How Often to Clean Your Earbuds “Unless you sanitize them [regularly], your earbuds have probably accumulated a great deal of dirt and bacteria,” Whittier Hospital Center explains in a blog post. “So the moment you put them in, your earbuds can introduce dirt and bacteria into your ears and also increase ear wax build-up,” the medical experts say. “Excessive wax build-up leads to impacted ear wax that can affect your hearing....
What Is Cassava Flour? “Cassava flour is the dehydrated and ground form of the cassava tuber vegetable, commonly known as yucca root,” says Divya Alter, chef, author, and founder of Divya’s Kitchen. “Tapioca starch is derived from the same yucca root, but only from its starchy water. Cassava is richer in fiber because it contains the whole root powder.” “Cassava flour is very popular in South America”, adds Oscar Hernandez, culinary director of Tacombi and Vista Hermosa, in part because it is local to the region....
“Having a calm workplace can be beneficial for our overall well-being, productivity, and job satisfaction,” says Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, psychologist and media advisor for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation. “If we feel calm, we’re able to sustain focus, feel happy, feel safe, and enjoy the work that we’re doing.” It’s not rocket science, but it does require a little planning and know-how—for both employees and employers. If you need help creating that calming vibe in a professional environment, here’s some interior designer-approved advice on crafting a workspace that will make you feel right at, well, home....
Some are unkind, while others are downright abusive. Because they hold leadership positions and decision-making authority, their attitude and actions can affect an entire organization. Employees subject to a bad boss can suffer from conditions such as stress, emotional and physical exhaustion, and even depression. Unless you have a plan to quit, you’ll be better served by a plan to cope. First things first: You’ll need to understand if your supervisor’s behavior is so bad that it is actually illegal....
How to Manually Defrost a Freezer Start by removing all of the food from the freezer (and fridge, if it’s not a standalone unit). “Place the food in coolers or another freezer to keep cold (if you know you don’t have a ton of space for storage while defrosting, plan ahead and eat up as much as you can beforehand),” says Johnson. “Then, unplug the unit and leave the door open, and have towels ready to help soak up water....
Seafood Quality If you think that frozen seafood is of worse quality, think again. Often, fish are filleted and frozen immediately after capture. “Freezing, when done properly, is an excellent way to ’lock-in’ the quality inherent in the catch so that when thawed, you’re getting essentially the same quality you would have had if you ate it on the boat with the fishermen,” says John Burrows, seafood technical program coordinator of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute....
Whether you’re new to Nigiri or you’ve mastered the art of making it at home, there are many misconceptions about sushi about how it’s eaten in Japan. Although you won’t be kicked out of any Japanese restaurant for disrespecting your dinner, knowing how to eat sushi the right way enhances the experience and even turns the meal into a cultural lesson. We spoke with Ken Sato, the sushi chef and director of restaurants for True World Market, about the proper way to eat sushi and the most common questions people ask....
Luckily, even if you’re someone who suffers from dry scalp, scalp acne, or dandruff, experts say it’s possible to give your scalp the reset it needs. But what does a healthy scalp even look like? We turned to hair experts, including a certified trichologist, to find out. What are the signs of a healthy scalp? “A healthy scalp is pink in tone, well hydrated, smooth, and free of flakes and any redness,” says Abe Ayesh, a hair specialist and CEO of Eternal Hair & Esthetics, a clinic that specializes in hair restoration and aesthetic procedures....
Blackheads (also referred to as open comedones) are clogged pores or hair follicles filled with sebum (the natural oil that the glands on our face make), dirt, skin cells, and bacteria. Long story short, it’s another type of acne. “When the contents are open to the air, [clogged pores will] oxidize, which turns the surface black,” says Papri Sarkar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Boston. “Those little black bumps are called blackheads, and they’re more likely to form on the nose because the nose has lots of oil glands (more than the rest of the face, which already has more oil glands than the rest of the body)....
There is no shortage of ways for how to cook brats, but grilling them ensures charred bits that add complexity and offer that char-grilled flavor we love about a good (and simple) cookout. Brats are convenient and require next-to-no prep, and are guaranteed to be seasoned perfectly throughout without having to fuss with a marinade like in other common grilling options. Plus, fresh brats, like other sausages, come off the grill juicy and tender and are basically impossible to mess up as long as you cook them over moderate heat....
