** If desired, for easier slicing, freeze caramel for 10 minutes or until just firm. Cut as directed. Candy Thermometer: Cooking to the correct temperature is crucial when making most candies, ensuring toffees turn out crunchy and caramels stay chewy. Our Test Kitchen prefers a digital thermometer with a clip to attach it to the side of the pan. Before making candy, always calibrate the thermometer per manufacture’s instructions.

How to Add a Courtyard If you plan to add a courtyard to your home, consider how it is oriented to the sun and how you will enter and exit from both the house and garden. The more entries to the courtyard, the more likely you will use the space. No matter which material you choose, be sure the courtyard flooring drains away from the house. Before building a courtyard, you should also consider privacy....

1 cup butter, softened 6 ounce white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped ⅓ cup whipping cream 1 ½ cup powdered sugar **Test Kitchen Tip: If you prefer not to use creme de menthe, substitute a mixture of 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon mint extract, and several drops green food coloring.

Shrub Rose Care Must-Knows Shrub roses are one of the easiest classes of roses on the market to grow. These tough roses have been bred to have the best attributes of all classes. Like all roses, shrub rose requires full sun, allowing the plant to bloom to its fullest extent on sturdy limbs. When planting your roses, make sure they’re in well-drained soil. If in doubt, it never hurts to amend the soil with a small amount of peat and potting soil....

Into the Garden Silene is a great plant for your landscape. Its natural ability to withstand dry conditions and preference for sun make it a good fit for rock gardens, curbside planting areas, and full-sun garden beds. Count on silene’s foliage to debut in early spring and persist through late summer, but remember that a few varieties go dormant in the heat of summer. Bold flower stalks unfurl their blooms in early summer, standing tall for several weeks....

To keep from getting overwhelmed by my whole-house makeover, I limited myself to working within the original footprint and made improvements in stages. A goal of maintaining classic cottage-style elements, like the simple woodwork and the charming front porch, kept me focused while in the rabbit hole of design options. A good friend and Kismet led me to a great handyman who worked with me for three summers on my home improvement adventure, guided by the design and DIY lessons I’ve picked up through the years....

½ of an avocado 2 gold or green kiwifruits 1 medium tomato 2 tablespoon sliced green onion tops ¼ teaspoon finely shredded lime peel 1 tablespoon lime juice

Varieties of Coleus Krakatoa Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Krakatoa’) has mahogany-purple leaves. The toothed margins are sometimes tipped in olive green, especially in dense shade. It is a large coleus, growing 3 feet tall. Lava Flow Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Lava Flow’) is deep purple with fiery-red and black overtones. If grown as an indoor plant, it may develop a black medallion in the center of its leaves during winter. LifeLime Coleus (Solenostemon ‘LifeLime’) lights up the shade with its scalloped chartreuse foliage....

Spice Substitutes When changing up spices and herbs, start with half the amount the recipe calls for (unless directed otherwise), and add it until it suits your taste. So if you’re looking for a quick cinnamon substitute, you should only use ½ tsp. of allspice or nutmeg instead of 1 tsp. to start since they are stronger in flavor. Allspice: ground cinnamon, dash ground nutmeg, or dash ground cloves Anise seed: fennel seed or a few drops anise extract Apple pie spice: Get our tips on what’s in apple pie spice and how to make it....

1 tablespoon powdered sugar ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg or a dash ground nutmeg Dash ground cinnamon Nut Pastry Shell 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup pecans, finely ground ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup shortening ¼ cup butter, cut up ¼ cup ice water

3 cup pear nectar 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks 2 1/2-inch-thick slices fresh ginger 6 whole allspice ½ cup cherry or apricot preserves 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt