Step 1: Soak the Beans Before you get cooking, start by soaking the dried beans to help them rehydrate (they won’t be ready to eat right after they soak, but they will be soft enough to add to recipes or to cook). Sort through the beans and remove any pebbles or debris. Rinse the beans in a colander under cold running water to remove any surface sand or dirt. Then choose one of the following soaking methods:...

How to Cook a Brisket on a Charcoal Grill Slow cookers and Dutch ovens are usually popular tools for cooking brisket because they make it easy to keep the heat low, and let the brisket simmer for a long time in its juices. Charcoal grills usually have a much higher heat, and food tends to cook more quickly, so when you’re learning how to cook brisket on the grill, what you’re actually going to do is convert your charcoal grill into a smoker....

Here’s how I managed to eat splendidly for 45 days while cooking without a kitchen. Top Tips for Cooking in a Hotel Room Here are my top lessons learned that prove cooking on a road trip is possible. Bookmark Some No-Cook Recipes: The most obvious go-to recipes for cooking in a hotel room is a stash of no-cook recipes. Mix Up a Salad: Salads hit the spot, especially when you’re traveling somewhere warm....

How to Pick a Frosting for Cupcake Decorating The first step of decorating a cupcake is deciding which type of frosting to use. To get started, here’s a list of popular cupcake decorating frosting options, plus recipes and tips for using each. Butter Frosting: For a quick and easy cupcake frosting, choose butter frosting. The simple mixture of butter, powdered sugar, and milk tastes terrific and is easy to pipe on cupcakes and cakes....

How to Make Pan-Fried Fish Pan-fried fish uses just a thin layer of hot oil or shortening in a skillet and a light flour or cornmeal coating on the fish instead of a batter. It’s simpler, less messy, and more healthful than deep-frying. Choose Your Fish For four servings, choose 1 pound of skinless fish fillets, about ½- to ¾-inch thick. So what’s the best fish to fry? Any fillets will work, including mild-flavor whitefish, cod, flounder, red snapper, and orange roughy....

Instead, look for responsible ways to sell, donate, recycle, or properly dispose of your unwanted stuff. The best method depends on the type of item and its condition, how much money you’d like to receive for it, and how much work you’re willing to do. To aid in your decluttering process, we’ve compiled a guide to getting rid of almost anything, including clothing, electronics, furniture, kids’ toys, linens, and more....

How to Make Foil Packs Use these three steps as your master plan for making all kinds of foil packs for dinner. Entrées, side dishes, and even desserts all follow these basic guidelines. 1. Precook if Needed Cooking hobo packs on the grill is easiest when you choose ingredients that require the same amount of cooking time. That way you can wrap all ingredients together and toss them on the grill....

Persimmons are easy to grow in milder climates. Once established, they’re very low-maintenance trees. Along with their disease resistance and drought tolerance, persimmons make excellent trees for small gardens. What’s more, persimmons can easily be grown from seed and will begin to set fruit within six years. Types of Persimmon Species You may be most familiar with the East Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki) aka the Japanese Persimmon, which is sometimes sold in groceries stores....

Gather Ingredients and Prep Your Space The four ingredients you’ll need to create this stunning dessert topper are: Hazelnuts (8-16, or as many as you want to create)1 cup sugar1/4 cup water1 Tbsp. light corn syrup To make these candied hazelnuts with their dramatic length, you’ll need to do a bit of setup: Set a heavy cutting board or 15×11-inch baking pan along the edge of a counter. (Skewers will wedge under the cutting board while candied hazelnuts set....

The real solution involves the installation of furring strips—either wood or resilient channels. Find the lowest spot on the ceiling and shim all the furring to that point. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. The procedure shown here is a systematic method for locating the lowest spot on a ceiling, then installing the furring strips. You may need a good number of shims to complete the furring strip installation, but you can easily make them at home from scraps of plywood and hardboard....

How to Make Oversize Black Crepe Paper Flowers Supplies Needed Black cardstockScissorsPrintable petal templateBlack crepe paperAssorted colored crepe paper (we used burgundy, gray, and tan)Fringe scissorsHot glue gun Step-by-Step Directions Use our detailed instructions to create your own spooky Halloween wall decoration. These bold paper flowers look great hung behind a bar cart or above a mantel. Step 1: Prep Base Cut a circle from the card stock as the base of the paper flower....

