GH - September 2022

Because every great day starts the night before. The 360® smart bed senses your movement and automatically adjusts, to help keep you both comfortable all night. It’s temperature balancing so you stay cool.† And it’s so smart, it knows exactly how long, how well and when you slept.

We take care of the science, all you have to do is sleep.

The MAKEOVER Issue

Rethink Your… Everything

From small improvements like adding a quick coat of paint to life-altering decisions such as moving or switching careers or relationships, the country is in a profound period of change. You may have heard of the Great Resignation, but we prefer to look at this new era as an opportunity to truly choose your own future. That’s why we’ve packed this issue with stories, ideas, projects, pep talks and more. Let 2022 be the year you plan your Great Reimagination.

Red Grapes

The powdery coating on the surface of these berries is a harmless protective layer called bloom. Simply rinse the fruit before enjoying it in one of these recipes from our Test Kitchen:

SPINACH & THYME FARRO

Cook 1 cup quick-cooking farro per pkg. directions. Meanwhile, on rimmed baking sheet, toss

1 lb seedless red grapes, 6 small sprigs fresh thyme, 1 Tbsp oil and 1⁄4 tsp each kosher salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F, tossing occasionally, until grapes begin to burst, 15 min. Scatter 1 bunch spinach (thick stems removed) over grapes and roast 2 min. more. Gently toss until spinach begins to wilt. Fold into cooked farro.

APPLE-ARUGULA SALAD

In large bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar and 1⁄2 tsp each kosher salt and pepper. Toss with 1⁄2 small red onion (finely chopped) and 1 cup seedless red grapes (halved) and let sit 5 min. Stir in 2 Tbsp olive oil, then toss with 2 stalks celery (thinly sliced) and 1 Gala apple (cored and thinly sliced) to combine. Toss with 1 bunch arugula (thick stems discarded) and 2 oz blue cheese (crumbled).

GINGER-LIME SPRITZ

In cocktail shaker, muddle

6 seedless red grapes with 1⁄2 Tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp grated fresh ginger. Add 1⁄4 cup vodka and 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, fill with ice and shake until very cold. Strain into glass filled with ice, then top with club soda. Serve with additional grapes.

Transform YOUR Home FOR Fall

If the back-to-school rush has you feeling a little frazzled, we’re here to help. Join GH+ for exclusive access to one of our most popular guides, the 14-Day Declutter Guide, and start getting your home back in order.

When it comes to feeling organized, the smallest changes can really make the biggest difference. That’s why you’ll love these tips — they break down common trouble spots into tasks you can finish in short order. Check out the guidelines for the first three days here, then download the entire guide at goodhousekeeping.com/exclusive-guides.

DAY 1 Purge your closet.

Figure out what stays and what goes by removing any garment that’s showing wear and items that are more than two sizes too big or too small. Toss anything you haven’t worn in a year.

DAY 2 Tackle the junk drawer. Organize your catchall drawer by removing everything that doesn’t serve a purpose. Toss expired coupons, receipts and seldom-used items. Move medical supplies like bandages to a first aid kit. Use a drawer organizer to keep notepaper, tape, scissors, pens and other supplies at your fingertips.

DAY 3 Streamline kitchen counters. Mount a magnetic spice rack and hooks for elevating small tools and lightweight pans so they’re off the countertop. Extend available space with racks for stacking plates or baskets that hang underneath shelves to corral cups, small bowls or serving pieces.

Join GH+ For More

For details on this and our other guides and challenges (like the 21-Day Sugar Detox Challenge and the 14-Day Happiness Challenge) and to join GH+, go to goodhouse keeping.com/go/join. Members get full access to all GH content (including a subscription), special deals and discounts, the chance to be a product tester and much more.

Co

er: Photographed by Mike Garten; food styling by Christine Albano; prop styling by Lis Engelhart.

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Do you remember the movie Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, that came out seemingly a million years ago? It was about how different life might look if even the smallest detail were to change (the key moment in the movie being when the train doors slide shut before the main character can enter). The film raises the question, “What would happen if you could see the various trajectories your life might take depending on the circumstances — would you wish for something different?” Well, two and a half years ago, the pandemic closed the proverbial doors in our faces. Many of us were kept home at once because of a global phenomenon that shifted everyone’s plans and realities in both small and huge ways. Unlike in the movie, we’ll never know where we’d be now had we not been through this surreal time together, but it seems like an almost universal experience that the difficulties, hardships and lessons of the recent past have changed us. And our interests and wishes may have shifted too! Many of us have already taken some big swings — and others of us are thinking maybe it’s our turn to experiment with something new. We invite you to explore this issue, packed with ways to make over your life — and get caught up in the possibility and the fun of a Great Reimagination!

I asked the team to share how the past couple of years have changed their lives and nourished their bigger dreams. Here’s what some of them said:

BIG CHANGES

In April 2020, I became a homeowner for the first time! It’s been a huge transition from a big city to the suburbs (during a pandemic, no less!), and I’m learning about all the upkeep involved with a home and a yard. But it’s been a fun ride so far! —Lauren Matthews Ide

The past few years have reminded me that time is precious, so I only create space for people and experiences that add value to my life. Sometimes this means saying no, but being true to myself fills me with a contentment that I’m unwilling to give up. Monique Valeris

At the onset of the pandemic lockdown, I made a daunting mental to-do list—declutter/ donate/recycle, redecorate, reorganize, renovate. Chipping away at the projects eased my anxiety. —Sue Kakstys

We welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Stella, into the world last year. Nothing could have prepared me for the incredible love my husband and I have for our daughter. She is our greatest joy. —Stefani Sassos

My husband and I bought an apartment in Brooklyn! I have felt a huge range of emotions through the process, but in the end I am so proud of us. —Alex Mata

I’ve always attended to the needs of other people (and pets!) before my own, as if I were the host of a party responsible for all the “guests.” Now I try to focus on my needs unless it’s an emergency. I don’t think anyone has even noticed—and I’m happier! —Stephanie Dolgoff

BIG DREAMS

If I could leave everything behind tomorrow, I would book a flight to Rome and spend a month traveling around Italy, eating my weight in pasta! —Samantha MacAvoy

I want to learn how to fly. The idea of seeing the country from the air in a small plane is appealing on so many levels. —Kate Merker

I have a fantasy of packing everything up, selling my house and moving into an RV with my family. My younger daughter is 13, and I know she will be off to college in the blink of an eye. It would be a great way to maximize the time we have left together. —Kim Cheney

THIS JOURNAL CAN HELP WITH THAT. Use its simple practices to find meaning, overcome negativity, and experience true happiness.

FOREWORD BY SARAH SMITH

Top Fall Trends — at Drugstore Prices

+NAILS Cocoa Tips

+EYES Bright Eye Accents

what’s now: Not all cool-weather makeup has to be deep and dark — designers showcased surprising eye looks on the season’s runways with pops of bright color.

HERE’S HOW: Try dotting a shiny silver or even a pale blue eyeshadow or eyeliner on the inner corners of eyes or along the waterlines to illuminate.

Sporty Buns

what’s now: So not ballerina, the most coveted buns right now are slicked back and functional when on the go, from day to night.

HERE’S HOW: Get the look by twisting hair into a secure knot at or just above the nape of the neck, smoothing the top and sides with a dab of shine-enhancing cream or a lightweight hair gel for textured or coarse strands.

GH BEAUTY LAB PICK: JOHN FRIEDA FRIZZ EASE SECRET WEAPON TOUCH-UP CRÈME, $12, WALMART

GH BEAUTY LAB PICK: BEAUTY AWARD WINNER DOVE AMPLIFIED TEXTURES SHINE & MOISTURE FINISHING GEL, $7, TARGET

+HAIR

Fresh Skin

what’s now: The skin that’s in is hydrated and refreshed, as if you just went for a jog or stepped out of a warm shower.

HERE’S HOW: Mimic the effect by mixing a dab of moisturizer into your foundation before you apply it; pressing a dot of face oil all over your complexion as a last step in your skincare routine or after your base makeup; or spritzing your face with a moisturizing mist.

GH BEAUTY LAB PICKS: GH SEAL STAR OLAY REGENERIST VITAMIN C + PEPTIDE 24 HYDRATING MOISTURIZER, $30, TARGET; GH SEAL STAR AND BEAUTY LAB TEST WINNER PALMER’S SKIN THERAPY OIL FACE, $10, AMAZON; MARIO BADESCU FACIAL SPRAY WITH ALOE, CHAMOMILE AND LAVENDER, $12, ULTA

what’s now: Sayonara, side part — the chic way to punctuate any down or up hairstyle (or texture) right now is with a sleek center part.

HERE’S HOW: Use a skinny rattail comb to form a crisp part aligned with the nose, then spritz the top of hair with a lightweight hairspray to set.

+HOT INGREDIENT

dishes is gaining popularity in hair products too, thanks to its strengthening effects and energizing aroma.

HERE’S HOW: Look for ginger extract or oil in leave-in or regular conditioner for maximum haircare benefits.

GARNIER WHOLE BLENDS STRENGTHENING GINGER RECOVERY CONDITIONER, $5, DRUGSTORES

CAROL’S DAUGHTER GODDESS STRENGTH DIVINE STRENGTH LEAVE-IN CREAM, $12, TARGET

GH BEAUTY LAB PICK: PANTENE

LIGHTWEIGHT FINISH ALCOHOL FREE HAIRSPRAY, $5, WALMART

+BROWS

Statement Brows

what’s now: Thanks to trends like eyebrow lamination, high-impact arches, in which every hair is defined for maximum fullness, are at the forefront.

HERE’S HOW: When brows are bare or after filling them in, brush a clear brow pomade or gel outward and slightly up through hairs to shape and set.

+LIPS Dewy Lips

what’s now: Think gloss but more grown up: The lip of the moment is no longer matte — it has a slight sheen to add dimension and fullness.

HERE’S HOW: Slick on a glossy balm or a shine-finish lipstick to make rich fall shades like brown, brick and wine more wearable.

+HAIR Ponytail Wraps

what’s now: Jazz up a basic pony by wrapping the base in a pretty piece of ribbon or even wire.

L’ORÉAL PARIS GLOW PARADISE BALM-IN-LIPSTICK IN ECSTATIC MULBERRY, $10

+CHEEKS

Bol

d Blush

what’s now: This season, blush moves from the background of makeup looks to center stage, thanks to poppy shades and strategic placement.

HERE’S HOW: To try it, choose a blush color a shade brighter than your go-to or blend your regular hue up to your temples for more impact. (Keep the rest of your makeup neutral and simple so the blush will stand out.)

& GLOW GLOSSY BALM IN WINE WEDNESDAY, $7, ULTA

HERE’S HOW: Just wind the accessory around your hair elastic, affixing with a bobby pin underneath.

GH BEAUTY LAB PICKS: COVERGIRL CLEAN FRESH BROW GEL IN CLEAR, $10; E. L F COSMETICS BROW LIFT, $6, ULTA

FOR DARK SKIN GH BEAUTY AWARD WINNER PIXI ON-THEGLOW BLUSH IN RUBY, $18, TARGET.COM

COMPULSION

IN SPICY SANGRIA, $8, AMAZON

BURT’S BEES GLOSS

Ready to get started? Stop by your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams to find the colors you love with confidence.

People-Friendly. Bug-Deadly.

Summer is a time for fun in the sun, filled with plans of backyard barbecues and pool parties at home with family and friends. However, with warmer temperatures come unwanted houseguests: bugs. Enter Zevo, the worry-free way to take care of those extra pests. Take these steps to protect your home and your family from bugs and unnecessary chemicals, ensuring the only guests in your home this summer were invited in the first place.

“Our lab experts were impressed by the innovation behind the Zevo sprays and traps, which provide effective protection against a wide range of insects. Zevo traps contain no chemical insecticides and are proven to work great on fruit flies, houseflies, and gnats. The Zevo line of sprays work great on both crawling and flying insects and are powered by essential oils including lemongrass and cinnamon, which are considered minimum-risk pesticides.”

—BIRNUR ARAL, Ph.D., Executive Director, Health, Beauty & Sustainability Lab

Get rid of bugs the worry-free way.

Visit zevoinsect.com to find the perfect products for your home insect-control needs. Zevo Sprays and Traps are available at stores nationwide.

17

Skincare Tips

GH BEAUTY LAB EXPERTS SWEAR BY

have amassed a treasure trove of advice they use to keep their own skin its healthiest and most radiant. We reveal their best tricks for all skin types through the years, from acne to anti-aging and everything in between.

“To tackle droopy eyelids and jowls on aging skin, I turn to serums with hyaluronic acid, which provide a plumping effect wherever you n

I keep one next to my desk and reach for it whenever I notice any droopiness in my face during a Zoom meeting.”

—Birnur Aral, Ph.D., EXECUTIVE BEAUTY LAB DIRECTOR

2“If your skin is irritated or sensitized, do a reset and, aside from SPF, use only a mild cleanser and a plain fragrance-free moisturizer in your routine for a day or two until your complexion is back to a healthy state. I do this whenever products or other factors make my

3

“If you have oily skin, get yourself a good clay mask. Clay is an excellent absorber that can soak up excess oils on skin and make it look less shiny.” —Danusia

Wnek, BEAUTY LAB CHEMIST

“Double down on eye cream: Prepping the undereye area with two layers of eye cream instead of a primer keeps my concealer from drying and settling into fine lines. Plus, my skin feels and looks hydrated. Use a minimal amount, and make sure it is absorbed entirely before tapping on another layer or a concealer.”

—Sabina Wizemann, BEAUTY LAB SENIOR CHEMIST

“For years I believed that having oily skin meant I should skip moisturizer. Not true! Moisturizing keeps the skin healthily balanced and is an essential part of my skincare routine. I’ve come full circle from never using moisturizers to using both face creams and oils to maintain that hydrated glow.”

—Catharine Malzahn, BEAUTY ASSISTANT

“Keep your face cool. Heat, whether from a hot shower or from cooking, can stress the skin and worsen melasma and rosacea for people with those conditions.”

—Chiara Butler, BEAUTY LAB REVIEWS ASSISTANT

“Consistency is key. If you are starting a new anti-aging product, follow the instructions on the packaging and apply it with the frequency directed. In our studies, we see minimal skin improvement starting at four weeks of use. Think of anti-aging products as a long-term commitment.”

—Danusia Wnek

6

“Stash bottles of sunscreen everywhere —in your bag, on your vanity, in your car. I am diligent about applying SPF in the morning, but having it available helps me reapply, especially when I find myself outside.”

—Dori Price, FREELANCE BEAUTY EDITOR

“Don’t neglect your body skin: In the dry heat of summer spent in flip-flops and the cold of the winter months, my heels need extra TLC. I like twist-up balms with rich emollients in a soft-solid format; they are easy to apply and help me avoid messy hands. When I notice dry heels, I put one on at bedtime until my skin feels soft again.”

