Planning Your Appetizer Party Menu To guarantee a diverse appetizer spread, serve a combination of easy appetizers that satisfy several of the following food categories: Garden: Typically healthy appetizers made with fruit or vegetables (raw, cooked, or stuffed). Starch: Hearty, starchy appetizer recipes, such as finger sandwiches, pizza, and dumplings, are all part of this family. Bruschetta, breadsticks, crackers, and rolls are also mainstays. Protein: Serve meat or fish dishes, such as meatballs, chicken wings, or sushi, to give your guests protein....

Many of these clever cleaning hacks use everyday household items, such as cooking spray, vinegar, and nail polish, so you can clean and sanitize your space with things you already have on hand. So the next time you’re on scrub duty, try these clean bathroom hacks to get a sparkling space in less time. 1. Clean Your Toilet with Vodka Not the good stuff, of course! Instead, look to that cheap bottle of vodka that’s been occupying your bar cart for far too long and use it to make your toilet shine....

“Comfort was a key sentiment to bring into the home for 2022, and continuing into 2023, people want paints to create a calm, soothing environment inside the home that are also versatile in many spaces.” Hues that reference natural elements—from trees and streams to skies and seas—were the most requested paint colors of the year, aiding in what paint professionals think was a desire to create a personal haven in the midst of rather public upheaval....

For a city I’d never heard of before I visited this summer, Ocala, Florida sure has some incredible restaurants that serve some amazing food. Everything from make your own s’mores to soft serve ice cream in way too many flavors to choose. I know this list isn’t comprehensive, but these are what I think are eleven of the best places to eat in Ocala, Florida. Okay, really all of Marion County but it’s easier to just say Ocala....

Growing Conditions: Shade, part sun, or full sun in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in well-drained, evenly moist soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Growing Conditions: Full shade to full sun in well-drained, moist soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Up to 12 inches Growing Conditions: Full shade to full sun in dry, well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in consistently moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Growing Conditions: Full shade to full sun (depending on variety) in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Most varieties will stay between 18 and 30 inches tall, but some can reach up to 3 feet Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Growing Conditions: Full shade to full sun in well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 inches tall Test Garden Tip: Violas may be short-lived perennials in some areas, though they’re often grown as annuals....

Get the recipe: Kale Flatbread Bites Hot Honey Lamb Meatballs A mixture of sriracha, honey, and ground coriander create a sweet-and-spicy glaze that take these already-scrumptious meatballs to extreme deliciousness. Get the recipe: Hot Honey Lamb Meatballs Red Pepper Walnut Knots These gorgeous appetizers only look like they came from the hottest bakery in town. The secret is two supermarket shortcuts: puff pastry and jarred roasted red peppers. Get the recipe: Red Pepper Walnut Knots...

Ask any Mexican cook, “how do you make mole?” You’ll realize that mole can be made in countless different ways. For this recipe that uses a lot of tomato paste, we feature that ingredient, plus chile peppers, diced tomatoes, toasted almonds, onion, garlic, coriander, salt, cinnamon, and bittersweet chocolate. (Trust the process!) Those final two warming and sweet elements really accentuate the umami tomatoes and chicken. Once you’ve tried the chicken mole tostada-style, give it a go in tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, and tortas....

Anna Maria has a slow paced, laid back, vibe and its attractions and activities fit that feel. If you’ve been there before, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, you will as soon as you visit and try out the best things to do in Anna Maria Island! There are very few places I go back to over and over again. Anna Maria Island is one of those and honestly the only one that comes to my mind that isn’t a place full of family I’m traveling to....

But my kids begged, so there I was on countless nights, dragging my weary self out of my warm bed after I remembered I had forgotten to move Candy Sandy and Jelly (yep, I have two elves) to a new spot. Now that my elves have been permanently shelved, I can share the Elf on the Shelf guide I wish someone had written for me—one with just enough magic and very little effort involved....

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Hulu) and her Scooby gang saved the world a lot in the show’s seven seasons. If you’re feeling a little apocalyptic about what’s going on in the world, take comfort in that it’s not a demonic mayor looking to ascend to a new level and eat your town in the process.You’ll have to wait a few more weeks before the last 11 seasons of Doctor Who touch down when HBO Max launches in May, but the show’s time-traveling, persona-shifting Gallifreyan hero/heroine has soft spots in his/her two hearts for humankind....

