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The answer? American ingenuity. Enter microwaved “baked” apples, a simple, no-frills, convenient, and healthier take on a dessert flavor that’s—despite originating from the faraway mountains of Kazakhstan—quintessentially home. Cooking apples in the microwave is an amazing hack to capture that rich, buttery, cinnamon-y flavor without the fuss of making a pie crust, committing to a big portion, or waiting in front of the oven. Microwaving baked apples is more energy-efficient, too, than waiting for a cavernous oven to heat up and letting it run for an hour....

For those of us without much design experience, however, deciding on the right combination of metals can be daunting, as is applying them within the space. There’s no perfect formula for determining how to mix metals correctly, but New York-based interior designer Courtney McLeod, of Right Meets Left Design, has several strategies for achieving a mixed-metal look you’ll love. Follow these tips, and you’ll be able to pull off this trend effortlessly....

So, we’ve asked experts for advice on how to get a proper quote, negotiate for the competition’s lower rate, and communicate effectively so that you can score the best deal possible. Ask for a well-explained quote Before booking any service, or hiring anyone to work for you, it’s important to ask for a quote. “Be sure it’s detailed, and if there’s an expiration date for that quote, make sure you understand that clearly as well,” says Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews....

Start With a Clean Slate If you’re wondering if you have to pull everything out of your cabinets, the answer is yes. But stick with us. We get it! This part sounds like a lot of work but it’s worth it in the end. “Organizing your space is also an opportunity to clean your space. Take everything out and wipe down those cabinets!" Hines says. “Additionally, this is a chance to get your eyes on and make decisions about everything living in your cabinets; there is so much we don’t see because it’s piled in and hidden,” she explains....

It’s never too late to start. If you’ve got a ninth grader, tuck $250 a month into a high-yield bank savings account. In four years, you could have more than $12,500. Consider upping that percentage if your kids take on regular after-school and summer jobs in high school. And make it a family project to scope out scholarships long before senior year. Go to Cappex for a free database of scholarships....

Paperwhites are in the same family as daffodils, Narcissus. Paperwhites are closely identified with the winter holidays when they’re used to add fresh flowers to indoor celebrations. According to the ASPCA, paperwhites can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested. Keep out of reach of your pets. Where to Plant Paperwhites While paperwhites can be planted outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11, most of the time, they’re planted indoors in pots or vases....

Where to Plant Pentas Pentas plants are grown as annuals in most climates but are perennial in warmer areas (USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11). Native to Africa and Arabia, pentas tolerates hot, humid summers and makes a great bedding and container plant. Pentas Care Tips Overall, pentas are low-maintenance and easy to grow in any garden setting. Light Ideally, pentas prefer to be planted in full sun. Soil and Water Plant pentas in moist, well-drained soil that has a neutral pH....

It’s a blessing if you need to research a fascinating subject—it’s an overwhelming, head-spinning, and sometimes depressing curse if you’re just trying to keep up with the times. How We Consume News “There’s an even bigger link [between the state of the news and our psychological well-being] than ever before,” says Sanam Hafeez, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist in New York City and the director of Comprehend the Mind. “Pre-internet, smartphones, and social media, we could simply click the TV remote or turn the dial on the radio when we wanted to tune out....

The Top Tools for Turkey While guidelines for how long to cook a turkey are great for timing out your Thanksgiving meal prep, you can’t assume standard cooking times will result in a safe internal turkey temperature. For that, you’ll need the right tools, and unfortunately, the “pop-up” temperature indicator that comes on top of your turkey is not it. While cute, “pop-up” timers aren’t always accurate, so the USDA always recommends using a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of a turkey....

Though trips for retirees are indeed common—with at least 25 percent of those 65 and older leaving the country annually—sometimes, finances play a factor. That’s why it’s smart to not only start thinking about where you’ll go when you travel in retirement but also how you’ll pay for it. And, of course, how to save on costs. We spoke with money and travel experts to map your retirement world tour, geographically and financially....

