To add personality to a plain vanilla room consider installing two corbels, or wooden brackets to frame a doorway or opening to add interest and appeal. In an older home the bracket may be ornate as part of an architectural feature of the room, and usually painted or finished like the woodwork. They’re often sold…
Do It Yourself: Lay Vinyl Sheet Flooring
A seamless vinyl floor in a room can create a stunning backdrop for furnishings, whether installed a kitchen, bathroom or any living space. And the choices of colors, patterns and designs has never been greater, many mimicking materials like stone, quartz and planks of embossed wood in small to large formats. The new designs are…
How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon
Digging face first into a giant slice of watermelon on a hot summer day is one of those essential summertime food experiences. A good ol’ wedge of watermelon — all juicy, sweet and crisp — can be a serious thirst quencher when the sun is high in the sky. Unfortunately, it’s all-too-possible to end up with a less-than-perfect…
Flight Canceled or Delayed? Beware the Gotchas
Unless you live on some remote planet, you know the equation that dominates the current air travel scene: Surging demand plus unprepared industry equals chaos. This year has seen an unparalleled rate of flight cancellations and delays, with no immediate fix on the horizon beyond wholesale pre-emptive cancellations. So if, like me, you’re holding to…
A Handful of Ingredients Transform Into the Most Perfect, Creamy, Cheesy Pasta
Pasta with just butter and cheese might seem simple, but it actually has a fancy name when served in restaurants — fettuccine alfredo. To make this dish at home, use authentic Parmesan cheese from Italy (look for the Italian words “Parmigiano-Reggiano” on the rind of the cheese). When the cheese, butter, and reserved pasta cooking water are…
A Perfect Pair: Blueberry Compote Makes a Beautiful Topping for Panna Cotta
Blueberries peak in the Midwest in July. I buy big boxes of the large, super sweet berries at the local farmers market. At home, I rinse, sort and pat them dry before freezing the berries on sheet pans. Once frozen solid, I transfer the berries to freezer bags for easier storage. This summer, I’m combining…
Taking the Kids: 10 Ways to De-stress Summer Travel
Take a deep, cleansing breath. Even if you’ve never been to a yoga class, you are going to need all the relaxation techniques out there to get through the hurdles (read that aggravation) that you must endure to travel this summer. What happened to just hopping on a plane or jumping in the car to…
This Sweet Treat Is Perfect for Kids and Adults Alike
Lightly sweetened Greek yogurt gets studded with fresh strawberries and chocolate chips then frozen so you can break it into chunks just like chocolate bark (but healthier!). Use full-fat yogurt to ensure the creamiest bark possible. Strawberry & Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Bark Makes 32 pieces Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 3 hours, 10 minutes…
Ask the Builder: Solving Sewer Gas Mysteries
I’ve always loved doing plumbing work because it’s a true three-dimensional puzzle. I’ve been a master plumber since 1981, and I always say if you have a daughter, son or grandchild who wants to have a rewarding career that provides significant income, point them to a trade school that teaches this craft. Today I want…
Vernazza: Lorenzo’s View
Vernazza’s strollable breakwater creates a little harbor, rare on this rugged Italian Riviera coastline. Grabbing a comfortable hollow in a boulder on the tip, I study the arrangement man and nature have carved out here over the last thousand years. Crumpled hills come with topographical lines: a terraced, green bouquet of cactus, grapevines, and olive…
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