Homemade dips are the easiest appetizers for any party and especially this coming Sunday. Many dips are easy to make and are so much better than store bought!

French onion dip is one of my favorites and can be made the day before for even better flavor. Slice a large, sweet onion and drizzle with EVOO and salt and pepper. Grill on a grill pan on the stove till tender and charred, along with a large, unpeeled garlic clove. Peel the garlic and place in a food processor along with the cooled onion. Add 4oz. softened cream cheese, ½ cup full fat sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, two tablespoons of lemon juice and two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. Pulse until all the ingredients are combined (but leave it a little chunky). This is great with crudité as well as chips!

Queso is another dip so delicious made at home. Simply mix Velveeta with your favorite salsa. There are endless possibilities with the large array of salsas available. You can go hot or mild, smokey, chunky, or smooth. Heat in the microwave till melted, stirring frequently. 

Everyone loves guacamole! The basic recipe is fairly simple. Mash ripe avocado and add chopped red onion, jalapeno, and seeded plum tomato. I add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Complete the dip with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice and of course, hot pepper sauce. Here, too, there’s so much room for adjusting for your taste! A popular addition to the dip is fresh cilantro; I’m part of the population that really doesn’t like it, but if that’s your thing, add a good handful, chopped. It’s also good to leave the guacamole a little chunky but again, many people enjoy a smooth dip. Always make guacamole just before serving. 

Buffalo dip is great for those who like a little heat in their dip. Combine ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup hot pepper sauce, two tablespoons of whole milk and one 1-pound brick of room temperature cream cheese. Use a hand mixer. Add one cup of cooked, chopped chicken. Spread evenly in a glass pie plate or small casserole. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes. Top with sliced scallions. You can drizzle a little bleu cheese dressing on the top if you like too!

All these dips are great with authentic tortilla chips. These are available everywhere now. I recommend salt free, as the salted kind can be overpowering. Pita chips are great too. You can make your own pita and tortilla chips if you are ambitious!

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago

A Lunar New Year, fresh snowfall and a host of indoor/outdoor activities greet this first weekend in February. Enjoy all that Chicago’s neighborhoods offer! The warmth of our communities, and our shared spirit, cuts the cold and ensures memorable moments in 2022.

The Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark Street, presents a special exhibition for Black History Month. ‘Remembering Dr. King: 1929–1968,’ invites visitors, according to the website, to walk through a winding gallery that features over 25 photographs depicting key moments in Dr. King’s work and the Civil Rights Movement, with a special focus on his time in Chicago. For more information and tickets, click here.

Calm your spirit and mind at the Chicago Academy of Sciences/ Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, at Butterfly Haven Yoga on Saturday, February 5, from 8:30am-9:45am. The class is $20, and students must register online in advance. Bring your own mat! Museum admission is included in the ticket price. For reservations, . 

Live and in-person in Lincoln Park…they’re back! The legendary antics of Chicago’s Second City, 1616 N. Wells Street, presents their first in-person show in two years, ‘Together at Last’ now through March 6. Their new show promises “a non-stop celebration of how we have persisted and even thrived during these impossibly difficult times.” The cast invites all to “Come laugh at what unites us all in a show that asks the question… is anyone out there going to save us?” For tickets, showtimes, and information, click here.

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger in Uptown on Saturday, February 5! From 12-4pm, join Uptown United for a special Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration! The annual Lunar New Year Parade steps off at 1pm at the corner of Argyle and Winthrop. Enjoy the dancing dragons, performers, community groups, colorful floats and family-friendly fun! The parade route extends east from Argyle & Winthrop, south on Sheridan, west on Ainslie, and north on Broadway back to Argyle. The Bezazian Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 1226 W. Ainslie Street, will have a special ‘Year of the Tiger’ Storytime & Crafts from noon to 12:45pm prior to the parade (RSVP required) and area shops, artists, restaurants, and community organizations will populate the parade route with extra-special activities. For more information, click here.

