Rachael Ray

It’s always a tough decision, take down the tree and all the trimmings, or just keep them up just a little bit longer? I always try to milk having my Christmas tree for as long as possible, but at the same time, I always feel the urge to start the New Year clean and clear. This year I opted to leave it all up, until after Epiphany, or Dia De Reyes (Three Kings Day) which is this Friday, January 6th. So what do you do with all the trimmings once you have taken them down? Here are some of the my tips on how to store it all so you can find it again, in no time and on the [...]...

Some ideas are made to be stolen. And this one is just one of those ideas. My friend Corinna Mantlo of Happy Homesteader and my pals Tony and Tiffany both used these for their Vintage Library Themed Wedding. A while back, I went to an art opening in the East Village and Corinna made these awesome paper board mustaches. Her’s were so cool because you didn’t need a stick to hold them up. They just attached to your nose like this:   Nice ‘Stache!! These masks require a skewer but I guarantee that they are TONS of fun! I made mine out of mat board and bamboo skewers, but you could use card stock and drinking straws for a simpler model. The symmetrical masks are [...]...

Sugar cookies are easy to make, fun to decorate, they are GREAT to have the kids decorated, and they are just about the most versatile cookie there is. Plus, almost everybody likes them which makes them such a great gift. Of course, you could give your cookies in a fancy box, tin or jar, but I thought making them into ornaments for a small tree would be much more dramatic, and makes a nice centerpiece as well. Cookie Dough First, you will need to make your cookies. If you have a hand or a stand mixer it only takes a few minutes to make the homemade dough, so it’s worth taking the time to make them from scratch instead of buying a [...]...

Since most of us have been making paper snowflakes since we could use scissors, I thought everyone knew how to make one. However, it has come to my attention that some among us have lost this skill once adulthood sets in. For those of you who need a reminder, here’s a quick tutorial how to make the perfect snowflake. First, start with a square of paper. If your paper is a rectangle, to make a square without a ruler, fold the paper into a triangle and cut off the excess. Fold your square into a triangle (if it’s not already). Fold the triangle into thirds. Once folded into thirds, fold that in half. Cut the widest part off where the corners stick out. This is [...]...

When I was younger, had less in the bank and more free time, I used to make my own handmade Christmas gifts. I would start at the end of September, and personalize everything. I figured I couldn’t afford to buy nice gifts for people, so I might as well make them something. It was very time consuming, but very satisfying knowing I could turn inexpensive materials into something really special. Times have changed, and although I still try to make a few gifts here and there, I never seem to be able to pull it off like I used to. Instead, I turn to other artists and craftspeople to find really beautiful handmade gifts. Knowing I’m supporting local artists makes me [...]...

Growing up, we always had a real tree at Christmas. The whole family would visit our favorite tree vendor to pick out the best tree that was just a little taller than Dad—we used him as our ruler so we didn’t buy something too tall. We would bring it home and our place would smell just like a New England forest. I still love real trees, but my busy schedule makes having a real one difficult because the tree needs to be watered. The past few years I’ve come home to a dried out fire hazard because no one has been around to tend to the thing, so I decided it was time to get something artificial. I figured if I was [...]...

Cinnamon rolls or Rollos De Canela, are some of my favorite things in the whole, wide,world. Maybe it’s the ooey gooeyness of the nuts and honey or the soft bready-ness of the rolls, but they are hands down my favorite baked good. A while back The Chew sent me to meet with Duni Borga, Pastry Chef an owner of La Duni Latin Kitchen in Dallas, Texas. And she shared with me her family tradition of making these Rollos de Canela on Christmas morning to urge the adults in her home up early. I just aquired a new family tradition because this year I am making these myself too! They were just delicioso! Rollos De Canela - Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients - 4 1/2 cups Bread [...]...

A few weeks ago I stopped by La Duni Latin Kitchen in Dallas, Texas. Duni Borga, the co-owner and pastry chef taught me how to make the traditional Latin American cookie, Alfajores! Only Duni gives it a wonderful twist, 3 different fillings, Chocolate, Homemade Nutella and of course, Dulce De Leche and a chocolate topping! The Cookie Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz.) 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract Fillings: Chocolate 18 oz. dark semi sweet dark chocolate 6 oz. milk 4 oz. heavy whipping cream 2 oz. corn syrup Directions: 1. Mix milk,heavycream and cornsyrupinapot and place onstove top to simmer. 2. Remove from heat, add chocolate slowly and mix by hand making sure all [...]...

It is so hard to find the right gift for teenagers because they are constantly evolving, and if you don’t live in the same household as them, it’s almost impossible to know what they’re into at the moment. Plus, they always seem to want the most expensive, trendy items, and who knows if by the time next year rolls around they’ll still like the pricey thing you got them. I tried to find some inexpensive gifts that should please any stylish teen, will make you look hip and won’t break the bank. 1. This came in just under my $50 budget at $49.95, but this really beautiful handmade journal is the perfect gift for that hard to buy for teen. It’s a [...]...