—Birnur Aral

“Save time by applying a face mask in the shower. I smooth it on when I step in, let it work with the steam while I do my routine, then rinse it off at the end. It’s like a mini facial!” —april franzino

11

“Exfoliation is key for smooth skin. I like to exfoliate every other day or every third day, alternating between a chemical exfoliator and a physical one. To minimize excessive redness and irritation, make sure you are not using any other exfoliating or retinol products that day.” —Danusia

Wnek

13

“I never depend on foundations, tinted moisturizers or BB creams with SPF for primary sun protection. I spend my money on sunscreens that I know I like and will use to the last drop.”

—Sabina Wizemann

“Start slowly with retinol. Begin with every other day, or use a moisturizer as a buffer. Create a base by applying your regular moisturizer first so the treatment is delivered more slowly into your skin. After a week or two, you can start experimenting with reversing it and applying the retinol before your moisturizer.”

—Danusia Wnek

“Instead of rubbing a towel on your face, gently pat skin dry so you won’t pull at it or cause irritation.”

—Catharine Malzahn

“Don’t skimp on vitamin C. I have been using a vitamin C serum for over 10 years, and it truly has made a difference in my skin. It prevents hyperpigmentation from forming, brightens my skin and gives ample antioxidant protection.”

—Dori Price

“If you have dry skin, you may need more than just a moisturizer: Try layering hydrating skincare products like an essence, a serum and a moisturizer and even a face oil or balm at night if you are extremely dehydrated. I’ve found that this really helps lock hydration into my skin so flaky patches don’t pop up throughout the day.” —April Franzino

“Retire your pore strips and use exfoliating acids. A daily acid-based toner will clear away dead skin gradually and also prevent oil from building up in pores.”

—Chiara Butler

Your Home

Reclaim an Awkward Space

The alcove in this modern farmhouse is designed to make you “pause and stay a while,” says designer Emily Clark of Clark & Co. Homes. Actual pages from her favorite children’s books centered on farm life add a touch of whimsy to the space. A Dr. Seuss quote, cut out of vinyl, punches up the stairs. “It invites you to give yourself over to the world of imagination found in a good book,” she says.

Open up POSSIBI

Double up with an indoor/outdoor kitchen.

The accordion-style NanaWall (nanawall.com) between the terrace and the kitchen is “the showpiece of the house,” says DiClerico. With the help of Bo Lee Architects, DiClerico renovated his Brooklyn, NY, home over the course of 18 months. The floor-to-ceiling glass door/window system lets natural light pour into the space.

to new LITIES

See how GH Institute Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab Director Dan DiClerico used his decades-long passion for renovation to restore his 140-year-old family home.

super surfaces

by Dan DiClerico, Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab Director

The flooring of any outdoor space has a major impact on its look and performance. Here are three alternatives to traditional wood decking.

1.

Easy Upkeep: Composite Composite decking is the low-maintenance way to go. The latest versions are often indistinguishable from real wood, and they never need to be refinished!

GH Lab Pick: TimberTech Azek Landmark Collection, $6.50 per linear foot, timbertech.com

2.

versatile design: porcelain

Porcelain works both indoors and outdoors, making it perfect for socalled “transition rooms.” Exterior tiles have a slip-resistant finish.

GH Lab Pick: Crossville Portugal Collection, from $4.50 per square foot, crossvilleinc.com

3.

updated classic: concrete

This old-school patio material has gotten an upgrade. Applied in hefty panels as part of a modular system, it creates chic and durable patios and roof-decks.

GH Lab Pick: Belgard Artforms, $30 per square foot, belgard.com

Show off your home ’ s original patina.

DiClerico’s three-story home, built in 1882, has a whopping five original marble fireplaces. “They have a wonderful patina built up over many decades of use,” he says. To make the living room mantel a true focal point, he decided on a mix of framed graphic artwork and a simple statuette.

RIVET SURREY MODERN CERAMIC PLANTER POT WITH WOOD STAND, $95, AMAZON

MEL 15" WALL SCONCE WITH LINEN SHADE BY ELEGANT LIGHTING, $90, BUILD.COM

A COLORFUL MOMENT WALL ART BY DOMINIQUE VARI, FROM $28, MINTED.COM

BRUNSWICK 21" TALL TRAY TOP END TABLE BY SAND & STABLE, $311, WAYFAIR.COM

Classic, simple designs define DiClerico’s style.

Painting by Kikuo Saito

Extend your interior style outside.

For his back terrace, DiClerico traded the usual deck boards for 20-inch-square tiles made of ipe, a tropical hardwood, from DeckWise (deckwise.com). Laying the tiles on the diagonal echoes the diamond pattern of the home’s parquet floor. “Like any natural wood product, it needs to be refinished every year or so to prevent cracking,” DiClerico says.

Block the Rays

An automated shade by Lutron (lutron.com) tempers the intense light and heat that the NanaWall’s southern exposure receives during the day. “The shade goes up and down with the flick of a switch,” DiClerico says.

To see the full renovation of DiClerico’s deck, go to goodhousekeeping.com /decktransformation.

Put a pass-through window above your sink.

If you can’t go all out with an accordion door, even just one window in the kitchen will help bestow a homey glow.

DiClerico added a stylish yet low-maintenance Caesarstone countertop in London Grey quartz. Warm, soapy water or a nonabrasive cleaner like GH favorite Soft Scrub With Bleach Cleaner Gel can easily handle any spills or stains.

Plan for guests.

“The NanaWall is great for entertaining,” DiClerico says. The folding doors and windows can be fully opened in mere seconds to welcome company. “The terrace becomes a true extension of the kitchen, with guests moving easily between the spaces,” he adds.

Make anENTRANCE

Give your entryway the decorating attention and organization it deserves with these expert-approved pointers.

by M O NI QUE VA L ER IS

Layer decor to create depth.

Natural, cozy and chic is the best way to describe this Southampton, NY, family retreat by designer Marina Hanisch. While the color scheme is understated, it’s far from boring thanks to the varying heights and textures of the decorative accents. “Organic textural elements create a sense of balance and tension against the black-and-white palette, which produced a design that is captivating and filled with dimension,” she says.

Spotlight historic woodwork.

Restoring original wainscoting was the trick to giving this Venice, CA, beach bungalow vintage flair. Designer Jeff Andrews balanced it with powder blue upper walls and a large console table to prevent keys and wallets from going missing. Hooks for bags and beach gear, framed art and a vintage chair enhance the arrangement. “This is a small home, so everything has to look good and be functional,” Andrews says.

The Healthier, Deeper Carpet Cleaner TM

Combine old and new.

Penny tile mosaic flooring is the pièce de résistance of the entry in this 100-year-old Chicago family home. “We wanted the space to feel like it had always been there,” says designer Alexandra Kaehler. An array of family photos, along with lots of nooks and hooks for hiding things away, proves that aesthetics don’t have to take a back seat to practicality.

Hang small-scale artwork in a grid.

Not only do a vibrant upholstered bench and asymmetrical lighting bring visual appeal to this Emilie Munroe–designed entryway, but also a collection of petite botanical prints makes a design statement. “Smaller pieces allow you to showcase a more diverse collection,” Munroe says. “Remember that you want the individual pieces to read as a whole, so space them no more than four inches apart.”

Turn snack time into A FIESTA.

When you open a bag of GOYA® Plantain Chips, full of delicious Latin flavor, you’ll transform any moment into a celebration.

Budget Makeovers BEAUTIFUL

A dose of creativity and a little elbow grease can give furniture, walls and even an appliance a bold new look — without breaking the bank.

by M O NI

VA

Decorate a bookcase.

Turn a dated cabinet into a conversation piece with peel-and-stick wallpaper and a few coats of paint. For instructions, see page 109.

DESIGN TOOLBOX

BEACH HOUSEGARDEN BOHOMOODY FLORAL

PEEL-AND-STICK SHIBORI WALLPAPER ROLL BY THE INSIDE, FROM $59, THEINSIDE.COM. PURE WHITE BY SHERWIN-WILLIAMS PAINT , SHERWINWILLIAMS.COM.

FAUX CANING WALLPAPER BY WALLSHOPPE, FROM $58, WALLSHOPPE.COM. CUSHING GREEN BY BENJAMIN MOORE PAINT BENJAMINMOORE.COM.

JACQUELINE SCHMIDT POPPY WALLPAPER BY CHASING PAPER, FROM $45, CHASINGPAPER.COM. BRINJAL BY FARROW & BALL PAINT FARROW-BALL.COM.

Transform a bare wall with a painted arch.

If a structural home upgrade isn’t in your budget, painting an arch on a wall is the next best thing. Atlanta-based DIY enthusiast Xin Lu did just that in her trendy guest room using Behr’s Green Balsam. “Most of my house is gray, so I used the arch wall as an opportunity to go for a bold color,” she says. “It’s a fun feature whenever our guests see it.”

1 Put a pin in the middle of the wall and tie a string to it with a pencil at the end.

Giv

e a dark

dresser a pastel makeover.

Simple chalk paint (we’re partial to sage) and finishing wax are all that’s needed to freshen up a worn dresser.

STEP 1

Remove drawers and hardware. Working one section at a time, spray with Jasco Premium Paint & Epoxy Remover and let set for 15 minutes. Scrape off finish with a metal paint scraper or a scraping brush.

2 Pull the string taut and draw the top portion of the arch. Use painter’s tape to mark off the straight lines on either side of the arch.

3 Use your choice of paint (a sample can should be enough) to complete the project.

Use a fine-grit sanding block or a power sander to sand the surface, then wipe with a clean cloth.

STEP 3

Paint on two coats of Jolie Matte interior paint and allow it to dry fully (use a small roller for a smooth finish). Work a natural-bristled wax brush into clear finishing wax and brush in short X-shaped motions across the surface, including small detailed areas. Allow to cure for a few hours or overnight, then apply a second coat. Last, install new hardware.

STEP 2

Upgrade a cabinet with ceiling medallions and chic hardware.

Decorative medallions aren’t just for the “fifth wall.” The right pair, alongside chic hardware, can bring a basic utility cabinet to life.

STEP 1

Start with a coat of Benjamin Moore’s Fresh Start primer before applying the interior paint of your choice. Using a foam craft brush, prime and paint medallions and let dry.

STEP 2

Attach medallions to doors with Liquid Nails and allow to dry overnight. Measure and mark holes for new door hardware (painter’s tape can help). Use a power drill to create a pilot hole through the tape before screwing in the new hardware to prevent wood from splitting.

Wallpaper a refrigerator!

Tired of the typical white or stainless steel fridge? Amp it up with graphic wallpaper (and spray-painted gold handles if you dare) that speaks to your design style. Take a cue from this prepasted wallpaper DIY from interior designer Cara Newhart of Never Skip Brunch.

“The beauty of wallpaper is that there are almost endless color and pattern options available, so you can find something that fits your vibe and color palette,” she says.

1 Using a box knife, cut prepasted wallpaper to the dimensions of your refrigerator. (Peel-and-stick wallpaper can work too.)

2 Fill a squirt bottle with water and spray the back of the wallpaper to ensure that it adheres well to the refrigerator. Next, fold the ends of the wallpaper in on themselves.

3 Apply the wallpaper to the refrigerator. (Repeat step 2 until the refrigerator is completely covered.) Cut, wrap and smooth along the curved edges.

STEP 3

To finish, add wooden finial legs. Measure and mark the holes on the bottom of the cabinet and drill pilot holes before screwing in the new legs.

EKENA MILLWORK ATTICA THERMOFORMED PVC CEILING MEDALLION, $14, LOWES.COM. OSIAN ROUND BRASS CABINET KNOBS , FROM $14, SIGNATUREHARDWARE.COM.

DESIGN TOOLBOX

EKENA MILLWORK EMERALD ARCHITECTURAL GRADE PVC CONTEMPORARY CEILING MEDALLION, $17, WALMART.COM. POLARIS CABINET KNOB WITH STAR BACK PLATE $51, HOUSEOFANTIQUEHARDWARE.COM.

BRADFORD URETHANE CEILING MEDALLION, $22, HOMEDEPOT.COM. FACETED ORY KNOBS , $24 FOR TWO, ANTHROPOLOGIE.COM.

Life + Health

Dream

If you could reinvent yourself, where would you go? Over the past two chaotic years, many of us have asked ourselves that question, and some have come up with compelling answers — leaving careers, finding love, going back to school. No matter how big or small a change you want to make, these stories may inspire you to set off on your own journey.

s the pandemic

descended, my husband and kids

and I —like much

of the world

had one focus: survival. But

two years later, with most

of COVID-19’s most stressful

moments behind us (we

hoped), we decided to make

some changes. Instead of simply reverting to our pre-

COVID schedule, we reimag-

ined our time, dialing back

the kids’ activity schedule

and spending our downtime

together hiking, playing

board games and cooking.

My husband and I committed

to working less at night

and on weekends. These

changes weren’t easy, but

now, more than halfway

through the year, I’ve

learned that it’s these

everyday moments that

bind us together.

Based on the latest data, my family is in good company. In addition to subtle shifts like those we implemented, research suggests that people across the globe are making big changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers have quit their jobs at historic rates; some have started new businesses.

In an independent survey conducted by the Good Housekeeping Institute, an overwhelming majority of respondents (84%) said they had made changes to their health, careers, spirituality or relationships in the past two years. The shifts ranged from revamping diets (44%) and workout regimens (40%) to starting a spiritual practice (21%) to spending more time with family (61%).

“With the pandemic, we had to shelter in place, slow down and contemplate,” says Judith Orloff, M.D., a psychiatrist in Santa Monica, CA, and the author of The Empath’s Survival Guide. “That forced reflection caused many of us to ask ourselves, How can I create a life that better suits my needs?” At the same time, the pandemic reminded us that life is short—and it coaxed us to reprioritize.

Plus, humans often feel an itch to do something when there’s complete stillness

(as during the pandemic). “There’s this notion that if they’re feeling anxious, there must be something threatening around,” says Simon A. Rego, Psy.D., chief psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. “People forget that their emotions are being influenced and inflated by their circumstances and history.”

Dr. Orloff insists that no one should feel pressured to make changes: “Instead, quiet your mind and ask yourself, Am I happy? How can I tweak my life so I can have more happiness and more love? Does the choice I’m making (or not making) feel good? What are the benefits of the change, and do those outweigh the costs of the disruptions?”

When you’ve settled on the answers, you’ll be better equipped to either make the necessary shifts or recognize that staying the course is good for your body and soul.

As for my family and me, we stayed put despite an itch to move. But we also dug a hole in our backyard for a pool— a hole our pandemic puppy can’t wait to dive into.

—Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.

Read on for stories of transformation from people around the country.

Reinvent Yourself!

For more inspiring stories, simple how-tos and more, scan here.

Prepandemic, Nicole Fauls’s business, Urban Allure Events, put on 150 weddings a year. But in all of 2020, the number was just 12. To avoid laying off her seven employees, Fauls did something unexpected: In October 2020, she took herself off the payroll and took a full-time job with a veterinary company. “I let my team run everything,” she says. The plan worked. Now Urban Allure has more celebrations on the books than ever, and Nicole returned as boss this past March.

What pushed you to make this change?

