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Regardless of where your skills lie on the coffee-making spectrum, there are likely a few steps in the process that leave room for improvement. Here are the biggest mistakes you may be making when brewing coffee at home, plus how to fix them. Not matching the grind size to your brew style Different styles of brewing require different grind sizes. This is because the extraction rate of coffee grounds is higher when they’re more finely ground (thanks to the larger surface area that’s exposed to the hot water)....

Most people confuse them, but the two really have different roles to play in the home-buying process. Mortgage lenders are financial institutions, like banks, that can directly lend funds. You have to provide documents, fill out an application, show proof of income and debt information, and wait for their approval for financing. Each lender may offer a different combo of annual percentage rates (APRs) and closing costs, so a borrower may want to shop around before committing to one lender....

Spooktacular Halloween Party Ideas I am a sucker for a good Halloween party. I’ve hosted a number of them over the years including parties for all ages – preschoolers to adults! This preschooler Halloween party is still one of my favorites! Outside of Christmas and Thanksgiving, Halloween is easily the most popular holiday at our house. For good reason – costumes, candy, and celebrations of every kind! It’s one of the three parties my son’s class gets to have at school – so it’s kind of a big deal!...

Of course, nothing banishes the blues like a slice of chocolate cake. Ina, known to most as the Barefoot Contessa, has included a cocoa-rich, birthday-worthy confection in every one of her dozen books, including her latest, Modern Comfort Food, which is a deep dive into the idea of cooking and eating as solace and joy. Cozy cuisine is not exactly new territory for the contessa. “I think comfort food is whatever you had as a kid, and that sort of cooking is what I’ve been doing all these years anyway,” Ina says....

Get the recipe. Vegetarian Gravy This make-ahead vegetarian gravy is rich, flavorful, and silky. Get the recipe. Easy Dinners Apple-Cheddar Quesadillas Thin slices of sweet-tart apple rest on a bed of melty cheddar cheese. But the secret ingredient here is the tangy honey mustard. Get the recipe. Chicken Thighs With Couscous and Olives The secret to perfect chicken thighs is browning them on the stovetop in an oven-proof skillet, and then transferring the pan to the oven....

Gotega Silicone Hair Stopper Shower Drain Covers, $10 (was $14) Dotiiler-Manual Clothes Fuzz Shaver and Portable Lint Remover, $10 Scrub Daddy Sponge, $7 Dishwasher Magnet Clean or Dirty Sign, $8 ColorCoral Cleaning Gel, $6 (was $10) 3M High-Strength Small Hole Repair Tool, $6 (was $9) Our picks include those popular shower drain covers that catch all the hair from clogging up your pipes, Scrub Daddy’s sponges that TikTok users love, a swipeable magnet that reminds you whether your dishwasher is clean or dirty, and a portable lint remover that gets rid of not only unwanted fuzz from your clothes and furniture, but also pet hair....

More benefits? The game-day classic tends to be heartier than most soups, freezes well, and is one of the easiest, most adaptable dishes you can whip up. Don’t like ground beef and tomatoes? Use ground chicken, chicken stock, and white beans to make a flavorful helping of white chili instead. Worried that the kale you bought last week is slowly withering away in your refrigerator? Toss it in your next pot of chili so you can use it before it’s too late....

The technology works by sending continuous, mild electrical pulses through electrodes and into your skin along your nerve pathways, distracting your brain with the vibrations and blocking out the pain signals. This causes a release of endorphins and analgesic effect when applied at a non-painful intensity. Livia’s MP3-looking device, a wearable cube you affix to your stomach, does just that without clunky battery packs, cords, or wall outlets. “Use a carrier oil such as jojoba, hemp, or almond oil and add a few drops of peppermint, lavender, clary sage, chamomile and/or cinnamon....

In addition to providing visual interest, the mantel plays a key role in the overall fireplace aesthetic. It’s a place to hold accessories, such as precious family mementos, framed art, or a collection of pillar candles. Many DIY mantels are pretty budget-friendly, so you can give your living space a new look without a significant investment. Before you begin, consider these essential tips for making and mounting a DIY fireplace mantel....

While using a quality brush will get you far, achieving a smooth, professional finish begins with determining the proper applicator for the job. Natural-bristle brushes work best with oil-based paints. Synthetic brushes, made from nylon and polyester, are the perfect match for water-based latex paint. Ideally, tape should be removed about an hour after you’ve finished painting. But if you’ve let it sit for too long and the paint starts coming up, you’re not out of luck....

