Cheap Find: Silver Looking Plasticware

If you're hosting any parties this holiday season and don't plan to use real china and silver, these are a great alternative.  Ditch the red and green paper plates and use silver looking platters, plates and cutlery.  You can find them in bulk at Costco for super cheap.  They're made of heavyweight plastic that can be reused or disposed of, but they look a lot nicer than your standard plasticware.

Here's to entertaining with a little more style.

http://mozaikbysabert.com/ 

Faking It: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Homemade is best, but sometimes there's a last-minute emergency for cookies.  In that case, fake it. Pillsbury's refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough is like old faithful -- it'll never let you down.  Before you bake it, put the dough in your electric mixer and add some ingredients of your own like peanut butter chips, toffee chips, chopped nuts, or butterscotch.  Mix well. Plop by spoonfuls on baking sheet and away you go.  Look at you Betty Crocker! "Homemade" cookies in a jiffy.  You did "make them at home" after-all.

If you're simply not the baking type (uh, what's an electric mixer?) but like the smell of fresh baked goods and want that warm, just-out-of-the-oven, gooey cookie I suggest flattering your favorite local bakery.  Ask the bakery if they'll sell you cookie dough already divided into individual servings.  Keep the dough in your freezer and all you  have to do is put it on a baking sheet and in the oven.