outdoor bistro with grace.  Sometimes, dreams come true...   It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to review the Sunshine Dress from Fresh Produce .  This dress is made from super-soft 100% cotton. It has a flattering empire waist and scoop neckline, raw edge detailing and a double flounce hem -- the perfect flutter of feminine detail!    The Sunshine Dress comes in more than a dozen colors and is available in standard and plus sizes.  The soft yet heavy cotton swings, rather than clings so it's flattering to both those with curves and
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Tasty Tamalitos and 10-Minute Chili Sauce~
Party Perfect and Lunchbox Ready!

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These two-bite tamales are easy to make and are perfect for parties and lunch on the go!  They can be made with any filling you like, and when paired with the chili sauce you have a perfect meal in minutes!  The chili sauce has a slow-cooked-all-day flavor, but can be made in a snap and is perfect as a dip for tortilla chips, a filling for tacos, or as a topping for chili and cheeseburgers.  We started making these little tamales because my youngest daughter loves taking tamales in her school lunch, and the smaller size pops right into a thermos.  We make them several dozen at a time and stick them in the freezer.  When ready to serve, we wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for a few minutes.  For the lunchbox, we stick them right in the thermos, paper towel and all.  When the lunch bell rings, they're warm, delicious and ready to enjoy! Making these tamalitos is fun for the whole family! Here's a video showing how it's done! Toma
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Four Creative Cakes You Can Make for Summer!

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Every summer my girls and I have fun coming up with new summertime-inspired sweets! Here's a round-up of some of our sandy, beachy and cool creations.  Click on the photos to visit the tutorials!    Sandcastle Cake  Oyster & Pearl Madeleine Cakes Sno Cone Cupcakes and this year's creation... -------------------------- This post has been shared with: Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life BFF Open House at The Answer is Chocolate Making it with Allie at What Allie's Making Now Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party Tickled Pink at 504 Main Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes
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The Hottest New Band of the Summer~
Fun with Kids, Instagram and Picasa

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It's been quiet around here, I know.  It's my girls' first week of summer vacation and I couldn't help but unplug and head outside to make some memories with my two favorite girls in the world! Yesterday the girls and some friends went to see a movie.  After, we ran amok at the mall.  The girls got decked out in matching shirts and specs from Forever 21 and found a pack of pink mustaches at Claire's.  Using Instagram, I captured some of the hijinks and highlights, lending a hipster oeuvre to the photos.  The shot above reminded me so much of an album cover that I decided to add some text back at home with Picasa, then used the movie-making function to turn the whole lot of photos into a slideshow (running time: 60 seconds). This summer's gonna rock! Thanks for bearing with the mellow vibe here at the rookery this week. I have lots of great recipes, crafts and giveaways lined up for the coming weeks.   Howza'bout some stellar citrus marg
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The Sweetest Summer Cake ~
Beach Bucket Cake Tutorial

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This is a cake that anyone can make no matter what your level of baking or cake decorating skill!   It's fun, whimsical, and very versatile!    It takes little time and little money, but makes a big impression! Perhaps you've noticed that things around here have been pretty quiet lately.  That's because it's the last week of school for my girls, and the year-end activities have my head spinning -- 5th grade play, teacher gifts, class parties, and the school carnival just to name a few.  Every year the school carnival has a cake walk, and since I'm a cake artist, my girls have come to expect me to donate something fabulous to the event.  So what's a busy mama to do?  We got home from the school play at 8:30 last night and I still had homework to do.  Thank goodness I have a few tricks up my sleeve for occasions just like this! All wrapped up for the "Cake Walk" The Beach Bucket cake is the perfect cake for any occasion
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