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Hakone Grass Care Must-Knows Plant Hakone grass in part shade and evenly moist, organic-rich, well-drained soil to gain the lushest growth. Variegated and golden selections of this perennial like some shade in the summer to avoid scorching. Greener varieties can tolerate a little more sun. Keep in mind that plants in full sun will require additional watering. Hakone grass is a low-maintenance option for your landscape. You do need to mulch it in winter and cut its foliage back to the ground in late winter or early spring before new growth appears....

2 ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup shortening ¼ cup butter, cut up, or shortening ½ cup ice water

½ cup Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce ½ cup Mexican beer 2 tablespoon cider vinegar Mexican Rib Rub 1 tablespoon grated piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar) or packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground ancho chile pepper or chili powder 2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano, crushed Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup finely chopped onion (1 medium) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce ¼ cup honey ¼ cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoon lime juice 2 tablespoon yellow mustard 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped* ¼ cup tequila añejo or your favorite tequila

Varieties of Horseradish Variegated horseradish Armoracia rusticana ‘Variegata’ is similar to the species, except leaves have large splotches of white, making the plant slightly more ornamental. The growth requirements and harvest qualities are the same.

According to Nicole Johnson, director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, customers frequently ask how to cook two turkeys at the same time and in the same oven. Why attempt what might sound to some like a crazy Thanksgiving stunt? Johnson says it can be easier for some cooks to handle a pair of smaller birds than one large one. Plus, you’ll end up with two wishbones, and who doesn’t love that?...

Historians place the first April Fools’ Day around 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the old calendar, the new year was celebrated on April 1—so those who were slow to adapt to the new calendar looked silly when they were still celebrating in April, rather than on January 1 with everyone else. These people were eventually called ‘April Fools,’ and friends or family members would play pranks on them....

You’ll need to make some decisions concerning the beverages you want to serve, then you can decide how much to buy. Would you prefer to serve wine and beer with an assortment of nonalcoholic choices? Or do you intend to offer a full bar with mixed drinks and specialty cocktails? A Casual Gathering Especially for casual gatherings, it’s perfectly acceptable—and may be the preferred approach—to serve only wine, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks....

Some people think an accessible home means making a move rather than retrofitting. But it’s worthwhile to price out the cost of an accessibility rehab before assuming that, say, your aging parents need to leave a beloved home. In fact, there are skilled home builders whose specialty is looking at a house and considering the cost-benefit of adding ramps, widening door frames, adding shower bars, and more. There are even Certified Aging-In-Place Specialists who cater entirely to changing ability levels as we age....

Why Pillows Need to Be Replaced There are three main reasons why pillows need to be replaced—comfort, hygiene, and health. While it might seem that a pillowcase would protect the actual pillow from getting dirty, sweat and body oils penetrate through the cover and into the pillow. Because pillows are used every day, dirt also builds up, which can begin to cause skin irritation and allergies. Washing your pillowcases regularly, as well as your pillows if they’re machine-washable, helps, but you will still need to replace them at some point....

How to Make Banana Bread If you’re a beginner, our tried-and-true banana bread recipe is a great place to start. Follow our step-by-step instructions to make banana bread whenever a craving strikes. It’s also a banana nut bread recipe, but if you’re allergic to nuts or don’t like them, leave the walnuts out of the batter and skip the streusel-nut topping. Step 1: Roast Bananas and Prepare Pan Preheat the oven to 350°F....

When Was the Rainbow Flag Created? In the 1970s, gay rights activists used a pink triangle as a symbol to represent their cause. The pink triangle was used as a badge in Nazi concentration camps in World War II to identify prisoners convicted of homosexuality. Harvey Milk, Cleve Jones, and other movement leaders believed a new symbol with less tragic roots would better represent the community, so they asked activist Gilbert Baker to create something new in early 1978....

With a few common household materials and this easy step-by-step guide, you can care for your window AC and make sure it’s ready and able to keep you cool during the hottest months of the year and beyond. How to Clean a Window AC Unit Don’t let dust and debris build up in your window air conditioner. Follow our step-by-step instructions for cleaning an AC unit to keep it performing its best....

How to Make Painted Wooden Easter Eggs Supplies Needed Craft punches Vinyl tape (like electrical tape) in various widthsWood eggs Craft paint and brushes Step-by-Step Directions With a few materials and these directions, you can make your own wood Easter eggs that will last year after year. Customize your wooden eggs by picking your favorite colors or adding embellishments like ribbon or glitter. Step 1: Make Shapes Use craft punches to cut shapes from vinyl tape to create stencils....

Butt joints are challenging to finish because they require that you build a slight, gradual mound to hide the joint. To make the mound subtle enough to go unnoticed, you must feather the joint compound over a wide area. You can also minimize the difficulties of concealing butt joints by using a back blocking technique when hanging the drywall. We’ll show you the best way to finish drywall butt joints, plus provide a few helpful pointers....

Luckily, if the door and frame are level and secure, a squeaky door isn’t a detrimental problem that needs to be resolved immediately. But it can grow to be a nuisance. Thankfully, fixing a squeaky door is relatively easy. It’s also a quick, inexpensive DIY repair, so you don’t have to worry about buying expensive tools or supplies. Inspect Hinges for Dirt, Rust, or Paint Before fixing a squeaky door, it’s necessary to inspect the hinges for any signs of a contaminating substance that could be restricting movement....

How to Freeze Pears Perfectly, Every Time When selecting fruit for frozen pears, choose firm, ripe fruit for best results. So how much is enough? Anywhere from 2 to 3 pounds of fresh pears yield about 1 quart frozen pears, depending on your method for freezing pears. Then follow these steps for how to freeze pears in syrup. A Quicker Way to Freeze Pears If you’re searching for how to freeze pears without syrup, and in fewer steps, use a dry pack (aka flash freeze)....