Think italian. Pasta is a fine start, but don't stop there. Italian food is often built around simple preparations of very high quality ingredients. Here is a list of things to work with:

I almost bought something very similar a few months back. But in the end, I was so put off by the totally gratuitous semi-pornographic photos of girls they were using to market the thing. I just co...

hm. In our house, we dealt with this by making a TON of food. I mean, you wouldn't want the guests to feel they have to hold back because they see you holding back. And don't you always want leftov...

I would caution against becoming the food police. It is highly unlikely that his birthday cake will "push him over the edge" into diabetes, and you can ultimately create more problems than you solv...

1. Detergent pen is basically just liquid detergent in pen form. Rather than keeping another dood-dad that always seems to be empty and dried out, I just use the detergent. 2. By "tou...

I work entirely out of my backpack, and am continuously moving around and often traveling by bus. So, I have a list that covers everything I need to get through a day, and no excess. 1...

I am pretty impressed with IKEAs higher end knives. I think a chef knife will put you out around $15, and as far as my needs go, it is as good a knife as the fancier ones I've had. I do cook, and I...

Well I am excited to see these spaces. Very few of the small cool spaces on AT include children. And even fewer include multiple children or kids older than five. I want to see how people get priva...

We did a long distance move a few years back. We used a UHaul, but we hired people, off craigslist, to help us pack and unpack the truck. This was much, much cheaper than having a professional comp...

In general, I think they are evil. I am also pretty much cheap scented lotions and shampoos, and I don't wear, or even get, perfume. But I have found one brand that I actually quite like: big dippe...

Messenger bags are much cuter than backpacks, but the backpack option is way way way way way healthier. Be kind to your back, get a decent looking backpack.

Generally, I'd be happy. I host at home a lot, and I always am relieved and pleased when a guest doesn't need to be fully babysat. It frees me up to do my own thing without having to worry that the...

On the keeping-track-of-spending note, I can't recommend Mint enough. It is a personal finance website that keeps track of all of electronic financial statements, for free, and makes it really easy...

I was able to re-purpose one as a hook. I stuck it to my magnetic knife board, and now it provides a little hook for a measuring spoon that I use for my tea.

I live on the course of a different marathon. It is interesting. The main thing is to remember marathon day! Usually, I wake up around 6am ot the sound of clapping and shouting and say "oh hell, it...

It really depends on what you need. Personally, I firmly believe in mopping as rarely as possible. I spot clean serious problems as they occur with a rag or hand broom, I use a microfiber broom to ...

Have a variety of levels of wear. Everything in the room shouldn't look the exact same age. Also, avoid overdoing it with the matching sets, especially chairs and couches. The worst ca...

Make it easy to do things quickly. We live in an exceedingly dusty town. Dust is not something I ever use to worry about, but here it must be addressed. Recently, I placed dusting rages all over th...

so lovely.

Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." It is a fantastic book. There is a section on vegetables that goes through and one by one talks about each vegetable, how to buy them, and how t...