Actually, a pretty good one. The key is to get creative. Starting with two ways to transform leftover pasta and finishing with two ways that make the most of what you have, here are four ways to elevate leftover pasta. Cook a Pasta Frittata With just a few eggs, you can make a pasta frittata. This isn’t a new creation, but a dish with deep roots in Italy. People have been thinking about creative ways to reuse pasta for a long time, partly to save money, partly to make leftover pasta as good as it can be....

That said, I do aspire to be someone who gives the people in their life thoughtfully sourced gifts. Luckily, I have people in my life who it comes to naturally — like my aunt, who gave me this dreamy lavender hand creme that I now buy for everyone, too. To buy: $24, amazon.com. While the lavender scent is what initially made me a fan—and is still my own go-to as well as the one I share with others—1818 Farms also has a variety of intriguing scents, ranging from Sweet Sandalwood to Wedding Cake....

But do you actually know what International Women’s Day is and the history behind it? Keep reading for everything you need to know about International Women’s Day 2023, including this year’s theme and hashtags. RELATED: Inspirational Quotes for International Women’s Day In 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland celebrated the first official International Women’s Day on March 19. More than one million people attended rallies focused on suffrage, representation, education, and workers’ rights....

While it doesn’t clean the hair or scalp, it’s pretty helpful in those moments when you don’t or can’t wash your hair. Dry shampoos are also available in many options, including sprays, powders, and foams. As more formulas hit the market, questions about the safety of dry shampoo and its impacts on the hair and scalp have raised. We consulted two certified trichologists to find out whether dry shampoo is bad for you....

To get to the bottom of this particular dental hygiene debate, we asked dentists for their expert opinions and gathered the latest research on mouthwash benefits, downsides, and best practices for keeping your smile healthy, fresh, and clean. The Pros of Using Mouthwash Aside from giving your mouth that sparkling-clean, cool, and tingly feeling, mouthwash serves a number of roles when it comes to supporting oral health and hygiene. “Mouthwash is definitely beneficial for keeping your teeth clean, and it can prevent unnecessary problems with your teeth,” says London-based dentist Parneet Sehmi, BDS, MJDF, RCS....

At Jungalow, Blakeney’s mission is to “bring good vibes home,” and the new line at Target does just that. “To bring good vibes home, we need to have fun, let loose, get creative, and see what we discover! Once we understand what lights us up, we can invite more of it into our lives and our homes,” says Blakeney in the press release. Hello, color, pattern, and a smile-sparking collection of houseplants!...

The KitchenAid Classic Series stand mixer my mom had in the ’90s is still hanging around today, mixing, beating, and kneading as well as ever. My mom used it when I was in elementary school to make cakes and cookies for birthdays and school events; it survived my daily baking sessions in high school; and now, while I’m back home quarantining with my mom during this crisis, it’s back on the kitchen counter while we stress bake, whipping up my favorite-ever chocolate chip cookie recipe and flourless double-chocolate brownies....

To buy: $10; amazon.com. With age comes the loss of collagen in the skin, Yadav says. “The idea behind collagen is that it will provide anti-aging benefits, like diminishing fine lines and adding volume,” she says. “While collagen isn’t going to give you dramatic anti-aging results, it can help improve radiance, which creates a youthful look.” To get the most of this particular item, L’Oreal recommends using it every day or night after cleansing the skin....

Another difference between these more modern meat alternatives and their predecessors is that Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger were both created in labs and have drawn criticism over regulation practices and labeling (the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association has petitioned for the government to ban these companies from using the terms “meat” and “beef” entirely). However, the alt-meat trend shows no signs of slowing down—and to be honest, we’re thrilled, seeing as beef is one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change....

And thanks to plenty of television ads for pharmaceuticals, most people are familiar with (or have at least heard of) a migraine. But a migraine is technically different and so much more than just a bad headache—migraines are the result of a neurological disorder. Sure, that’s an interesting fact—but how’s that going to help you in the moment of intense head pain and discomfort? Two neurologists explain the difference between a migraine vs....