I didn’t want to let anybody go, because our company is built on relationships with our couples, and we had to reschedule 85 to 90 weddings in a super-short amount of time. But I said, “I can step away.”

What did you learn?

Working with a big corporate team taught me new ways of leading and listening to others. While the type A in me is like, “You do things a certain way,” I’ve learned to allow my team to take on more responsibility.

I’ve also learned that I don’t want work to dictate who I am. I’m trying to bring that back into the culture of our company as well, giving people unlimited PTO and being mindful of their work-life balance.

Any regrets?

I could have been more thoughtful about how to transition smoothly back to my business. But I’m a no-regrets kind of person. Looking back on it, I think this decision saved my business and saved me during the pandemic. —as told to Melody Warnick

For more information about Nicole’s company, go to urbanallureevents.com.

TOMIKA ANDERSON, 46, WOODBRIDGE, VA

During COVID, project manager Tomika Anderson decided that it was time to projectmanage her way into marriage. “The pandemic gave me the time to be more strategic around how to navigate online dating and get to know people,” says the single mom of a 9-year-old. “I really did it like a job.” Her hard work —  sometimes she’d go on four dates in a weekend —  paid off when she matched with a single dad named Michael in February 2021. Now they’re planning their wedding in Turks and Caicos.

What pushed you to make this change? I had kind of flirted with online dating off and on over the years, but during COVID I was like, “Let me develop a system to apply some of the same standards I have for my work and my teams to my dating.” With Bumble prospects, I would message them, then have a phone call, then a FaceTime call, and then we’d schedule a date.

What did you learn? To be clear. On our first date, I told Michael exactly what I was looking for, basically seeing if I had to weed him out. I said, “I don’t want to leave this area. I want someone who’s not a stranger to therapy. I have a travel business, so I need to be with someone who’s going to be able to do that with me. And I want to be married.” And he was like, “Check, check, check, check.”

Any regrets? I used to tell myself things like Who are you to strive for that? I had to become a better steward of my mindset so I didn’t count myself out for the things I most wanted in life. A lot of people would have given up at 45 on finding the love of their life, but I am the happiest I’ve ever been, and it’s largely because I didn’t give up. —as told to Melody Warnick

“

I used a strategic approach to find a husband.”

“

I took a corporate job to save my small business.”

NICOLE FAULS, 32, CHICAGO

The Relocator

DAPHNE OZ 36, EMMY AWARD–WINNING TELEVISION HOST AND NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

For nearly a decade, New York City was the center of Daphne Oz’s personal and professional life. Using her culinary degree and her training in integrative nutrition, she served as a cohost on the daytime talk shows The Chew and The Good Dish and was a featured lifestyle expert on her father’s show, The Dr. Oz Show, and a judge on Fox’s MasterChef Junior. She and her husband, John, an energy investor, socialized with a close group of friends from college (the pair met as undergrads at Princeton) and other professionals and basked in the energy and vibrancy of the city. Then the pandemic hit, and the family — which by then included four kids — moved to Florida. “We wanted our kids to truly live an indoor/ outdoor life,” says Daphne. The move wasn’t without cons — both parents are frequently on the road — but the family takes it in stride.

“The pandemic highlighted how much we can’t control,” Daphne says. “But coming home to a place that feels like vacation is a major win.”

What pushed you to make this change? I was inspired by my boss, who was unlike any attorney I had ever known. I had worked in law firms in a support capacity for most of my life, but I didn’t really have the motivation to take the bar and practice law before then.

What did you learn?

I learned that the adage “It’s never too late” was true. By pushing myself to do more rather than less in what should have been my retirement years, I felt revitalized.

When Vicki Rimasse went to law school for the first time, at 25, she didn’t have “the bug.” Law school was just a fallback for her, after she got her undergraduate degree in psychology and didn’t know what to do next. She never took the bar exam, instead embarking on a career in legal writing and doing a stint as a receptionist. But a chance encounter in an elevator led to a new job and a promotion to paralegal — and a new hunger for the profession.

“I met a young woman in the elevator, and I was impressed with her outfit, because no one had been dressing up since the pandemic started,” Vicki recounts. “I complimented her and said, ‘Oh, by the way, do you need any paralegals at your firm?’ Long story short, by the end of the ride she wanted me to interview.”

In her new role, Vicki fell in love with the law. “My job feels like watching Dateline sometimes,” she says. “When I was reading deposition transcripts my boss had done, it felt like a chess game. He was so sharp; he would find little nuances. I said, ‘I really want to do this.’ ”

She plans to take the bar exam in January 2023.

Do you have any regrets? Though I try not to regret the past, I do sometimes wish I had been more motivated at a younger age. It took me a lifetime to find myself, and it’s still a process.

What was the most challenging part of making the change?

Fear of failure. What if I don’t pass the bar exam? What if I’m really not cut out to practice law? There are always what-ifs when it comes to change. However, much of life is a do-over.

What was the most rewarding part of making the change?

I’m happy to know that you can learn a lot working at law firms even in a support staff capacity. So in some ways I never really gave up the dream. —as told to Lizz Schumer

“

I’m studying for the bar exam in my 60s.”

VICKI RIMASSE, 67, NEW JERSEY

From the outside, Carina Urbach’s life looked pretty great. She had a husband of 24 years, two healthy kids, a job and a vibrant social life. But on the inside, she was miserable. She turned to drinking to mask that misery. “I had really lost my sense of purpose and what I was here to do,” she explains. “I had it all, but my soul was empty.” She stopped drinking the January before the pandemic hit, but once the shutdown happened that March, her daughter came home from college and every distraction dried up, it wasn’t long before she was stealing her daughter’s raspberry vodka. After her daughter confronted her, Carina decided to get treatment at Caron Treatment Centers, where she spent six weeks learning how to live without substances.

“Treatment feels like this weird combination of sleepaway camp and boot camp, with this movie playing all your worst memories,” Carina says. But she saw that time as a gift she was privileged enough to be able to access and to have health insurance to help her afford. “Having that time away from my family to just focus on myself, without responsibilities, allowed me to do a lot of work on myself in a short time,” she says. It taught her how to get in touch with what she really wanted in life and gave her practical strategies for living and a new direction in her career.

Now almost two years sober, Carina is embarking on the second year of a master’s program in social work, with the eventual goal of doing the kind of practical, action-based therapy that helped her. “I’m not absolutely sure I want to be in the substance abuse field, but I think I do,” she says, noting that she can use her own experience to help others.

What pushed you to make this change?

I first told my family I had a drinking problem on Christmas Eve 2019. By January 1, 2020, I had decided I was going to stop drinking. My daughter was very concerned about my going away to treatment, how she was going to survive without me. My husband said that to support me, he wasn’t going to drink either. I was dry until March 12, the day the shutdown happened in Pennsylvania. It got to where one morning, my daughter basically said, “What is wrong with you?” The next day, I was at Caron.

What did you learn? The biggest thing I learned is that I am not what people think of me. I’ve always been the peacekeeper, always trying to keep everybody happy. And I see that very much in all aspects of my life, really. And part of the result of that is never doing anything, even if it’s true for me, that might upset somebody else. In large part where I am in my sobriety right now is thinking about a lot of that kind of stuff. How do I want to spend my free time, and what do I like to do?

What was the most challenging part?

One thing that’s hard is that it has changed some of my relationships, because drinking was a big part of them. And that’s been sad; I’ve had to grieve and sort of let go of romanticized versions of things, from how I remember high school to what it was like to have a great dinner with my husband with a really nice bottle of wine. There is a loss associated with that for me.

Do you have any regrets? No regrets, no. Some surprises, but no regrets.

What is something that’s been rewarding?

As I’ve been in recovery longer, I’ve found more and more people who are in my circle, or whom I meet, who also are in recovery or who choose not to drink. And when you’re not looking for something, you often don’t find it, but when you start looking for something, it’s like you see it all over the place. So that’s been a really nice surprise.

— astoldtoLizzSchumer

Forinformationabout CaronTreatment Centers,gotocaron.org.

There’s little question that Simone Biles is a champion, but last summer, in the qualifying

round of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, something felt off to her. Eventually, she pulled out of all but one event. Some criticized her for withdrawing, but over the course of two weeks, Simone

helped redefine true grit. “The word ‘champion’ used to just mean being on top or breaking records,” she says. “Now it means being vulnerable and courageous.” Simone has gone on to share

her inner strength with young girls. Her new line of activewear for girls with Athleta features Simone’s mantras, such as Because I can and Courage is your superpower, sewn into

the fabric. Says Biles: “They can do anything they set their minds to.”

For more information about the Athleta Girl x Simone Biles collection, go to athleta.com.

The Motivator SIMONE BILES 25, GYMNAST

“

I finally stopped drinking.”

CARINA URBACH, 51, PHILADELPHIA

OUR MISSION: PTSD Service Dogs

As a former journalist and metal band lead singer who in 2012 started her transition to her true gender and five years later became the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature, Danica Roem has reimagined herself several times. “It was about going from being a closet case who was too afraid to be authentic, too afraid of what other people might think, to being in a position where a lot of people ask what I think about something,” says Danica. That transparency has led her constituents to trust her even if they don’t always agree with her policy opinions. Now Danica is eyeing another evolution: In 2023, she’ll run for an open Virginia Senate seat.

For more about Danica’s journey, pick up her recent book, Burn the Page: A True Story of Torching Doubts, Blazing Trails, and Igniting Change.

The Trailblazer DANICA ROEM, 37, VIRGINIA DELEGATE

for every veteran in need

PTSD service dogs save lives. That’s why in its fifth year, the Dog Chow Service Dog Salute program is celebrating $1 million in donations to help support the lives and training of more PTSD service dogs for America’s veterans.

What pushed you to make a change? I knew I didn’t want to be a producer for the rest of my life. Change is never a bad thing. Every year for the past decade or so, I’ve started off by setting one personal and one professional goal to focus on. This is this year’s realization of that.

What have you learned?

I’m learning every day. E-commerce is the future of commerce, the future of

After 30 years as a TV producer, Candi Carter had an epiphany once her team was forced to work from home early in the pandemic. “I work with a lot of millennials and members of Gen Z, and they’re always talking about ‘me time’ and ‘work-life balance.’ But I’m 53, and as I was growing up, we were never allowed to focus on that,” she explains. Suddenly she could be home for dinner instead of not making it back until her kids’ bedtime. Once she saw what was possible for her without working 16-hour days seven days a week, she realized that her decades of experience could be used more strategically elsewhere.

Candi took four months to see what else was available before landing at Knocking, an e-commerce production company, as chief content officer. In her new role, she’s able to embrace opportunities that come her way and live in the fullness of her own creativity.

“I can run my foundation, share philanthropic goals and sell TV shows, and the C suite at Knocking is encouraging and excited for me to do all that,” she says.

“I can get out there and pursue what really matters to me, and it’s such a freeing life proposition to be able to do that. I could not be happier.”

shopping, at the forefront of how so many media businesses operate. Being in this new arena of business has shown me what’s really possible. It’s a tremendous opportunity.

What has been the biggest challenge? I had four months between leaving my last job and beginning this one to just breathe and see what other opportunities might come into my space. It takes a month for

people to realize you’re available and another couple of weeks to set meetings, so these things really do take time.

Do you have regrets?

I don’t have any regrets. Now I get to walk my daughter to the school bus. It’d been years since I’d done that, because I was always on a train when she was headed to school. Not anymore. — astoldto LizzSchumer

$1 Million

donated directly to the care & training of more PTSD service dogs for veterans by the end of 2022

50,000+ lbs

5+ years of supporting vets with PTSD, funding research & championing critical legislation of dog food donated to military vets & veteran service dog organizations

“

I changed careers to pursue what really matters to me.”

CANDI CARTER, 53, NEW JERSEY

Purina trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

Leaders OF THE Pack

TECHNOLOGY

Ragen

Senior manager of global pet technology at Purina

McGowan helps develop new products and services to increase pet owners’ understanding of their pets’ physical and emotional health. Earliest interest in science: I grew up in a house full of science books and was always encouraged to try to figure out how things worked.

First science job: Labeling videos of play behavior in piglets. It sounds fun, but it required meticulous attention to detail. I fell in love with piecing together how each behavior led to insight about what the animals were experiencing.

Most meaningful work experience: We’ve developed a smart litter box monitor that uses behavior-based data to track physical and emotional well-being and flag potential health issues in cats. So far, we’ve helped catch health problems early in several cats.

My pets: My family shares our house with two 9-year-old giant Great Pyrenees mixes, Luna and Perry; a 2-year-old parakeet, Zera; an aquatic rabbit snail, Mr. Snail; and an aquarium full of fish.

NUTRITION

Julie Spears, Ph.D. Senior pet nutritionist

Spears researches nutritional interventions to support and improve pet health.

Best aspect of my job: It encourages creativity and curiosity. I have the freedom to explore different areas of pet health to

find solutions that will improve the lives of dogs and cats.

Most meaningful work experience: I serve on several graduate student committees and mentor new employees on my research team. I love being able to help encourage and develop younger scientists as they start their careers in STEM, and I hope I’m proving that we can do better

work when we help each other out.

Most exciting scientific discovery: We showed that giving dogs one treat daily containing spirulina and honey decreased bad breath!

My pets: Conall and Graham are our English cream golden retrievers. Elsa is our 10-yearold Siamese cat; she keeps the dogs in line and sleeps on my desk when I work from home.

T.S. McGowan, Ph.D.

EDUCATION

Emily Cross, D.V.M. Director of publications and education, Purina Institute

Cross is a veterinarian who develops educational resources on nutrition for veterinary professionals.

When my love of science started: My mom read me All Creatures

Great and Small when I was 5.

I knew then that I didn’t just love animals, but also wanted to dedicate my life to caring for them.

Most meaningful work experience: We demonstrated that a therapeutic diet for urinary problems in cats could not only help them feel better, but also enable them to be adopted faster.

Keys to keeping girls interested in STEM: Mentorship and support.

Girls need to feel uninhibited in the achievement of their dreams. Plus, STEM professions benefit from having the diversity of thought that women help provide.

My pet: I have a beloved 15-year-old Himalayan cat named Dewey. I love when he gets the “zoomies” and runs around the house with absolutely no purpose or direction.

TOXICOLOGY

Arya Sobhakumari, D.V.M., Ph.D. Veterinary toxicologist

Sobhakumari helps ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of Purina’s products. Earliest interest in animals: As a child, I witnessed one of the cows on our farm giving birth. The little calf’s efforts to assimilate with the world around it fascinated me.

Best workday: Any day that I am able to discover and divert a potential safety issue of an ingredient is a great day. Thankfully, because of Purina’s high standards and rigorous safety checks, it’s rare to find an issue, but I’m always ready.

How to keep girls interested in STEM: Encourage girls to explore more. Once you see the beauty of logic and scientific reasoning, it is easy to develop and sustain those interests. Parents play a key role.

This month, we’ve partnered with pet food company and GH Seal holder Purina to highlight four of its shining stars. These innovators have dedicated their careers to improving the health of cats and dogs.

easy ways to Make Hard Decisions

Four steps that can take you from dwelling to reaching a conclusion

by LI ZZ SCH U M ER

These days, even deciding what to have for dinner can feel like a monumental task. So tackling the big stuff — Should I change jobs? Sell the house? End my relationship? — can seem downright impossible. There’s a reason for that: The stress and uncertainty of the past few years have left many of us with major decision fatigue. In a 2021 survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological

Association, almost a third of adults said they were sometimes so stressed about the COVID-19 pandemic that they struggled to make basic decisions. “Change requires mental energy, and these past two-plus years have required constantly navigating change,” explains Rebecca Jackson, a board-certified cognitive specialist for Brain Balance, a brain and body wellness program for kids and adults. The good news is, a few surprisingly simple steps can help make the route forward a little clearer, no matter where you’re headed.

One decision-making technique that author and certified life coach Anita Kanti teaches her clients is BRAVE, an acronym for Beliefs, Readiness, Alignment, Vision and Engagement. The philosophy behind this starts with creating “benevoliefs” (a word Kanti coined), benevolent self-beliefs, to bestow helpful attitudes and assumptions. For example, someone contemplating a move to a new city should first believe they’re capable of thriving in a new place (benevolief); think about the steps needed to make the jump (readiness); figure out who and what else will be affected by the change, such as family members, career and finances (alignment); try to picture what getting to and living in a new city would feel like (vision) and then finally, if all that seems right, start working toward the move (engagement). “This way of thinking provides a road map for making decisions,” Kanti explains.

STEP 2:

Pick the right time.

If you’ve ever found yourself standing in front of the fridge in a daze at the end of a hard workday, you already know that timing matters when it comes to decision-making. Jackson recommends structuring your day so you can make bigger decisions early on, when you naturally have more mental bandwidth. “As the brain runs out of reserves and resources, we drop down into lower-functioning brain networks,” Jackson explains. “That means functioning in the moment and having a hard time thinking and planning ahead.” If you can, start your day with the items that need your full decision-making power instead of tackling the easy tasks first and working up to the more taxing ones.

Brains aren’t meant for multitasking, even though our society celebrates it. Focusingonsomethinginpeace —  whether that’s reading a contemplative book, listening to a meditative podcast, journaling, taking a walk or talking to a friend — can help your brain focus on the decision at hand. Jackson also likes what she calls “going breathless,” or doing a few jumping jacks or lunges or another heartpumping exercise to refresh and refocus. Finally, writing it out can help get your brain out of that stress loop big changes can lock you into. “Our brains will rehearse and repeat,” Jackson says. “Especially when we’re stressed, we get stuck in

a negative feedback loop.” Writing helps get the stress out of your head and signals to your brain that it can stop ruminating. Writing down a list of pros and cons also helps some people. That said, economist Russ Roberts, author of Wild Problems (read our interview with Roberts on page 52), cautions that the technique isn’t particularly helpful for decisions that have difficult-topredict results, such as getting married and having kids: Leave the pros and cons for issues that have less at stake. If you do use a pro/con list, remember to include big-picture considerations like meaning, purpose and how the decision will affect how you see yourself.

STEP

yo

As both Roberts and Jackson point out, you can’t predict how things will actually turn out, so don’t stress over making the perfect decision. “Inevitably the best path is one you can’t plan in advance — you have to learn as you go along,” Roberts advises.

4:

STEP

Change Your Life

Considering a reimagination of your own? Find insight and perspective from learning how others have faced challenging circumstances. Below we’ve rounded up books, shows and a podcast that can offer inspiration and motivation, as well as practical advice from an economist and author on the best way to think about problems that don’t have straightforward solutions.

by LI ZZ SCH U M ER

READ Wild Problems

This thought-provoking book offers a new way to address problems that don’t have clear solutions, taking cues from great artists, writers and scientists who have struggled. $27

The Takeaway: By spending less energy focused on the idea of being happy, we can figure out our true purpose and really flourish.

IN CONVERSATION

Russ Roberts

On how to wrangle challenges no algorithm can solve

Why is this book important now? In modern times, we look to so many analytical or algorithm-driven ways to make decisions. But there’s no app to help make those big-picture decisions: Should I get married, should I have kids, should I move? That’s why we need to think of them differently. Can you explain what a better approach might entail? Think of these problems less as decisions and more as choosing a path to go down. Think about standing in the middle of the woods, considering this path or that path, choosing a direction. These decisions often determine who we are — so don’t just think about which path is more fun. Think about Which path should I aspire to? Which path might have more meaning or purpose? Talk about the distinction you make between a puzzle and a mystery. Puzzles tend

to have solutions. In that way, puzzles are very comforting. We have a method for getting to the answer. They have certainty behind them. But a mystery is something that doesn’t have answers, so I think a lot of us try to push those out of our mind. It’s uncomfortable. One of the themes of the book is that the big decisions

in life are more mystery than puzzle. So we have to accept that there is no best answer. How do we begin to become more comfortable with that uncertainty?

To start, think of your life as a work of art rather than a puzzle with a solution. Part of it is thinking with the perspective If I do this, that’s who I am. That requires selfawareness, finding out who you are and what you want

The big decisions in life are more mystery than puzzle. So we have to accept that there is no best answer.

to be. And self-awareness is in short supply, in part because of our societal hurry, the search for the best life hack. Why do you think people need this reset right now? A lot of the flavors we like when we get older are more bittersweet, not just sweet. They involve some pain, some sacrifice. What’s fascinating about COVID-19 is, it’s been horrible and at the same time something of a beginning. Most great art comes from constraints, and COVID was a kind of constraint for most of us. We’re forced to take a look at our lives, our families, how we live — and that’s a profound educational experience. It has also forced us to face our own mortality and both appreciate what we have and make sure we use the time we have wisely.

What’s the lesson you take from this time period?

It was a wake-up call that we can try something different. The status quo is very comforting, and COVID was like, “I’m going to upheave the status quo. I’m shaking you up; see what happens.”

But really, that learning can be an adventure, and if we’re lucky enough to be alive, change often isn’t as bad as we thought it would be.

WATCH

Special (Netflix)

Ryan is a gay man with cerebral palsy who decides it’s high time to get his act together, move out of his overprotective mother’s house, get his first job and find love—all while keeping his sense of humor intact. In this semiautobiographical Netflix series, he does just that. Of course, because art imitates life, almost nothing goes according to plan.

Start with the first episode, then marathon-watch both hilarious and often heartwarming seasons.

The Takeaway: Nobody is immune to falling down, but getting back up and dusting yourself off is what makes the difference.

WRITE

Keep Moving: The Journal

by Maggie Smith

In the introduction to this interactive journal, Smith writes, I know now that hope is a muscle—it grows bigger and stronger the more I use it. Through 52 exercises, motivational musings and writing prompts, Smith guides us on a journey of reflection and revelation. The journal is divided into the same three sections as her book of inspirational quotes and essays by the same name—Revision, Resilience and Transformation. $16

The Takeaway: There’s opportunity for growth and self-discovery even in difficult circumstances.

FEEL-GOOD FICTION

LISTEN

Future of Hope by the On Being Project

This ongoing podcast series from Krista Tippett’s On Being Project invites former guests of the show to go deep. Topics have included coping with pain through new friendship with theologian Kate Bowler; finding hope in small things with author Elizabeth Gilbert; our relationship with the natural world with author Michael Pollan; and how our society values caregiving with Me Too movement founder Tarana Burke.

The Takeaway: Conversations with deep thinkers can help our search for hope and meaning.

REVISIT Scent of a Woman

In this 1992 film that was nominated for Best Picture and won Al Pacino an Oscar for Best Actor, Pacino plays blind retired Army lieutenant colonel Frank. When broke college student Charlie agrees to look after him over the Thanksgiving break, he thinks it will be easy money. But he doesn’t know that Frank has his own wild plans for the weekend. This oldie but goodie about adjusting expectations is well worth revisiting.

The Takeaway: Opening up to another person can reveal an unanticipated world of joy and understanding.

Sisters Ruth, Chloe and Esther have been singing and dancing as The Salvations for as long as they can remember, spending hours on their San Francisco apartment building’s rooftop rehearsing for their weekly gigs at the Champagne Supper Club. But their mother and selfappointed stage manager, Vivian, dreams of stardom for her daughters, pushing them ever higher at the expense of social lives, boys and other career ambitions. So when the girls begin to rebel against their mother’s drive, the family starts to splinter. While private dramas play out at home, things are shifting in the neighborhood outside their door. One by one, all four family members find themselves grasping at something they see slipping away, albeit each in their own individual direction. Before the curtain comes up, each has to decide whether to leave the spotlight behind or stand in a new kind of light. This is an expansive, big-hearted work of historical fiction about family, love and what happens when children grow up to chase dreams their parents never imagined for them. $29

On the Roo op by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

Includes:

125+ make-ahead recipes that will save you time and money. A primer of all the basics like big-batch cooking and freeze-ahead meals.

A 28-day meal plan with prepping and cooking tips. Gluten-free, keto & vegan options!

THE NEW SCIENCE OF CHANGING OLD HABITS

Like most of us, I spend way too much time online. Part of this is for work, but if I’m honest, a sizable chunk consists of mindless scrolling. I typically succumb during periods of boredom, though the stress of a deadline can lead me down a rabbit hole.

Let’s say I’m—oh, I don’t know, researching a story on changing bad habits. Soon enough, instead of reading the latest study on the subject, I’m pinning an air fryer recipe on Pinterest and buying a Sherpa fleece–lined scarf. And I’ve tried willing myself to make today the day I don’t check social media 34 times before noon. Yet somehow, as I take my first sip of coffee, my cursor makes its way to that tab seemingly all on its own

Unfortunately, I learn every day what researchers are finding out: Relying on willpower—the notion that you can overcome temptation and stick to a goal if you simply try hard enough—isn’t the most efficient, effective way to change habits. In fact, according to one APA survey, it was the most commonly cited barrier to making healthy lifestyle changes. “There’s no clear evidence that willpower even exists,” says Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor at the Brown University School of Public Health and the author of several books, including The Craving Mind:

From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love.

One thing is certain: If it does exist, it tends to flake out at just the moments we need it most.

Dr. Brewer cites research suggesting that during times of stress, such as when we’re hungry, angry, lonely or tired, the area of the brain thought to be responsible for controlling behavior, called the prefrontal cortex, goes offline, making us more likely to give in to unsavory habits. If you’ve ever emptied your coworker’s candy bowl when tensions were running high at work, you’ve experienced this firsthand.

The new thinking about habit formation offers several strategies for breaking bad habits, none of which rely on white-knuckling it. “Other parts of our minds are much better suited to helping us stop certain patterns of behavior and create newer, better ones,” says Wendy Wood, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and business at the University of Southern California and the author of Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of

Making Positive Changes That Stick.

“There are ways to do this in spite of the challenges of everyday life that tend to throw us off course.”

HOW HABITS GET SO STICKY

Like the latest smartphone, our brains have older, basic components alongside newer ones that developed as humans evolved. The newer regions, like the prefrontal cortex, govern rational thinking and decision-making, as in I should order the grain bowl, not the burger and I shouldn’t watch baby-panda videos with a deadline looming.A key feature of our older brain involves the “reward-based learning” system, centered in the basal ganglia. “This area simply makes us want to do more of the things that feel good and less of the things that feel bad,” Dr. Brewer explains. In cavewoman days, this helped us survive: Because life was precarious and food was scarce, when we spotted fruit, seeds or grass, our brains shouted, “Eat that!” We ate the berries, they tasted good and that in turn prompted our brains to release a chemical called dopamine, which cemented this smart strategy in place. In behavioral neuroscience terms, this is called a habit loop, a three-part system composed of a trigger (the food sighting), a behavior (eating the food) and a reward (contentment and survival).

A few million years later, famine is less of an issue for most of us, but “plenty of other things came into existence with the ability to make us feel bad,” says Dr. Brewer—political strife, war, human rights concerns and more mundane things like kid drama. “These are new problems, but our primitive brain wants to use the same old programming, so it sends the message You’re not feeling great. Try doing something that will trigger dopamine and maybe you’ll feel better.”

And many of these things are not great for us. Sugary foods are one of the fastest ways to satisfy that dopamine craving; alcohol and cigarettes can do the same. Plenty of behavioral habits can give us the same buzz: Dating apps, “likes” on social media and online shopping all provide an instant dopamine rush, reinforcing those habit loops.

But once a new pleasure becomes ingrained, it can start to feel different. “The first time you realized you could check your phone while waiting in line, it felt interesting and fun,” explains Uma Karmarkar, Ph.D., a consumer neuroscientist and an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego. “You thought, Oh, I was bored, but now I’m interested.” Soon enough, though, Scrolling While Bored becomes your new normal. “Now it’s no longer a pleasant surprise; in fact, not being able to check your phone while bored actually makes you feel uncomfortable.”

THE POWER TO REDUCE ALLERGENS

In other words, it has become a habit. Karmarkar points out a similar pattern among smokers: “They don’t talk as much about the pleasure they get from having a cigarette during a smoke break, but they do talk about how much they miss that smoke break if they can’t have it.”

HOW TO

GET FREE OF YOUR HABITS

Willpower isn’t enough to overcome millennia of hard-wiring to break a pattern that makes you feel good (or keeps you from feeling bad). To have the best chance of success, try these strategies.

1Get wise to friction

In 2017, an analytics company examined data from 7.5 million mobile devices to see how far people traveled to exercise. It’s no surprise that the shorter the distance, the more likely people were to follow through. What’s interesting, says Wood (who wasn’t involved with the research), is that those with an average round trip of 3.7 miles hit the gym five or more times a month, while those who had to travel about 5.1 miles went only once. “Less than a mile and a half made all the difference between someone with a regular exercise habit and someone without one,” she says.

Those extra minutes in the car, Wood says, were what habit formation experts call friction—environmental factors that render us less likely to engage in a particular behavior. Friction is everywhere: how hard it is to save money when spending requires just a flash of your phone or card; the challenge of focusing on work despite distracting social media apps. The trick, says Wood, “is to increase friction on behaviors we don’t want and decrease friction on those we do want.”

Habit helper: If you’re trying to kick a procrastination habit, delete timesucking apps from your phone and set up a dedicated workspace in a home office or at a café. Looking to eat less meat? Sign up for a plant-based meal delivery service for a few days a week. Like a direct deposit program that automatically sends part of your pay to your savings account, “just the act of making [your desired habit] easier makes you more likely to stick to your goal,” Wood says.

Lather, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat

Using the turn signal in your car to change lanes and kissing your partner goodbye in the morning may seem like conscious decisions, but Wood argues that these are prime examples of habits “that have become so trained into our minds, schedules and interactions that no thinking or decision-making is involved.” That’s what allows us to function without mentally exhausting ourselves by planning every tiny movement. If you find yourself automatically pulling a bottle of wine out of the fridge when you prepare dinner or reaching into the chips bowl while you watch TV, it’s because you’ve trained yourself to do so.

The trick to building a healthier habit, Wood says, is to harness your mental system to work for you, not against you. Do this with actions you can repeat without even having to think about them: Stash your phone in your glove box or trunk when you get in the car; ask your server to box up half your meal before serving it; grab an

apple before settling in on the sofa to watch TV.

The first time will be the hardest, she says, but it grows incrementally easier as you build this habit version of muscle memory. Research suggests that different behaviors tend to require different amounts of repetition before becoming automatic: Adding a piece of fruit to your diet takes about 65 days; drinking something healthy, 59 days; exercising, 91 days.

Habit helper: As a shortcut, tack new habits on to positive or benign ones that already exist, says BJ Fogg, Ph.D., founder and director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University and author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. After your a.m. coffee, for instance, meditate for one minute. Before you get into bed, stretch for a few minutes. After you wash your face in the morning, apply sunscreen. “Ask yourself where your new habit or resolution naturally fits into your day,” Fogg says, “and use your existing routine to prompt you to do it.” The idea is for both actions to become joined and rote.

3Play a little game

For years I’d tried to drink more water. Then I joined a shared workspace. The watercooler was next to my desk, and I saw how diligent others were about refilling their bottles. So I created a little game for myself: Any time someone refilled a bottle, I’d take a sip from my own. It worked! I now take multiple sips per hour.

Karmarkar says I’ve tapped into the benefits of gamification, or turning a task into something fun in order to encourage oneself —think of sticker charts parents use to get their kids to brush their teeth. For an adult, rewards like avatars, badges

and points “serve as concrete markers to help you move yourself forward, because accomplishing a goal feels good,” she says. “You’re rewarding yourself for making the effort as opposed to punishing yourself for having failed.” Indeed, millions of Fitbit users have switched from I should have walked more to I hit 5,000 steps! Habit helper: Lots of apps use gamification to help break bad habits and create healthy ones. Habitica (free for iOS and Android) motivates you by turning your goals into a retro video game adventure.

4Get curious about your habit

Dr. Brewer calls this strategy “a simple but profound way to beat your next urge to snack, text while driving, shop online or smoke.” Rooted in the field of mindfulness, it involves stopping the moment the urge hits and asking yourself, What am I getting from this? Let’s say you’re anxiously ransacking your desk for candy. “Step back for a moment and observe what’s happening,” Dr. Brewer suggests. “Get curious about your craving. Maybe you’ll think, Wow, I’m like a zombie on autopilot.” Or perhaps you’ll realize you don’t even feel like eating candy right now—it’s just what you have conditioned yourself to do when work stress hits. Being present interrupts the habit loop and lets you take back some of the power by making you slow down and “helping you start to see how unrewarding the original behavior was,” Dr. Brewer says. Habit helper: An app created by Dr. Brewer called Eat Right Now ($25 a month, iOS and Android) employs mindfulness to help users break the cycle of craving-induced eating. Another option: Ate (free, iOS and Android). I tried getting curious, and I have to admit I was doubtful that curiosity could feel rewarding enough to satisfy my urge to scroll mindlessly. But after trying it a few times, I found that by reflecting on the why of it, I was in fact able to close the tab before I got sucked into reading. Only time will tell whether it sticks. But now I know that even if there’s no will(power), there’s a way.

PELVIC PAINS YOU SHOULD NEVER IGNORE

Knowing what’s normal and what’s not can help you do what it takes to feel better fast.

by K A I T LYN PI R I E

There’s a lot going on in the area between your navel and your privates, and as a result, many different things can cause pain there. In one study, 20% of the participants (who were women between ages 30 and 64) reported experiencing pain in their pelvic region, a general term for the lower abdominal area. And pinpointing the cause of the ouch and finding the right treatment can be difficult.

Endometriosis is a prime example: An estimated 10% of women suffer from the painful condition, yet it takes an average of eight to 12 years to receive that diagnosis.

Why is pelvic pain so mysterious? Your bladder, parts of your intestine and your rectum all sit in your pelvic cavity, in addition to reproductive organs and various muscles, points out Kiarra King, M.D., a board-certified ob/gyn in Chicago. Any of these could be the site of the pain, and some causes can’t be seen on imaging or in lab work. That’s why “patients have to be their own best advocates when it comes to pelvic pain,” says Sherry Ross, M.D., an ob/gyn and the author of She-ology.

The symptoms here are some of the most common among women.

Let your doctor know if you experience any so they can diagnose (and treat) the condition causing your discomfort. If your reproductive organs check out, see a gastroenterologist, a urologist or another specialist, suggests Dr. King, so you can keep sleuthing until you get the relief you need.

Pain while peeing

It’s likely a urinary tract infection (UTI). If you experience a burning sensation when you pee and feel the urge to go often, you probably have a UTI in your bladder. People with vaginas are prone to UTIs because their urethras are much shorter than those of people with penises, making it easier for infection-causing bacteria to get in and wreak havoc, says Karyn S. Eilber, M.D., a board-certified urologist with a subspecialty in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at Cedars-Sinai. Antibiotics are usually effective in killing off the bacteria, but if the pain worsens or you have a fever or nausea, see a doctor ASAP, because the infection may have spread to your kidneys.

Intense abdominal pain

It may well be endometriosis. If you are sidelined by severe cramping deep in your abdomen, endometriosis is a possibility. The condition occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, explains Iris Kerin Orbuch, M.D., a fellowshiptrained endometriosis excision surgeon and the coauthor of Beating Endo. The pain can flare at any time of the month, and because endometrial-like tissue can be found on any organ, symptoms may range from GI issues and heavy periods to back pain and fatigue. Treatment often includes meds or surgery.

Bladder discomfort

It could be interstitial cystitis

This occurs when the bladder’s lining is irritated — so you might feel the urge to pee, but little urine might come out. You might also experience pain or pressure in your bladder. Unlike a UTI, this condition tends to be chronic rather than acute.

No single treatment works for everyone, but your best bet is to see a urologist or a urogynecologist, who can explain your options.

Sharp pain on one side

Sounds like a possible ovarian cyst. When fluid collects on or within an ovary, it can form a cyst; if a cyst becomes large or ruptures, that can be painful. “It may get worse when you lie flat,” says Dr. Ross. Once imaging confirms a cyst, your doctor may suggest a “watch and wait” approach or surgical removal. “The characteristics of the cyst, the age of the person and the symptoms will determine the best course of action,” says Dr. King. For recurrent cysts that form after ovulation, you may be prescribed hormonal contraceptives, she adds.

Disco

ort

ischarg

Consider pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). “If bacteria gain access to the inside of the uterus, the fallopian tubes or the ovaries, that can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease,” says Dr. King, “which can present with pelvic pain, discomfort, discharge, cramping and a positive STD screen, though it is possible to have PID due to bacteria not related to a sexually transmitted infection.” Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to prevent the infection from spreading.

Pelvic pressure an

d

painful periods

Maybe it’s fibroids. Many women develop these noncancerous growths in the uterus; they can cause pain when they put pressure on nearby organs or start to degenerate. “A degenerating fibroid is one that has outgrown its blood supply,” explains Dr. King. Without adequate blood supply, the tissue dies, which can lead to pain, she says. On top of discomfort, fibroids can cause constipation, urination problems and heavy or long-lasting periods. The location, size and number of your fibroids will affect your symptoms as well as the treatment your doctor advises, such as medications or a surgical procedure.

Pain during sex

This could be any number of things. Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) is something that up to an estimated one-third of women face in their lifetimes, research shows. Unfortunately, all the conditions on this list — as well as vaginismus (involuntary spasms), an STD, a lack of vaginal estrogen and psychological concerns — can make sex hurt. The good news: There’s usually a remedy for those problems, says Dr. King, though it takes a bit of detective work. People are often ashamed to admit when sex is painful, she says, “but that’s part of people’s health and well-being.” If you have pain, get checked out.

A: Isn’t it nice when someone else prepares your food once in a while? And takeout can be nutritious if you think smart. Pro tip: Portion sizes at restaurants are notoriously huge, so share with a friend or put half in the fridge—two meals for the price of one! The other important thing is to become fluent in “menu-speak.” Certain words can tip you off to high-calorie, high-sodium and high-sugar prep methods. Try to avoid dishes described as “heavy,” “rich,” “creamy,” “crunchy,” “tempura,” “crispy” or “smothered” in anything. Instead, look for terms like “baked,” “steamed,” “roasted,” “broiled,” “grilled,” “poached,” “seared” and “lightly sautéed,” which typically indicate healthier cooking techniques. Here are a few betterfor-you takeout swaps that still taste great.

INSTEAD OFTRYWHY

Flour Tortillas

burrito

Shrimp Tempura

burger & fries

Fettuccine Alfredo

Foods That Help You Heal

Inflammation isn’t inherently bad for you; it’s the body’s response to injury, and it helps it heal and repair itself. But chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on your health and contribute to pain and lifelong disease. Luckily, some of the best ways to combat chronic inflammation are in your kitchen. Here are the best foods to add and key ones to skip.

Eat daily: Olive oil, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, tomatoes, fatty fish like salmon and sardines, nuts and fruits such as berries and cherries. These foods are not only delicious but also packed with natural antioxidants, polyphenols and healthy fats that can all reduce markers of inflammation in the body.

Avoid: Fried, sugary, processed and refined foods, if you want to keep inflammation in check.

Corn Tortillas

burrito bowl

Grilled or Steamed Shrimp

open-face burger & baked potato

Pesto or Pasta

Primavera with Grilled Chicken

Corn tortillas have around half the calories and sodium, as well as twice the fiber, of their flour counterparts. They’re naturally gluten-free too.

A standard flour tortilla can have 320 calories and 50 g of carbs; add 40 g of carbs for rice and that’s nearly half a day’s carbs in one meal! Balance the bowl by opting for half scoops of the rice and beans, and double those fiery peppers and onions.

Battering and deep-frying shrimp (or veggies) tempura-style pushes up the fat and calorie counts. Go for grilled, steamed or poached; these cooking methods use little to no fat. Or try lightly sautéed, a good middle ground for lean proteins and vegetables.

Losing the top bun (or asking for a lettuce wrap) allows you to control the bread portion. And baked potatoes vs. anything fried? C’mon, no-brainer.

Skip the saturated fat and go for a hearty pesto instead. It may be high-calorie, but it is nutrient-dense and has a healthy fat profile as well as antioxidants. For lighter fare, add a protein (grilled chicken or shrimp) to a high-fiber, veggie-packed primavera.

Gabrielle P.

STEFANI SASSOS , M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., DEPUTY DIRECTOR

GH’s own registered dietitian serves up expert know-how to help you make smart decisions for a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Save Time in the Kitchen

ULTIMATE TIME SAVER

HAVE A (prep) PLAN

Schedules change. Here’s how you can be ready for every meal, no matter what life throws at you.

Map out the week. Sounds simple, but we know planning ahead can be tough. Start small and take 10 minutes to assess next week’s schedule. Jot down how many meals you’ll need and for how many people, along with any nightly scheduling details that might affect how much time you can devote to meal-making.

Check your inventory.

Scan your fridge, freezer and pantry for items that are expiring, partially used or hiding in corners. Then build menus around them. Think fresh produce, half-used boxes of pasta, frozen chicken breasts, canned tomatoes or dry legumes.

Shop f or savings. When making your shopping list, capture what you need without being too specific. By jotting down “protein” vs. “rib eye” or “green veggie” vs. “broccoli,” you’ll have more flexibility to take advantage of sales at the grocery store, especially as prices rise. Limit fresh items to the amount your household can consume.

Think about the sides.

When time is tight, quickcooking sides are a fast and satisfying way to round out an otherwise simple meal. Stock up on things like couscous, rice noodles and frozen veggies. And remember, any prep is good prep: Even pre-chopping an onion or just precooking a grain can be a lifesaver.

NUTRITION LAB–TESTED

BEST ONLINE GROCERYDELIVERY SERVICES

If you’re pressed for time, ordering food online can save you hours a week — and our testing shows that you don’t have to skimp on quality.

FreshDirect

Our Test Kitchen relies on this Bronx, NY–based online grocer for quality fresh ingredients and local meat, seafood and dairy options that can be delivered the next day. The service also offers a wide variety of brands, including smaller ones that may not be in stores yet.

Thrive Market

This membership-based online store, designed to help you save money, offers “a great selection of high-quality natural and organic foods, household products and more at low prices,” says GH Deputy Nutrition Lab Director

Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N.

ButcherBox

We tried and liked a wide assortment of meats from this company that allows you to either curate your own box of grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, humanely raised pork and wild-caught seafood or choose from five customized ones.

BUTCHER BOX, FROM $169 FOR CUSTOM BOX (9 TO 14 LBS OF MEAT/30 MEALS)

Imper f ect Foods

This company “saves” food that stores won’t sell because of surpluses or “imperfections” like odd sizes and scarring, and you can see what the issue was when you shop. Choose from a wide variety of produce, pantry items, meat, dairy and more, delivered to your door weekly.

When shopping online for prepackaged items, how can I ensure quality?

For produce and other fresh items, purchase in-season for the best quality and pricing. For shelf-stable items, check the ingredient list on the site or app before adding to your cart, as you would in a store. Inspect what you receive for damaged or missing items; most services will offer a refund or a discount if you alert them to issues upon delivery.

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GREAT GADGETS EFFICIENT UPGRADES

Gizmos worth getting for faster results

Mini Chopper

This cordless whiz blitzes through onions, garlic and herbs. It excels at making dips, sauces and dressings.

KITCHENAID CORDLESS 5-CUP FOOD CHOPPER, $100

KITCHEN APPLIANCE LAB–TESTED

SPEEDY APPLIANCES

All the flavor of the methods you love, but so much faster

Toaster Oven

If you like using your oven, try a toaster oven. It heats up faster and has smaller accessories for easier cleanup. GH Lab Pick: Breville Smart Oven Pro, $280

Air Fryer

Slow Cooker

Garlic Press

We tested more than 40 garlic presses to find this top performer. It’s strong, efficient and easy to clean.

ZYLISS SUSI 3 GARLIC PRESS, $23

Pressure Cooker

If you like delicious soups, try the pressure cooker function on a multicooker. It cuts down on cooking time and also makes tender meats and stews.

GH Lab Pick:

Instant Pot Duo 6-qt, V4, $90

If you like your convection oven, try an air fryer. It barely requires preheating, cooks food remarkably quickly and makes things extra crispy.

GH Lab Pick:

Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, $170

If you like braising or using your Dutch oven, try a slow cooker. It is hands-off and delivers a warm meal whenever you’re ready to enjoy it. GH Lab Pick: All Clad Gourmet Plus Slow Cooker, $330, williams-sonoma.com

Lemon Squeezer

Sure you can use your hands, but this tool maximizes the amount of juice you get with minimal effort.

CHEF’N FRESHFORCE CITRUS JUICER, $30

Grain Cooker

If you like rice and grains, try a grain cooker—no need to hover or guess when it’s done. Just add the ingredients and let it do the work! GH Lab Pick: Nutribullet

EveryGrain Cooker, $80

Pans

If you like sheet pan dinners, try sautéeing, which is cooking small pieces over high heat for quick results and maximum flavor.

