Test Kitchen Tip: No piping bag? No problem. Scoop frosting into a resealable plastic bag, then snip off a corner for a makeshift decorating tool. Tip: Not in the mood for store-bought or homemade fondant? Use daisy and tulip cookie cutters to stamp out sugar cookie dough. Add a stick to each before baking, then decorate as desired before pressing into the cake.

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....

Many of today’s TVs function as both entertainment and decor, especially with the rise of framed flat screens that display artwork when turned off. Cord clutter can detract from the aesthetic you’re aiming for and stand out against white or neutral walls. The good news is that there are a variety of ways you can disguise TV wires to give you a seamless view, whether you’re having a solo Netflix binge session or entertaining guests....

5 Reasons You Should Be Drinking Canned Wine (if You’re Not Already) If you’ve had reservations about trying canned wine or are just looking for some recommendations from experts, here’s what to know. 1. It’s no longer the new kid on the block. And that’s a good thing.With nearly 20 years on the market—The Family Coppola ushered in the American canned wine era with its Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs in 2004—winemakers have had time to perform extensive testing and adjusted their processes to ensure canned wine doesn’t taste one bit tinny....

1. Create Flow with Color In a house with an open floor plan or one in which rooms connect through wide openings, it’s even more important to choose colors that relate to each other. In this situation, the challenge is to give each room its own identity according to its function and still achieve a feeling of unity. Repeating similar colors or materials in small details, such as window treatments, fabrics, or wall decor, can help form a subtle link between spaces for an overall cohesive look....

One reader called this veggie-packed lentil soup the “perfect dinner on a chilly night.” We love that it’s packed with fiber-rich barley, nutrient-loaded spinach, and the subtle heat of fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, and cumin. Fresh lemon peel mingles with spinach and couscous, perfectly complementing the Greek seasoning on our pork chops. Create this low-fat feast for four in just 20 minutes. Fill portobello mushrooms with farro— an ancient grain with a chewy, nutty texture—as well as Swiss chard, dried tomatoes, and thyme to make a delicious low-fat vegetarian meal....

1. DIY Pumpkin-Spice Room Spray It wouldn’t be fall without its most ubiquitous flavor: pumpkin spice. Skip the latte and opt for a fragrant fall air freshener instead. To make your own pumpkin-spice room spray, gather clove, ginger, orange, cardamom, and cinnamon essential oils. Add a few drops of each to one cup of distilled water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spritz the air freshener around the room as needed for a burst of fall fragrance....

Test Kitchen Tip: Think beyond chips! Use the nacho toppings on french fries, potato tots, sweet potato slices, a bed of lettuce, or even pizza crust. Buy It: Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook & Carry Slow Cooker ($50, Target) Buy It: Red Copper Nonstick 5-Piece Deep 10-Inch Square Pan Set ($40, Bed Bath & Beyond)

The BHG 100 event on September 29 featured a slate of panels and conversations with top voices in the home, food, and garden space, including Carla Hall, Katie Lee Biegel, Dave and Jenny Marrs, Carmeon Hamilton, Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan, and many more. On one panel, Carmeon Hamilton of Nubi Interiors (and winner of HGTV’s first season of Design Star: Next Gen), Christiane Lemieux of Lemieux et Cie, Hawa Hassan of BasBaas Somali Foods and In Bibi’s Kitchen, and Nick Cutsumpas of Netflix’s Instant Dream Home discussed how they turned their passions for food, design, and plants into their jobs....

7 Wine Tasting Party Ideas Rather than leaving it up to chance, have guests Venmo/Cash App/Apple Pay for the vino, so you can be deliberate about the selections (and ensure you don’t end up with ten bottles of the same rosé wine … although there could be worse things). Or designate specific wines for guests to bring. Then pick one of the wine-tasting menu themes below to guide your selections....

Buy It: Glass Round Pitcher with Handle ($13, Target) Test Kitchen Tip: No need to water down your champagne drink. Use frozen berries to keep your cocktail cold while infusing flavor.

Buy It: Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners ($3, Target) Buy It: Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker ($50, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Do you love your traditional Christmas dinner but want to try a delicious new menu? Skip the ham or move it to a Christmas Eve meal and experiment with a few new ideas for Christmas Day. You may get some resistance, but with these delicious dishes, the push-back won’t last long. If some family members are on tight budgets, try making a game out of exchanging gifts and filling stockings....

Once you’ve decided on a tile material, it’s time to stretch your creative imagination. Get inspired by our favorite bathroom shower tile ideas to create your own unique escape. 1. Install an accent tile wall inside the shower. Look to the kitchen for bathroom shower tile ideas: Many homeowners use the area behind a range for an intricate mosaic tile showpiece. You can create a similar effect with shower tile....

Better Homes & Gardens is a go-to resource for home ideas, food and recipes for everyday and special occasions, and garden know-how that can’t be rivaled. Our early magazines dealt almost exclusively with garden topics, but as the years—and our name and logo—progressed, we’ve been busy adding to our encyclopedia of home helpers. We built a first-of-its-kind “taste-testing kitchen” in 1928, and by the 1970s, we had over 7 million magazine subscribers....

Harvesting Amaranth Harvest leaves 30-50 days after seeding. Remove individual leaves as needed, or cut the entire plant back to 8 inches from the ground to encourage tender new growth to develop. Harvest seeds for grain 100-110 days after seeding. Bend mature seed heads over a large bowl or bucket, and shake them to catch the many tiny black seeds. You can get a head start on the season by starting seedlings indoors four weeks before the last frost....