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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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Sing a Song of Sixpence - Painted Bird Pie Plate DIY

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*No birds were harmed in the making of this pie * Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds, Baked in a pie.  When the pie was opened, The birds began to sing; Wasn't that a dainty dish, To set before the king? ~ 18th Century English Nu rs e ry Rhyme Did you know that in 16th Century Europe, it was de rigeur for the nobility to serve an "animated p ye " filled with live birds, beneath a domed pastry lid as a n entremet (dinner entertainment)?     Well, You won't find any li ve birds in this tutorial.  In fact, what goes inside your pie is entirely up to you.  What I'm happy to share is a quick and easy little project for making silkscreen ed pie plates that are not only charming and lovely, but functional too. The inspiration:  While at my local Michael's store working on my Mothers Day project for Plaid ( Personalized Etched Glass Pie Plates ), I happened upon
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Lemony Couscous Salad and Other Recipes for Gourmet Outdoor Cooking
{Campfire Cuisine Book Review and Giveaway}

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The summer camping season is almost here! Why not try out a menu that goes beyond baked beans and weenies? Camping provides new challenges and  exciting opportunities for those  who love to cook and enjoy great food. Recently I had the opportunity to preview Campfire Cuisine by Robin Donovan (Quirk Books, ISBN 9781594746284, April 30, 2013) . Slim enough to slip into a backpack, but packed with creative recipes, this 191 page book is the ultimate guide for die-hard foodies and novice cooks alike. You can enter to win a copy at the end of this post.   My girls' annual Girl Scout camping trip provided the perfect opportunity to try out a handful of recipes from Campfire Cuisine with a big group of kids and foodie parents. Our group campsite was situated on a bucolic private pond. The girls had fun observing the wildlife and wildflowers in the area. They also enjoyed some traditional Girl Scout activities like soap carving. Campfire Cuisine
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Apple for Teacher -- A Teacher Appreciation Week Snack

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  This is a quickie -- just wanted to share my twist on the old "apple for teacher" tradition that I brought to school for Teacher Appreciation Week . Last night I whipped up and portioned a double-batch of my Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Apple Dip .  This morning, I bundled a single serving cup of dip with a bag of sliced organic apples.  I tied it all together with a sweet little red polkadot washi tape.   It was a perfect grab-and-go treat for our hard-working teachers.  I hadn't planned on writing a post, but the treat was such a hit that I figured I'd share! 
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Mother's Day Gift DIY: Make an Etched Glass Pie Plate
with Martha Stewart Crafts #marthastewartcrafts #mothersday

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Mother's Day -- It's as American as Mom and Apple Pie! In f act, today's project is all about celebratin g the special pie maker in your life.  With the help of Martha Stewart Crafts , I designed this quick and easy gift that is all at once meaningful and deliciously useful.   This is a great project for beginners. For the person who puts love into everything they bake, a personalized etched pie plate is the perfect gift and is, well...sweet as pie!   The idea for this project came about when I was looking for a meaningful gift for my step-mom's birthday back in March (She h appens to make the best apple pie I've ever eate n) .  I decided that a pie plate e tched with "Nana Makes the Best Apple Pie" would be the perfect gift.  I didn't think I had the time or the skills to make one myself, so I jumped on Etsy and found a wonderful gal who was able to bring my vision to life and ship it just in the nick of time.   Enter
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Free Vintage Clipart: Retro Kitchen & Cooking Graphics

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  A few weeks ago I came across a charming little cookbook from the 1950s while browsing through a local thrift shop.   I love the style of the cheery green and red illustrations.  I can't wait to make some dish towels featuring these merry images and kitchen cliches. What projects will you cook up? Right-Click on the individual images to download and save. Or, you can download a free scrap sheet HERE .  
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