Test Kitchen Tip: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Test Kitchen Tip: Turn this recipe into confetti cake by stirring sprinkles into the cake batter. Test Kitchen Tip: For the best flavor, make this cake the night before serving and frost just before slicing.
Buy It: Chefman 3.7-Quart Digital Air Fryer ($65, Target) Buy It: Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker ($15, Kohl’s) Test Kitchen Tip: Fresh ginger is a freezer gem. Place unpeeled ginger in a freezer bag. When a recipe calls for fresh ginger, peel and grate in its frozen state. No thawing required! Test Kitchen Tip: Stream the eggs into the soup while the broth is simmering but not boiling. If the soup is boiling, the egg strands will get foamy....
Editor’s Tip: Choose washable paint for easy cleanup!
Name: Lagerstroemia Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to five feet tall and four feet wide Zones: 6-10 Buy It: Crape Myrtle Tree ($45, The Home Depot) Test Garden Tip: In Zones 5 and 6, where crape myrtles die most winters, treat the shrubs as perennials and cut them to the ground before growth begins in the spring. Name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to eight feet tall and wide Zones: 3-8 Name: Viburnum selections Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 16 feet tall and 12 feet wide Zones: 2-8 Buy It: Chinese Snowball Viburnum ($33, The Home Depot) Name: Clethra alnifolia Growing Conditions: Full sun to shade in medium moist to wet soil Size: Up to eight feet tall and six feet wide Zones: 3-9 Name: Caryopteris clandonensis Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to four feet tall and wide Zones: 5-9 Name: Physocarpus selections Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in dry to medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to eight feet tall and six feet wide Zones: 2-8 Name: Weigela florida Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Czechmark Trilogy (Weigela) Live Shrub ($30, The Home Depot) Name: Rosa selections Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to four feet tall and wide Zones: 5-9 Name: Potentilla fruticosa Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to four feet tall and five feet wide Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Gold Drop Potentilla Shrub Beautiful Dwarf Shrub ($30, The Home Depot) Name: Kolkwitzia amabilis Growing Conditions: Full sun in medium moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 10 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-8 Name: Syringa spp....
Editor’s Tip: Keep the colors separate by gently pouring the white and blue layers over the back of a spoon so they stack rather than spilling into the colors below. Editor’s Tip: Frozen star fruit slices add a touch of the stars and stripes to this patriotic punch. Editor’s Tip: This sophisticated sip can be made with mulberry or raspberry gin for an alternative patriotic twist. Editor’s Tip: Rim the glasses with blue cocktail sugar to complete the red, white, and blue look....
Color can be tricky. But with some know-how and a little confidence, you can choose colors you won’t regret. Start by following these tips for selecting colors from the pros.
Make-ahead Tip: To save time and cut stress on party day, bake, cool, and freeze the rolls up to a month in advance. Come dinnertime, just reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until warm. Make-ahead Tip: Best served chilled, toss together the fruit portion of this salad up to two days in advance and chill until it’s time to combine with the leafy greens and dressing.
Including original pieces, like the built-in hutch, has classic appeal and gives a subtle nod to the home’s original design. The high-contrast color combination adds drama and helps the room feel fresh and modern. Get must-have remodeling tips in the Kitchen Planning Guide. Narrow pullouts across from the island keep oils and vinegars within reach of the cook. The pullouts’ different shape breaks up the cabinetry and echoes the home’s original style....
Apple Cider Vinegar Fly Trap Apple cider vinegar is the fruit fly trap hack you hear about most often (because it works!). For this DIY trap, begin by adding ½ cup of apple cider vinegar ($3, Target) to a glass jar. Add 2-3 drops of dish soap to the apple cider vinegar in the jar and swirl to mix. Cover the mouth of the jar with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band....
1. Circle Swirl To start this watercolor painting idea, pick one main paint color (we chose blue), then use various shades of that same color. Use a flat, curved brush to keep your circle edges round. Make a large C-shaped circle on the paper using just water and a clean brush. Dip your brush in the darkest paint color and trace the outline of the water. The paint will naturally spread through the wet areas....
According to Brown, a few items you probably already have at home will tackle grime, but the trick is to keep it from coming back. “The secret to keeping your faucets looking nice is cleaning them daily,” says Brown. Remove water spots and buildup with the tips below, then apply regular TLC to keep them looking clean. “Remember to always dry the faucets and knobs after use to prevent water with trace minerals drying on them....
Of course, cooks in the Bayou State aren’t the only ones who ever thought of mixing together flour and fat. Roux, a thickening and enriching agent, is used to create béchamel and velouté, two of the five mother sauces codified by French chef Auguste Escoffier a century ago. And, all over America, it’s the foundation of gravies, chowders, and even mac-and-cheese. But there are distinctions. There’s the white or caramel-colored roux that cookbooks carefully explain and measure out, equal parts flour and butter or other fat....
4 Foods Bad for Sleep To help you get to sleep—and stay asleep—it’s helpful to know which foods can help and which can hinder a night’s rest. These foods prevent sleep, either by keeping you awake, or disturbing your slumber. Foods That Help You Sleep Fortunately, there are also foods that can encourage sleep. According to a review study in the journal Advances in Nutrition, these three foods show promise for helping you get a good night’s rest....
So hearty and no meat. Fill peppers with chili beans, rice, cheese, and tomato sauce, then set your slow cooker for six hours. Voilà! All that’s left for this easy slow cooker meal is to prepare your belly for the delicious 300-calorie recipe. A can of soda (yes really!) is the secret addition to this 5-ingredient slow cooker recipe. Its sweetness is a nice counterpoint to the hot and spicy barbecue sauce....
1. Choose Hardy Shrub Varieties The best way to increase your shrubs’ chances of surviving a cold winter is to select plants that are suited to your climate. When selecting shrubs, trees, and other plants, check your hardiness zone and other required growing conditions to get the best possible plant for your location. If you have a shrub that regularly struggles through winter, consider replacing it with a species that is more suited to the unique growing conditions of your landscape....
According to Buildworld, the average spend on “necessary repairs” is about $13,000, and “practical upgrades” cost about $6,000. So we asked experts to help identify the fixer-upper projects that make the most sense right out of the gate and give you the most bang for your buck. Here’s what the industry insiders had to say, along with a few fixer-upper tips on how to get organized as you embark on your fixer-upper facelift....
