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What Is Lychee? Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a fruit that belongs to the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, and is native to the provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien in southern China. A lychee tree grows between 30-100 feet and produces clusters of 2-20 fruit. Lychee exterior is red, oval-shaped, and about 1-2 inches wide. Beneath the skin lies the thick, translucent-white portion of lychee fruit covering a seed. Choose fresh lychee fruit that is reddish-pink (though browner skins are perfectly OK to eat as well)....

What Is Shiplap? Shiplap might be relatively new on the scene as an interior design element, but the more practical use of shiplap has been around far longer. Shiplap originally referred to the horizontal boards or planks used to construct boats. They employed a tight groove system that kept water out and, thus, boats afloat. Shiplap was eventually used for a similar function (aside from the floating part) on the exterior of homes, but today has morphed into an aesthetic element....

1. Tear out the tub and build a new shower. One way to update a bathroom is to remove the existing bathtub and add a new shower unit. This is not a small job, so call a professional contractor to help you assess the space and potential solutions. In the footprint where the tub stands, you’ll likely have plenty of room to build a shower, but you’ll want to add a tile or solid surface curb to keep the water from spilling out into the bathroom....

Methods for Harvesting Kale There are two different ways to pick kale. One is to snap off individual leaves from the stem as needed. To do so, grip a leaf at its base where it meets the main stem and gently twist until the leaf breaks off. Or use pruning shears to snip off the leaf close to the stem. When you harvest kale this way, it allows the rest of the plant to continue growing and making more leaves for you....

Exterior Doors Because wood has a tendency to warp as it expands and contracts with the weather, a door can’t be made from a single slab of wood. Centuries of experience have resulted in the practice of making doors from interlocking pieces. On a panel door, you can see the rails, stiles, and panels. But even flush doors—those built with sheeting like MDF or plywood—have frames and fill-in pieces, all covered by a solid piece of veneer....

Xerces Society, a non-profit environmental organization, reported that just 1,800 monarchs were found overwintering in California, with 95% of the data recorded. The establishment predicts the final count will be less than 2,000 monarchs total. Populations have dipped for years, but this is a sharp, incredibly concerning decline; there were about 30,000 butterflies found in the area in the past two years. The current number of monarchs in California is less than ....

Yarrow Care Must-Knows Yarrow is extremely easy to grow and requires little maintenance to thrive. The most important thing to know is that yarrow won’t do well in wet soils, so make sure to plant them in well-drained soil. Once established, yarrow is highly drought tolerant, making it an excellent plant for low-maintenance, dry gardens. While it tolerates some shade, yarrow will do best in full sun. It will be more prone to flopping stems in any less light....

How to Make Crab Cakes We’re going to reference our classic crab cake recipe for this process, but you can easily use these steps to create your own crab cakes. Step 1: Prep Crab Cake Ingredients There are two basic categories of ingredients you need for a crab cake recipe: Binders such as eggs, mayo, bread crumbs, and cornmeal to help the crab cake hold together.Flavor enhancers include mustard, fresh or dried herbs, onions, peppers, and seasonings to complement the crabmeat....

Give all your utensils a proper place to rest when they’re not hard at work with the following ideas for organizing a utensil drawer. And never misplace your favorite spatula again. 1. Personalize Your Utensil Organizer This might sound obvious but you most likely already have something to corral your everyday utensils. But are you using one that really works for you? For example, if you have seven types of utensils in regular use but your organizer only has five or six slots, a couple of them are might not have a home....

How to Choose Exterior Trim Colors The ideal exterior trim color will depend on the look you want to achieve. Monochromatic siding and trim create a subdued, elegant quality, while a high-contrast color scheme can give your exterior depth and interest. Black exterior trim on a white house, for example, emphasizes architectural features for a more modern look. For homes with darker siding, such as brown or charcoal gray, white trim is always a good option....

