Bear in mind: You need to plan ahead. Allow eight hours of refrigerator time for each pound of meat. In the Microwave Bottom line: This method is fast. You can thaw a couple of lamb chops in less than five minutes flat. Bear in mind: Because the defrost setting on a microwave starts the cooking process (raising temperatures to bacteria-friendly levels), it’s essential that you go on to cook the food immediately....

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Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets to Have on Hand This is our Test Kitchen’s list of the most useful kitchen tools they find essential to accomplishing recipes at home. Blender If you’re a big smoothie drinker, you’ll definitely need a blender in one of your cupboards. It can also be helpful to blend soups and sauces to make them smooth. Buy It: Ninja Professional Blender ($120, Target) Bottle/Can Opener You’ll need a can opener to open most canned foods in the pantry, so make sure you keep this kitchen tool in a handy spot....

So instead of guessing what your favorite bibliophile’s next page-turner might be (though if you want a good bet, check out our favorite books of 2023), opt for one of Erasmus’ other necessities, like a book-themed mug or a super plush robe made for curling up with a good book. A thoughtful, more personal reader gift will delight any of the book lovers in your life. Price at time of publish: $48 Price at time of publish: $32 Price at time of publish: $40 Price at time of publish: $140 Price at time of publish: $148 Price at time of publish: $30 Price at time of publish: $86 Price at time of publish: $18 Price at time of publish: $110 Price at time of publish: $64 Price at time of publish: $27 Price at time of publish: $8 Price at time of publish: $35 Price at time of publish: From $50 Price at time of publish: From $27 Price at time of publish: $17 Price at time of publish: $599 Price at time of publish: $19 Price at time of publish: $15 Price at time of publish: $24 Price at time of publish: $40 Price at time of publish: From $105 Price at time of publish: From $35 Price at time of publish: $250 Price at time of publish: $250 Price at time of publish: $42 Price at time of publish: $30 Price at time of publish: $49 Price at time of publish: $14 Price at time of publish: Price at time of publish: Price at time of publish: Price at time of publish: Price at time of publish: Price at time of publish:...

Make the most of the holidays by spreading magic throughout the entire living room. Don’t start and stop at the tree. Our collection of Christmas living room ideas has something for every style. Get inspired to create your own version of a holiday wonderland for the backdrop to this year’s treasured memories. Related Video

Thanksgiving menu ideas to suit all tastes. Learn how to make a stunning greenery garland. Learn how to make pumpkin place settings. Festive DIY holiday garland ideas. Festive Christmas crafts you can do right now. Editor’s Tip: These arrangements were made with seed heads of reed canary grass, switch grass, and feather reed grass. Visit a florist, greenhouse, or farmers market to find different grass varieties. Editor’s Tip: If your calligraphy lacks style, type your menu in a fun, festive font and print on heavy cardstock....

Outfitted with not one, but two spacious islands, a double oven, white glass-front cabinets, and marble counters, Meyers’ real-life kitchen serves up as much design inspiration as her much-celebrated sets. What really caught our eye: all of the clever (and stylish!) organizing ideas hiding in this space. Here are five storage tips we plan to borrow from the director’s gorgeous home kitchen. Never underestimate storage trays. At Real Simple, we’re big fans of the countertop tray trick, so we couldn’t help but notice the two woven storage trays adorning Meyers’ kitchen islands....

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The bottom line: Even a few minutes of meditation each day can dramatically lower your stress levels. So the next time you feel your stress start to snowball, or the clouds of a funk start to descend, hit the gym, go for a bike ride, or take a brisk walk. Many natural smells that you encounter outdoors have been linked with lowering stress levels, too. Some of the scents include lavender, rose, and possibly pine....

Choosing just seven cookbooks to cover all 33 countries is an impossible task, but these picks go beyond food to incorporate the history, culture, and legacy of Hispanic heritage. Dive into these books to humor your inner chef, soothe your travel bug, and learn more about the tradition behind these foods. Argentine Street Food: Empanadas, Ice Cream, and Dulce de Leche by Enrique Zanoni and Gaston Stivelmaher One thing about street food is that it’s made to be eaten on the go....

There are many alternatives to storing your microwave on the counter that are much more efficient but no less accessible. Options include building the microwave into cabinetry, installing it inside an island, recessing the unit into the wall, and more. These space-saving ideas for integrating a microwave demonstrate how to move the small appliance off the countertop without losing its convenience. Each method has pros and cons, so consider your needs carefully when deciding which integrated microwave idea works best for your kitchen....

Rice Substitutes Though the flavors and textures of some of these rice alternatives might differ from white rice, they can be cooked and used interchangeably with any of your favorite rice dishes as a one-to-one substitute. 1. Brown Rice Perhaps the easiest swap among this list, brown rice makes an excellent white rice alternative. Unlike white rice, which is processed to remove the grain’s outer layers, brown rice is a whole grain with all the nutritious parts intact (minus the inedible hull)....

However, for that same reason, poor gut health can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which don’t even involve the gut. It can be tricky to tell whether your gut health is thriving or floundering, or whether the seemingly random health complaints you’re having are actually related to the state of your gut. To make things even more confusing, these other mental and physical signs may not crop up at the same time as some of the more obvious digestive symptoms, making it difficult to link the two....

Whether you’re arranging a work-from-home space or tackling your setup at the office, organized desk drawers can make all the difference. A solid drawer organization system also lets you know when it’s time to replenish those highlighters or binder clips. Employ the following desk drawer organization tips to keep your workspace in top condition. 1. Declutter Office Supplies Prior to organizing your desk drawer, decide exactly what you want to store in it....

To get the look, gather your hair at the base, then wrap your hair tie around the base per usual. Once you have only a little more room in the hair tie, part out a small section from the top of the ponytail and wrap the last bit of hair tie around it. Fan it out at the base and you’re done. For even more volume, use a texturizing spray through the ends and backcomb....

Well, we went ahead and did the hard work for you by reaching out to manicurists who are very tapped into the nail scene. They filled us in on the top trending dark nail colors for fall and winter, which means you spend more time admiring your new mani/pedi and less time hemming and hawing over which hue to pick. Best Dark Nail Colors Our pick: Essie Force of Nature (10; target....

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The Latest: Eating Almonds Is Linked to Gut Health A research group at King’s College in London published a small study that found eating a handful of almonds everyday for only four weeks increased the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, in participants. This fatty acid has been tied to improved gut microbiome health, as it’s a main energy source for cells in the colon. When these cells are functioning at their peak, it creates an ideal environment for healthy gut microbes to flourish....

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