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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

Recipe: Easy Peaches & Cream Baked Oatmeal Casserole

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This recipe is a great alternative to a bowl of mushy old oatmeal. The oats on the top retain their chewy, nutty consistency, and the fruit makes the flavors bright and fresh.   The casserole can be prepared the day before (my kids love to do this), so all you have to do is stick it in the oven in the morning.  It also reheats beautifully as leftovers.  I enjoyed the last square this morning, heated up for a minute in the microwave, drizzled with a little milk and sprinkled with just a touch of brown sugar. Peaches & Cream Baked Oatmeal 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon Pinch of salt 1/4 cup honey 1 cup milk 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract 3-4 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 2 cups diced peaches or nectarines  Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass casserole dish.  Step 1:  In a medium bo

Recipe ~ Easy Oven Roasted Pork Carnitas for a Crowd

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Tender Juicy Flavorful Crispy Caramelized Pork  Love CARNITAS! Carnitas are the stuff of Mexican food magic. I've been experimenting for ages, trying dozens of recipes, techniques and tips from online, friends, cookbooks, and through shady back-alley dealings to find a way to make knock-your-socks-off restaurant quality pork carnitas at home.  I have a big, hungry family, and  I like to be able to make big batches of food that will last beyond a single evening's meal. With the glee of a taco lover on Tuesdays, I'm pleased to share that I've perfected my own recipe for family-style carnitas that come out beautifully every time and taste just as good as the ones I've had at my favorite Mexican restaurants.  So, without further ado, here's my recipe for carnitas for your tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, breakfast scrambles, and more.  Enjoy! California-Style Pork Carnitas (yield:  3 pounds) 6-7 pound boneless pork

Recipe: Banana Bread Waffles with Bourbon Pecan Maple Syrup

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When I go grocery shopping, I always buy two bunches of bananas -- one for the kids to snack on and one to just sit and go nearly black with brown-sugary overripeness.  That way, we're always ready to make our favorite banana bread on demand (recipe HERE ).   A few weeks ago, the family was in a waffle mood, so I grabbed one of my on-the-verge-of-decay bananas and set to work on creating a banana bread inspired waffle.  A few Sunday breakfast's worth of tinkering proved a success.  Here is my recipe for light, crispy, banana-bready waffles with a delicious pecan syrup to gild the lily.  Enjoy! Banana Bread Waffles (makes approximately 12 individual Belgians) 1 large egg, separated 1/4 cup butter, softened  1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 overripe banana 3/4 cup cake flour pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder a pinch of ground cinnamon 1 Tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 cup buttermilk Step 1:  Whip egg white to medium pe

Recipe: The Best, Foolproof Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin

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This recipe is a favorite of my culinary students.  It is so easy, and makes the perfect, quintessential, creamy, cheesy potato casserole of American comfort-food fame. True scalloped potatoes consist primarily of thinly cut potatoes in a white cream sauce, whereas potatoes au gratin feature buttery potatoes beneath a cheese and/or breadcrumb crust.  Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin is a hybrid -- the best of both worlds.  It is what many of us in the U.S. grew up with and knew as Potatoes O' Gratin. So, without further ado, here is the easiest and most delicious recipe I think you'll find for the creamy, cheesy, golden, bubbly potato dish of legend: Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin Prep Time: 15 minutes Baking Time: 45-55 minutes  1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (approx. 2 large)  3 Tablespoons butter, plus 1 Tablespoon for buttering the pan  2 Tablespoons diced sweet yellow onion  1 Tablespoon all-purp

Recipe: Spicy Avocado Crab on Wonton Chips

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Here's a little recipe I came up with over the holidays while brainstorming quick, easy and delicious appetizers to teach at my Holiday Appetizers Workshop .  I was inspired by classic California Roll Sushi that features crab, avocado and cucumber.  Instead of cucumber, I used fresh chives for just a hint of onion to offset the sweet crab and avocado. The crab salad comes together in just a few minutes and can be portioned on top of crispy wonton chips or served in a bowl as a self-serve dip. Spicy Avocado Crab on Wonton Chips 8 oz. package imitation Crab, flake style* 1 small avocado, peeled and cubed  1/2 teaspoon sesame oil  3-4 Tablespoons Sriracha mayonnaise** A squeeze of fresh lime  1 Tablespoon finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish  1/2 package round wonton wrappers (or square wrappers trimmed with a circle cookie cutter)  black sesame seeds for garnish  Step 1: In a food processor, pulse crab until fine (approx. 15 seconds).  

