Posts

Step 1: Season Your Meat Before cooking burgers on the grill, it’s important to add the right amount of seasoning. For maximum flavor dispersal, our Test Kitchen likes to spread ground beef on a platter and add your seasonings of choice. Gently mix by hand, but be careful not to knead the mixture. Use our best-ever grilled burger recipe as a guide for measurements for upgraded grilled burger seasoning or simply start with salt and pepper....

These teensy microgreen seedlings are grown for harvest at a tender stage and are perfect for a windowsill garden. They’re ready for harvest and can have their stems snipped after only two to three weeks of growing. If left to grow, microgreens become young seedlings and then full-fledged plants. To grow microgreens indoors, you’ll need potting mix and bright light. Flavors range from intense, like a full-grown plant, to subtle....

You want to make sure no electrical current is flowing to the light fixture. Be sure the fixture you are replacing is turned on, then find your home’s electrical service panel lined with fuses or circuit breakers. Start at the top of the box, and remove and replace each fuse or flip each circuit breaker to “Off” momentarily. Have someone watch for when the fixture’s light turns off, and leave that circuit disconnected....

Editor’s Tip: For the best visual effect, your window box should be at least as wide as the window, but should not extend more than three inches beyond the trim on each side.

To install a wall-mounted light you’ll use a ceiling box and wire just as you would for a ceiling light. Most sconces mount with a center stud so you can level the fixture even if the box isn’t level. It should take about three hours to run cable, install a switch, and mount two wall sconces. Before you begin, make sure you know how to strip, splice, and connect wires, install electrical boxes, and run cable through walls and ceilings....

You can customize your paver walkway in several ways to get the design you want. Check out our steps and tips below to see how you can make a winding path of your own. Brick Pattern Options Herringbone This centuries-old pattern may look the most familiar when it comes to brick pathways. The unique angles make it ideal for irregular spaces, such as a curvy path. When set at a 90-degree angle, this classic pattern requires only occasional cuts and is also the design we chose for our walkway, as shown in the steps below....

First, you’ll need a button kit. These easy-to-use kits can be found in a variety of sizes both online and in sewing supply stores. Make sure that your kit includes a template, mold, pusher, and several buttons with backs. You’ll also need fabric scraps. The exact amount of fabric depends on how many buttons you plan to make. Ready to get tufting? Follow these simple steps and you’ll be covering buttons like a pro in no time!...

However, it can be hard to find affordable weighted blankets. If you enjoy sewing, this DIY weighted blanket is the perfect sleep solution at an affordable price point. Plus, you can customize it with your favorite fabric material and design. As a bonus, the poly-fill pellets are machine washable, so you can throw your weighted blanket in the washing machine when spills and stains happen. Learn how to make a weighted blanket, below....

Step 1: Choose the Tortillas Technically the first step in making enchiladas is choosing a recipe and rounding up your ingredients. If you want to make chicken enchiladas, check out this recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. If you want to learn how to make beef enchiladas, try this simple Beef Enchiladas recipe. After deciding on a recipe, it’s time to choose the tortillas. Corn tortillas are traditional for enchiladas, but flour tortillas also work....

You might think making cookies like that should be reserved for professional pastry chefs. While the process takes a bit of time and patience, you can learn how to make macarons at home. Follow our tutorial for making French macarons step-by-step to nail down the delicate cookie-making basics. Soon you’ll be on your way to creating all sorts of French macaron flavors for your friends and family. How to Make Macarons A tiny French cookie that requires several steps might seem intimidating, but trust us, you’ll quickly get the hang of making macarons....

Read on to master how to make turkey gravy without cooking a turkey, including several ways to max out that savory flavor—without going to the effort of roasting a turkey—plus how to store your make-ahead easy turkey gravy and how to fix it if the sauce gets too thick or too thin. Plus score tips about how to customize your creation, how to freeze the gravy, and how early in advance you can whip it up....

Stain is a great option for sealing the deck against moisture, but it isn’t as effective as paint against harmful UV radiation, which can damage the wood fibers and make the deck more prone to cracking and warping. Also, keep in mind that a deck can and should be refinished when you start to see signs of wear and tear, like chipped or peeling paint. Follow these steps to learn how to paint a deck the right way....

Replacing your cabinets is the most expensive option—cabinetry constitutes nearly three-quarters of the price of a new kitchen. Stock cabinets are the least expensive option if replacing cabinetry. Refacing is another option. Adding a couple of glass doors can dress up your existing laminate cabinets. Check out quality companies in your area to do the work, or save money by doing it yourself. You can spend a bit more on real wood cabinet doors and drawers, or go with premium rigid thermal foil....

Getting Started If you have a favorite piece of art that you haven’t found a home for yet, use it as an anchor for your gallery wall. It doesn’t have to be the biggest or boldest piece on the wall, but let it serve as a jumping-off point for the entire ensemble. Look to your anchor piece for color inspiration, or allow it to set the tone for how modern or traditional the other elements should be....

There are nearly 2400 species of palms, with perhaps the most familiar being the date palm. To successfully grow a palm tree, learn what the variety you choose needs in order to thrive in your climate, whether outdoors or inside. Just as no two palm tree species look the same, their care will be different as well. Where to Plant Palm Trees Palm trees need to be planted in a suitable climate to thrive....

Replacing finished surfaces after plumbing (especially patching walls) usually takes several days. Repairing a large wall patch (or even replacing an entire wall) takes only a little more time than a small patch, so open plenty of space for working. Once you’ve opened the vent and drain lines, running the supplies, which will usually run alongside drain-waste-vent (DWV) lines, will be relatively easy. Before you begin, brush up on your basic carpentry skills, understand your home’s structure, and make sure you know how to install pipe....

Scribing Drywall to Fit One example of scribing is hanging drywall next to the irregular stonework of a fireplace. Trying to measure and transfer all of the irregularities to a sheet of drywall would require saintly patience and a lot of time. But if you know how to scribe, you’ll produce accurate results within minutes. To cut a piece of drywall to fit against an irregular surface, hold the piece near the surface and trace the outline onto the sheet, using a wood scrap and a pencil as a scribing tool....

Tiling around a bathtub introduces additional challenges. If the tub is level, set a full tile at its top edge. To help hide the awkward appearance of an out-of-level tub, make the bottom row of tiles at least three-fourths of a tile high. For a shower enclosure, extend the tile and the backerboard at least 6 inches above the showerhead. For a tub surround only, install the backerboard and tile at least 12 inches above the tub....

Hand saws can be found for less than $20 at nearly any home improvement center. They require minimal maintenance, but like any sharp tool, there are certain safety precautions all users should take before and during use. We’ll show you how to achieve the perfect cut with a hand saw and how to stay safe while doing it. Master another manual tool: the coping saw. Step 1: Clamp Material Using any saw—whether manual or power-operated—requires careful setup to ensure your cut is clean and that you’ll avoid injury....

Wash New Towels Before Use Before you learn how to wash towels, note that you should clean them before first-time use. Most new towels are coated with silicone or other finishes that block absorbency. This coating gives them that extra-fluffy look and feel at the store. Washing your new towels removes these finishes and allows for maximum absorbency. Washing Towels with Vinegar To prevent colors from bleeding, wash colored towels with similar shades in warm water for the first several washes....