Home and Garden

Let’s be honest — washing fruits and veggies should be the easiest part of cooking, right? A little water, maybe a quick rub, and you’re good to go? Yeah… not always. Somewhere between all the Pinterest hacks, TikTok “miracle” rinses, and our grandma’s advice from 1963, the simple act of cleaning produce has gotten a little complicated. And honestly? I’ve been guilty of half these mistakes myself — so no judgment here. But listen, if you’re tired of limp lettuce, moldy berries, or wondering why your grapes taste vaguely like dish soap (yikes), let’s walk through this together. Here are …

You ever plant something and think, “Okay, I just need this to stay alive, please and thank you”? That was me with rosemary. It smelled amazing. It looked cute in the garden center. I brought it home, stuck it in a sunny spot, watered it now and then… and within a year, it looked like it had been through a windstorm and lost the will to live. But I didn’t give up. I did some learning (read: trial, error, and more error), and now? My rosemary bush is going strong in year eleven. She’s practically part of the family at …

They’re sweet. They’re good for you. They’re basically a little burst of happiness in fruit form. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably grumbled at the price of a tiny plastic clamshell at the store and thought, “Seriously? For this handful?” Well… what if I told you that you could grow your own? Right at home. Yep, even if your backyard is more “patch of patio” than “acre of farmland.” Wait—Can Regular People Actually Grow Blueberries? Yes. You don’t need to be some master gardener or have fancy equipment. I’m no Martha Stewart over here. I’ve got dirt under my …

Okay, hear me out. You know those bananas sitting on your counter, the ones that are so spotty and soft you’d be embarrassed to put them in a fruit salad? Usually, I’d mash them into banana bread or toss them in the freezer for smoothies. But one day, a friend told me: “Hang one outside in your garden.” I laughed at first. I mean, really? A dangling banana among the roses? But I tried it — and it turned out to be one of those simple, slightly quirky tricks that actually makes sense once you see it in action. The …

It’s a quiet Sunday morning, you’ve got your rubber gloves on, your favorite cleaning playlist going, and you’re finally tackling the oven. (You know, the thing we all avoid until it’s an actual crime scene in there.) You’re scrubbing and twisting yourself into weird yoga poses just to reach that awkward spot between the door glass—and out of nowhere, your sister-in-law casually says, “You know you can just take the oven door off, right?” Excuse me, what? After I picked my jaw up off the floor and gave her the side-eye for not telling me sooner, I looked into it. …

We’ve all done it. Standing over the sink, pouring grease straight down the drain. Shoving knives into that one chaotic drawer. Throwing in “just one more” container into the already-too-full fridge. In the moment? It feels harmless. But over time, these little kitchen shortcuts can turn into big headaches — for your plumbing, your pantry, and even your dinner. Truth is, the kitchen tends to become a zone of habit. We’re in a rush, we do what’s quick, and half the time we’re multitasking while trying not to burn the garlic (again). But a few small shifts in the way …

Sometimes the cleanup after cooking feels like a punishment for daring to make a home-cooked meal. You pull together a pot of spaghetti or whip up a stir-fry, and suddenly the sink looks like it hosted a food fight. We all fall into routines and shortcuts that feel like they save time, but some of those “shortcuts” actually make the mess worse—or worse than that, they can damage your kitchen or even your health. I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that a few small tweaks can save your sanity later. Let’s talk about some of the most common mistakes many …

how many things in your house are hanging on way past their expiration date? I’m not talking about the milk in your fridge (though, check that too). I mean the everyday things we use and don’t think twice about—pillows, pans, that old mascara you’ve had rolling around in your makeup bag. Most of us hold onto stuff longer than we should. Sometimes it’s because we don’t know better, sometimes it’s because we’re stubborn, and sometimes it’s because we just forget. But here’s the truth: hanging onto things past their prime can mess with your health, your comfort, and sometimes even …

If we’re being honest, most of us run our kitchens on autopilot. We do what our moms did, or what feels easiest when we’re shoving groceries away after a long day. The trouble is, some of those little habits — the “oh, I’ll just stick it there” decisions — actually mess with the food we rely on the most. I’m not talking gourmet tricks here. I mean everyday staples like rice, flour, bread, and nuts. Store them wrong, and they lose flavor, go stale faster, or, worst of all, turn into science experiments you definitely don’t want to open. Let’s …