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Test Kitchen Tip: Swap teddy-bear-shaped crackers for graham crackers for a kid-approved twist on this slow cooker cake recipe. Test Kitchen Tip: To make this dessert year-round, swap out fresh peaches when they’re not in season and use frozen instead.

Editor’s Tip: Pair a dark-hued table centerpiece with dark dishes for cohesion. Add a pop of orange or gold to really give your table a moody Thanksgiving feel. Editor’s Tip: Try making your own hand-dyed napkins—it’s a great way to dress up white cotton or linen.

Buy It: Lodge 6-Quart Cast Iron Enamel Dutch Oven ($80, Target) Buy It: Huy Fong Chili Paste ($2, Target) Buy It: Crock-Pot Artisan 5-Quart Round Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven ($70, Bed Bath & Beyond) Buy It: Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Round Essential Oven ($360, Williams Sonoma) Buy It: Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook & Carry Slow Cooker ($50, Target)

Editor’s Tip: A glass shop can do this for you or sell you the necessary parts.

How to Deal with Difficult Family Members During the Holidays With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, and Hanukkah celebrations and Christmas festivities coming shortly after (unless your Canadian like Blake-Miller and already enjoyed Canadian Thanksgiving), you have some time to go over these tips and prepare for the upcoming events. 1. Plan Ahead Like just about every situation in life, planning can change the entire experience. “Think of what you have control over, like arrival time, your attitude, and discussions,” Blake-Miller explains....

Sausage-Stuffed Delicata Squash If you enjoy stuffed acorn squash, butternut squash, or even zucchini, you’ll absolutely love stuffed delicata squash. This hearty entrée is overflowing with Italian-style turkey sausage, kale, golden raisins, and melty Swiss cheese. Kale, Fennel, and Roasted Delicata Salad Roasting your veggies makes your produce nice and caramelized on the outside while staying tender on the inside. Here roasted delicata squash becomes the sweet salad accompaniment to leafy kale, sliced fennel, and pickled raisins....

How to Make Garlic Bread 4 Ways To make any of these variations, you’ll need two essential garlic bread ingredients: garlic and bread. From there, you can add ingredients as desired, like butter or oil, Parmesan or mozzarella, dried or fresh basil or parsley. (We’re dishing up more ways to customize your garlic bread below our complete guide for how to make garlic bread.) How to Make Garlic Bread With 2 Ingredients For the easiest and fastest garlic bread ever, slice a loaf of any crusty bread (Italian, French, baguette, or whatever you have on hand) into pieces....

The viral drink simply has you add a splash of balsamic vinegar to icy cold sparkling water. (That’s right: The sour liquid used in salad dressings is now a buzzy beverage enhancer, made famous in a trend that’s nearing 60 million views on TikTok.) Intrigued, I had to give it a try. Spoiler alert: Other than a faint resemblance to a carbonated cola beverage, the flavor doesn’t taste like the OG cola at all....

1. Even Numbers of Plants While natural things often come in pairs (two eyes, two legs, two wings, etc.), it’s best not to pair up or use even numbers of plants. Outside of framing a walkway or entrance when pairs and even numbers draw attention to a single location, using odd numbers keeps the eyes moving across the field of vision and gives your landscape a more natural, dynamic feel. Avoid awkward-looking symmetry by placing groupings of plants in odd numbers from 3-11 and avoid planting them in overly straight lines....

So if you have a knack for crafts and are great at bargain hunting, this is the perfect way to boost your income. Where to Find Items to Upcycle Some of the best places to find cheap items are thrift shops, yard sales, garage sales, and auctions. Other great places to find hidden gems are on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and other auction sites. Sometimes you will see things listed for free, or you can also try keeping your eye out for curbside freebies around town....

With just a few clicks, you can provide a Thanksgiving meal to a veteran, donate a full Thanksgiving dinner to a family of a child who is hospitalized, or give a meal to someone experiencing homelessness or food insecurity in your own community. If you’re in a position to purchase your own Thanksgiving dinner menu items as well as a meal for another family, here are five organizations to consider this season....

Adding a few calming plants is a budget-friendly and easy way to add a little tranquility to your workspace. The American Psychological Association published a study in 2014 that proved plants can up workplace productivity by as much as 15 percent and reduce the dreaded afternoon slump by diminishing fatigue. The color green can also help to increase creative thinking, so having a plant on your desk before your next big project could help get your mental energy flowing....

1. Focus on maintenance. Proper maintenance ensures things work the way they should and don’t prematurely need replacement, which creates more waste and expense. Change filters in appliances regularly to improve their energy efficiency. Take care of your tools, and keep up with routine home maintenance tasks. Every time you invest a few extra minutes in maintenance, you’ll save yourself from having to spend extra dollars on new stuff. 2. Repair things when they break....

Homemade Rubs for Chicken These chicken rub recipes make enough to cover a whole roast chicken. You can add or reduce the amount of each ingredient depending on the size or portion of the chicken you make. Dilled Honey Mustard In a food processor ($70, Target) combine ½ cup snipped fresh dill; ½ cup sliced shallots; ¼ cup snipped flat-leaf parsley; 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard; 2 Tbsp. softened butter; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 1½ tsp....

Editor’s Tip: If you use edible items, toss them at the end of the season. Fold a short length of ribbon in half and insert the ends between the body pieces for a hanging loop. Hand-stitch the body pieces together, catching feet and hanging ribbon as you stitch. Leave a 1-1/2-inch opening in the body; turn and stuff with polyester fiberfill. Stitch the opening closed. Create a hanging tassel by cutting and stacking three six-inch pieces of ribbon, knotting them in the center, and gluing the ribbons to the bottom of the foam ball....

“People are ready to express their personal taste and individual love of color,” says Sophie Robinson, interior designer, color expert, and host of The Great Indoors podcast. “Christmas is the perfect time to ditch trends and surround yourself with all the twinkle, all the sparkle, and just do you,” she adds. Color is the perfect way to channel your unique personality and create a space that brings you joy. Here are some favorite Christmas color scheme ideas to get you started....