Here’s what you’ll need: About 3 feet of 6-gauge copper wire Vise grip pliers Glass water bottle with a screw top Spool of 20-gauge copper wire Ornament Jewelry pliers Soda-bottle feeder attachment Birdseed

These DIY ornaments also double as thoughtful homemade gifts: Grandparents, aunts and uncles, or other family members will cherish this sentimental gift idea. How to Make a Handprint Christmas Ornament Supplies Needed 2 cups flour1 cup salt1 cup warm waterFood coloringRolling pinPencil or strawRibbonScissors Step-by-Step Directions Use these simple how-to instructions to make your own handprint or footprint ornaments. You should be able to mix the dough and create a set of ornaments in under 30 minutes, but you’ll need to allow three hours of baking time....

Let’s walk through the steps of creating the perfect pecan pie using this classic Pecan Pie recipe. Step 1: Prepare Crust The pecan pie begins with making a pie crust and rolling out the dough to fill a 9-inch round pie plate. Although making pie dough takes a little time to put together, start this aspect of the recipe early because it helps to give the dough some time to rest....

Polish your best serving platter and grab your favorite pita chips, crackers, and other dippers, because you’ll want to start savoring these cheese balls immediately. How to Make Apple-Shape Cheese Balls Presentation is important, but it’s really all about the cheese. Before you start decorating your fall cheese balls, make sure you have a delicious cheese ball recipe to use as a base. We love these bacon cheddar cheese balls (you can never go wrong with bacon), but there are dozens of options to choose from....

How to Make Ranch Water The beauty of ranch water is there’s no exact science to perfecting this drink, so feel free to adjust it to your taste preferences. If you want a spicier take, try the aleppo-pepper and salt rim featured in the batch recipe (serves 8!) on our sister site, MarthaStewart.com. Ingredients 1½ to 2 ounces of tequila ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 4 ounces Topo Chico (You can use another sparkling mineral water brand here, but Texas natives will argue nothing else compares....

12 More Outdoor Bar Ideas What You Need: 1×10 pine, 3 pieces cut to 50 inches1×4 pine, cut to 50 inches1×2 pine, cut to 50 inches100- and 200-grit sandpaperExterior white latex paint2-inch finishing brushes (2)StainExterior polyurethane30-inch barstools (2)Straight-side wood trayLevel18-inch ruler1-5/8-inch screwsScrewdriverVintage soda boxes (2) Before You Begin: Sand and Prep Sand all board cuts. Cover one 1×10 board, the 1×4 board, and both barstools with two or three coats of paint....

A medium-sized variety that grows fruits around 15 pounds, ‘New England Cheddar’ gets its name from its appearance: The pumpkin’s shape resembles a cheese wheel. Despite its “cheesy” name, you can use this pumpkin variety in your favorite pumpkin pie or quick bread recipe. In addition to being a tasty eating variety, ‘Porcelain Doll’ has a unique pink color with deep ribs, so it also looks pretty on a front porch with other fall decorations....

Name: Asclepias Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry to medium well-drained soil Size: Up to 30 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Name: Tradescantia Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in dry to medium well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 4-9 Name: Eryngium yuccifolium Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry to medium well-drained soil Size: Up to 5 feet tall Zones: 3-8 Name: Lysimachia ciliata Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist well-drained soil Size: Up to 2 feet tall Zones: 3-9 Name: Rosa Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moist well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 feet Zones: 5-9 Name: Zizia aurea Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in medium moist well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 3-8 Name: Heliopsis helianthoides Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry to medium well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 3-9 Name: Silene stellata Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in dry to medium moist well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 5-8 Name: Achillea millefolium Growing Conditions: Full sun in dry to medium well-drained sandy soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 3-9 Name: Liatris...

Try beech mushrooms in our Sautéed Mushroom Medley recipe. Try cremini in these Mushroom Enchiladas. Try enoki mushrooms in our Mushroom Salad with Soy Vinaigrette recipe. Try our Morel Mushroom Pizza recipe. Try portobello mushrooms in this meat-free pot roast recipe. Try this Hoisin-Garlic Mushroom recipe.