From Our Blog

Reinbeers
Cat Links Budget Friendly Ideas, DIY, DIY Gifts, Holidays, Humor

Easy-Peasy, DIY Gift for MEN: Rudolph, the Red Nosed REINBEER!

Posted on Rose

It is SO hard to shop for men. Power tools, Best Buy gift certificates, dress shirts… Boooooooooooring. I was racking my brain for the right gift for my many brothers (biological, in-laws, and step-in-laws). And then it happened. Mindlessly scrolling through pinterest, I happened upon this geniusness. And all my brother gift problems were solved. Reinbeers. Believe it or not, the hardest part of making this gift is the antlers. Mainly because pipe cleaners, with their super pointy ends, super annoy me. The googly eyes and pom noses went right on with your basic Elmer’s school glue. I added a wide ribbon around the elegant six-pack sleigh and plan to tuck in little manly treasures such as lottery scratch-off tickets, fast food gift cards, and beef jerky. Voila, an out-of-the-box gift for any man in your life. Be sure to check back next week for my DIY gift for the ladies. As much as I wanted to, I held back from creating winedeers. 🙂

Six Cookies One Dough
Cat Links Desserts, Holidays, Rosy You!

No time to bake this season? Think again.

Posted on Rose

One Dough, Six Cookies, All Smiles! I won’t be baking cookies this holiday season. Between moving into a new house, cramping hands from screwing together IKEA furniture, and not having another weekend in town until January, I feel completely justified with this decision. At least I did before I got this email from my local grocer telling me that I could make FOUR types of cookies with a single dough recipe. Then I got to thinking and came up with TWO MORE TYPES OF COOKIES you can make with this dough. That’s SIX cookies with one dough. How could I pass that up? Disclaimer: Because I’m short on time, I only tested the two cookies I came up with – Rosy Rudolphs and Reindeer Nipples. (Yes, you read that right… I said reindeer nipples.) But I can tell you without fear that these cookies are AMAZING. So amazing, that I had two for breakfast while photographing them and don’t even feel guilty about it. What am I waiting for? On to the recipes!!! Variations on a Dough Super Duper Chocolate Cookie Base Dough Makes about 40 cookies Ingredients: 10 oz. chopped semi-sweet chocolate (Tip: Save yourself some money and chopping time

Continue readingNo time to bake this season? Think again.

Mayan Party
Cat Links Rosy Events!

How will it end for you? Mayan Apocalypse Party

Posted on Rose

Even though it feels like the end of the world in our new house full of moving boxes and chaos, the Mayans predicted the world won’t end for at least another two weeks. And I think that’s just enough time to plan an awesome apocalypse party. Depending on your general level of optimism, you can decide to throw either an “end of the world” party OR a “beginning of a new era” party. Since I tend to err on the practical side, I’m going total doomsday. Mayan Apocalypse Celebration: Don’t go down without a party. Make your dress code doomsday chic. Encourage guests to wear what they’d select if in fact, the world was ending. You know, just in case. Which end of the spectrum do you think your guests will end up on – protective or super fab? For decor, play off the rich colors of mayan textiles, the square stacking patterns of their temples (I’m thinking square cupcake stands for serving platters), and the earthy tones of hand-woven baskets. If you’re having trouble getting inspired, don’t worry. Party city has you covered. Create a balloon garland by stringing a needle through the tied end of each balloon. But, before

Continue readingHow will it end for you? Mayan Apocalypse Party

Cat Links Uncategorized

Honey, I’m Hooooooome!

Posted on Rose

I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news. First, the GOOD news. And this is BIG, HUGE, HOUSE-SIZED NEWS. As of next Tuesday, we will be the proud owners of our very own 25’X125′ lot of Chicago real estate on which sits a quaint, blue house! Then the magic moving fairy will descend upon our (final!) apartment and briskly transfer our belongings to the new home. That’s how moving works, right? Wait, you mean I have to pack, move, clean the new house, and the old apartment in only four days?!?! But it’s the Holidays. And Matt has to work. And I have two, count ’em, TWO jobs! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! So that brings us to the bad news. As a result of this move (and the AWESOME family wedding I’m a part of in Cleveland next Saturday), I’ll be taking some time off from regular posting for a while. I apologize to the 150 of you (on a really good day) who read this blog. But don’t fret, I will be posting. It just won’t be the regular Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule. If you want to make sure you catch my intermittent posts while I’m on break, “like” the Be

Continue readingHoney, I’m Hooooooome!

Apple Pie Bites
Cat Links Holidays, Recipes, Rosy Events!

Gobble Gobble! Super Easy Caramel Apple Pie Bites

Posted on Rose

For many of us Thanksgiving is more than just a time to reflect on the things for which we’re thankful. It’s a time for EXCESS. However, is it really necessary to bake THREE pies just so everyone can tell you they want juuuust a sliver of each one??? This, my friends, is your solution – a tiny little apple pie bite! And you don’t even have to cut them! Easy Caramel Apple Pie Bites I’ve been eyeing these adorable inside out caramel apple slices over at Very Culinary for a while now. And I happened to have some leftover caramel from a party earlier this month. I thought they’d be a great, unexpected Thanksgiving dessert. Then it occurred to me, these don’t look like they travel very well. I mean, apples have a tendency of, you know, turning BROWN. Ick. What to do? What to do? Wrap them in butter and pie crust and cinnamon sugar! Yes!!! Supplies: 4 Granny Smith Apples 1 bag caramels 2 Tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 C (approx.) Cinnamon Sugar 2 prepared pie crusts Directions Step One: Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Step Two (Optional**): Peel your apples and follow the directions found here for inside out caramel apple slices. TIP: I

Continue readingGobble Gobble! Super Easy Caramel Apple Pie Bites