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

Book Review: The Resurrectionist
A Novel and Art Book by E.B. Hudspeth

Image
Ad: I use Grammarly for  online proofreading  because dangling participles make me blush. "Philadelphia, the late 1870s. A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: What if the world’s most celebrated mythological beasts—mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact the evolutionary ancestors of humankind?" So begins this extraordinary book -- part  fictional biography, part illustrated scientific notebook.  E.B. Hudspeth's The Resurrectionist ( Quirk Books , 2013) tells the story of Dr. Spencer Black, a genius and a madman, a scientist and a showman -- P.T. Barnum meets Dr. Moreau.  It's a beautiful, macabre, and haunting book set in a time when the public fascination with medical curiosities was at a f

Ultimate Craft Giveaway -- $250 in Craft Supplies (Including a Silhouette)

Image
  Hello creatives! I'm as pleased as punch to invite you to toss your name in the hat for a holiday giveaway loaded with crafty goodness! A coterie of creative bloggers have joined forces to give away over $250 of craft supplies, including a Silhouette Portrait machine! We're so excited to share this with you... it is like an early holiday present for one lucky reader! Entering is easy -- simply follow the crafty hosts on your favorite social media channels. Even if you don't win the big prize, you'll still get inspired all year long by these master makers!   Wait for the Rafflecopter widget to load below, then join in on the fun!  Good luck!   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanksgiving Craft: Felt Pumpkin Pie Place Cards
{" heart-FELT Holidays" Book Review & Giveaway}

Image
I love crafting with felt! It can evoke nostalgia, exude charm and be so forgiving. Today I'm sharing an easy and delightful project for your Thanksgiving table: Plush Pumpkin Pie Place Cards If you can sew a basic whip stitch, you have all the sewing skills necessary to bake make them. This project came directly from the pages of heart-FELT Holidays: 40 Festive Felt Projects to Celebrate all Seasons , from Lark Crafts (by Kathy Sheldon & Amanda Carestio).  I have several new Lark titles to share with you this month -- all of which make excellent holiday gifts.  But this one, well, you're going to want to get this one now...for yourself!  If you love to craft and make handmade gifts, heart-FELT Holidays is a must-have for your DIY library.  You don't have to be an experienced seamstress to complete these beautifully designed and straightforward projects (that use plain old manufactured felt from the craft store).  The book

Halloween Show & Tell: Doctor Who Inspired Costumes

Image
It's clear that the days of fairy wings and princess gowns are in our past.  Nothing short of an encounter with a man with a blue box (that's bigger on the inside) will bring us back to those childhood follies.  The girls have traded their tutus for the TARDIS, and as a lifelong fan of Doctor Who, I welcome this new phase with sheer delight. The girls knew that they'd be getting a lot of, "Who (or what) are you supposed to be?"  Esoteric costume choices? Yes.  Did that stop them? No.    My 12-year old is enamored with Doctor #11, Matt Smith.  To pay homage to her hero, she put together an easy and comfortable costume for around $30. My daughter and one of her best buddies, 504 Main 's son. She found the fez, bow tie, and suspenders at Hot Topic.  We lucked out finding a perfect pinstriped shirt and tweed coat at Goodwill. My 8-year old was determined to "find" a World War II era English schoolboy costume in order to dress

Ugly Bathroom Contest - Enter to Win a Complete Bathroom Makeover

Image
Ugly bathrooms are the worst, especially when they're in your home! I've teamed up with National Builder Supply, Pfister, American Standard, and Trans Globe to help one lucky winner get rid of their ugly bathroom and win a complete bathroom makeover! Enter HERE today!

Halloween Party Food: Haunted Fiesta Pizza

Image
I love playing with food. It's just another way that one can be creative. Holiday-themed foods sure can be fun, but sometimes the flavor becomes secondary to the design. Just because a themed food has a childlike spirit, it doesn't mean it has to appeal only to a child's palette. Don't you agree?   That's why, for my second year working with the California Olive Growers , I created another Halloween-themed recipe that is all at once ghoulishly whimsical and delicious to eat: Haunted Fiesta Pizza This Mexican-inspired pizza starts with a simple sauce made from your favorite salsa.  It's topped with Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla chip crumbles.  The crunch from the tortilla chips is the perfect compliment to the bubbling cheese and picante salsa.   This taco-party-in-the-round is finished off with an avacado sour cream spider web and spiders made from California Ripe Olives. Ingredients Pizza dough a large

DIY: Pumpkin Pompom Garland
A crafty workshop inspired by Pom-Poms! from Quirk Books (review and giveaway)

Image
Pom-Poms! They're the classic handicraft on which many creatives cut their first DIY teeth. Colorful, whimsical, and so easy to make, pompoms are all at once vintage, retro and oh so NOW! As  a child, I made pompoms with my grandmother by winding yarn around the lid of a margarine tub.  When I received a review copy of Pom-Poms! 25 Awesomely Fluffy Projects , the latest crafting title from Quirk Books , I felt a surge of nostalgia and inspiration to share the art of making pompoms with my friends and family.  So, with the help of my friends at Quirk, I organized a cozy little craft night for some of the fabulous women in my community (with all different levels of crafting experience).  Quirk supplied copies of Pom-Poms! for all the guests, I provided the materials, hot cider and wine, and the gals brought some tasty treats to share. The party came together effortlessly, and everyone enjoyed an evening of crafting and conversation.  The garlands