Plastic Bags Even if you’re working on phasing plastic bags out of your life completely, many of us still have a stash of plastic bags at home—the ones we use to line our bathroom trash bin or tote leftovers to work. All too often, these plastic bags end up shoved under the kitchen sink. The solution: Invest in a plastic bag holder that’s stylish enough to hang on the wall or attach to the back of the pantry door, like this stainless steel one ($15, bedbathandbeyond....

If you decide it’s time to rethink your go-to products, check out some of these greener alternatives. RELATED: Here’s What “Green” Cleaning Product Labels Really Mean Instead of paper towels, try washable and reusable cleaning cloths. Or how about a Swedish dishcloth? Use it to wipe down counters or stainless steel appliances—and when it needs a refresh, just pop it in the dishwasher or laundry. In place of the sponge you have to throw away once a week, opt for durable bristle brushes and my personal favorite: these sturdy pan scrapers....

Do: Clean the dishwasher filter. Both the experts at Maytag and Samsung agree: Cleaning the filter is a must (especially if you notice dishes aren’t coming out clean). To wash the filter by hand, just follow a few simple steps. All dishwashers are a little different (you can always check the manufacturer’s instructions), but these basic guidelines work for most models: Remove the lower rack to expose the bottom of the dishwasher—and you’ll spot the filter....

“Exercise in general is probably the best thing you can do for your brain,” says Matthew Stults-Kolehmainen, Ph.D., FACSM, exercise physiologist and exercise researcher Yale New Haven Hospital. “In fact, some researchers think the initial function of the brain was to help people to move.” The positive links between physical exercise and brain health—mental health and mood management, memory and executive functioning, and degenerative brain disease prevention—is a significant topic of research and discussion....

If your family is anything like mine, you’ll spend the morning cooking a full Thanksgiving feast. Everything from the mashed potatoes to sausage stuffing, pumpkin crunch cake, and more! Then you’ll all eat, watch a little football (maybe even football bingo), take a nap, maybe even play a little football. Parents will chat, kids will get bored and try and come up with some fun Thanksgiving games to play. This Thanksgiving would you rather game is the perfect game to play during any of that – while you eat, while you’re just hanging out, while you’re resting on the couch after all that turkey....

To save you from salad buyer’s remorse, we tried and tested the salad selections from everyone’s favorite affordable grocer. And we came up with a definitive ranking of the best six options on the shelves. You can find the salad kits in the produce section alongside the bagged lettuces, and the boxed salads are over with the rest of the prepared foods. Some TJ’s salads are fine but didn’t make the cut for our favorites....

Organize Your Costco Haul If you tend to buy toilet paper and other essentials in bulk, you’ll need a storage plan in place. Clea and Joanna call these items “backstock.” Instead of storing dozens of rolls of TP in your bathroom vanity, leave just a few, then stack the rest inside a basket on a shelf in your catchall closet. Label each bin, so it’s easy to find the item you’re looking to replenish....

Best Black Friday Robot Vacuum Deals iRobot Roomba i6+ Robot Vacuum, $550 (was $800) iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum, $179 (was $274) Shark IQ Robot Vacuum with Self-Empty Base, $350 (was $600) Eufy RoboVac 12 Robot Vacuum, $170 (was $300) Roborock S6 Pure Robot Vacuum, $520 (was $600) Coredy 580 Robotic Sweep Vacuum Mop, $156 with coupon ($286) Bissell SpinWave Wet and Dry Robotic Vacuum, $246 (was $400) The last thing you want to do during the holidays is spend time cleaning the floors, which is where these robot vacuums come in handy....

Square Shapes Thanks in part to the resurgence of midcentury design, square tiles are back in style, according to Becky Leu, CEO of Leu Interiors. “In recent years, square tiles were too reminiscent of the light pink, avocado green, and baby blue midcentury bathrooms (often paired with carpet) that numerous people grew up with,” says Leu. Now, the tiles are not only getting used in midcentury-inspired interiors; they’re also being updated for contemporary looks as well....

It’s often assumed that animal protein is the only way to meet your body’s protein needs, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are endless plant-based sources of protein, as well as one of our favorite meat-free foods of all: the egg. According to the Mayo Clinic, plant-based protein sources actually tend to be less expensive and offer more health benefits. If you’ve either opted out of meat forever or are simply trying to eat less of it, here are seven delicious dishes that will leave you—and your family—fully satisfied....