Like many hosts, you are likely searching for perfection in your holiday get-togethers. With an ever-expanding guest list, each year may seem more and more difficult to pull off the perfect gathering. Make things easier and still delicious by serving ready-to-eat options like … read more

As more homeowners opt to remodel their current homes for accessibility and safety, those concerns are particularly important in kitchens and bathrooms. Baby boomers should especially take into account the accessibility of their homes and improvements that can be made. Incorporate universal design … read more

Many people look forward to Black Friday so they can cash in on those special holiday deals. But if you’re not careful and don’t have a plan, impulse spending on tempting sale items can swallow your wallet. If you are already in a … read more

For many people, inclement weather can be frightening — especially when the wind is blowing hard, the rain is pouring and the trees are rustling. To weather a storm safely, it’s important to remember certain safety tips and proper use of tools. Portable … read more

It’s a jungle in there. Every window, surface and brightly lit corner is filled with decorative or edible greenery. There is no doubt what to gift this person for the holidays. More of the same. A lack of outdoor growing space, limited growing seasons … read more

When thinking of food preservation, many people have visions of some big-production, time-consuming project with dozens of jars to fill with pounds and pounds of produce. But that doesn’t have to be the case. The first thing most people say to me, after … read more

Have you recently renovated your kitchen walls or tiled your shower or your bathroom floor? If you did, then you must have a lot of leftover tiles. Don’t throw them in the trash — you can put them to good use. Here are … read more

Passing through Ellensburg in pear season, one is compelled to stop at a fruit stand and be enraptured by the presence of firm, ripe, voluptuous pears. Pears can be red, green and yellow in color, and they grow in sizes from prune-sized seckels … read more

Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from “36 Bottles of Wine,” by Paul Zitarelli, recently released by Sasquatch Books. There you are, casually negotiating pizza toppings with your friends. Someone blithely mentions mushrooms. Heads nod around the room. Universal approval. Does a … read more