GH Lab Pick: Hestan NanoBond Titanium 11-inch skillet, $320

Salad Spinner

This underrated essential washes and dries herbs and greens for easier chopping and better dressing distribution.

OXO SALAD SPINNER 4.0, $30

Pork and Slaw Sandwiches

RECIPES REIMAGINED

COOK-FASTER TIPS

Borrow from the experts! These pro techniques maximize flavor and results — without adding extra minutes.

Let it rest in advance. There’s a reason baking recipes call for ingredients at room temp; they get incorporated better. Follow this tip for meats too. They’ll cook more quickly.

Cut small. Slice or dice food into thin or little pieces for quicker cooking: Think thin slices of chicken breast or bell pepper vs. chunks or large pieces.

Multitask. Start cooking ingredients that take longer sooner. For example, boil the water for pasta right away and get everything else ready in the meantime.

SPEEDCLEANING SECRETS

TIDY UP!

Time-saving tips approved by our GH Cleaning Lab

Stay organized. Clear, labeled containers make it easier to spot what you need, and keeping like things (such as all bowls) in the same place makes prepping more efficient.

Corral trash.

To limit garbage can trips, keep a small bowl next to your cutting board for scraps.

Clean as you go. Trained cooks are taught to wash pots, pans and utensils as soon as they’re done using them, but you can start by emptying your dishwasher before you cook. Then put dirty items directly into it instead of cluttering the sink.

Contain messes. Measure and level ingredients like flour, sugar and salt over the sink or a sheet of waxed paper so you can rinse away or contain spills and keep counters clean.

Limit tasting utensils. Instead of employing a vast number of utensils to avoid double-dipping, use a serving utensil to move a small amount into your own dish.

Use high heat.

High temps brown food more quickly and better, which adds flavor. Sear thick cuts of meat first, then finish cooking in the oven for speedier results, or try your broiler for thin cuts.

Spread it out. When crowded, ingredients steam more than brown. Space food out when you can for the quickest and most flavorful results, or cook in batches.

Cover f ood.

Lids help trap heat and steam. Use them while bringing water or soup to a boil, grilling outside or gently reheating foods from the inside out.

Spray grease away. Soaking skillets and pans in sudsy water can be messy and time-consuming. Instead, spritz them with a dish spray, like GH Seal star Dawn Platinum Powerwash. In our test, it dissolved grease in minutes and made cleanup easier.

BEST OVERALL

One of the first companies to popularize meal delivery kits, Blue Apron provides step-bystep recipes that introduce new cooking skills and flavors. Choose from plans including Signature, Vegetarian and Wellness or opt for Heat & Eat options. Filter for Chef Favorites, Wellness meals, Family-Friendly offerings and Fast & Easy meals, which can be ready in 30 minutes.

We evaluated dozens of options, including traditional meal kits, semi-prepared options and ready-to-eat meals dropped at your door. These winners offer tasty and convenient solutions.

Our in-house food and nutrition experts, along with 150 home chefs across the nation, tested more than 40 different services over the course of three months. We evaluated everything from ingredient quality, nutrition transparency and serving sizes to pricing, availability and packaging features.

• Fresh ingredients are all premeasured.

• Clear instructions and great recipe imagery

• Some meals take time to prepare.

• According to the brand, over 85% of Blue Apron packaging is recyclable.

Our experts appreciated the high-quality ingredients and the freshness of the kits. Testers gave this service rave reviews, noting that both the variety of the meals and the creativity of the recipes were terrific. Said one tester: “It is adventurous without being extreme. The ingredients are perfectly measured, packaged well and fresh, and the variety is terrific.”

BEST VEGAN

Catering to a plant-based lifestyle, Purple Carrot offers traditional meal kits with weekly recipe booklets so you can recreate the meals on your own. Most meals can be made in about 30 minutes, and the recipes incorporate unique flavors from around the world. You can filter for high-protein, nut-free, soy-free and gluten-free options too. Fully prepared meals are also available, as well as additional vegan items like vegan cream cheese and crackers.

BEST VALUE

Dinnerly’s affordable meal delivery service makes weeknight dinners a breeze. All recipes have only six ingredients and five steps—and they require minimal chopping. Plus, they can be made in 30 minutes or less. Choose from over 45 dishes weekly and filter for low-calorie, low-carb, vegetarian and other dietary preferences. The menu changes weekly, and recipe cards are digital to keep costs down.

BEST PREPARED

Enjoy fresh, individually portioned meals delivered straight to your door with Fresh N Lean. Every complete ready-to-eat meal is vacuum-sealed and heats in a few minutes in the microwave or on the stove. Select from a variety of diet plans including Protein+, Keto, Whole30 Approved, Paleo, Standard Vegan, Mediterranean Diet, Low Carb Vegan and Bulk. You can also choose à la carte to mix and match between plans.

• Inventive and unique plant-based meals

• Free shipping on first order and orders over $85

• Pricing is on the higher end.

• Most packaging is recyclable per the brand, including the box and TemperPack Climacell Liners.

Our registered dietitians love that the service caters to a plant-based lifestyle and that each meal is balanced with complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and vegan proteins for a satisfying entrée. Most meals contain between 500 and 800 calories per serving. “What’s great about Purple Carrot is, it makes you cook foods you normally wouldn’t in new and simple ways,” a tester raved.

• Easy recipes are flavorful and beginner-friendly.

• Pricing is competitive without sacrificing quality.

• Recipe cards are digital-only.

• The box and the separator inside can be recycled curbside, according to the brand.

Testers raved about how much easier Dinnerly meals were to prepare than those from other meal delivery services they had used in the past. And though the meals were suitable for beginner cooks, they still received top marks for flavor and fresh ingredients. “I would recommend this meal delivery service because the foods were flavorful and easy to prepare, with clear instructions,” one tester remarked.

• A variety of plans for different dietary preferences and lifestyles

• Meals typically stay fresh up to seven to 10 days from delivery.

• Plan menus are already set.

• Per the brand, the cardboard box, plastic trays and seals can be recycled.

Our nutrition pros appreciated that most meals average about 550 mg of sodium, substantially lower than the amount in other premade meals. The company offers a wide variety of meal plans based on goals like optimizing wellness, reducing meat consumption and more. Testers loved the variety and gave the service top scores for portion sizes and satiety provided.

FIBER TO HELP WITH DIGESTIVE HEALTH AND COLLAGEN FOR JOINT STRUCTURE SUPPORT *

FEEL LIGHTER, ENERGETIC, AND REJUVENATED BY SUPPORTING REGU RITY.*

Collagen peptides provide key protein building blocks for your body’s own joint structures and natural supply of collagen, the most abundant protein source in the human body.*

Even when all your garbage is all gross. Glad® with CloroxTM bags eliminate food and bacterial odors to keep all your trash all under control.

This product is bleach-free.

Cleaning & Organizıng AWARDS

Our GH Cleaning Lab pros — along with a crew of over 1,000 consumer testers — rolled up their sleeves and went to work evaluating more than 200 sprays, scrubbers, appliances, caddies and more. We collected 18,945 data points to select these genius winners to get your home clean and clutter-free. We even did windows!

by CAROLYN FORTÉ

Top Kitchen

Designer Wipes

Premoistened wipes are a convenient way to clean, but leaving them out for quick jobs is usually not the most decorative option. Biom has changed that with its discreet and chic refillable canister, which comes in four colors.

LAB results We found Biom’s plant-based wipes a great solution for grease-splattered counters and cooktops. The stylish canister’s magnetic lid keeps the wipes moist, and refills cut down on plastic waste too.

BIOM ALL-PURPOSE WIPES, $39 STARTER KIT, GETBIOM.CO

Outstanding Odor Controller

Kitchen smells have a way of wafting well beyond the heart of the home. Just leave and come back and you’ll remember the bacon you made for breakfast. The new Febreze Air kitchen spray tackles tough kitchen and food odors.

LAB results With a light spritz, it zapped the smell of fish, and a spray in the trash made stinky garbage odors history too. A tester said it nixed garlic and onion odors pronto.

FEBREZE AIR KITCHEN ODOR ELIMINATOR, $4, FEBREZE.COM

Perfect Stone Polisher

Countertops take a beating in busy kitchens. To keep them up to the task and looking good, they should be cleaned and protected. Granite Gold’s formula cleans and polishes and works on granite, quartz, marble and more.

LAB results It not only cleaned dirt and stains, but also left GH test surfaces super smooth and with a subtle sheen. It works along with your sealer, and on our lab tables, spills beaded up after we used it. Said one tester, “The final result was beautiful!”

GRANITE GOLD CLEAN & SHINE, $8, AMAZON

Gentlest Cabinet Caretaker

A sticky issue with kitchen cabinets is that you don’t realize how tacky they can be until you touch them. Parker & Bailey’s cream cuts grease while protecting the finish. LAB results A longtime GH and consumer favorite, this silky formula easily restored a smooth feel and a warm glow to a wooden range hood surround that was laden with greasy dust.

PARKER & BAILEY

KITCHEN CABINET CREAM, $6, PARKERBAILEY.COM

Stainless Star

Popular in kitchens, stainless steel is stunning—when it’s clean. Use the wrong product, though, and all you see are streaks. Therapy Clean zaps existing marks and helps ward off new ones.

LAB results This plantbased formula with lavender oil cleaned without a lot of buffing. It even helped a fridge that wasn’t fingerprintresistant stay cleaner longer.

THERAPY CLEAN STAINLESS STEEL CLEANER AND POLISH, $10, THERAPYCLEAN.COM

Prettiest Canisters

Clear containers make finding what you need easy. And when they are as gorgeous as these from Ball, you’ll want them in full view. LAB results Wide mouths and flat tops make these glass jars easy to fill and stack. The seal is airtight, so foods stay fresh—it’s so tight, in fact, that not a speck of dust from one tester’s kitchen reno got inside.

BALL STACK & STORE JARS, FROM $12, TARGET.COM

Ultimate Utensil Sorter

Keep your flatware orderly and accessible with Oxo’s expanding drawer organizer. LAB results This plastic caddy extends nine inches, so serving utensils stay handy too. Removable inserts make it easy to take forks, etc., from the drawer to the table without handling them.

OXO GOOD GRIPS LARGE KITCHEN TOOL DRAWER ORGANIZER, $22, OXO.COM

Awesome Sink Saver

No sooner do you clean your kitchen sink than spots and stains are back. But Hope ’ s Perfect Sink will make you rethink how you care for all the sinks in your home. LAB results In our tests, its non-scratching formula cleaned away grime and marks fast and rinsed off without leaving a gritty residue. It left our stainless steel and solid-surface sinks shiny and helped water drain faster to repel water spots.

HOPE’S PERFECT SINK CLEANER AND POLISH, $13, AMAZON

Freezer Bin

If you’re not careful, a bottom freezer can quickly turn into a bottomless pit. YouCopia’s sturdy bin comes with four adjustable dividers to hold frozen snacks, veggies and more so they are easy to sort, see and grab. LAB results We filled it with ice cream treats, tossed the bulky boxes and freed up tons of space for other items.

YOUCOPIA FREEZEUP FREEZER BIN 12", $25, AMAZON

Custom Caddy

Organizers with divided sections are helpful, but ever wish you could configure them to better fit your own stash? Now you can. Poke A Dot’s box comes with eight mini dividers you position where you need them to hold makeup, desk tools, craft supplies and more securely in place. LAB results We like the flexibility this box offers and that it can be readjusted to hold new items. The tight lid makes it good for travel.

POKE A DOT ORGANIZER, $22, POKEADOTORGANIZER.COM

Best Bathroom Performers

NIX MOLD

Open a window and run an exhaust fan while showering — and for 15 minutes afterward —  to help keep mildew away.

Super-Duper

Shower Spray

Sensitive Home offers cleaners for those with respiratory, skin and other sensitivities. This work-saving spray is fragrance-free and 100% USDA Certified Biobased and EPA Safer Choice certified. LAB results A quick spritz every day kept a tub clean, shiny and without a speck of soap scum for weeks. We were impressed, and our consumer testers agreed, rating it a top cleaner in the bathroom category.

SENSITIVE HOME DAILY SHOWER SPRAY, $6, AMAZON

Freshest Shower Liner

Though it’s not exactly a cleaning product, we’re recognizing Outlines here for all the cleaning it saves! You receive a new liner every three, six or nine months (depending on your subscription preference), snap it in place and return the used one for recycling. Smart! LAB results We’re huge fans. It is easy to install, comes with or without hooks and doesn’t billow into the tub.

OUTLINES SHOWER LINER SYSTEM, $75 WITH HOOKS, LIVINGOUTLINES.COM

Dependable

Wipes

Disinfecting wipes are a musthave in any cleaning arsenal, especially in the bathroom, and these new ones from Lysol are made from 100% plant-based fibers. They sanitize hard surfaces in 10 seconds and disinfect in four minutes, killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. LAB results We liked the size and cleaning power and that they are 95% USDA Certified Biobased.

LYSOL DISINFECTING WIPES MADE FROM PLANT-BASED FIBERS, $5.50, WALMART.COM

Bath Cleaner

This new spray from Clorox uses a refillable bottle and pod system. Buy the bottle once, add water, then twist on the pod to release the concentrate into the bottle. LAB results Other refillable bath cleaners we’ve tested haven’t impressed us, but Clorox is a bathroom cleaning expert, and this system helps reduce plastic waste by 80%.

CLOROX BATHROOM FOAMER REFILLABLE CLEANER STARTER KIT, $6, TARGET.COM

Mighty Mildew Eraser

These pesky marks pop up wherever moisture lingers and, while most common in the bathroom, can surface anywhere. CLR’s formula tackles stains in minutes. LAB results CLR did a great job zapping mildew stains in bathrooms and even on a painted garage wall. One tester who used it on her boat said she practically sailed through cleaning it without hard scrubbing.

CLR MOLD & MILDEW CLEAR, $5.50, LOWES.COM

Top-Shelf Drawers

Mini toiletries, tweezers and other utensils make organizing a bathroom challenging.

M Design’s clear plastic pantry drawers are right at home in this room too, corralling small tubes, jars and more so they stay neat and handy. LAB results We found these stackable drawers life-changing in a bathroom vanity cabinet. They come in multiple sizes, but even the smallest is roomy and maximizes space.

M DESIGN PLASTIC STACKABLE PANTRY BINS WITH PULL-OUT DRAWER, $23, MDESIGN.COM

Very Impressive Vacuum Mop

This new category is taking floor cleaning by storm. Now you can pick up dry debris and wet spills and wash your floors at the same time. LAB results A GH Best of the Test winner in our last review of vacuum mops, the Dreametech picked up spills quickly and ramped up suction when it needed to. It was also quiet, had a long run time and was easy to maneuver.

DREAMETECH H11 MAX WET DRY VACUUM, $500, AMAZON

First-Place Floor Faves

cleaning & organizing

Awards 2022

To shop the winners, scan here.

Wood-Worthy Floor Cleaner

While it’s safe to occasionally wet-clean hardwood floors, it’s important to use the right solution. Bona knows how to care for wood, and this new formula is specially designed to work in all the newest wet/dry vacuum mops.

LAB results In our tests, this Bona formula cleaned and shined our test hardwoods, dried quickly and left no residue.

BONA HARDWOOD FLOOR CLEANER MACHINE FORMULATION, $10, WALMART.COM

Out-of-ThisWorld Robot Mop Robot vacuums are getting smarter, but Dreametech’s model is like nothing we’ve seen. It sucks up dry dirt, wetmops with two spinning pads and washes and dries the pads when it’s done. Move over, Rosie! LAB results We couldn’t contain ourselves. Beautifully designed, the Dreametech worked like a charm and was easy to use. Floors done!

DREAMETECH DREAME BOT W10, $1,089, AMAZON

Super Stain Busters

Full-Featured Canister Vacuum Cleaner

A versatile vacuum is a must for homes with lots of different surfaces to clean. This Kenmore stashes all its attachments— even a motorized tool for pet hair—on board and has a floor brush that pops up with the press of a button. No more lost tools! LAB results This machine aced our floor-cleaning tests. Simple controls, big wheels and a telescoping wand made it easy to use. Its disposable dust bag and sealed system are a plus for allergy sufferers, as they keep dust where it should stay, inside the vacuum.

KENMORE PET FRIENDLY POP-N-GO BAGGED CANISTER VACUUM, $320, TARGET.COM

Top-Notch

Spray Solution

This new Method spray has plant-based ingredients and tackles stains and odors on household fabrics like carpet and upholstery.

LAB results Just spritz, wait 10 minutes and blot. For one tester, it removed old stains nothing else could. Two others said they would definitely buy it.

METHOD STAIN + ODOR TREATMENT, $7, METHODPRODUCTS.COM

Portable Powerhouse

We’ve known for years that the Bissell Little Green carpet and upholstery cleaner is a winner, and now—thanks to TikTok— it’s back in the spotlight. LAB results It’s easy to tote and store, with strong suction that pulls spills from carpets fast, and it cleans furniture without overwetting it.

BISSELL LITTLE GREEN CARPET CLEANER, $110, BISSELL.COM

Spot-Chasing Deep Cleaner

Cleaning carpets at home usually means first having to find and pretreat stains. Hoover’s new machine ends the bending once and for all. LAB results The pullout spray wand with its on-board container of oxy stain solution is genius. Now it’s easy to zap stains as soon as you see them.

HOOVER SMARTWASH

PET COMPLETE AUTOMATIC CARPET CLEANER, $320, HOOVER.COM

Stick Vacuum

Stick vacs are convenient but messy to empty, and the tools are, well, who knows where?

LG’s CordZero All in One solves these issues and more.

LAB results We applaud its design and performance. The dust is emptied automatically, the tools stash inside and it charges a second battery. One tester said, “I think I have a new love, and it’s a vacuum.”

LG CORDZERO ALL IN ONE AUTO EMPTY CORDLESS STICK VACUUM, $999, LG.COM

Totally Totable Canister Vacuum

About the size of a small cooler and as easy to carry, Miele’s Boost sets a new standard for compact canisters. Its jumbo wheels make it very maneuverable, and a large dust bin is easy to empty.

LAB results We were wowed by its pick-up performance and all the high-end features packed into this vacuum. Bravo for the HEPA filter, cord rewind, parquet floor brush tool and extendable wand.

MIELE BOOST CX1 PARQUET VACUUM, FROM $549, MIELEUSA.COM

ZAP STAINS

Stain removers are most effective when you let them work for about five minutes before tossing garments into the washer.

AceAll-StarsLaundry

A+ Detergent

GH Seal star Tide once again came out on top of all detergents we tested. This new Power Pods version has oxi stain fighters and odor eliminators.

LAB results Tide Ultra Oxi did better than the other detergents in our test at erasing grass, wine and chocolate syrup from our cotton test swatches in warm and cold water. Testers praised it for its ability to remove odors. One said, “Made a huge difference. Amazing product!”

TIDE POWER PODS ULTRA OXI, $27 FOR 63, WALMART.COM

3 Closet Clearing Tips 1

Swap out the old. For every new garment you add, donate or toss an old one to minimize closet crowding.

2

Remove plastic drycleaning bags. Hang clothing without the plastic dry-cleaning bags to help closets stay neat and tidy. Recycle the bags.

3

Upgrade your hangers.

Neat Method’s slim, sturdy hangers, made from recycled plastic, maximize closet space. The rubbery coating grips slippery fabric.

NEAT METHOD EVERYDAY HANGERS, $30 FOR 25, NEATMETHOD.COM

Stellar Stain Gel

This pretreater from Carbona attacks stains on contact with help from its scrubber brush top. You can leave it on for 10 minutes before laundering.

LAB results Carbona’s enzyme formula erased grass, red wine and ink stains on cotton swatches in warm and cold water. One tester exclaimed, “Thank you for introducing me to a new stain remover that works amazingly well.”

CARBONA PRO CARE

LAUNDRY STAIN SCRUBBER, $8, CARBONA.COM

Coolest Cabinet

Almost like having a dry cleaner in your laundry room, Samsung’s Air Dresser steams, dries and sanitizes clothing and household items like plush toys and pillows. LAB results We love having this in the Lab. Easy to operate, it requires no plumbing and has many cycle options, and the mirrored front is perfect for primping. In our tests, it smoothed wrinkled cotton and even linen garments and dried wet ones thoroughly.

SAMSUNG BESPOKE AIR DRESSER GRAND, $1,900, SAMSUNG.COM

Finest Fabric Wash

Sometimes regular detergent is a bit robust for delicate fabrics. The Laundress’s formula has a lower pH to better care for wool, mohair, cashmere and more as well as notes of cedar for a lovely scent. LAB results Don’t let its gentleness fool you. Wool sweaters that had previously been dry-cleaned emerged soft and fresh after handwashing in The Laundress. It can be used in the washer too.

THE LAUNDRESS WOOL & CASHMERE SHAMPOO, $20, THELAUNDRESS.COM

Smartest Laundry Pair

loading the clothes for you. to help with stains, handle

dryer, play a song and more. The dryer dispenses fabric freshener and syncs to the washer via the intuitive app. LAB results These largecapacity machines were easy to use and have technology to help prevent tangles. No more knotted sheets!

GE PROFILE TOP LOAD

900 SERIES WASHER & DRYER, $1,199 EACH, GEAPPLIANCES.COM

Cove’s cool twopiece hanger system keeps long dresses in shape and off the closet floor.

COVE LONG GARMENT HANGER, $28, CREATE YOURCOVE.COM

Great-to-theLast-Drop

Dish Soap

Dawn is a time- and experttested top cleaner that carries our GH Seal. With its new EZ-Squeeze bottle, none gets wasted.

LAB results This upsidedown bottle works much better than others we’ve tested. It’s super easy to squeeze, even one-handed, and it’s simple to control how much is dispensed. Not a drop dripped on our counters.

DAWN PLATINUM EZ-SQUEEZE DISHWASHING LIQUID, $4, DAWN-DISH.COM

Dish-Cleaning Dynamos

GIFT-WORTHY DISH SOAPS

Scentsational Cleaners

Doing dishes has

Champion Dish Packs

Until now, automatic dish detergents were a hard nut for “green” brands to crack, as powerful chemistry is needed for good dishwasher cleaning and drying. Method has changed all that. LAB results In our tests, this plant- and mineral-based formula dissolved 48-hourold dried-on soils. Two testers vowed to switch to it.

METHOD HEAVY DUTY DISHWASHER PACKS, $10 FOR 26, AMAZON

Miracle Dish Towel

Drying dishes by hand is never fun, especially when you use a wimpy towel. Skoy’s 100% recycled polyester Kitchen Towel is like none we’ve ever seen. It’s hefty in your hand and dries items so fast, you’ll be done in no time. LAB results We think this towel is amazing, and our consumer testers did too. It left glassware sparkling and spot-free, held up well to washing and comes in nine colors and designs.

SKOY KITCHEN TOWEL, $13, SKOYCLOTH.COM

Revolutionary Dish Gel

Leave it to Palmolive to shake things up in the dish-cleaning category. To make this DIY dish liquid, fill the bottle with warm water, pour in the gel concentrate and shake side to side to mix. So cool to see!

LAB results The gel turns into 20 oz of dish soap with lasting suds that both cleans well and cuts grease. The reusable bottle is made of 100% recycled plastic.

PALMOLIVE SHAKE & CLEAN DISH SOAP STARTER KIT, $2.50, WALMART.COM

Best Fruity Scent

Long known for its incredible fragrance blends, this Caldrea dish soap combines extracts of pear blossom and agave with melon and citrus. The suds really last, and it cuts grease very well.

CALDREA DISH SOAP, $13, AMAZON

B

est

Floral Scent

Homecourt, from Friends star Courteney Cox, is perfume for your home. We tested Steeped Rose (there are three other scents). It’s a great soap in a stunning bottle, and the pump top is a nice touch.

Responsible

Brilliant Dishwasher

Many consumers never remove their dishwasher filter to clean it. Beko fixed that by putting rinsing jets inside the filter. Just press a button to start them. The lower spray arm goes deep into the corners for better coverage, and there are tons of other extras. LAB results In our tests, this machine did a great job cleaning our crusty cookware. Loading was easy, and we fit in an extra nine glasses and one dinner plate in addition to our standard test load!

BEKO DDT39434X DISHWASHER, $1,389, APPLIANCE DEALERS

Fabulous

Dish Spray

Washing dishes by hand has gotten greener thanks to dish sprays. Gone are the days of wastefully running the water.

9 Elements uses vinegar to battle hard-water minerals, cut grease and remove spots. Simply spray, wipe and rinse. LAB results It’s dispensed as a fine mist for great control, coverage and cleaning. When the bottle is empty, keep the sprayer to use with a refill.

9 ELEMENTS FOAMING DISH SPRAY, $6 FOR STARTER KIT, AMAZON

Scrub Sponge

Sponges get tossed regularly, which can be wasteful.

Scotch-Brite’s new Greener Clean option is made from 100% plant-based and recycled materials. LAB results This little toughie in Scotch-Brite’s classic wavy shape was comfortable to hold and cleaned everything from grimy cookware to bathroom soap scum with ease and without scratching.

SCOTCH -BRITE GREENER CLEAN NON-SCRATCH SCRUB SPONGES, $3 FOR THREE, AMAZON

HOMECOURT DISH SOAP, $20, HOMECOURT.CO

Best Fresh Scent

Treating yourself to a little pampering doesn’t have to be expensive. Safely’s Rise scented dish soap is invigorating and uplifting. In our test, it cleaned well and a little went a long way, and the price is right!

SAFELY RISE DISH SOAP, $6, WALMART.COM

Multiuse Mist

There are disinfecting sprays for hard surfaces, sanitizing sprays for fabrics and deodorizing sprays for the air. Clorox’s multi-surface mist does it all.

LAB results This easy-toapply fine mist kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, on hard surfaces in 10 minutes and sanitizes soft ones in five. We found that it covered evenly without overwetting or leaving residue. Our testers even used it in the car and on patio cushions.

CLOROX DISINFECTING MIST, $6, TARGET.COM

Awesome Outdoor + More Solutions

PROTECT PILLOWS

Twice-as-Nice Microfiber Cloth

Maker’ s Clean does it again with a double-duty microfiber cloth that’s really more like a towel. It not only is large, but also has a short nap on one side for cleaning and a terry nap on the other to sop up spills.

LAB results This absorbent cloth is a workhorse and keeps going when others quit. Testers loved it for dusting, cleaning the car and even drying the dog!

MAKER’S CLEAN DUO CLOTH, $29 FOR TWO, MAKERSCLEAN.COM

Unbelievable Outdoor Cleaner

Patios and decks need cleaning often to keep them guest-ready all season.

Carbona’s oxy-powered foam formula with its built-in brush easily removes stains, mildew, dirt and more.

LAB results We cleaned planters, furniture covers and even vinyl siding with Carbona without needing extra brushes or cloths. One tester gushed, “Love it!”

CARBONA PRO CARE OUTDOOR CLEANER, $11, CARBONA.COM

Most Powerful Cleaning Combo

Cleaning pastes are making a comeback, as they offer more muscle than sprays.

Norwex is safe to use on many surfaces, and with the brand’s microbial-resistant cloth, it’s a dynamic duo.

LAB results Testers loved the cloth, and we used the paste to zap scrapes from paint that even an eraser sponge couldn’t budge.

NORWEX CLEANING PASTE, $35, AND ENVIROCLOTH, $19, NORWEX.BIZ

Do-It-All Cloth Set

Different surfaces have different cleaning needs, but what to use where? E-Cloth has got you covered. Its 8-Piece Set has task-specific cloths to clean and shine windows, mirrors, stainless steel, countertops, furniture and more.

LAB results We like having the right cloth for the job. All these microfiber marvels excelled at their assigned tasks. The glass cloths amazed us! They washed and dried well too.

E-CLOTH 8-PIECE CLOTH HOME CLEANING SET, $35, E-CLOTH.COM

Best Big-Space

Air Purifier

Clean indoor air is important for the entire family, not just allergy sufferers. The H13 True HEPA and other filters in Levoit’s Core 600S can purify mid- to large-size spaces quickly. Air-quality monitors provide feedback via the display and the VeSync app. LAB results We set up the Levoit in minutes and found it quiet with intuitive controls and a sleek design.

LEVOIT CORE 600S SMART TRUE HEPA AIR PURIFIER, $300, LEVOIT.COM

Speediest

Degreasing your grill

grimy porcelain and stainless steel grates from gas and charcoal grills and even a smoker with little effort. One of our testers raved, “It did a great job on my grill, which needed a major cleaning!”

ROCK DOCTOR GRILL & GRATE CLEANER, $13, AMAZON

LAB results In our tests, it picked up well and was easy to use. We got 14 minutes of cleaning on one charge, and it fully recharged in less than an hour. Its extra-long crevice tool is handy for the car.

RYOBI 18V ONE+ PERFORMANCE HAND VACUUM, $50, HOMEDEPOT.COM

Stashing cushions in a shed, garage or deck box keeps them clean.

Smoothest

Spinner

Nothing utilizes dead cabinet space better than a turntable, and YouCopia’s Crazy Susan sports features others don’t. Three removable sections

Cleverest Clutter Busters

Genius

Gadget Tray

Flatware is pesky, but it’s the gadgets that get you when sorting kitchen drawers.

Joseph Joseph’s DrawerStore Organizer handles both.

LAB results This organizer expands on both sides and has two square spots for mini items like peelers and pastry brushes that can get lost. Tiered sections make it easy to grab cutlery. A tester loved that it filled her drawer.

JOSEPH JOSEPH DRAWERSTORE EXPANDING CUTLERY & UTENSIL ORGANIZER,

LAB results It spun

A tester called it “much better than others.”

YOUCOPIA CRAZY SUSAN TURNTABLE, $30, YOUCOPIA.COM

Heavyweight

Hold-It-All

Wall-mounted caddies maximize often-unused space, but unless you permanently affix them, many can fall off. But not Command Brand’s new

SMART IDEAS!

