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Here’s a hint: Select large hooks with a steep angle to help hold the hose in place.

Buy It: OXO 2-Quart Baking Dish ($18, Target) Buy It: Cuisinart Muffin Pan ($13, Target) Buy It: Instant Pot Duo ($130, Bed Bath & Beyond) Buy It: Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Mug ($4, Target)

Test Kitchen Tip: While it may take a little more time, we suggest hand-shredding your cheeses. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coasted in starches that don’t allow the cheese to melt as well. Test Kitchen Tip: The secret is in the bread. Day-old French bread or challah bread produces a golden, crisp outside and soft, tender inside.

1. How to Keep Your Food Safe Food safety should always be first and foremost on your mind in the kitchen. After all, no one ever wants to get sick when it can be avoided by following just a few easy guidelines. Always be sure to avoid cross-contamination, keep everything clean (including your hands), and store and thaw food safely so you can keep yourself, friends, and family healthy. 2. How to Safely Use a Chef’s Knife Almost every recipe calls for chopping, slicing, or dicing in some way....

How to Make Cloud Bread There are a few different versions out there that don’t require any added dairy or sugar, but I found our Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen-developed recipe with all the ingredients to be the perfect way to get my bread fix without adding a bunch of carbs to my meal. To start, you’ll gather your eggs, softened cream cheese (make sure you set it out for about 30 minutes), cream of tartar, salt, and sugar....

1. Plant a Variety of Blue Flowers True blue is an uncommon color in the botanical world because plants don’t make any true blue pigments. But there are plenty of show-stopping blue-ish flowers and foliage that come close. For containers, I like to plant drought-resistant salvia in shades of blue such as ‘Black & Blue’ salvia; delicate and spreading lobelia such as ‘Laguna Sky Blue’, and long-blooming summer snapdragon (try ‘Angelface Blue’)....

Spring Planting Overplant the bed with these perennials, annuals, and shrubs: A. Weigela ‘Red Prince’ B. ‘Isanti’ dogwood C. Sedum ‘Matron’ D. St.-John’s-Wort E. ‘Red Flare’ sage F. Lamb’s-ears G. Veronica ‘Goodness Grows’ H. Rudbeckia ‘Goldilocks’ Bulbs for Moist Soils A. ‘Tahiti’ daffodil B. ‘Lady Margot’ tulip C. Allium sphaerocephalon D. ‘Sorbet’ Lily E. Lilium tenuifolium F. ‘La Toya’ lily G. ‘Jan Reus’ tulip H. ‘Jetfire’ daffodil I. Buttercup mix J....

Along with watching the show for ideas, you can actually experience what it’s like to be in an episode firsthand through Stranger Things: The Experience, an immersive popup adventure for fans in select cities worldwide. The Experience is an opportunity to participate in an interactive storyline and indulge in ’80s nostalgia with merchandise, food and drinks, photo ops, and sets with special effects—and of course the decor there is completely in line with what appears on the show....

Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Dough There are a lot of flour substitutes on the market today, but if you’re new to the gluten-free scene, do yourself a favor and make this easy homemade gluten-free flour mix. By using a gluten-free flour mix, you’ll have the best chance of replicating the same texture and consistency in recipes calling for all-purpose flour. Our gluten-free pizza crust is made just like its wheat-filled counterparts (yeast included!...

1. Hide Your Problems Your backyard is often the spot where you and your family retreat. But if you’re like most homeowners, it’s also where you stash your garbage cans, build your compost pile, and find a spot for necessities like hoses and air conditioning units. Those eyesores can actually turn out to be positive attributes. Problems may be loosely defined, too. For example, if privacy is an issue, you may want to install some dense evergreens....

1. Treating Broadleaf Weeds When It’s Dry Dandelions, clover, and creeping Charlie are some of the most common broadleaf weeds you’ll encounter, but plenty of other plants can invade quickly and spread relentlessly. To keep them in check, you may decide to use a granular weed-and-feed product or spray an organic liquid broadleaf weed killer. The right time: To treat actively growing weeds, apply granular products on a dewy morning or spot treat them with an organic herbicide ($13, The Home Depot) on a warm, sunny day....

My grandfather was an antiques “picker”—he loved to repurpose items back to their original glory. He’d sometimes refer to his creations as “snazzy little things,” so naturally I had the perfect name for my blog. For a while, I didn’t realize then how much influence he had on my ability to see the beauty in what some would consider junk. I’m so honored that Better Homes & Gardens chose one of my projects, the DIY dog crate cover shown above, to feature in the January 2017 “I Did It!...

1. Start with a Small Space If you’re a beginner gardener, start small. It’s better to be thrilled by what you produce in a small garden than be frustrated by the time commitment a big one requires. It’s also best to learn a few gardening basics before investing tons of time and money in this new hobby. You’ll get a feeling for how much time gardening takes. You’ll find out if you like spending time outside planting, watering, and weeding....

Interior stylist Lindsay Emmenecker recommends saving on accessories as well. She likes used books as decorative space fillers: “Turn your books backward to add a nice neutral texture that won’t compete with the valued pieces you want front and center.”

Milk Jug Watering Can Need to water a large potted plant, but don’t have a watering can? Simply make one yourself by drilling holes in the top front of a plastic milk jug, opposite the handle. Fill the jug with water and use on plants as needed. Wine Bottle Irrigator Don’t let your houseplants die because you forgot to water them. Our favorite self-watering hack is making an irrigator from an empty wine bottle—it’s super simple to do....

Although often used in rural settings, picket fences can be a useful, beautiful part of several garden types and settings, offering a range of practical uses and accents. Here are a few creative ideas to consider for picket fences. Place the picket fence farther inside property line. Many picket fences are sited right at the edge of a yard, in the slim space between the sidewalk and the property’s edge....

Japanese design, grounded in simplicity and a connection to nature, features clean lines, rough-hewn textures, a neutral palette, and minimal styling. For Keiji Ashizawa, architect and product designer of Keiji Ashizawa Design in Tokyo, the word that comes to mind is harmony. “We are trying to harmonize, always. We harmonize the color palette and the materials,” Ashizawa says, citing the importance of complementary shades and textures. Simplicity is also key, says Masa Kaneko of Crafits Design Studio and Ippin Project in Brooklyn, NY....