“The water you and your family drink should be safe,” said Kim Rose, RDN, CDCES, CNSC, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Florida. “Most municipal water standards haven’t been updated in over 20 years. A water filter pitcher removes anything that the city water treatment plant might have missed, and also removes what they added in, such as chlorine, and monochloramine.” To help determine which are the best water filter pitchers, we researched a variety of picks, keeping in mind each water filter pitcher’s size, water capacity, filter lifespan, and price point....

Buttermilk Substitutes It’s important to know that you can’t simply use regular milk as a buttermilk substitute. This is especially true in baking since buttermilk’s acidity works with the baking soda in the recipe to leaven. Here are some buttermilk replacements when you’re in a pinch. Make your own buttermilk: For each cup of buttermilk, add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid....

To buy: $14 (was $30); amazon.com. “I’ve now bought two sets of sheets from this brand, and I am absolutely obsessed,” began one reviewer who said they’ve washed the first set of “incredibly soft and comfy” sheets they purchased “dozens of times without issues of wear and tear.” They continued, “The fabric doesn’t get those annoying little fabric balls and has remained as soft as the first time I’ve used them....

The Keter Solana Storage Bench has a huge 70-gallon capacity that shoppers say they use to hide everything from patio pillows to kid toys to pool equipment. The wide seat lifts up to reveal a secret storage compartment that keeps your outdoor space clutter-free. It even has a latch that’s compatible with many locks, giving you total peace of mind when stowing away valuables. Shoppers say the garden bench “looks absolutely stunning” by the pool or in the backyard, featuring an attractive resin exterior in either brown or gray that looks like wood, but is much more durable....

Where Did Upside-Down Christmas Trees Come From? Though interest in the upside-down Christmas tree has spiked in recent years, historians have traced the centuries-old tradition to Europe. The inverted triangle design is said to have been used to explain the Holy Trinity, and it was later adopted by working-class households as a space-saving approach to Christmas decorating. The concept continues to grow in popularity around the world as an alternative to the traditional upright tree....

How to Make Hedgehog Pumpkins Supplies Needed Faux pumpkinChocolate candy cornFelt in pink, gray, and burgundyPainters tapeScissorsHot-glue gun and sticks Step-by-Step Directions Follow these simple how-to instructions to assemble your candy corn hedgehog pumpkin. You should be able to complete this decorated pumpkin craft in under an hour. Step 1: Outline Face Block off a circle for the hedgehog’s face with painters tape or masking tape. This will help you determine the size of your felt pieces as well as keep the candy corn in a circle around the face....

Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade (depending on variety) in well-drained, evenly moist soil Size: 18-24 inches tall; dwarf varieties grow about 12 inches tall Zones: 9-10 Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in consistently moist soil Size: Up to six feet tall Zones: 7-10 Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade (depending on variety) in consistently moist soil Size: 18 to 30 inches tall Zones: 10-11 Growing Conditions: Part shade to full shade in well-drained soil Size: Can vary from four-inch-tall miniatures to four-foot-tall giants Zones: 3-9 Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to three feet tall Zones: 3-9 Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil Zones: 5-8 Growing Conditions: Full sun in any soil Size: Up to eight feet tall Zones: 3-7 Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to six feet tall Zones: 4-8 Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in consistently moist soil Size: Stems reach up to 6 feet in length Zones: 9-11

Luckily, I stumbled upon this trend on Instagram: Halloween candy charcuterie boards. It’s exactly what it sounds like: A classic charcuterie board (here’s how to make one!), but instead of meat and cheese, it’s made entirely from Halloween candy, cookies, and other treats. Is it excessive? You bet it is. Will I be re-creating these boards as soon as I pick up the candy I just ordered? Absolutely. Of course, I won’t judge anyone who eats their Kit Kats and Butterfingers straight out of the bag....

So, whether you’re cooking up a fall brunch for two or looking for fun Halloween food ideas, this is one kitchen appliance you’ll want to add to your cupboard. Pumpkin Waffle Maker The lightweight, non-stick appliance will cook up perfectly golden waffles with the classic square indents on one side and a round pumpkin detail on the other. Whip up a pumpkin-theme brunch using our recipe for Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Pecan Cream....

The website’s Black History Month storefront helps customers find and support Black artists and Black-owned businesses across the shopping spectrum, including home decor, fashion, beauty products, kids’ items, books, music, and more. It’s filled with thousands of products. Some of our favorites are a double-brushed microfiber sheet set from the brand Pampered By Porsha, a stone grill cleaner that removes stuck-on grease, and a Conrad Shopping bread basket set that includes a proofing basket, a dough scraper, a scoring tool, bread stencils, a whisk, and a storage bag....

Basket of gold (Aurinia) Coreopsis False sunflower (Heliopsis) Flax (Linum) Helenium Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum) Lavender cotton (Santolina) Lilyturf (Liriope) Mexican hat (Ratibida) Perennial Alyssum Snow-in-summer (Cerastium) St. John’s wort (Hyperium) Sundrops (Oenothera) Thyme (Thymus) Easy-Care Perennials for the Midwest

2 ½ cup whole milk 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 13 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk ¾ cup whole milk, or half-and-half 2 4 inch stick cinnamon ½ teaspoon vanilla

To carve: Flip your pumpkin over to access its underside, and cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin. Remove the cut-out bottom, prying it out with a knife if necessary. Scoop out the pumpkin guts with an ice cream scoop. Select the prettiest side of your pumpkin, and scrape that side’s interior wall to a thickness of approximately 1". Print out your trick-or-treat stencil pattern, and tape it to the side of your pumpkin....

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger ¾ cup granulated sugar

1 medium red sweet pepper, stemmed, seeded, and halved lengthwise ¾ cup grape or cherry tomatoes 2 pitted whole unsweetened dates ¼ cup boiling water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added tomato paste 1 clove garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

½ cup whipping cream 4 ounce chopped high-quality bittersweet chocolate Place unfilled cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen. Assemble cookies with ganache, as directed. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar.