Jennuine

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. All opinions are genuine and are my own.  Sponsored posts can be a great way for bloggers to earn a little bit of pocket money to help cover the costs (and countless hours) that go in to providing free, quality content.    But I feel strongly that sponsored gigs should be a natural fit for the style of the blog and present a real value to its followers.  Here's what you're not going to find me blogging about here at Rook No. 17:  Products that I do not or would not use.  This includes heavily processed and/or chemically laden foods, non-recycleable plastics, chemical air freshener and other items that I wouldn't naturally buy for my family.  I don't judge those that do -- it's just not authentic for me.     When considering a campaign, I ask: Do I already use and l

A few weeks ago my family joined 504 Main 's crew in an apple picking excursion to the Santa Cruz foothills.  Holly had heard about an organic u-pick apple orchard, and we decided to give it a try.   The orchard was beautiful and the trees were heavy with fruit.  We picked several varieties that included Ginger Gold, Sali Red Delicious, and Royal Gala.   The Ginger Gold were our favorite -- both sweet and tart and very crisp.  We've been enjoying them whole, chopped up in salads, and sliced with peanut butter for an after-school-snack.  But just the other day my husband and I were both struck with a craving for apple pie.  Unless it's made by my step-mom, I usually pass on classic apple pie -- it's a bit too sweet for my liking.  Sour cream apple pie is more my style -- a perfect balance of sweet and sour.  Alas, when the craving hit, there was no sour cream on hand.  So, we decided to improvise by using cream cheese.  The experiment paid off

  Nothing says fall like a caramel apple! The only shortcoming of this quintessential harvest-time treat is that once you've taken several candy-laden bites, you're left with nothing but apple.  It's a bit...well...anticlimactic. A while back I pinned an ingenius idea from rosa-rot.blogspot.ca (now defunct, I believe) where she used thick slices of fresh apple rather than a whole apple.  The apple slice gets a dip in caramel and then is enrobed in chocolate.  This creates the perfect ratio of caramel to fruit in every delicious bite! I decided to take the idea one step further by capitalizing on the plump, pumpkin-like shape of the candy coated apples.  This is one Halloween trick that is sure to be a treat for all who behold these goofy jack-o-lantern grins!   Chocolate & Caramel Dipped Apple Slices (on a stick) Yield:  18 6 large apples, washed 18 lollipop sticks* 1 batch 15-minute caramel (click HERE ) 16 ounces semi

Buffalo Wings and pretzels are two classic football season finger foods.  Here I've combined the best of both -- the tangy, spicy, finger lickin' flavor of traditional wing sauce and the satisfying crunch of pretzel sticks -- no napkins required! Serve with blue cheese dip and celery sticks.   Score a touchdown with this easy, crowd-pleasing snack at your next football or tailgate party! Buffalo Wing Pretzels Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  30 minutes Makes:  15 ounces (approx. 8 servings) 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt  pinch cayenne pepper 1 15-oz. bag pretzel sticks celery sticks and blue cheese dressing (optional) Step 1:  Preheat oven to 300° F.  In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter, wing sauce and soy sauce, stirring constantly.  Stir in the dry seasonings and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

The idea was simple -- I wanted to make a lemon meringue-inspired dessert for a party that would be easy to serve and would make for a pretty presentation with a birthday candle. So, I introduced my favorite lemon bar recipe to my favorite lemon meringue pie recipe. Their offspring, the Lemon Meringue Pie Bar has a tender shortbread crust, the rich lemon curd filling of one parent, and the light and toasty meringue topping of the other. Lemon Meringue Pie Bars (makes approx. 2-dozen) For the crust:  1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature  1/2 cup granulated sugar  2 cups flour  1/8 teaspoon kosher salt  For the filling: 6 large eggs at room temperature  2 1/2 cups granulated sugar  1 tablespoon grated lemon zest  1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice  1 cup flour 1 Tablespoon melted butter, cooled slightly For the meringue:  5 egg whites  ½ cup granulated sugar  Pinch of cream of tartar Preheat the oven to 350° Step 1:

This post was sponsored by Martha Stewart Crafts/Plaid and Blueprint Social. All opinions are genuine and 100% my own.   Decoupage is an art that dates back centuries. From peasants in 12th Century China to gentlewomen in 18th Century England, decoupage -- the art of applying paper cut-outs under varnish -- has spanned continents, social strata, and generations. photo source: http://www.plaidonline.com Today, I'm pleased to be sharing my own decoupage project that pays homage to the past, but with products from Martha Stewart Crafts that are all new! Now at Michaels Arts & Crafts stores, you'll find a full line of multi-surface Martha Stewart Crafts Decoupage products that include paper cut-outs, fabric die-cuts, decorative trims, decoupage brushes and tools ~ more than 50 products in all. The decoupage finishes come in a versatile array of formulas for paper, metal, wood, glass and even fabric. All decoupage formulas are dishwasher safe, machine was

On an adventure up the coast a few weeks ago, my friend Kelly and I stopped at a wonderful little bakery where I purchased two gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies.  The first I enjoyed with my cup of coffee and the second I tucked into my glove box to save for my daughter.  After a day of thrifting and fabric shopping, we returned to the car where we were greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies.  In the heat of the car, my cookie had reached the perfect temperature for maximum chocolate meltiness.  It never made it to my daughter. That warm, peanut-buttery morsel has been on my mind, and yes, the guilt has been nagging me.  So, this past weekend, I tried to come up with my own version.  They were delicious indeed, and like the original, are best when warm.  You've heard of icebox cookies?  These are the perfect glove-box cookies!   Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies -- Gluten free (makes approx. 30) 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup (1 stic

Since it's Back-to-School time, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share some of the ephemera in my collection that relate to the classroom, the ABCs, and the nearly lost art of penmanship. Please feel free to download and use for non-commercial purposes. As always, you're welcome to share your projects on the Rook No. 17 Facebook page.    

  About a month ago, we experienced an especially winter-like day.  Foggy days are not uncommon here, but this particular day was downright bone-chilling. It was the kind of day that called for staying in pajamas, stoking a fire in the hearth, and warming up with a bowl of hearty soup.  Stepping out to the grocery store was out of the question, so I decided to rummage through the pantry.  A jar of red lentils beckoned, and I answered the call with a delicious soup combining the warmth of aromatic Eastern spices, the sweetness of fresh carrots, and the bright notes of fresh herbs.  Since it was smack-dab in the middle of summer for much of the country, I decided to keep the recipe on shelf until fall.  Sure enough, the fall weather came blowing in this week, and I decided that the time had come to make another batch of Red Lentil Carrot Soup and share the recipe with my readers.  To my chagrin, the recipe was nowhere to be found.  So, I went back to the drawing board, meticulou

  Rhubarb season is entirely too short in my opinion.  So when I came across a bounty of ruby stalks at my local grocery store the other day, I stocked up.  First, my husband made enough Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam (recipe HERE ) to keep him in yogurt parfait heaven till January.  With what was left, I whipped up a batch of free-form rustic tarts -- with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb enveloped in a flaky, buttery crust.  I made a gluten-free version as well and they came out delicious.  The gluten-free recipe could still use some refinement, however, so that post will have to wait for another day. What are you waiting for?  Get out there and grab some rhubarb before it's gone! Buy extra, chop it and freeze it.  That way you can enjoy these individual pastries any time the mood strikes. Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes (makes 8) For the crust ( a Martha Stewart recipe ) 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup (2 sticks