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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....

What Is a Bird of Paradise Plant? Bird of paradise is a common name that’s attributed to several plants in the Strelitzia genus. Of the 5 recognized species (S. reginae, S. juncea, S. nicolai, S. caudata, and S. alba), the first two are the most “easily grown as houseplants,” says Dan Pogust, co-founder of the Portland Botanical Gardens. All bird of paradise plants are native to tropical and subtropical areas of southeastern Africa....

To account for mistakes, always buy spare corner bead ($7, The Home Depot). That will give you some backup material in case a strip gets bent or if a miter is miscut. Mudding beads is also relatively easy because you have the corner to guide one edge of your knife as you spread the compound. Avoid excessive pressure because that will curve the blade of your knife, resulting in an underfilled concave corner....

Get creative with a bright cord color or choose a neutral to let the plant take center stage. For a large statement, hang three planters in the same corner at different heights for a full display. Follow the steps below to learn how to make a DIY macramé plant hanger and safely mount it from your ceiling. How to Make a Macramé Plant Hanger We used a 6-inch-tall pot for our macramé hanger, but you can customize the overall size to fit your planter of choice....

How to Make a Wooden Kinara Supplies Needed 1-inch diameter wooden dowelClamping miter box with sawBlack, yellow, red, and green craft paintScrap woodPainters tapeDrill and small drill bitHot glue gun Yellow and orange cardstockThin jewelry wire Step-by-Step Directions Head to the hardware store to make this simple Kwanzaa decoration. With just a few pieces of wood and some paint, you can create a lasting Kwanzaa kinara. Step 1: Prep Dowels Cut one 6-inch piece and six 5-inch pieces from a 1-inch-diameter dowel....

How to Make a Magnetic Poster Holder Supplies Needed 4 pine boards, 2-foot x 2-inch x 3/8-inch Tape measure Pencil Drill 3/4-inch Forstner bit 3/4-inch disc magnets Thick adhesive, such as silicone Screw eyes Leather, string, or twine Step-by-Step Directions These simple instructions will show you how to measure and drill holes for the magnets for your poster holder. When you’re done, you will have two set of boards that magnetically connect to hold your art....

DIY Succulent Wreath Supplies Needed Succulent cuttingsScissors or shearsMesh-covered moss wreath formPointed object (scissors, pencil, or screwdriver)Craft clips or floral pinsGalvanized hardware Step 1: Pick the Right Plants Succulents are ideal for wreaths because they grow slowly. Top picks include sedum, Aeonium, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, mother of pearl plant, and jade plant. Step 2: Cut Stems Take succulent cuttings a day or two prior to creating your succulent wreath. Cut stem sections 1 to 2 inches long, removing lower leaves as you would when propagating succulents....

Schwede and her husband, Chad Siedlik, teamed up to design and build garden arches and arbors suitable for attaching willow branches, vines, and flowers for her clients’ wedding ceremonies. They also researched and created traditional chuppah structures, which play an important part in many Jewish ceremonies as symbols of shelter and protection. “A floral structure can be used to visually define the location where vows are taken, or create a lovely backdrop and frame the couple for photography,” Schwede says....