Posts

How to Build a DIY Outdoor Concrete Table

Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo The first step to making any gumbo recipe taste worthy of a Louisiana kitchen is achieving a dark roux (more tips on that here). After that flour and fat combo is nicely dark and thick, fresh veggies, andouille sausage, and shrimp all come to the party. Serve your gumbo over hot cooked rice and dig in. Test Kitchen Tip: Authentic gumbo recipes like this one call for filé, or gumbo filé powder, which is a sassafras tree leaf powder that acts as a thickener and adds a distinctive earthy flavor....

By addressing the energy, or chi, in your office, the ancient Chinese art encourages “better focus, more success, and improved overall workflow,” says Leslie Close, a Los Angeles-based interior designer and feng shui expert. Feng shui provides guidelines for a room’s layout, decor, color scheme, and other elements that can help promote a positive sensibility. “The energy in your office, whether at home or at work, affects how you feel in the space,” Close says, “and how you feel affects your productivity and the quality of your work....

We spoke with a few experts to learn the symbolism behind some of our favorite flowers. Alfred Palomares, Vice President of Merchandising at 1-800-Flowers, shared that Mother’s Day is the largest flower holiday of the year (sales are even higher than Valentine’s Day!). May is also the most popular month to order potted plants (both indoor and outdoor!), which isn’t surprising considering gardening is such a popular Mother’s Day activity, and it’s a way you can make Mother’s Day special during the pandemic....

Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried are all great ways to add more fruit to your diet. Do aim, however, to eat whole fruit as much as possible to reap the most rewards. The Best Heart-Healthy Fruits These seven fruits are best for your heart and should be readily available at your local grocery stores. Apples Turns out an apple a day could actually keep the doctor away. Not only are apples a good way to add fiber to your diet and good-for-you flavonoids, but a couple of studies also found that people who regularly eat apples are less likely to develop high blood pressure....

Vanilla Bean Cake with Pecan-Praline Glaze Pecan pralines are a traditional Southern confection jam-packed with rich, sweet flavor. Instead of pie this holiday season, try this equally showy bundt cake as your Thanksgiving pecan dessert. A splash of almond extract in the buttermilk-vanilla bean cake batter really amplifies the nutty qualities of the praline topping. Brown Sugar and Pecan Air-Fryer Apples This healthy-ish pecan treat is remarkably versatile, plus it’s gluten-free and can be vegan (just sub in plant-based butter), so it’s one of our favorite air-fryer ($120, Target) desserts to share with a crowd....

Before you start decorating, consider how you want the space to feel. If you want to add greenery to a patio, try adding an accent wall of mounted planters. If your deck is most often used for tailgate parties and backyard barbecues, go with temporary seasonal decor that can be easily set up and taken down. Below, we’ve rounded up our favorite outdoor wall decor ideas to help you customize your outdoor space....

If you’ve seen the Halloween Christmas trees and Christmas trees decorated for fall that are all over Instagram lately, Thanksgiving trees are the same idea—basically, it’s just an artificial Christmas tree ($168, Bed Bath & Beyond) decorated for the harvest season rather than decked out in red and green. Right now there are about 3,800 Instagram posts tagged under #thanksgivingtree, and it seems people are skipping Halloween altogether this year because we’re already seeing these festive Thanksgiving trees trending....

Buy It: Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook & Carry Slow Cooker ($50, Target) Buy It: Gotham Steel 12-Inch Hammered Fry Pan with Lid ($38, Walmart)

Make a whole batch if you’ll be celebrating with your household, or cut down the recipes if you’re celebrating Turkey Day alone this year (here are 7 other ways to make a solo Thanksgiving feel special). And it looks like we’re not the only ones excited about the menu of sweet treats this holiday. There are currently more than 40,000 Instagram posts under #thanksgivingdessert, and we could eat every last one....

Wasabi Mayo Dipping Sauce Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 to 2 tsp. prepared wasabi paste. Makes 1/2 cup.

The end of summer is fast approaching, so don’t forget to stock up on any last-minute seasonal necessities before it’s too late. Now is the ideal time to take advantage of the best savings of the summer and prepare for the upcoming season, too. Best Home Appliance Deals You’ll want to make sure your kitchen and home are equipped with the right appliances if you’re having guests over this Labor Day....

Add more hardscape elements to your landscape with a raised bed. Learn more about climbing roses.

White ash Fraxinus americana is a tall (80 feet tall and 50 feet wide), fast-growing tree featuring large, dark green leaves that turn gold or purple in fall. Native to areas of North America. Zones 5-9 fall tree care tips and tricks More Videos »

½ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel Freshly cracked black pepper

4 medium baking potatoes (6 to 8 ounces each) Shortening, butter, or margarine (optional)