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1 8 ounce package corn muffin mix ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

Cookie Sheet Tips You don’t need many pieces of special equipment to make homemade cookies but a quality cookie sheet in good condition can make all the difference when you make cookies. Here are some tips from our Test Kitchen to use when shopping for pans. Replace cookie sheets that are warped or dark from years of baked-on grease.Purchase shiny, heavy-gauge cookie sheets that have very low or no sides.Be sure cookie sheets fit easily in your oven with one to two inches of space around the pan....

How to Make Croutons This easy method for basic baked croutons is going to be a go-to anytime you have stale bread. Learn how to make croutons for Caesar salad (and the best salad your dinner table has ever seen) with this easy oven method. Step 1: Prepare the Bread Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cube or tear bread to make 3½ cups (this will yield eight ¼-cup servings). Aim for ¾-inch cubes or pieces....

How to Make Meatballs When it comes to DIY meatballs, there are three essential components: meat, binders, and seasonings. There are endless variations when making homemade meatballs, so here is a basic guide on meatball ingredients to get you started. Ground Meat: Choose ground beef, veal, pork, Italian sausage, lamb, bison, turkey, or chicken. Some recipes call for a mix of two or more ground meats. Lean ground meat works well and makes the meatballs more healthful....

How to Make Deviled Eggs We’ll be using our classic deviled eggs recipe for this step-by-step process, but it will work for whatever version you prefer. Step 1: Boil Eggs Ensuring you have properly-boiled eggs that also peel well is key to making deviled eggs look their best. Use your favorite method for boiling eggs. If you’ve struggled to get them just right in the past, try our Test Kitchen’s favorite way to make hard-cooked eggs (by steaming!...

Despite the kitchen being the most sought-after room in the home, it’s also one of the toughest spots to keep neat. And corner cabinets are often the most puzzling. The depth and width of corner cabinets, whether upper or lower, make them a challenge to configure. If you find yourself in a similar situation, use the following tips for organizing a corner cabinet complete with a few options depending on the style of cabinet and your budget....

Calibrachoa has only been available in the retail plant world since the early 1990s. That’s not long in plant years, especially with how far the plant has come since then. What started out as a simple, single-color bloom has transformed into a whole new class of plant that comes in a riot of colors. These include yellow stars, speckles, veined and segmented petals, and sometimes combinations of all of the above....

When to Plant Jonquil Jonquil, like all spring-flowering bulbous perennials, requires planting a few months prior to bloom. Best planted in mid-autumn after the soil begins to cool, this plant establishes a strong root system in fall and early winter. Purchase jonquil bulbs at your local garden center or online from a reputable vendor. Look for large, firm bulbs that have a dry, papery covering. Jonquil Care Tips Jonquil grows best in organically rich, well-drained soil....

The flowers of New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) are like an exaggerated version of standard impatiens flowers. The showy blossoms are composed of five slightly overlapping petals, arranged around a small, button-like center. They come in a variety of bold hues from pink and white to lavender and orange. Impatiens also have a flower spur full of nectar, which makes them a favorite amongst pollinators like moths and butterflies....

Aside from giving you pistachio nuts, the trees themselves are also attractive and fit well in the home landscape. With their wide, somewhat shiny leaves and ripening fruit taking on a pink tone, pistachios have a distinctive, almost tropical look to them. Unlike many fruit and nut trees, pistachio trees are either male or female, so you’ll need to plant both for proper pollination. Fortunately, only one male is necessary for upwards of eight female trees....

“Since 2010, garage door replacements have consistently ranked among the top five household renovation investments in the annual Cost vs. Value Report, keeping with the trend that exterior home remodeling projects provide better ROI over most interior renovations,” says Christian Morrow, senior brand marketing manager for Overhead Door Brand. Many garage door retailers and showrooms offer installation services, but with a little bit of know-how, the right tools, and attention to safety, homeowners can also complete this home improvement job themselves....

How to Roast Nuts in the Oven Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (note that some recipes may call for a slightly higher or lower temperature, depending on the type of nuts and the seasonings you use).In a large bowl mix together your nuts and desired seasonings. If you’re adding a coating, like honey, mix it into your bowl of nuts first, then add dry seasonings, like sugar or cayenne pepper, so they’ll stick to the coating....

How to Store Basil Before storing basil, it’s important to choose fresh herbs that are at their prime for the longer-lasting results. Look for basil that has evenly colored, fresh-looking leaves with no brown spots or signs of wilting. From there, follow these steps to properly store basil: How to Freeze Basil While it’s not recommended to simply toss basil leaves into a bag and freeze, you can still enjoy basil’s fresh flavor via the freezer....

Before you begin, take the time to choose the right hacksaw blade for the material you’re cutting. A suitable blade not only minimizes the risk of damage or injury, but also the amount of physical exertion needed to cut through the material. Learn our secrets to picking the right blade—and much more—in the following steps. Step 1: Prep Item Measure and mark the item you plan to saw. Make a small mark with a pencil or marker to designate where you should start the cut....

A paint sprayer, as the name implies, sprays paint onto a surface with the use of a trigger on the device. This tool helps shorten a project’s timeline and improves the paint finish quality. However, a paint sprayer generally uses about 33% more paint than a roller, so make sure to plan ahead when buying paint. Take a look at this helpful guide to learn how to use a paint sprayer....

How to Wash a Fleece Blanket The tricky part of washing fleece blankets (or other fuzzy throws, like faux fur and microfiber) is maintaining their super-soft feel. To prevent pilling or matting, wash fleece blankets separately in cold water on a gentle cycle. Use only a small amount of detergent—more soap won’t necessarily make your blanket cleaner. In fact, the excess detergent can actually stick to the fleece fibers and make your blanket feel less soft....

1 package active dry yeast 1 ½ cup warm water (105° F to 115° F) 1 tablespoon honey 3 ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoon olive oil Wheat-Flaxseed Pitas: Prepare Homemade Pitas as directed, except decrease all-purpose flour to 2 cups and add 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds or flaxseed meal. Knead in enough additional all-purpose flour to keep dough from sticking.

½ cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon sugar 1 ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup chopped caramel cocoa-coated cacao beans or chocolate-covered espresso beans **Test Kitchen Tip: Look for caramel- and cocoa-coated cocoa beans at a specialty chocolate shop. Or call Chocolaterie Stam (1-877-782-6246) and request roasted cocoa beans dipped in caramelized sugar and rolled in cocoa. Coffee Mug Soufflés: Butter eight 4- to 5-ounce oven-going coffee mugs and sprinkle with sugar....

If you don’t already have a storm door (or if the one you have is dysfunctional), you can install one on your own. See how easy it is to upgrade your front door in just a few hours. What You Need Storm door, we used this Andersen storm door Tape measure Z-bar extender Sawhorses or outdoor worktable Door hinges Screws Plastic sweep Latch Closer Dead bolt, optional Strike plate Shim Doorjamb bracket...

The Colors: (from top to bottom) Natural Wicker OC-1; benjaminmoore.com This warm neutral works well for large pieces. Jamaican Aqua 2048-60; benjaminmoore.com This vibrant aqua dds the pop. Match small upholstered pieces and pillows to this hue. Raisin 1237; benjaminmoore.com Try this reddish brown on trim, using a semigloss finish. Porter Ranch Cream 148; benjaminmoore.com With a hint of peach, this cream takes the starkness out of white ceilings. Intense Peach 081; benjaminmoore....