If Halloween makes you go, “Boo, humbug,” try adopting a neutral, detached attitude. After all, many people adore this occasion; it’s practically a national holiday for children. There are certain fundamentalist religions that don’t observe it, but if you’re not a member of one of them, you’ll look like a crank if you complain too loudly. And unless you live alone in the middle of nowhere, you probably can’t opt out entirely....
Pick the Perfect Type of Christmas Tree Your local Christmas tree lots, farm, or nursery may sell only a couple of tree varieties, but if you have a broad choice, go for “true firs,” like noble, Fraser, Nordmann, and Turkish, because they’ll last the longest (four to six weeks). Trees with the second-longest life span include Douglas fir, Scotch pine, balsam, and grand fir. Spruce trees last only two or three weeks....
Stores Sell Expired Sunscreen You need to check your sunscreen for an expiration date in the store just like you’d check a gallon of milk. Unfortunately, an investigation by Good Morning America found that some popular stores–including Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens locations in Chicago, DC, LA, and New Jersey–were still selling sunscreens past their expiration dates, unbeknownst to sun-fearing customers. After visiting a total of 17 stores, the GMA team discovered 68 expired bottles still on the stores’ shelves despite policies to make sure expired products don’t remain out for sale....
It appears flawless, but the reality of the frittata is that it’s all too often underseasoned and undercooked, which results in a dry, flavorless, sponge-like meal that’s not at all appealing—or even respectful of those leftover ingredients you saved up just for this meal. What Is a Frittata? A frittata sits somewhere between a quiche and an omelet. It doesn’t have a crust like a quiche, but it’s not folded like an omelet....
How to Make Eggs Benedict There are a few steps to making Eggs Benedict. Beyond toasting the English muffins and crisping up the Canadian bacon (usually precooked and smoked), eggs must be poached and Hollandaise sauce must be made. Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter, and lemon juice (much like making mayonnaise from scratch) and here, a shortcut blender method is used. Some handy tips to keep in mind:...
However, what if we told you that we tried an incredibly easy viral TikTok hack for making them that actually works and saves you time? Shockingly, we discovered that the secret to making these protein-rich snacks in under 15 minutes and completely hands-free is enlisting your air fryer! Forget waiting for a pot of water to come to a boil to make your hard-boiled eggs. As we learned from many TikTok users, all you need is your air fryer and some ice-cold water to cook them to perfection—and, best of all, there’s essentially no clean-up involved....
The homemade ice cream experience starts with the ice cream base, and that base then turns into the frozen dessert we all know and love. Whether the ice cream is milk or water-based, the base will be made up of milk, cream, sugar, and whole eggs or egg yolks. There are different bases to experiment with, and they range from fuss-free to one requiring more attention to detail, yet they’re still incredibly simple....
How Long Royal Icing Takes to Dry It takes royal icing six to eight hours to completely dry. Once you flood, spread, or pipe it onto your cookies, let them stand at room temperature. However, royal icing will start to dry mid-use if you’re not careful. To prevent hardening while you decorate, keep your icing covered with a damp cloth while you work and give it a good stir every so often....
Yes, that’s right, you really can make your own wine in an Instant Pot ($130; amazon.com). Inspired by a meme that asked, “Why hasn’t anyone figured out how to put grapes in an Instant Pot and make wine,” food blogger and recipe developer David Murphy decided to give it a try. “Yes! I totally decided to put in the effort and figure out how to do it! This meme inspired me to try to figure out how to make some Instant Pot wine I LOVE a challenge,” Murphy wrote....
How to Prepare Houseplants for Moving To ensure the smoothest move possible, switch out any ceramic and clay pots for shatter proof plastic options. It’s an easy way to avoid broken pots and protect plants from any unforeseen bumps in the road. Alternatively, try wrapping breakable containers in packing material like moving blankets or bubble wrap, just as you would do to any other fragile item. The goal is to prevent the pots from jostling around and shield them from getting hit hard enough to break....