1. Introduce Some Greenery Choose a variety that lasts for a while and will add a fresh scent, such as minty eucalyptus. 2. Hang a Chic Shower Curtain Swapping out the shower curtain is the easiest and cheapest way to refresh a bathroom. Visually, it takes up a surprising amount of space in the room, so changing this one element can dramatically alter the entire look of the room. Choose a minimal and fresh design to fit the spa theme....

Reader question: I have inflammation when cleansing, and I know it’s not from the products I currently use. Are there any types of ingredients or products I can apply that help lessen inflammation? — Erin Smith Inflammation can mean a lot of different things, but skinflammation (inflammation of the skin) is especially tricky to pinpoint. For starters, it can manifest in a number of ways, such as redness, dark spots, itching, breakouts, and/or swelling....

We asked Chef Dominique Moudart, master baker at Le Cordon Bleu London, to share his insight into making the perfect loaf. As a member of the Association Ouvrière des Compagnons du Devoir, Chef Dominique traveled across seven regions of France to explore the local bread varieties and production methods, gaining a comprehensive knowledge of artisan bread making. He also holds a French Master Baker diploma. Here are Chef Dominique’s essential steps to baking homemade bread....

1. Clean Every Corner Cobwebs are usually built in undisturbed places, such as corners and behind furniture. “Continually cleaning and decluttering will discourage spiders from establishing webs,” says Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist at Mosquito Squad. arachnids. Seal any cracks and crevices with caulking to block spiders from making their home inside your house. 2. Remove Food Sources Kari Warberg Block, CEO of EarthKind, a company that develops plant-based solutions to keep pests away without killing them, says spiders “won’t live somewhere without an adequate food source, so keeping other household pest problems under control will also control spiders....

“I would have stuck to my original plan for a stainless steel sink instead of doing a black stone composite sink. Softened water leaves a haze on it, and the sink chips.” —Jennifer Mason Theroux “Have a guaranteed end date in the contract with your contractor, with a fee for any day that goes over. Mine went months over while the contractor worked on jobs for other people.” —L.S. “Set aside extra money for unforeseen expenses like rotted wood, consults with a plumber, and the replacement of exterior fixtures....

But that doesn’t mean you have to hibernate to stay healthy for the holidays. Try these smart and strategic changes that’ll help you stay healthy Don’t rely on a single tactic to protect you The more layers of protection you add to your wellness arsenal, the more you reduce your risk of catching something. “To protect yourself from getting sick, high-quality masks, good ventilation, and avoiding crowds are the best layers,” says epidemiologist Maria Pyra, Ph....

That being said, the nutritional value of each type of vegetable varies with how it’s prepared and served. While most veggies offer the optimal amount of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients when consumed raw, some are actually healthier after being cooked. Cooking vegetables can make it easier for your body to absorb their nutritional benefits, says Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD, author of The Better Period Food Solution. Here are four types of veggies Beckerman advises we consume cooked (rather than raw) to fully reap their nutrients—and two that are healthier raw....

Thor’s Lightning Lavender Lemonade When you think of Thor, what’s the first thing you think of? A hammer? That killer smile? Strongest Avenger? God of Thunder? Or was it God of Sparkles? Yep, pretty much any of those things. You probably don’t think of a lavender lemonade when you think of Thor. But guess what? Disneyland apparently thinks that Thor goes well with lavender lemonade, so today’s post is inspired by Disney’s choice of drink associated with my favorite Avenger Thor....

To buy: $17 (was $36); amazon.com. The rack itself is crafted from durable alloy steel, so it can support up to 50 pounds. Yes, that means you can stack all your precious cast iron skillets onto it. Three slots are 2.5 inches wide, while one is 3.5 inches wide, and you can even stack multiple smaller pans together in one slot. While there’s no assembly required, you can mount it either horizontally or vertically if you so choose....

To buy: From $42 (was $130); amazon.com. Made from PVC with a soft and comfortable topper built-in, this inflatable air mattress (which comes in twin, full, queen, and king sizes) is “puncture-proof,” according to the brand, so you don’t have to worry about unwanted holes leaking all of the air in the mattress during the middle of the night. It’s also water-resistant, making it ideal for travel whether that’s for a camping trip or movie night under the stars....