Valkommen! (Welcome, in Swedish.) The spirit of joy and community extends to Andersonville from February 4-6, as they celebrate Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) Feston Clark Street. ‘Hygge’ is a Danish word meaning  ‘a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.’  Andersonville, founded by the Scandinavian community, celebrates that spirit with music, a special pop-up café in the Swedish-American Museum, 5211 N. Clark Street. They also have more detail about Hygge Fest: Businesses in Andersonville will offer warm drink specials, cozy offerings, workshops and more. Parts of Catalpa Avenue will be closed off to traffic and a heated ventilated tent will create a cozy space to explore. What cold? We’re all Scandinavian! For more information, click here.

Wrap up your weekend with original artworks! Chicago’s Winter Art Fair takes place on Sunday, February 6, from 1pm to 5pm at Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Avenue. More than 20 local art vendors share their work in ceramics, jewelry, vintage, prints, paintings, textiles, and more…Valentine’s Day is coming! Free to the public with RSVP.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols: A mask and proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test are required in order to participate in most indoor events. At outdoor events, social distancing and masks are recommended. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

I have found my old standby spice mixes I use like Taco or Fajita mix are so salty lately, even the so-called “low Sodium.” Even the Italian gravy mix is so salty it is almost inedible! But you probably have the ingredients to make your own blend and you can salt to YOUR taste.

An all-purpose Taco blend goes as follows; 2 tbsp. chili powder, 1 ½ tsp. paprika, 2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ¼ tsp. cayenne, ½ tsp. black pepper, ¼ tsp. oregano, salt. I left out amount of salt. Salt to taste. Fajita blend is similar only make these few tweaks. Decrease chili powder to 1tsp. Increase paprika to 2tsp, onion powder to 1tsp., and garlic powder to 2 tsp. add a good pinch of sugar.

Chili seasoning and Cajun blends are similar for we non-Cajun connoisseurs. Two½ tbsp. paprika, 1tbsp. onion powder, 2tbsp. garlic powder, 1tbsp. cayenne, 1tbsp. black pepper, 1tbsp. oregano, 1tbsp. thyme, 2tbsp. salt although I would start with half that amount. 

Italian seasoning is great for sauce or beef gravy. You need, 4tbsp. basil, ½ tsp. onion powder, 1tbsp. garlic powder, 2tbsp. rosemary, 1tsp. sage, 1tsp. marjoram, 2tbsp. oregano, 2tbsp. thyme. 

Dry spices do have a decent shelf life but lose some of their flavor after a time. I usually buy all new dried spices and herbs yearly before the holidays. Most will still have good flavor that long. Store them in the coolest part of your kitchen, pantries are best if you are blessed with one. So, try making your own blends. Not just for controlling salt but making your seasoning your own. 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago

You’re going to have to do some regular repairs and maintenance on your home—it’s just a fact of home ownership. So that you’re not caught unprepared, it’s a good idea to keep a budget and set aside some funds for when the following repairs inevitably come up.

Light switches: Beyond your typical light bulb replacements, the wiring can occasionally go bad in a light fixture, causing it to be unresponsive when you turn the light on. An electrician can fix it quickly for around $100.

Gutter maintenance: Over time, the weight and weather will be too much for your gutters, causing them break away from the home and require fixing. It’s possible to fix them yourself, but it will typically cost up to $400 to have them fixed professionally.

Drywall repairs: It’s easier than you’d think to put a hole in your walls, especially if you bump them when moving furniture. It can cost up to $300 for professional repairs.

Running toilet: The moving parts and valves in a toilet can wear out over the years, and you’ll want to get it fixed quickly to save on water bills and keep your bathrooms usable. It’s about a two-hour job to fix for professional plumbers, and they charge up to $150 an hour, depending on your market.

Tile repairs: Tile goes through a lot of abuse, and it’s not just impact from heavy objects that can damage individual tiles—years of foot traffic will also cause damage. Repair costs can vary greatly because of the cost of individual tiles, but it’s good to set aside around $200.