To Make Ahead: Prepare as directed, except do not bake. Chill for up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until heated through.

6 ounce white baking chocolate, chopped ½ cup butter, softened 3 ½ cup powdered sugar ⅓ cup sour cream ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon peppermint extract ¼ teaspoon salt

* For spicier pickled carrots use serrano, cayenne, or habanero chiles.

Make-Ahead Tip Prepare as directed. Cover and chill for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw casserole in refrigerator for 48 hours, if frozen. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake about 30 minutes more or until heated through.

Garden Plan for Purple Moorgrass

½ cup chopped onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained ¼ cup dry red wine or 1/4 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoon tomato paste ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper 12 pitted kalamata olives 3 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley 3 canned anchovy fillets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped All-Purpose Pizza Sauce 1 28 ounce crushed tomatoes 1 ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder ½ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup water...

3 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries ⅓ cup sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch

But the most visible evidence of his intrepid nature is the black-and-white checkerboard floor he installed in the kitchen of the 1920s Spanish-style apartment he shares with his partner, Jason. “The whole project cost $50,” Brady says of the peel-and-stick vinyl tiles he laid on the diagonal. “And I did it in one weekend.” The new floor gave him the graphic impact he was looking for in a style that wouldn’t ruffle his landlord....

½ cup whipping cream 2 tablespoon cream-style prepared horseradish ½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 16 ounce package powdered sugar (4-1/4 cups) 3 tablespoon meringue powder ½ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup warm water 1 teaspoon vanilla **Tip: Meringue powder is a mixture of pasteurized dried egg whites, sugar, and edible gums. Look for it in the baking aisle of your supermarket or at a specialty food store.

1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon eggnog 1 tablespoon light-colored corn syrup ½ teaspoon light rum or 1/4 teaspoon rum extract