Posts

“It’s a time for remembering loved ones and welcoming back their spirits,” says Pati Jinich, cookbook author and host of the PBS television series Pati’s Mexican Table. The holiday began in Mexico but is now celebrated all over the world by people with ties to Mexican culture. The premise of the holiday is simple: to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed away. Learn all about Day of the Dead, the traditions, how its observed, and how to decorate for Day of the Dead....

Marketers have been known to push the concept that bigger is always better, which helps explain the misconception that higher thread count always equals higher quality. This isn’t to say that thread count doesn’t matter entirely—but there’s a threshold. In the early 2000s, manufacturers took multiple threads and weaved them together so they could market the sheets as having double the thread count they actually did, says Parima Ijaz, founder of Pure Parima, as a way to make more money....

1 16 ounce package powdered sugar (4-1/4 cups) 3 tablespoon meringue powder ½ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup warm water 1 teaspoon vanilla **Tip: Meringue powder is a mixture of pasteurized dried egg whites, sugar, and edible gums. Look for it in the baking aisle of your supermarket or at a specialty food store.

The Chinese empress tree’s gift for growing at lightning speeds (for a tree) is actually a curse. They have become very invasive in the United States. They’re even classified as a noxious weed in Connecticut, where sales of this species are banned. Just one tree can take over an entire garden in a few years and choke out other plants around it by cutting off sunlight and sucking up resources like water and nutrients....

2 pounds fresh or frozen firm-flesh whitefish fillets, such as cod, red snapper, halibut, tilapia, or catfishCabbage mixture (see recipe, below)Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed according to package directions 1. How to Cook the Fish A great fish taco starts with well-prepared fish. Regardless of the method you choose, first thaw the fish, if frozen. Rinse the fish under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Deep-frying the fish is the most authentic method, but there are easier, less messy ways to go....

Make a whole set of bats in an afternoon, and pair the oversize creatures with an assortment of our popular giant spiders for the ultimate Halloween display. How to Make Oversized Halloween Bats Supplies Needed Black plastic hangers (6 per bat)Heavy duty black trash bagsZip ties, 3-inch sizeZip ties, 8-inch sizePipe foam insulation, ¾-inch size cut down to 12-inch piecesWire cuttersScissorsBlack electrical tapeBlack faux furHot glue Follow these easy how-to instructions to make your own oversized Halloween bat decor....

How to Make Pancakes Without Eggs Most classic pancake recipes like our easy recipe (pictured above) require at least one egg in the batter. When you want to make homemade pancakes without eggs, here are some of your best bets. Aquafaba If you’ve never heard of it, aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas that magically whips up just like egg whites. According to our Test Kitchen, aquafaba is one of the best universal substitutes for eggs in pancakes....

When it comes to sticky rice, most people will first ask how to make rice sticky. But that’s actually the wrong question to start with. While you can make rice sticky by overcooking it with too much water, that’s not actually how to make sticky rice. That’s not even how to make sticky rice for sushi, which is an entirely different type of rice. What Is Sticky Rice? Sticky rice is actually its own variety, just as long-grain or brown rice fall in wholly different rice categories....

Dress up an old patio set with spray paint. Give an old glass vase the look of antique mercury glass. Learn how to paint your front door for instant curb appeal! If your cabinets have been painted before, you’ll want to determine what type of paint was used. This is important because an oil-base finish requires an oil-base sealer and primer. To test a painted surface, soak a cotton ball in ammonia and stick it to the surface with an adhesive bandage or tape....

Whether you finish your trim before or after painting the walls, it’s best to have all the prep work completed on both the trim and the walls before finishing either surface. Be sure to wear protective glasses when stripping and a dust mask when sanding. Chemical strippers can contain toxic fumes, so ventilate the room adequately before applying any solution. Rubber gloves are also a must to keep the chemicals from burning your hands....

Attractive and easy to grow, a spider plant makes an excellent houseplant. It can tolerate low-light conditions and thanks to thick roots that can store moisture, you can get away with watering it about every two weeks or when the soil starts to feel dry. Spider plants do especially well in a corner of your bathroom, where they can get a little extra humidity. When your plant is happy and healthy, its best feature will likely appear: Long, thin stems trailing out from its center, each with a plantlet on the ends....

Tips for Pruning Evergreens Whether the plant is a needled evergreen (such as a pine or spruce), or a broadleaf evergreen (such as a rhododendron or camellia), pruning involves knowing how the tree or shrub grows and where the new growth originates. But no matter the type of plant, three pruning strategies always apply. First, trim away any dead branches, cutting back to live wood or the base of the plant....

How to Put Out a Charcoal Grill The best way to extinguish charcoal is to close the lid on your grill, cutting off the charcoal’s air supply. Fire needs oxygen to keep burning, so by completely closing your grill, any flames will die down and the charcoal will cool. It may take up to two days for the coals to completely cool off; there isn’t a great method for how to put out a charcoal grill quickly that’s as safe as just letting the coals burn out and cool on their own....

While significant damage might justify a total overhaul, many issues can be remedied by simply replacing the boards in question. This patching method can save you significant time and money and, if done properly, you’ll hardly even be able to tell the new wood from the old. Follow the steps below to learn how to replace damaged deck boards and get back to enjoying your outdoor space. When to Replace a Deck Board The thing you need to consider when determining whether your deck should be patched or fully replaced is the scope of the damage....

While it’s pretty easy to make cranberry sauce from scratch, you might prefer to grab canned cranberry sauce instead. Before you go serving up slices of the jellied sauce or just dumping it in a bowl, we have a few tips for improving canned cranberry sauce that pairs perfectly with juicy turkey. Cranberry Sauce Mix-Ins Because cranberries have so much natural pectin, there’s actually no gelatin involved in either the thick, jellied canned cranberry sauce or whole cranberry sauce....

1. Understand Why Squirrels and Chipmunks Dig As exasperating as squirrels and chipmunks can be, there are several things we can do to coexist on more friendly terms. First of all, think about why these creatures do what they do. They eat nuts, leaves, berries, roots, and seeds. Generally, there is enough food for them in our backyard habitats, and they don’t become pests. Squirrels spend much of their day burying little stashes of food in multiple places around their territory....

Use Grow Lights for Seedlings Bright lighting is key to getting a jump start on spring transplants indoors. Most rooms do not provide enough light to produce dense, healthy seedlings. Even a south-facing window often falls short when it comes to the amount of time the sunlight can shine through. Seedlings will usually germinate well and produce their first set of leaves in a sunny window. But then the “stretch” begins as stems reach desperately for more light to fuel their rapid growth....