DIY Life

There are two kinds of Thanksgiving chefs: those who stuff and those who... well, don't stuff. To get down to the bottom of stuffing, dressing and everything-related, our friends at Holidash have a few helpful tips:

If you follow cooking shows through the holiday season, you've probably heard that it's bad, bad, bad to stuff a bird -- especially if you've talked to Alton Brown. Adding a good pile of stuffing lengthens a turkey's cooking time and increases the possibility of having a dry and overcooked meal. But ... but stuffing tastes so good.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to follow the advice of the professionals without losing the flavor many of us have grown to love. In the above link, Alton suggests tossing the stuffing in the turkey drippings post-roast, and letting it sit in the turkey while it rests. But there's an easier way, especially if you want your stuffing flavorful and crisp, rather than just juicy.

So -- you're craving a ham sandwich but notice your bread is going a bit stale. Don't worry --- it's not bird food quite yet; you still have time to save it! Place a stick of fresh celery in the bag and store the bread for a few hours. Next time you pull it out, you'll notice the bread is fresher than before, and your celery hasn't changed a bit! Add some peanut butter and you've got yourself a fresh, non-stale meal (but don't tell the birds we told you!).

And since we're talking bread, did you see Monday's video tutorial on How to Make a French Baguette? So easy, yet so scrumptious. Luckily, our stale bread hack works equally well for any sort of bread, so if you happen to make a fresh baguette and haven't had time to devour it, you know what to do!

Proof that celery can work wonders both for your diet and your starch!

Hosting the holidays, but have an unsightly burn on your carpet? No worries -- Kelly Edwards is here to show you how easy it is to fix a carpet burn with just a few simple tools and the easy tips from this video:



1. Trim away the burned fibers using scissors or a sharp blade.
2. Scrape a razor blade across the clean part of the carpet to loosen some fibers.
3. Gather the loosened fibers.
4. Fill the burn hole with super glue.
5. Using tweezers, push the carpet fibers into the glue until the hole is filled. Allow glue to dry completely.
6. Brush away the excess fibers and fluff up the glued fibers to match the rest of the carpet.

Done and done! Now you can host your family gathering burn-free, and no one will even notice you had an unsightly burn in the first place. Thanks, Kelly!

Who, me? Yes. I'll admit it -- I'm a cookie monster and am seeking help. I like to keep our cookie jar stocked and fresh, and although there usually isn't much of a chance for stale cookies in our home, it does happen time and again. Turns out my grandma has a secret trick for keeping cookies fresh longer --- a wad of tissue paper!

Simply wad up the tissue paper and place it at the bottom of the cookie jar, then pile the cookie goodness on top! We both have no idea why it works, but can vouch for the fact that it does!

And of course, you'll need a yummy recipe to try out our tip, won't you? Try these peanut butter butterscotch cookies from Cooks.com; they are simply delicious!:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Nestles Butterscotch morsels
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Enjoy!

In case you missed the hit movie Julie and Julia this year, you still have time to brush up on your cooking knowledge! Holidash has a Julia Child-inspired Thanksgiving for all of your aspiring chefs! Check it out!:

* Roast Turkey: Most of her technique is pretty classic, but she does add a twist with a slow-simmered giblet gravy.
* Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Regular mashed taters are fine, but Julia knew long ago that a little garlic would make them divine.
* Stuffed Pumpkin: Rather than stuffing your turkey, you could stuff and roast a nice, orange pumpkin.
* Dressing: Julia preferred to keep the dressing out of the turkey, so pull out a casserole dish for this one -- or the pumpkin above.
* Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese: A so-called favorite of Julia & Julia star Amy Adams.
* Apple Tart: When the meal is good and done, wrap it up with a classic apple tart.

And don't forget -- no Child feast is complete without some strong libations to wash it all down!

Enjoy!

Planning a dinner party, but can't stand the sight of your dull pots and pans? Follow this simple tip to bring the shine back onto your pot rack (and make your home smell fresher than an autumn orchard!):

Boil a few apples and/or apple peels in water to get that aluminum shiny and new. That's it! Easy enough, right?

Have a few other pans to clean? Follow this easy guide:
Cast Iron pans: Wipe out with a damp cloth rather than completely wash them, dry completely to prevent rust.
Copper pans: Dip the bottom of the pot in leftover pickle juice. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes and rinse well.
Burnt pots & pans: Make a paste from equal parts water & baking soda, rub into burnt area and let it sit for an hour!
Enamel ware: To remove discoloration, mix equal parts salt and vinegar, clean area & let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse well.

Why not print this out and tape it to the inside of your kitchen cabinet for a no-fail cheat sheet? Happy cleaning!

Brr.... the weather is getting chillier by the second. Time to winterize with these handy tips from our friends at ShelterPop!:

Doors
1. Check to see if your door is out of alignment. If it's uneven at the bottom or along the side then you'll have gaps that allow cool air in. You also won't get a good seal if you apply weatherstripping. Check the hinges and adjust the strike plates and latches to bring your door back to alignment.
2. If your door doesn't have a bristle sweep at the bottom, consider adding one. It will help insulate and keep the floors cleaner.
3. Check the door threshold and replace it if it's worn.
4. If the rubber sweep at the base of your garage door is worn or too compressed, replace it.
5. Rubber compression strips are great for patio and sliding glass doors.
6. Replace screens on storm doors with plastic or glass fill-ins.

Windows
1. Apply neoprene strips or rubber compression strips to the base of window sashes as well as along the side of sliding windows.
2. Use clear silicone caulk to seal around the interior and exterior casing.
3. Use basement window well covers to prevent heat loss.
4. Check for broken or cracked panes and replace them. The will break even more in the winter once moisture freezes.

I've heard a variety of different methods for keeping your brown sugar de-clumped, and to be honest, I'm a bit wary of each one. Here's a breakdown of what the grapevine says about keeping your brown sugar fresh --- why not give it a shot and report back with your findings?:

According to ThriftyFun:
Store brown sugar you plan to save for later baking in an airtight container with a fresh slice of bread. The moisture in the bread will keep your sugar soft, moist, and ready-to-use. When the bread dries and hardens, simply replace it with a fresh slice. You can feed the old, dry one to the birds and squirrels.

From WiseGeek:
If your brown sugar is hard as a brick, you can restore it to a usable consistency by placing it in a tightly sealed container with an apple wedge for one to three days.

From WiseGeek:
You can purchase a terracotta disk at many kitchen supply stores that will keep your brown sugar free flowing.

Which sounds like the real deal to you? Any brown sugar tips you swear by?