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Situated across the Midwest and the South, these three homes demonstrate how location impacts price. Ranging from three to five bedrooms, the spacious houses were built for larger families and all cost around $510,000. Each home has unique features and design elements that set it apart from the rest. From an in-home guest suite to a lower-level lounge area complete with a wet bar, you’ll love the grand details these homes have to offer....

Best Vegetables to Roast When it comes to roasting, not all vegetables are created equal. Before you preheat your oven, make sure you’re choosing good veggies to roast for the best and most delicious results. Vegetables such as onions, potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, and other hearty root vegetables work well. Tender vegetables, such as asparagus and mushrooms, also transform in the heat of the oven. Vegetables to Avoid Roasting Green beans, broccoli, and other green-hue vegetables are not as well-suited for roasting because they tend to turn olive green, and the green beans shrivel before becoming tender....

You’ll Need: 12 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 25 tomatoes)3 tablespoons packed brown sugar2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons salt1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped1 cup lightly packed assorted fresh herbs (such as oregano, thyme, parsley, or Italian parsley), chopped6 tablespoons lemon juice Step 1: Peel the Tomatoes Start with firm, unblemished tomatoes and wash them in cold water.To remove the skins, dip the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds or until the skins start to split....

Benefits of Mulch There are some advantages to adding mulch to your garden. In the summer, mulch helps the soil hold moisture, so you don’t have to water as often. Soil also tends to dry out faster and harden in the hot sun. Mulch will help protect the ground from baking in direct sunlight and keep your plants happy. Mulch also prevents weeds. Adding it to your planting bed will block light from reaching the soil, keeping many kinds of weed seeds from sprouting....

Types of Mortar Mortars are similar to concrete but have more compressive strength and are formulated to bond masonry units, seal them, and account for small differences in their sizes. Lime is added to increase the water-retention properties of the mix and to make it more workable. Mortar is thus classified in the following types: Type M: This mortar has the highest compressive strength. It is the best choice for masonry that’s below grade, subject to frost heave, or in contact with the earth, such as retaining walls and walks....

Tips for Choosing Trim Colors As a general rule, plan to paint all the trim throughout the main areas of the house the same color to create a unified effect from room to room. In more personal spaces, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, you might want to play around with more unique wall and trim color combinations. Within a room, paint all of the trim the same unless you wish to emphasize elements....

Knowing how to clean fan blades, globes, and chains on ceiling fans is important for keeping your home’s air cool and dust-free. The trick is to remove the dust and grime without making it rain down on your floors and furniture. Learn how to clean ceiling fans without making a mess using these tips. The Best Way to Clean a Fan Follow these steps to clean your ceiling fans about once every two to three months, or as soon as you notice dust building up on the blades....

How to Air Dry Flowers To dry most types of flowers, you can let nature do the work. Blooms with sturdy stems, such as hydrangeas and globe thistles can be dried just by leaving them in an empty vase in a cool room with low humidity. However, you’ll likely get better results by hanging flowers upside down so they won’t droop while drying. How to Dry Flowers in the Microwave How to Dry Flowers Using Silica Gel Freeze flowers in time by submerging them in silica gel, a drying powder available at crafts stores....

How to Cut a Mango Whether your end goal is sliced, cubed, or puréed mango, the best way to cut a mango is to start by looking at its shape. See how it has a broad, flat side? That shows you the shape of the seed inside. You’re going to cut your mango into two large pieces before cutting smaller pieces. Don’t forget to wash them first! Step 1: Cut Mango Away from the Seed Using a sharp knife, slice all the way through your washed mango on each side right next to the seed on a cutting board....

Since the rind can err on the thick and tough side, many retailers sell pre-cut watermelon. But once you master how to cut watermelon yourself, you’ll save money, be able to devour much fresher fruit (who knows how long that’s been on the shelf?!), and can customize the shape. Ahead, discover how to cut a watermelon four ways; into wedges, cubes, sticks, and balls. How to Cut Watermelon 4 Ways Before we dive into all of your options for cutting a watermelon, here’s a quick refresher about how to pick a watermelon so you can slice into a ripe, juicy fruit....

How to Cut Ceramic Tile When buying tile for your project, purchase a few extra so you can practice your tile-cutting technique before you begin. You can rent or purchase a tile cutter ($26, The Home Depot) at most home improvement stores. Make sure the tile cutter is large enough for the size of tile you need to cut. What You Need Protective gloves, eye gear, and maskCeramic tileRulerErasable marker or pencilStraightedgeTile cutterRubbing stone...

How to Dispose of Used Cooking Oil After you’ve finished cooking with oil, allow it to cool to room temperature, then follow one of the three methods our Test Kitchen suggests for getting rid of all that used oil: Test Kitchen Tip: You can also mix your used oil into cat litter. It will absorb the oil, making disposal easier. How to Store Used Cooking Oil If you’re regularly deep-frying french fries, you can definitely help prevent food waste (and save money) by reusing your cooking oil....

What exactly are deck extensions? They’re just what they sound like: added sections of decking supported by part of the existing structure. You have a few installation options. If you have a slab patio, you can restyle it as a deck, or you can add a new section onto your old deck, going either one step up or one step down, depending on the design of your outdoor area. Whichever method you choose, make sure you have a deck plan before you get started....