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Whipping ricotta in the food processor transforms it into an incredibly smooth, spreadable cheese—a blank canvas to be paired with any number of flavors and ingredients. To make it, place ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a food processor, then process until very smooth—1 to 2 minutes. That’s it! We recommend using whole-milk ricotta, which is creamier and richer than part-skim, making for a more luscious spread....

I learned about this blacklisted phrase from my very first boss. She mentioned in passing that getting “no problem” or “no worries” in reply to any request irked her. Completely taken aback, I started to panic. I’d never heard this opinion before. I said “no problem” numerous times every day and thought I was being pleasant, professional, and obliging! Now I worried that I had been rubbing important people the wrong way without even knowing it....

Why Won’t My Zucchini Develop Fruit? To answer this question, it helps to know a few botanical details about zucchini. Unlike the blooms of most blooming plants that have both male and female parts in each flower, zucchini have separate male and female flowers on each plant. This makes pollination a little bit more difficult. It requires male and female flowers to be open at the same time and a pollinator like a bumblebee to carry pollen from the male to the female flower....

Made with thick canvas fabric, the shoe bags offer plenty of protection for the most prized items in your collection. Each one has two handles, durable zippers, and a clear plastic window that’ll make retrieving your favorite pairs a cinch. Measuring 24 by 38 inches each, the shoe organizers have large slots that can fit up to size 12 men’s shoes. Reviewers point out that you can squeeze as many as four thin pairs of shoes (like flip-flops or sandals) into each slot of the shoe organizer, and that the boot organizer accommodates their tall Hunter boots and Uggs....

According to Chef Marc Bauer, master chef at the International Culinary Center, a yam is characterized by dark and sometimes rough skin, though the flesh is whiter in shade and dry. “Yams require more oil, cream, or butter when cooked and are generally more starchy than the modern sweet potato,” Bauer says. They’re also grown all over the world. Roast them with other veggies for a delicious side dish, dice them up into a hearty yam stew, or, if you’ve got a sweet tooth, try a batch of candied yams coated in butter and brown sugar....

By going outside of our circadian rhythm, or disrupting it, we can potentially throw off our internal biological clock and therefore impact our physical and mental health. Here’s how it works, and all the sleep benefits you can lose by making a habit of heading to bed post-midnight. “The circadian rhythm uses sunlight that enters our eyes to keep us on a 24-hour schedule,” explains sleep specialist and neuroscientist Chelsie Rohrscheib, PhD....

Another AI making waves is Luum, the first-ever robot for lash extensions. The Luum robot takes the tedious gruntwork out of human-applied lashes and provides a micro-precise treatment that can be completed in half the time as a usual lash application. Experts are predicting this AI wave will make beauty treatments faster, cheaper, and more popular than ever. The technology is advancing beyond jade rollers too. Enter: Droplette, a MIT-developed, NASA-funded skincare technology that combines fluid physics with beauty....

DIY cleaners can include everything from a homemade all-purpose cleaner to a natural glass cleaner and a solution for grimy, hardwood floors. We name the ingredients you need—chances are, you already have most of them—plus the steps for mixing up the cleaning solutions and using them. Homemade or natural cleaning solutions use simple chemicals and ingredients to remove grime, deodorize, and, in some cases, even disinfect surfaces. They’re great for making surfaces look sparkling clean....

For folks who are looking to celebrate the Fourth with a change of scenery, micro-cations are the name of the game, with safety, sanitation, and social distancing remaining top priorities. We’ll call it Travel Lite. Despite the various travel risks and limitations posed by the ongoing coronavirus, online vacation rental site Vrbo is seeing a surge in vacation demand, with current searches actually surpassing last year’s. And just like any other year, July Fourth travelers are excited by rural and on-the-water destinations with major summertime vibes, according to Vrbo’s trending travel insights for 2020....

