Dec 17

Dec 17 Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake | Holiday Recipes: Brunch

Tis the week before Christmas and all through the house, not a counter was empty...well, maybe not that dramatic. Truth is, everything is stored nice and neat as of right now. This weekend was the first big prep for Christmas Eve and Day. It was exhausting but incredibly productive. I’ve got four pounds of meatballs, cooked and in the freezer. Nearly 12 gallons of gravy (pasta sauce if you’re new around here) packed up and also in the freezer. And somewhere around 500 cookies packed in airtight containers waiting to be decorated next weekend…

Dec 12

Dec 12 5 Things to Do in Chicago This Holiday Season

Christine Rosko

Travel

It’s the most wonderful time to visit Chicago. Christmas in the city is nothing short of spectacular. The streets are lined with lit trees, decorations are everywhere, and there’s an undeniable spark in the air that you don’t get any other time of year. With so many things to do, I’ve put together five things not to miss this holiday season. I started this round up last year and it felt right to do it once again. With Christmas on the brain, why not?! Next week, I have two Christmas dinners with friends, one at the Walnut Room (pictures for sure coming) and one at Eataly because no one knows how to celebrate Christmas like the Italians...

Dec 10

Dec 10 Butternut Squash & Bacon Frittata | Holiday Recipes: Brunch

Christine Rosko

Food

Well hello there! It’s been a hot minute. To say December is a month of insanity is the understatement of the century. It’s the busiest time of year for my day job and the busiest time of year for my personal life which means I have about zero moments to myself most days. I hope your December has been going swimmingly. Even though it can be stressful, it’s also a wonderful time of year where you can feel the excitement in the air. There’s a spark that’s undeniable. From the Christmas music to the movies and the smell of cookies in the air, there’s nothing better than knowing a break is on the horizon. We have two weeks until Christmas and since I’ve been a bit absent these last few weeks, I have a ton of recipes…

Nov 27

Nov 27 Italian-Style Pigs in a Blanket | Holiday Recipes: Make Ahead

Christine Rosko

Food

Holy November! You guys, this month went out with a serious attitude. We had Winter Storm Brian come through Sunday night and around 5am Monday morning the power went out. During this power outage, there is a small chance my laptop got fried but it’s oddly the only thing in the house effected and it was on a surge protector. So chances are it just decided to die on me for no reason. So when the power finally came back on in the late morning, which also happens to be the time I found out about my dead computer, I had to dive into new laptop research…

Nov 21

Nov 21 What to Bring to Holiday Gatherings

Christine Rosko

Lifestyle

Happy almost Thanksgiving! The laziness kicked in big time this week which is why this post is a few days late. Monday was productive but it all started to go downhill yesterday when I realized that the week was halfway over. I’m ready for overindulgence (again), Gilmore Girls marathons and the Broadway performances in the Macy’s parade tomorrow. Anyone else? On another note, do you ever notice that many of the people that host holidays are often the hardest to shop for? Unless your family goes potluck style with their holidays, it can be tricky to figure out what to bring to contribute or at least to thank the host…

Nov 18

Nov 18 Chocolate Strawberry Pie Squares | Holiday Recipes: Desserts for Non-Bakers

Christine Rosko

Food

Happy Sunday! It’s the week. The week where the holiday season officially kicks off with the first holiday...Thanksgiving! I celebrated Friendsgiving with my group of girlfriends from college this weekend and let’s just say I don’t want to eat for five days. Hopefully I’ll have deflated by the time Thursday comes around. We’re not doing any entertaining for Thanksgiving, our job is 100% Christmas. However, I can understand the need for quick and easy recipes this week. Lucky for you, we have our second Easy Dessert for Non-Bakers and coincidentally, it’s another that uses the amazing store-bought pie dough. These whip up pretty easy, although a little messy, and they’re super addictive. I wasn’t sure how this recipe would turn out while it was still an idea but man was it a hit…

Nov 17

Nov 17 Sausage & Farro Stuffed Acorn Squash | Farmers Market Series

Christine Rosko

Food

It’s the weekend! While I’m working a sweat up in the kitchen preparing brunch and dinner for a whole day’s worth of Friendsgiving activities, I hope you’re taking it easy this morning catching up on some Food Network. I’m kind of sad because today is the last farmers market series recipe! I was really bummed that our local market ended earlier in the season. I haven’t had a chance to get to one of the closest farms so the journey sadly ends here. However, I will most definitely be bringing the series back in the late spring once the produce starts growing in…

Nov 16

Nov 16 Herby Apple Stuffing | Holiday Recipes: Make Ahead

Christine Rosko

Food

Happy Friday! Thanksgiving is less than one week away which means that Christmas is 5 weeks away. It’s the countdown of the year and I seem to get a little bit more excited every day. We already have one Christmas tree up and the kitchen is decorated all festive. I have my schedule pretty much in place for the rest of the year unless, of course, something comes up which isn’t uncommon. Many people who are entertaining for Thanksgiving have already been preparing for next week. Any groceries that can be bought are sitting on their own shelf in the pantry and freezer. Decorations are bought and ready for display…

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