Order before February 15th and receive 25% off your pink overalls! Rosies pink overalls are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift:

* Made of soft light weight denim cotton

* Double stiched for durability

* Removable foam kneepads are flexible and non-binding

* Pant legs zip off to convert into shorts

* Inside hidden zipper pocket

* Adjustable side buttons

* Elastic adjustable straps

* Machine wash and dry

* Available in 5 sizes: PS, S, M, L, XL

Click here to see full details.

With the cold winter months upon us, now is the time to re-discover warm drinks from years past. How long has it been since you had a cup of hot chocolate?  Or made some mulled wine? We will be re-visiting our favorite “from scratch” hot drink recipes.

Hot Chocolate

By Judith Blakley

Ingredients
2 squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk

Directions
Break or chop the two squares of unsweetened or semisweet chocolate into smaller pieces.

In a saucepan, add: 2 chopped squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 cups milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the remaining 2 cups milk and heat all the way through. Do not allow the hot chocolate to come to another boil.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

You may substitute 1/3 cup semisweet morsels for the 2 squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate.

Mulled wine

From The Food Network

Ingredients
2 bottles dry red wine
4 ounces port or brandy
12 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
1 large orange, zested

Directions
Combine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Do not allow mixture to boil. Heat for 20 minutes and serve in a large, heat resistant punch bowl.

Serving suggestion: Garnish with cinnamon sticks or freshly ground nutmeg

Mulled Apple cider

From Recipezaar.com

Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider
2 tablespoons whole allspice
2 tablespoons whole cloves
5-6 cinnamon sticks
orange slices
additional cinnamon stick (optional)

Directions
Tie small spices in a small cheesecloth and drop into the cider; allow cinnamon to just go on its own.  Heat mixture on the stove and simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally to agitate the spices.  Float orange slices on top of the cider.

Pour into mugs and serve, with a cinnamon stick, if desired.

These tips on how to keep warm are from ehow.com and all of them will not only keep you warmer this winter, they will save you money and save the planet by conserving energy.

Things You Can Do For Your House

Step 1 – Put down carpeting. Even if you have wood or tile floors, throw rugs or area rugs will keep the cold air that rises up from the ground from making your room cold. Wall-to-wall carpeting is the best way to keep cold air down where it belongs.

Step 2 – Cover or replace windows. If you can, get energy efficient windows that have several different panes to keep out drafts. There are also several ways to cover windows so that cold air stays out. You can get thermal blinds, or simply hang drapes or curtains over them. The more layers, the less cold air gets through. You can also cover the windows with plastic coverings during the winter, adding another layer of insulation to them.

Step 3 – Fill or cover holes. There are often many little holes where cold air sneaks into your house. The bottoms of doors are a prime culprit, so lay a towel or other padding in front of any doors leading to the outside. Close the doors and vents to rooms that you don’t use–there’s no reason to heat in there. Caulk little holes around windows, bathtubs, sinks, or outlets.

Things You Can Do For Yourself

Step 1 – Wear socks. Once your feet are warm, the rest of you will feel warmer, too.

Step 2 – Wear a hat. A great deal of body heat escapes from your head; don’t let it!

Step 3 – Layer clothing. Wear a sweatshirt or sweater over a t-shirt. Wear tall socks or long underwear under jeans or sweats. These things will be comfortable but still keep you warm, and you can remove a layer if you get too warm or constricted.

Step 4 – Take a bath. Immersing yourself in hot water gets you warm immediately, and the effect lasts for hours. Keep this one for very cold nights, though, because it also takes energy to heat a bath, so you don’t want to do it too often.

Step 5 – Drink warm liquids. Hot liquids warm you up from the inside out. I drink coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and hot water at night. My kids like hot chocolate–though you do want to be careful of the caffeine and sugar content.

Step 6 – Wrap up under a blanket. If you’re reading or watching TV, throw a blanket over yourself. If you’re in bed, layer beneath two or three blankets, and if you get too warm (as we tend to do in our sleep), kick one off.

Step 7 – Snuggle up. People are warm blooded, even if they tend toward cold like I do. Snuggle up with your significant other, or pull a child onto your lap. You’ll both be plenty warm enough before long.

Dear Rosies,

Here’s an update on our latest race, the Myopia Sled Dog Races. They were in our home town with thousands of spectators, tv coverage, and a great deal of newspaper coverage, including the Boston Globe! We had another super weekend – Lily came in 2nd in the 4-dog professional class against a number of adults, Grace came in 3rd in the 6-dog pro, and Lis 2nd in the 8-d0g pro. I won the 2-dog skijor event. Lots of people came to the dog truck and we had our coveralls on while working around the dog since it was warm.

