How to Quickly Chill Cookie Dough If you start whipping up a cookie recipe only to realize you have to chill the dough for a longer amount of time than you have, there’s a trick for speeding up the process: freezing the cookie dough. That’s right, you can freeze it for a bit to shave quite a bit of time off the chilling suggestion in the recipe. Here’s what our Test Kitchen recommends when quickly chilling cookie dough in the freezer:...

1. Consider the Wood’s Color Tones Each type of wood has a characteristic color and grain pattern, and the wood color also can be altered with stain. Furniture makers have used stains and varnishes for centuries to enhance the grain’s appearance and change the color of the wood. The stains sold at home improvement centers are generally named for the types of wood they simulate, such as maple, cherry, walnut, mahogany, ebony, oak, and fruitwood....

In fact, one study found harmful bacteria lurking in almost all tested reusable bags. Among them, half carried coliform bacteria (which is found in the intestines of humans and animals and indicates fecal contamination) and 12% contained E. coli, another intestinal bacteria that can cause diarrhea and other illnesses. The bags also carried a wide range of enteric bacteria (a form of salmonella) that can cause food poisoning in humans....

If you only have an hour to prep for guests, the secret is prioritizing the most visible areas in your home. We challenge you to rethink your perspective, because it’s totally possible to make your home dinner-party ready in only an hour. This quick clean-up plan targets high-visibility areas, as well as places that attract the most mess, so you only focus on tidying truly critical spots. (We give you permission to save the rest for another day!...

But your kitchen sink sees a lot of use in a week, from grimy pots and pans to leftover soil from your freshly watered houseplant. And as much as we wish it were different, it doesn’t always smell like roses in your dish disposer. The natural buildup of old food and grime can linger in your kitchen sink and drain and drift to the rest of your home if not cleaned properly or often enough....

How to Prepare Carrots for Cooking The first step in learning how to cook carrots in the oven, stove top, or slow cooker is knowing how to prep them. For four servings of carrots, start with 1 pound of fresh carrots. Wash carrots thoroughly under cool running water. Scrub or peel the carrots using a vegetable peeler ($12, Bed Bath & Beyond). Trim the stem and root ends. Test Kitchen Tip: If your recipe calls for cooking carrots whole, you can leave some of the stems intact for a pretty presentation....

Signs That Reveal It’s Time to Get Rid of Old Cookware According to Laurie Klein, a consumer test kitchen specialist for Hamilton Beach Consumer Test Kitchen, good quality cookware can last a lifetime when properly cared for. However, “manufacturers recommend replacing some lightweight nonstick cookware every five years due to the nonstick finish,” she says. With extended use, there may come a time where replacing old pots and pans is the best option....

Where to Grow Venus Flytrap Instead of originating one planet away from Earth, Venus flytraps are perennials native to boggy areas of coastal North and South Carolina. They grow in moist, acidic soils in full sun but only survive winter outdoors in Zones 8-10. Gardeners in colder winter climates should grow Venus flytraps in a moist environment, such as a terrarium that can go indoors during winter. Venus Flytrap Care Tips Light Venus flytraps do best in bright but indirect light....

When to Plant Onions About 2-3 weeks before the average last frost date for your area is the best time to plant onions outdoors. Exactly when to plant them depends on how soon you can work the ground in spring. Onions, which are a cool-season vegetable, can survive light frost but it’s best to wait until your low temperatures stay above 28°F. In warmer regions, onions can be planted in the fall, at least a month before cool weather arrives so they have time to grow some roots....

This thick-bed installation relies on a troweled mortar mix, which when properly mixed is like a sandy clay. Floating a thick bed takes two steps: floating the sloped sub-base for the membrane and floating a reinforced top floor that follows the slope of the sub-base. Because of its considerable weight, you should install it only on a slab or properly supported wood subfloor. You’ll need to devote two to three days to frame the enclosure, float the floor, and tile and grout the interior....

Placing a New Window Start by deciding the style and location of the window. A new window can enhance the appearance of a home’s exterior as long as it complements the other windows. Sizing and properly placing windows calls for making aesthetic and design decisions as well as some structural determinations. This placement depends on the room, the architecture of your home, and which direction your exterior walls face. We’ll offer pointers for placing your new window, plus we’ll explain the optimal heights for hanging windows....

You don’t have to be a regular at Santa’s workshop to master this bow. Our technique is easy enough for beginners and works for all kinds of ribbons. If this is your first time making an intricate bow, we recommend starting with a wire-edged ribbon, such as this plaid wired ribbon ($9, Walmart) we used. The wiring will allow you to style the bow’s loops, easily hiding any imperfections....

Although the arrangement looks free-form, Tanya carefully planned each cubby’s size and position. She built each kitchen cabinet cubby a different size for variety but kept them to either 12 or 16 inches deep to best fit the pieces in her collection. “If one cubby was slightly too big or too small, it would throw off everything,” she says. The entire project took about four days, and Tanya kept costs to $250 by using materials she had....

Ultrafrilly This was the mom antidote to your grunge phase. STUFF. We need more stuff. Finding Fido in this room is like searching a Where’s Waldo? book. Can you spot the dog in this picture? Wicker Furniture Demand for wicker furniture went wild. And we’re pretty sure these rooms had something to do with it. Pattern x 1,000,000 PATTERNS! Oh, and did we mention PATTERNS? (Also, those window treatments. DYING!) We think designers secretly challenged each other to see how many stripes they could fit into one room....

Over and under bathroom sink storage cabinets provide the majority of potential extra room, but these might not cut it if you have a lot of stuff to store or if your bathroom is particularly small. The trick is knowing which updates can help solve those organizing issues. Here are some smart ideas for bathroom sink cabinets to help you maximize style and organization within a limited space. 1. Consider an alternative to traditional bathroom sink cabinets....

Buy It: PowerXL Vortex 7 qt. AirFryer ($150, Bed Bath & Beyond) Buy It: Instant Pot DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker 6-Qt. ($100, Macy’s)

1. Kitchen Handles Need a hand during dinner prep? You’re likely using one to open the refrigerator door—even if you just finished handling raw meat. If left untreated, refrigerator, freezer, and oven handles become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Scrub kitchen cabinet and appliance handles down once a week (or immediately after touching them with messy hands) with a cloth and a disinfectant spray or a mix of one part hot water and one part vinegar....

Buy It: Oven to Table Rectangular Baker, ($35, Williams Sonoma)

Buy It: Gobel Mini Tart Pans ($25, Williams Sonoma)

Typical sample-pot sizes range from about eight to 32 ounces, and most cost about $10 or less. Before you begin a paint project, measure the surface area you plan to cover and calculate whether you have enough paint to complete the job, factoring in the possibility you’ll need multiple coats. When you’re ready to start painting, consider one of these clever uses to turn leftover materials into show-stopping decor....