Free Kids Superhero Valentines -- Stuck on You

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I have four kids, which, come Valentine's Day, means bucketloads of candy and junk find their way home from school. *sigh* To help cut down on cavities and landfill, I decided to come up with a fun, but sneakily practical valentine for the kids to give to all their classmates last year. These Marvel superhero bandaids came from the Dollar Tree, so they were very budget-friendly. The kids loved them because they're superhero-themed and they sure beat the icky old skin colored bandaids that we grew up with. My parent-friends appreciated them, because they were one of the few things their kids got that they didn't toss in the trash as soon as the novelty of the Valentines Day haul had worn off (around 10 minutes). Win * Win Here's how you can make your own: Stuck on You  Bandaid Valentines FREE hang tag (Download HERE ) Cardstock or Photo Paper Plain cellophane treat bags (4x6)** Bandaids (3 per

My Family's Favorite Soup: Chicken Corn Chowder with Wild Rice

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  Soupety, Soup, Soup Soup! It's a comfort food for all seasons. This soup is  a cozy sweater, a warm blanket, a hug. This soup is what happens when  mom's homemade chicken pot pie kicks off its crusty exterior and gets comfortable in a bowl. Make it! Chicken Corn Chowder with Wild Rice Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6-8 servings 1/2 Tablespoon Onion powder 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon Dried thyme 1/2 Tablespoon Dried parsley 1/2 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt (like Lawry's or Penzey's) Pinch of Smoked Paprika 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup long grain rice 1/3 cup wild rice 6 cups chicken stock or broth 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ¼” dice 10 Tablespoons salted butter 1 cup peeled and diced (¼”) carrot 1 cup diced (¼”) celery 1 cup diced (¼”) onion 1 can (approx. 15 oz.) corn, drained 3 cups whole milk Step 1: In a small bowl, combi

Recipe: How to Make Your Own Citrus Cured #Salmon

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Hello there, friends! I know, I know. It's been a while. My job as a high school  Culinary Arts instructor has kept me very busy. Best Job Ever! But I do missing sharing my recipes and creative endeavors here. Yesterday I branched out from teaching high school students and taught a 5-hour Holiday Appetizer Class in my classroom through our local Adult School.  I'm happy to announce that over the next two weeks, I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes! I'm starting with one of my all-time favorite recipes:  Citrus Cured Salmon.  I love smoked salmon, lox and gravlax, but it' so expensive.  Last year I started experimenting with making my own house-cured salmon.  I started with a recipe from Martha Stewart by way of Michael Ruhlman.  Over time I've adapted the recipe and have come up with a formula that comes out amazing every time. This cured salmon takes just two days to complete and is a million times better t

Recipe: Kawasaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps #GlutenFree #Sriracha

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Light, healthy,and absolutely delicious -- our Kawasaki Chicken Lettuce wraps were inspired by a sushi specialty at one of our favorite (now defunct) Japanese restaurants in Carmel, CA.  The Kawasaki roll featured a tempura fried prawn with sushi rice, fresh avocado and spicy mayo, wrapped in a butter lettuce leaf.   Our version features a crispy, oven baked chicken strip with an almond meal crust -- lots of protein, no gluten.  It's become a family favorite that we've enjoyed weekly over the summer.  We serve it up taco-bar style:  all the components plated separately so everyone can build their own to their liking. Kawasaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2" strips (approx. 16) 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 Tablespoon sriracha 1  1/4 cups almond meal 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder a few cranks of freshly ground pepper 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 ripe av

How to Host a Family Camp-In {Making Memories with #DarkForDinner} #ad

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dixie for IZEA . All opinions are 100% mine. #DarkForDinner Lights off Phones exiled No TV You, me, Family Talk, listen, Be Camp Out (Inside) Camp In? Fire Crackling Candles Flicker Faces light up Smiles Laughter Time moves slowly Unplugged Unencumbered No expense High Yield Investment Family Time #DarkForDinner     This past Sunday, July 5, my family fulfilled their promise to go #DarkForDinner with Dixie. We didn't spend a dime. Our labors amounted to moving the coffee table off to the side of our living room and firing up the BBQ. Sounds simple, right? Yet this Sunday dinner turned out to be a really big deal. A new summer family tradition was born -- The Camp-In. As I anticipated, there were moans and groans when I presented four kids, ages 10-18 with the idea of turning off the lights and all electronics for dinner. But something sort of magical happened once we powered

Family Camp-In Recipe: S'more Kisses For the Dixie
#DarkForDinner Movement #ad

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dixie for IZEA . All opinions are 100% mine. Last weekend, my youngest daughter and I spent some one-on-one time in the kitchen coming up with a new cookie recipe inspired by the classic summer camping treat -- S'mores. There is nothing in this world more important to me than family time. How about you? It's summertime, and we hear a lot about grand summer road trips, traveling by air or by sea to explore other lands and cultures, and lazy days on a river or lake followed by nights under the stars in inside a tent. These summer family getaways are no doubt memorable, but not always within our grasp. Fortunately, it doesn't take a lot of money, a week off of work, or even a tank of gas to make special family memories with those you love most. All it takes is a little imagination, and that's why on Sunday, July 6, we're going #DarkForDinner with an indoor camp-out -- a Camp-In . On Sunday, June 14