Tips for going native. Success with wildflowers is easiest if you don’t try to fight nature. Look for native plants already growing in the shaded, uncultivated areas of your yard. Ask a local nursery manager or university botanist to help you identify these plants, and pick desirable natives that require similar growing conditions. Be true to your region when you select plants for your garden. It’s tempting to try wildflowers that flourish in other parts of the country, but for best results, grow only species that are native to your area....

Learning how to make French toast is almost as easy as making regular toast. Whisk together a four-ingredient egg batter for a super simple French toast that cooks to a luscious golden brown in minutes. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to learning how to make stuffed French toast and kid-friendly French toast sticks for even more impressive breakfasts. We’ll take you through the four-step process for basic French toast, plus a few fun variations like cinnamon French toast and French toast without eggs (yes, vegan French toast does exist!...

Before we dive into how to make grits at home, it’s helpful to keep in mind that when cooking grits, they have a very mild corn flavor and taste best with a little salt. They are often served with milk or cream (or butter, of course, because everything’s better with it!). If you’re not a purist, stove-top, quick-cooking grits, and slow cooker grits can be customized with a variety of flavor-boosters including:...

Use the ornaments as fun gift toppers for holiday or birthday gifts, string them into a fun garland, or simply hang the ornaments from a Christmas or Easter tree. This at-home craft is easy enough for the whole family to make! How to Make Salt Dough Ornaments Supplies Needed FlourSaltWaterRolling pinCookie cuttersBamboo skewerCookie sheetAcrylic paintString or ribbon Step-by-Step Directions Follow these easy how-to instructions to make your own salt dough ornaments at home....

Read on for your complete guide to the best Thanksgiving air fryer recipes to pair with your turkey. But first, we’re dishing up a few general tips about how to utilize your air fryer to make holiday hosting no sweat. 4 Air Fryer Thanksgiving Strategies to Save Time and Coveted Oven Space Its small size means the heat can circulate around the food at a more rapid clip, which often translates to a slightly shorter cook time than in a regular-sized oven....

How to Plant a Perennial First, gather the gear you’ll need, such as gardening gloves and a shovel or trowel. Have a hose or full watering can available, too. Before planting your container-grown perennials, make sure to water them well. Well-hydrated plants tolerate and recover from the transplanting process better. Step 1. Plan Out Your Design Set out the plants in their pots where you want them to go before you start digging....

4 Must-Know Tips for Loading a Washing Machine Use this step-by-step approach to load a washing machine the right way. 1. Avoid Potential Laundry Mishaps Before loading the machine, check the pockets of all clothing (especially those in children’s garments). Inspecting the clothing saves the items inside pockets from water damage while protecting the garments and your washer. Next, prep garments to go in the washer. Zip up all zippers, fasten hooks, tie drawstrings, unroll cuffs, and turn pockets inside out....

How to Winterize Roses The winter prep you’ll need to do depends on the coldest temperatures you get in your region and which kind of roses you have in your garden. But all varieties will handle the cold weather better if you water them well in the fall, before the ground freezes. Preparing Roses for Winter in Cold Climates In areas where winter is mild, but the ground still freezes (usually Hardiness Zones 6 and above), follow these steps to give your roses a little extra protection....

Choose ears with plump, milky kernels that run all the way to the tip in tightly packed rows. As soon as the ears are picked, the sugars start converting to starch, reducing the corn’s natural sweetness. To get the best flavor, cook or blanch and freeze corn the day it’s picked or refrigerate up to 1 day. Here are our easy steps to get corn off the cob and ready for eating....

Before you begin, try to get as much of the sticker residue off with your fingers as possible. Simply roll the sticky adhesive into balls with your fingertips and pluck them off. If you’re removing tape residue from clothing, do not wash or dry the garment before the stickiness is gone. The stain will be tougher to remove if it has been through a drying cycle. How to Remove Sticker Residue Once you’ve removed as much as you can by hand, use one of the following methods to remove any sticker residue that remains....

Here you’ll learn how to shuck oysters at home with ease. You’ll also find details about how to store oysters, oyster benefits (that’s right, oysters are good for you, too!), and some delicious oyster recipes. How to Shuck Oysters Step 1: Insert Oyster Knife With your glove on, take the oyster in your hand with the hinge facing toward you and the flat side up. (The hinge is the pointed, v-shaped end of the oyster....

How to Substitute Whole Wheat Flour for All-Purpose Flour You can replace some but not all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour when baking. Swapping equal amounts results in baked goods that are too dense with an off-putting flavor. Blending whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour will lighten the finished product while adding the nutritional benefits of whole wheat. Try it the next time you make breading for a chicken breast recipe, or thicken a sauce....

Also called weed barrier or weed control fabric, landscape fabric is usually used to discourage weeds while allowing for movement of moisture both in and out of the soil. However, it isn’t a permanent solution to controlling weeds (nature will find a way). Even when using landscape fabric, you’ll still need to do some weeding. Where to Use Landscape Fabric It’s best to use landscape fabric under inorganic materials such as rock, gravel, or sand....

As it turns out, procrastinating on those cleaning tasks may have more serious consequences than simply creating more work for your future self. A messy home could actually be a cause of sleeping troubles, according to one survey conducted by CPAP, a sleep therapy product company. The poll asked 1,000 Americans about how their cleaning habits affect their quality of sleep—and the results make a great case for sticking to a regular cleaning schedule....

Still, I eat meals at home now more than ever, so I’m doing my best to cook healthier. For me, that means trying to limit my intake of bad fats and refined sugar (my weekly baking therapy sessions make that no easy task). But if using an air fryer can help make foods I love (give me all the french fries!) a bit healthier using heat instead of oil, I figured it was time to give the seemingly handy appliance a shot....

⅓ cup butter ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional) 3 bananas, sliced ¼ cup rum ½ teaspoon vanilla

Buy It: Nordic Ware Sheet Pan ($13, Target) Test Kitchen Tip: Short grain Calasparra is the rice of choice for paella because it absorbs liquid (and flavor) well. Chilling it will help yield socarrat, the bottom layer of crispy rice. Buy It: Black + Decker Waffle Maker ($30, Walmart) Buy It: Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker($26, Target) Buy It: Ninja Air Fryer ($120, Target) Buy It: Instant Pot Duo ($79, Walmart) Test Kitchen Tip: Use your countertop appliances on your stove (set on a baking sheet if necessary)....