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It also heralds the start of the Carnival season, the pre-Lenten celebration that culminates on Mardi Gras (which is French for Fat Tuesday). Yes, that’s right. Carnival, with its king cakes, crawfish boils, and brass bands, is a season, the length of which is determined by the moveable feast of Easter. Mardi Gras, the last hurrah before lent begins, is one day, specifically, the one before Ash Wednesday. (This year, Fat Tuesday falls on March 1....

2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ⅓ cup milk ¼ cup honey 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup butter **Tip: To toast marshmallows, thread onto the end of a long skewer. Hold over the flame of a gas stove for 30 to 60 seconds or until lightly browned, turning frequently. Or use a chef’s kitchen torch to lightly brown the marshmallows....

If the thatch is more than ½ inch thick though, it may cause trouble. Think of it as a layer of plastic wrap on top of the soil. Your grass will not have access to air, water, and nutrients because thatch blocks them from reaching the roots. A thick layer of thatch can harbor disease-causing insects and fungi, prolong high humidity that promotes disease, and bind or tie up pesticides....

“This collection hits the popular color duo from different angles,” Mark says. “There is an East Coast versus West Coast dichotomy. Then that of American and European, English Spode and Portuguese pottery. Preppy and bohemian. This brings together the best of many places and styles.” Campari SunriseSeared Lamb Sausage and Red Pepper Skewers + Mint-Cucumber SauceTomato-and-Carrot SoupGrilled Marinated Chicken Thighs + Mediterranean ToppingsGrilled Vegetables with Olive Oil, Parsley, and Lemon JuiceIsraeli Couscous + Sliced AlmondsCheese Course with Grilled PitaRosé-Pomegranate Gelato + Shortbread Cookies...

**Tip Thaw frozen sauce overnight in refrigerator. Reheat in a medium saucepan over medium-low until heated through. Use as desired.

It’s easy to understand why people are so passionate about bearded irises. This very diverse group of plants offers gorgeous flowers. In addition to their long bloom time, bearded irises come in an incredible variety of colors and patterns. These plants get their name from a patch of soft bristles on the lower petals of the flowers. Where to Plant Bearded Iris These hardy perennials flourish in USDA Zones 3-9, where winter temperatures dip below freezing and let the plant go dormant before next year’s growth....

Planting Large-Cup Daffodils Large-cup and trumpet daffodils can deliver a color-rich spring flower show all on their own. Or pair them with other spring-flowering bulbs and you’ll create a landscape destination for passersby as well as for family members viewing the scene from inside the house. One option is to plant a skirt of low-growing bulbs at the base of lofty large-cup daffodils. Choose from these easy-to-grow petite planting companions: grape hyacinth, iris reticulata, scilla, and species tulips....

In general, the reliability of reblooming iris declines as you go farther north. Gardeners in Zones 3 and 4 may see little or no reblooming. In most types, the reblooming cycle is set off by cooler weather, so if your temperatures are tropical year-round, you may not see a second bloom. Also, some varieties won’t start reblooming for a couple of years. Where to Plant Reblooming Iris Plant reblooming iris in a sunny spot that gets shade later in the day....

Choosing Containers and Bulbs to Plant You can grow virtually any bulb in containers, and you can mix different types of bulbs together, too. In fact, it’s a lot like growing bulbs in the ground. Start with a container with drainage holes so that excess water can escape, and plant your bulbs in the fall. Most spring-blooming bulbs prefer well-drained soil and will rot and die if they stay too wet for too long....

How to Sauté Mushrooms For four side-dish servings, start with about 8 ounces (3 cups) of sliced mushrooms and 2 Tbsp. oil or butter. To sauté mushrooms: Test Kitchen Tip: Make sure not to crowd the mushrooms in the pan, or they’ll steam instead of sautéing. A single layer with space between the mushrooms is ideal. Also, be sure the pan you’re cooking in is large enough. Start with Clean and Dry Mushrooms The steps for cleaning mushrooms are the same for almost every type, except morels (learn more on our page about how to clean mushrooms)....

What causes tree girdling? Getting too close to the base of trees with your lawnmower or weedwhacker can damage enough bark to end up girdling a tree. It’s best to use a barrier around trunks or weed by hand around the base of your trees to protect the bark as much as possible. More commonly, trees are girdled by their own roots. Girdling roots often begin circling at the nursery when trees are growing in a too small pot....

Gas fireplaces are typically lit using a pilot light. This small flame stays on continuously, so you can light a fire whenever you like. Although the specific steps for how to start a gas fireplace will depend on your exact model, most are ignited using a control panel, key, wall switch, or remote. We’ve outlined some of the most common methods below, as well as what to do if your fireplace won’t start....

1. Prepare the Sand Mixture Fill an old pot or bucket (large enough to hold all of your metal-blade tools) with dry sand ($4, The Home Depot). Mix lubricating oil such as WD-40 or linseed oil ($15, The Home Depot) with the sand until it is thoroughly moist. Avoid using motor oil, especially for tools you use in your vegetable garden, so that you don’t end up contaminating your soil with it....

That being said, there are some things you need to know to properly master how to use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker. So we tapped our Test Kitchen to share their complete guide for how to convert or adapt slow cooker recipes so you can whip them up in your multicooker, the one piece of gear that will make it easier, and how much liquid is essential to ace any recipe....

3 pound boneless pork shoulder 2 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil ⅓ cup chopped onion (1 small) 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cup water 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel ⅓ cup orange juice 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano, crushed ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 bay leaves