Varieties of Coleus Copper Glow Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Copper Glow’) has burnt orange to coppery leaves with a narrow band of gold around the scalloped leaf margins. It grows 10 to 20 inches tall. Gnash Rambler Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Gnash Rambler’) combines deep purple centers with raspberry-red leaf edges. The lobed leaves are often curled or puckered. It grows 18 inches tall, but often spreads more than two feet wide. Grace Ann Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Grace Ann’) develops elongated leaves with claret, pink, and salmon centers and similar colored “freckles” scattered in a broad band of medium green....

You can absolutely use the following tips for how to proof bread in an Instant Pot for any and all yeast doughs that require proofing, though. For bagels, pretzels, French bread, and Italian bread, read on for our complete guide for proofing bread in an Instant Pot. Bread Proofing 101 Proofing bread is the baking term used for the process dough undergoes as it ferments, rises, and develops gluten. Each “proof” is defined as the time when the dough doubles in size....

Grape Vine Terms to Know Before you touch any of your grape vines, make sure you know the essential terminology. Here are the parts of the plant to add to your gardening vocabulary: Trunk: Old wood that grows verticallyCordon: Old wood that grows horizontally on the trellisArms: Old wood coming off the cordonShoots: Green shoots that began growing in the current seasonCanes: ~1 year-old wood that was a green shoot in the previous year, also where buds growBuds: Fruitful shoots that grow on canes...

How to Remove Halloween Stains Make ghastly stains easier to remove by treating them as quickly as possible. For clothing and other machine-washable items, be sure the stain is completely gone before tossing the item in the dryer. High heat can set the stain and ensure it haunts you long after October 31. Use the following cleaning methods to remove some of the most common Halloween stains. Candle Wax Candles are great for creating ambience, but melted wax can leave unsightly stains on carpeting, clothing, and furniture....

More Bathroom Items to Replace What You Need LevelMeasuring tapeToiletSpongeScrewdriverPenetrating oil or hacksawRug or folded-up drop clothPlumbers puttyWax ringHold-down bolts, if necessaryMetal washersBoltsSpud gasketFlexible plastic or chrome-braided supply lineShims, if necessary Step 1: Do Your Homework Ensure that the floor where the toilet will be located is level. If not, you will have to use shims to level the toilet after it is set. Then measure from the wall to the hold-down bolt....

Materials List Printouts of artwork with a print for each separate color layer Cardboard Three 10×14-inch screen-printing screens Masking tape Screen drawing fluid Paintbrushes Old toothbrush Squeegee Heavyweight (at least 40#) paper: light blue Screen filler Polar fleece Plastic spoons Water-soluble screen-printing paper ink: ivory, green, dark red Step 1 Gather your materials. Center artwork on cardboard, and mark corners with a pencil. Center screen with flat side down on top of artwork; mark corners....

To make the bins more functional, we used stiff interfacing (such as peltex) to give the fabric cube storage bin some extra stability. Look for this double-side, fusible, heavyweight interfacing at your fabric store. And for the exterior fabric, anything goes: neutral linen, colorful cotton, and even crinkled velvet. How to Make a Fabric Storage Bin Supplies Needed Two 18-inch squares of coordinating fabricsMatching thread¼ yard of double-side fusible heavyweight interfacingScissorsSewing machineIron1 yard of ½-inch double-fold bias tapeClothespins...

You can stain concrete with a roller or brush, but for the best results, it’s recommended to invest in a paint sprayer. Before starting this project, it’s necessary to assess the area and ensure that there is proper ventilation. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like a mask and set up fans to help remove harmful chemical odors from the area. Also, take proper precautions to protect any objects or surfaces that you don’t want to stain....

How to Store Homemade Candy Most candies will keep 2 to 3 weeks (if not longer) if stored tightly covered in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. It’s best to avoid storing different types of candy together in the same container because hard candies will become soft and sticky, and soft candies will dry out. Here are some tips for storing candies: Protect truffles, caramels, and nougats from dampness by wrapping them individually in clear plastic wrap....