Attached are a few pictures! Lis has the best pedal we have ever seen – over her head! How are the winter coveralls coming along?

Best regards,

Diane

PS: The main force of the kennel, Scott Bailey, wishes Rosies would make mens gear, but I keep telling him that Rosies is for GALS!!!

It’s January, which means the seed catalogs are pouring in.  Why order from a catalog and start from seed? Well for one, the selection. Your local nursery will only have a couple varieties of tomatoes, while a tomato seed catalog has over 200 varieties for you to choose from.  As Janie Malloy explains on vegetablegardener.com, “My favorite tomato is called ‘Carrot’, and even though it’s not a heavy producer, I’d trade a dozen ‘Better Boys’ for one ‘Carrot’ any day.”

Also, starting seedlings allows for ease of germination and quick growth. The resulting plants will have a better color, higher quality and a longer shelf life. Starting your seedlings indoors will ensure that they are in the proper stage of development before they are planted. This is crucial if you live in colder weather, as growing season is short, so good timing will increase your production. Vegetablegardener.com gives these tips for starting your own seedlings indoors:

Make a seedling box

You’ll need containers that have drainage holes and a tray, or something to catch excess water. One trick is to take a foil-baking dish with holes poked in the bottom and place it into another one to catch excess water. Old plastic plant six-packs or 4” containers will do as well. Styrofoam cups and plastic tubs are great for sharing seedlings with friends. You can make a long-lasting wooden 12“ by 16” seedling box that fits well under standard grow-light tubes. Whatever you use, be sure it’s clean and sterilized. You can also buy a gadget that compresses soil into blocks , or one that molds newspaper into little biodegradable pots.

Use a lightweight sterile soil

Once you have containers, you’ll need a starting mix. There are some great seed starting mixes on the market. Look around for one that fits your budget, or mix your own. A starting mix should be a lightweight medium that will stay moist without compacting. Standard ingredients for achieving this are vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, and sphagnum moss.

Stay away from unsterilized soil, compost, or worm castings until the seedlings are ready for transplanting. Using a soilless mix lessens the chance of a common seed starting disease called damping off, which rots stems and topples seedlings. The first step in prevention calls for cleaning containers and tools in hot, soapy water. A top layer of perlite will keep moisture away from emerging stems.

Fill your container with 3 to 4 inches of your starting mix, up to about 1⁄2 inch from the top. Moisten thoroughly with warm water; this eliminates the need for top watering immediately after sowing so the seeds won’t be displaced.

Plant seeds at the correct depth

Next, take a look at the size of the seeds; this will dictate how deep and how far apart to plant the seeds. The three-seed rule applies whether starting seed in a pot or in the ground. Place three seeds in a line; the length of this line is how deep you should plant the seed. Tiny seeds like lettuce and parsley should be broadcast (sprinkled) across the top of the soil or planting medium and then covered ever so lightly. The ideal distance between seeds provides enough space so the resulting seedlings and their roots do not touch or intertwine.

Keep seeds warm and moist

Once you have planted seeds, you must keep the planting medium moist and warm. Place freshly planted containers on a heated seed-starting mat, or in a warm spot in the house. Any place the cat likes to hang out will be appropriate, or try the top of the dryer, near a heater, on the gas stove, or on a windowsill. Remember that warmth can reduce moisture, so check the soil daily. If you must water freshly planted seeds from the top, do so very gently; it’s preferable to water from the bottom.

Provide 12-16 hours of light per day

Light is necessary once the seedlings emerge. When growing seedlings indoors you have two choices: natural or artificial light. Seedlings need a lot of light, and spindly growth will tell you if they’re not getting enough. Incandescent lights won’t do because they don’t provide the full spectrum of light that growing plants need. Grow lights or fluorescent lights are best. Place seedlings under them for 12 to 16 hours a day. Any longer than that, and the plant won’t be able to go through the metabolic processes required for growth.

Introduce seedlings to your garden

The timetable for hardening off plants depends on outdoor temperatures (and on your careful calculation of the lead time required by each plant). Your seedlings should be ready once they have two or three leaves beyond the seed leaves. Gradually introduce tender plants to the garden. Place them in a cold frame, or in dappled shade for about five days, and then move them into a sunny location for another five days before transplanting them into their new home.