Amelia Simmons, author of American Cookery published in 1796, is credited with a pumpkin pudding recipe in a crust that would become the basis of today’s beloved pumpkin pie. While canned pumpkin is the simplest option for piemaking, it’s not complicated to master how to make a pumpkin pie using real pumpkin. Perhaps you’re itching to learn about making a pumpkin pie recipe from real pumpkin because you can’t find canned pumpkin (never forget the shortage of 2020!...

Fortunately, tackling true topiary on your own is easy, as long as you know the basics. And it costs relatively little. Purchase a 6-foot topiary spiral tree like the one shown and you can expect to pay about $250. But shape one yourself – it takes only an hour or two – and it’ll cost about $50. Read on to learn how. How to Make Spiral Topiaries Spiral topiaries can be large (6 feet or more) or small (just 8x10 inches)....

This marbling technique is all about experimentation, so have fun! “With marbling, the process is so fluid and unpredictable that no matter the experience level, the end result is beautifully unique,” says Heather Hale, teacher and creative director at Craft, an open studio for makers based in Austin. Her secret to success is confidence: jump in and try different techniques. “During a trial run, I had an ingredient off by one teaspoon and got a completely different result,” says Hale....

However, vinyl siding colors can fade, and uneven sun exposure can leave your home with a patchy facade. While your instinct might be to paint vinyl siding, it’s important to consider the state of your home’s exterior before picking up a few gallons of paint. Additionally, interior paint doesn’t work well on vinyl siding because paint expands and contracts with temperature changes. Instead, vinyl siding requires external latex urethane paint, which contains acrylic and urethane resins, says Josh Riutta, owner of Arizona-based Mikku and Sons Roofing....

Most of the time, muscle cramps go away on their own. But why do they happen in the first place? And what can you do to relieve a cramp the next time you get one? We talked to a couple of experts to find out. How and Why Toe Cramps Occur Cramps happen when one of your muscles suddenly and involuntarily contracts. These cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes....

According to Steve Boorstein, a coauthor of The Clothing Doctor’s 99 Secrets of Cleaning and Clothing Care, you can retard the growth of bacteria with a holistic approach to the problem. Before you attempt laundry stripping, he recommends these preventative measures and cleaning techniques to keep towels smelling fresh after every use. Related Video

You can often shave down that price a little bit by going to a cut-your-own tree farm, but it can still be a pricey endeavor. On the other hand, some Christmas movies may have you believe you can just go to a woodsy area and chop down a tree of your choosing for free (like when Buddy the Elf cut down a tree in Central Park) but, in real life, that’s definitely illegal....

For a variety of reasons, this concept is much easier to grasp on a map than it is when it comes to our personal relationships. Most of the time, (unfortunately) there aren’t literal, physical barriers between ourselves and other people. And even when there are (think: office cubicles or a large geographical distance), these boundaries don’t always work, and you can find that other people are crossing the line in some way....

Aside from the terrarium itself, you don’t have to buy anything special to assemble or tend to it. A few standard gardening tools will do. Here’s a guide to the ultimate in low-maintenance plants to include in a terrarium, plus how to make your own simple mini tabletop garden. Best Plants for Open and Closed Terrariums A single plant: You don’t need to expend a lot of effort to put together an eye-catching terrarium....

What Is a Pressure Canner and How it Works With the boom in popularity of pressure cooking using a multi-cooker such as the Instant Pot many people assume it can be used for canning, too (that’s understandable, those appliances have a lot of functions and pressure cooking is similar, just not quite the same.). But no, you cannot pressure can in a pressure cooker, only in a pressure canner. So what is a pressure canner?...

The Instant Pot—or your preferred brand of multicooker with a pressure cooker function—can ace a wide variety of pressure cooker recipes and can come in clutch for batch cooking and big meals, such as Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you use it to save precious stovetop or oven space, speed up side dish prep, or make easy apps for guests to savor as they await the main event, this countertop appliance is far too valuable to stay hiding in the cabinet on Thanksgiving....

“You should, of course, consider materials and silhouettes. Everything should look like they are at least cousins, share some similar design DNA. But keeping your colors consistent is the safest bet for making your space look put together.” —Emily Henderson, Emily Henderson Design —Amy Sklar, Amy Sklar Design —Taniya Nayak, Taniya Nayak Design —Erin Gates, Erin Gates Design —Tracy Morris, Tracy Morris Design “For a little more impact, start with something simple like a stripe or go for a monochromatic look in varying shades of one hue....

The KitchenAid stand mixer has been a well-known kitchen staple for decades with loyal shoppers who recall baking cookies throughout their childhood with their parents to using this appliance as adults. So what makes it so special? Keep reading to learn more about the KitchenAid Professional 5-Quart Stand Mixer that’s $200 off for a limited time at Target. To buy: $250 (was $450); target.com. Along with being a lovely item to display on any countertop, the KitchenAid stand mixer is a multipurpose appliance for prepping meals and sweets....

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Exception: Ornamental grasses. Buy young grasses early in the season and let them mature through the summer into the larger plants nurseries often sell at four times the cost. Grow Spreading Plants When you need to cover a lot of ground, select spreading plants. Whether it’s a vine or creeping ground cover, spreaders fill voids in your garden. And they often look a lot better than mulch. (Just make sure they have room to roam without smothering their neighbors....

Because the moonflower vine tends to bloom at night, you might be wondering why you should plant it at all if you can’t see the flowers open during the day. The answer is simple: It is magical when you grow it where you spend time outdoors in the evening, perhaps on your front porch or back patio. There, you’ll be able to enjoy the huge white flowers that almost seem to glow in dim lighting, as well as the sweet scent these beauties produce....

As you weigh your decision, one of your considerations is logistical practicalities. To that end, it may be worth it to know that moving in together, with all its emotional and romantic perks, also comes with some major financial bonuses. According to an analysis by the tuxedo and suit rental company, The Black Tux, couples cohabitating in large cities (think San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C.) can save each person as much as $955 per month....

This does not tell the whole story. In fact, more and more research indicates this is a flawed recommendation. While it’s true that vegetable oils are generally more neutral in flavor (and more cost-effective for use in large quantity-cooking like deep frying), pure extra virgin olive oil is much more stable than other oils when heated. And it’s significantly healthier (with the exception of avocado oil, which is equally nutritious)....

Remove adjustable shelves and paint them first, so they’ll be dry when you’re ready to reinstall them. If possible, paint them in another room to get them out of your way. We like to hang them on sawhorses by hammering nails into predrilled holes on the ends. That way, you don’t have to wait for one surface to dry before painting the other one. Be sure to remove the shelf supports before you paint the inside of the cabinet....