Roof Remodeling Tips Keep Up Appearances In planning your roof remodeling project, don’t forget to consider the look and style of your roofing. The average roof comprises 40 percent of a home’s visible exterior, so you want it to look good. Do an Inspection Inspect your roof from a safe vantage point using binoculars. Look for cracking, curling, and missing shingles. If your roof is made of asphalt shingles, look for areas lacking granular covering....

The recalled ground beef patties were sold at Walmart, Target, and Weis Markets locations nationwide, as well as other grocery chains throughout the country. Walmart recently shared a list of stores that sold the recalled items, and it included hundreds of outposts across Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and more. All of the ground beef products subject to this recall were produced from February 1, 2022, through April 8, 2022. Additionally, each of the recalled products bears the establishment number “EST....

Ready to be inspired? Here’s how to hang garland like a pro, plus a dozen creative ideas for decorating your mantel with seasonal garlands, including fun DIY and greenery garlands that work any time of year. How to Hang Garland on Your Mantel To hold the garland, make sure you select the proper hooks, which are graded by the maximum weight they can hold. To hang a garland, attach several hooks evenly spaced on top of the mantel....

All this changed as I grew older and discovered the soothing, de-stressing experience that comes from a quick dip. Whiling away the hours with a good soak became a therapeutic oasis, and with the right products, I realized that it could be transformed from a basic cleansing to a full-blown spa session. We’re not talking about those cheap bubble baths you remember as a kid; this bathroom repertoire is upgraded with elevated oils, salts, elixirs, and fragrances that will whisk you away into a haven of self-care....

Everyone has a favorite Trader Joe’s product, whether it’s the Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoned Smoked Salmon or that Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. If you have yet to find a Trader Joe’s item to make braving the store’s weekend crowds worth it, you probably haven’t looked hard enough. For those just discovering this cult-favorite grocery store, the editors at Real Simple have their own Trader Joe’s picks—and they just might offer a little inspiration....

To help you take hygge to the next level, we rounded up our favorite winter recipe ideas—from baked mac and cheese to decadent beef potpie. We also made sure to include our classic chicken and dumplings and a few desserts for good measure. This recipe falls somewhere in between: It’s super creamy, but evaporated milk ensures the sauce is extra thick. Decadent is no exaggeration; it includes 6 cups of freshly grated cheese in total—including Gruyere, Cheddar, and American cheese....

We’ve narrowed the list down to the best of the best, including a few old-school favorites you might remember from when you were a kid. Whether they’re critically acclaimed, full of nostalgia, or beautiful works of art, kids of all ages will enjoy these kids’ movies on Netflix, and adults can always find deeper meaning in the dialogue, artistry, and plot. Best of all? You can watch them all immediately—and as many times as you want—so go ahead and binge one or two....

Hilarious Bachelorette Party Games I put together this list of 20 bachelorette party games based on ones that I think would be fun to play. There is everything from classy games to ones that are bit more suggestive, it is a bachelorette party after all! There are three different categories of games so you can find the type of games you’re looking for. My recommendation is to pick three – one active, one printable, and one that’s all about the bachelorette....

Kid Friendly New Year’s Eve There’s something so special about ringing in another New Year. I love reflecting on the past year while looking forward to the next. Reliving family memories while planning new ones is one of my favorite things about New Year’s. And of course New Year’s Eve parties. We love ringing in the New Year with a New Year’s party each year. Sometimes they are adult-only and sometimes kids and families come together....

Before Folding Socks: Gather and Declutter Before deciding on a folding technique, it’s important to see how many and what style of socks you’re working with. First, corral every pair or individual sock you can find floating around the house into a basket. Check the dryer, under your dresser, and the hamper to make sure you’re not missing any (and, of course, do a quick load of laundry for any dirty ones you come across)....

About Fleas and Ticks Many people make the mistake of thinking fleas and ticks are in the same family. Fleas are insects while ticks are arachnids, more closely related to spiders. Fleas are noticeably smaller than ticks, but both can be difficult to spot on the skin. Unlike ticks, fleas are known to cause home infestations. Both pests feed on blood and cause an irritating bite that leaves behind a red mark on the skin....