Under-Sink

Space Solutions

Beautiful Bins

Sturdy bins are a must for storing everything from books to extra bedding, but you don’t always have the closet space to stash them. No worries here. Scout’s Rump Roost bins are too pretty to hide and are rigid enough to double as seating. They come in two sizes and many colors and patterns, and they flatten for storage. LAB results We were wowed by their capacity, the wipe-clean fabric and the solid lids and handles. A tester said, “Too good for the basement!”

SCOUT RUMP ROOST, FROM $60, SCOUTBAGS.COM

First-Rate Labeler

Labeling canisters and bins is any pro organizer’s number one rule, so a good label maker is a must-have.

Brother’s P-touch Cube Plus works with your phone or computer and a Brother app or P-touch software to make labeling easy.

LAB results Once we started making labels with the P-touch Cube Plus, we couldn’t stop! It makes labels up to one inch wide with lots of color and design options.

BROTHER P-TOUCH CUBE PLUS, $100, BROTHER-USA.COM

All-Star Scanner

Remember photo film? You do if you have boxes of pictures lying around that you never put into an album and never look at. With the Epson FastFoto high-speed scanner, you can digitize and organize photos, cards, documents and more quickly and easily!

LAB results Connecting the FastFoto wirelessly was easy. It scans both sides so notes are preserved, and it even corrects color and red-eye.

EPSON FASTFOTO PHOTO SCANNING SYSTEM, $600, EPSON.COM

1

Protect the floor. The last thing you want to clean up is a spill in a hard-toreach spot. Cover the floor of the cabinet with vinyl tiles, shelf liner or a mat so it’ll be easier to wipe clean. If you have room, use shallow trays to hold liquid products to help contain spills.

2

Elegant Gem Box

Jewelry can easily become a tangled mess, and storing items in little boxes is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Enter The Container Store x KonMari’s Linen Jewelry Bento Box. It has four large sections and a removable tray with nine small ones to hold rings, bracelets, earrings and more. LAB results It’s compact and pretty enough to leave out; your go-to pieces will be ready when you are.

STORE X KONMARI

Access the back. Install pullout drawers and bins to keep the contents from ending up where you can’t get to them. Stacking ones make better use of the vertical height in these cabinets, and turntables up front help minimize stretching.

3

Use the doors. Mount adhesive clips, hooks and baskets on the insides of cabinet doors to hold rubber gloves and scrubbers in the kitchen and hair tools and accessories in the bathroom.

$60, KONMARI.COM

Decorating

Made Doable

One easy, on-trend room refresh, coming right up! Shopping and styling are more fun with less stress thanks to tools, know-how, and a furniture and decor selection you’ll love from The Home Depot

Simple, contemporary storage pieces can be used for organizing essentials or creating a curated display.

Twin table lamps? Yawn. A floor lamp on one side opens the space, adds visual interest, and can be moved as needed.

Textured baskets in earthy materials like rattan, bamboo, jute, and

complement every decor scheme, from rustic to modern.

Rugs made from natural fibers are more environmentally and pet-friendly; they also breathe life and character into a room.

seagrass

SOFA NOBLE HOUSE ANSONIA

84.5 IN. BEIGE SOLID FABRIC

3-SEAT TUXEDO SOFA; SKU: #316744798 COFFEE TABLE

HOME DECORATORS COLLECTION

BELLAMY 42 IN. IVORY LARGE

RECTANGLE WOOD COFFEE

TABLE WITH 2 DRAWERS; SKU: #309975617 CHAIRS JAYDEN

CREATION NORA TEAL GOLD LEGS

ACCENT CHAIR (SET OF 2); SKU: #314845476 BOOKCASE HOME

DECORATORS COLLECTION 61.1 IN.

IVORY WOOD 3-SHELF STANDARD

BOOKCASE WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES; SKU: #309807778

PRESENTED BY THE HOME DEPOT

Decorating Made Doable

Pops of rich color and texture over a soothing neutral, natural palette create a living-room atmosphere that’s striking, approachable, and comfortable. With free and flexible delivery on furniture, easy in-store and online returns, and a selection of products and styles to fit every personality and budget, The Home Depot has you covered from start to finish. Visit homedepot.com/decor for more.

PILLOWS

ARTISTIC WEAVERS, IXELLES YELLOW GEOMETRIC POLYESTER 20 IN. X 20 IN. THROW PILLOW; SKU: #302117117 HOMEROOTS

JOSEPHINE MULTI-COLOR

GEOMETRIC 20 IN. X 12 IN. THROW PILLOW COVER; SKU: #315201170

Shop direct from the page; no app required

COFFEE TABLE

ANDMAKERS, LAURA 43 IN. WHITE/OAK LARGE RECTANGLE MARBLE

COFFEE TABLE WITH SHELF; SKU: #314373794

ARTWORK

KATE AND LAUREL, SYLVIE “VENICE

5” BY ALEXANDER

GINZBURG FRAMED

CANVAS WALL

ART 24 IN. X 18 IN.; SKU: #314575676

LAMP

CHAIR

STYLEWELL, BLAIRMORE

CHARLESTON BLUE

UPHOLSTERED

ACCENT CHAIR; SKU: #315966299

JONATHAN Y, BRUSSELS 27 IN. GRAY/BRASS CERAMIC/METAL LED TABLE LAMP; SKU: #306939925

BASKETS STYLEWELL ROUND NATURAL WATER HYACINTH DECORATIVE BASKETS WITH WHITE TASSELS (SET OF 2); SKU: #315257845

LEXIE SACHS EXECUTIVE TEXTILES DIRECTOR @LEXIESACHS

GH fiber scientists reveal their top-tested tricks to help you make informed decisions about fabrics for your home and wardrobe.

A: Our Lab tests—which review everything from abrasion resistance to packing space— reveal that not all backpacks are built the same way. Here’s what to look for when you shop, with some of our top-tested styles below:

1. Comfortable straps: Shoulder straps should be curved for proper fit and padded to reduce stress on the upper body. Chest and waist straps can help take weight off the shoulders. Make sure the straps are adjustable and can be tightened so the bag doesn’t sit below the lower back.

2. Organization features: This will vary by age, but consider whether your child needs a laptop sleeve, multiple zippered compartments, interior pouches and side pockets for water bottles. Also check for zippers with attached pulls, which make it easier for kids to open and close the bag.

3. Durable materials: Nylon is the strongest backpack fabric, but polyester also held up well in our tests. For a kid who is rough on their bag, consider one with a reinforced bottom.

QAre pricier tights worth the splurge?

A: Not really. We’ve tested tights that cost more than $40 that perform wonderfully, but we’ve also tested drugstore brands under $10 that perform nearly as well. Because cost is not a clear indicator of quality, consider the following aspects instead to find your perfect pair: Opacity: Look for the denier, which is the fabric weight. A denier of 40 or higher is considered opaque, while 30 or less is more sheer.

Control top: This is a matter of personal preference, and our consumer testers are split—some like the smoothing benefits and the feeling of being held in, while others find it too constricting.

Sizing: If you’re on a borderline in a size chart, opt for the larger size. The waistband can roll when the fit is too snug.

TIMELESS & DURABLE

This classic style proved abrasion-resistant and withstood damage from repeated drops.

BEST FOR YOUNG KIDS

Available in dozens of child-friendly colors and prints, it aced our Lab’s packing tests.

TOP PICK FOR TEENS

Strong, well-padded and incredibly spacious, this versatile bag includes a sturdy laptop sleeve.

LIGHTWEIGHT WONDER

It weighs less than most bags despite having ample padding and packing space.

GH Lab tip: To prevent snags, make sure your hands and nails are smooth when you put tights on. Avoid letting tights rub against rough or uneven surfaces like Velcro, as these can easily damage the material.

My kiddo needs a new school backpack. How do I find the best one?

—SYDNEY P.

SUPER GRIME BUSTERS

These genius products — all tested by the GH Cleaning Lab —  are the spot-on solutions to your toughest cleaning challenges!

SEAL PROMISE

All GH Seal products are rigorously assessed by the GH Labs. We stand behind them with our exclusive refund-or-replacement limited warranty.*

WOOD-FLOOR WONDER

Finished hardwood is fairly easy to care for but does need some TLC to stay looking its best. Swiffer’s WetJet Wood Starter Kit is a complete system that includes a spray mop, disposable pads, a bottle of solution for finished hardwood floors and batteries. Simply install the batteries and snap on the cleaner and a pad, and you’re ready to go. The absorbent pads trap dirt, scrub away stuck-on grime and eliminate the need to rinse. Headlights on the mophead make it easy to spot messes too.

LAB RESULTS In GH Cleaning Lab tests, the Swiffer system proved very easy to use and neater to store than a regular mop. It did an amazing job dissolving a sticky gelatin mixture on our test wood-flooring panels in just a few passes and left the wood dry enough that we could skip buffing.

SWIFFER WETJET WOOD STARTER KIT, $26, SWIFFER.COM

ON-THE-GO SPOT ZAPPER

Sudden stains are no longer cause for alarm when you are armed with the Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover pen. This portable miracle worker removes fresh food and drink messes on clothing before they set and become permanent stains—no matter where you are. It’s easy to tuck into your purse, car, backpack or desk drawer.

LAB RESULTS Our experts were impressed that the Tide to Go pen was safe to use on many types and colors of fabric, though it’s always best to test it on a hidden area before using. We found it most effective on fresh liquid stains; it lifted coffee, cola and wine from our test swatches with ease. This slim, handy pen didn’t leave rings or leave our test fabrics overly wet.

STUNNING SILVER WIPES

Clean and polish your silver quickly and neatly with Weiman’s convenient premoistened wipes. Safe to use on sterling silver and silver plate, they remove tarnish from flatware, serving items and jewelry—even pieces with gemstones, thanks to an ammonia-free formula. The small canister is easy to store, and the mild non-scratch wipes are amply sized to rejuvenate and help protect even large items.

LAB RESULTS In tests, the wipes easily restored the shine to our very heavily tarnished pieces of silver flatware and jewelry and a silver-plated tray without the mess other polishes can make. After we rinsed and buffed as directed, our pieces were protected with a tarnish-resistant finish. Bonus: They’re also great to use on gold, brass, copper and aluminum.

HOW TO AVOID CLEANING BURNOUT

Cut down on epic cleaning sessions by adopting these clean-as-you-go strategies:

• Manage the microwave. Wipe the door and the inside of the oven after every use to keep spills from baking on and to avoid extra scrubbing at the end of the week.

• Divvy up dusting. Every day or two, dust furniture and then vacuum (in one room each time).

• De-gunk fridge drawers. Wipe spills and produce debris from refrigerator drawers as you remove veggies to make dinner.

• Lessen laundry loads. Launder bedding and towels on days other than your normal laundry day. While it may seem like more work, you’ll have shorter laundry sessions overall.

• Clean with steam. Wipe down the bathroom post-shower to prevent soap-scum buildup.

Cook + Savor

Upgrade a Campsite Classic

For these S’mores Brownies, layer fudgy brownie batter (instead of a plain old chocolate bar) on graham crackers and bake. Top with meringue and toast till golden. No fire required!

Recipe, p. 112

TOASTY TIP

Here’s how to achieve a showstopping topping without a kitchen torch: Heat oven to 475°F and bake until meringue just starts to brown, about 3 min.

the Inspire KITCHEN

Stuck in a rut? Break free with help from the latest food innovations, top-tested goods and beyonddelicious recipes.

Photographs by MIK E GARTE N

According to a 2020 Gallup poll, nearly a quarter of Americans say they’ re cutting down on meat, and 36% consider themselves “flexitarian.” For these meatballs, we replaced some of the pork with grated carrots. This method works well with other combos like chopped mushrooms and ground beef too.

NUT-FREE!

have to hold you back.

Worry-Free Recipes

More restaurants and grocery stores than ever now offer alternative ingredients for those with food allergies or sensitivities. Our pasta, made with a legumebased rigatoni, and our satay, featuring a seedbased sauce, give you the flavor and texture you crave—sans stress.

RIGATONI with SAUSAGE-STYLE TURKEY and ARUGULA

N

Acing the prep for legume-based pastas can be tricky. Follow these steps for foolproof cooking.

Use plenty of water and a large pot—gluten-free pastas will expand, and with less water, everything is more likely to stick together. Also important: Keep stirring throughout cooking.

Watch the clock and test for doneness early and often. These noodles tend to overcook quickly, so it’s key to taste them along the way to avoid mush.

Rinse after draining to remove extra starch, prevent overcooking and keep alternative pastas from getting gummy.

Drinks from any eracan make a comeback.

IN-DEMAND DRINKS

These classic cocktails are back in the spotlight (though they never left our hearts), thanks to special appearances on television and social media.

Cosmopolitan

Rumor has it that a cranberry juice company first made this cocktail, later picked up by San Francisco gay bars. Starting in the late ’90s and then in 2021, Sex and the City and its reboot made the pink drink popular again.

Espresso Martini

According to legend, this cocktail, first shaken in London, was made for supermodel Naomi Campbell. Reality shows like Summer House and Below Deck helped bring this buzzy beverage back into the mainstream.

Negroni

This boozy Campari-based drink was born in Florence, Italy, in the early 20th century and earned the title of most popular drink of 2021 after many a social media mention, including one by actor Stanley Tucci.

You can take your tailgate to go.

CHICKEN WRAPS TWO WAYS

PACK LIKE A PRO

Here’s how to keep bites and bevs chilled.

Cool your cooler.

CANS WE CRAVE

From cocktails and beer to boozefree seltzer, crushworthy canned drinks abound. Pop the top and savor these sips.

BRILLIANT BREW

These cans boast plenty of rich flavor with a refreshing citrusy finish.

ROGUE BATSQUATCH

HAZY INDIA PALE ALE, $13 FOR SIX, ROGUE.COM

TOP COCKTAIL

Tasters loved that each tropical sip was simultaneously sweet and tart.

JUNE SHINE PASSION FRUIT VODKA SODA, $15 FOR FOUR, JUNESHINE.COM

If you store your cooler in a shed or the garage, bring it inside on a hot day. You can also fill it with ice a few hours ahead to get it to temp.

Think beyond ice. Avoid leaks and soggy snacks by using ice packs or stashing cubes in a resealable plastic bag instead.

1 2 3

Submerge sodas.

To chill canned drinks quickly, throw them into the cooler with a combination of water and ice.

FIZZY FAVE

The berry flavor and the invigorating tiny bubbles make staying hydrated easy (and fun!).

STRAWBERRY BUBLY, $4 FOR EIGHT, BUBLY.COM

BLT Ranch Chicken Wraps p 107

Buffalo Chicken Wraps p 107

The GH Kitchen Appliances Lab tested dozens of coolers to find the ones that were easy to use and clean and that retained temps best. Scan the code for the winners.

ROASTED BROCCOLINI and MUSHROOMS with SALSA MACHA

p. 107

SPICE STARS

These fiery picks have the power to bring flavor — and major heat —  to dinner tonight.

SPICY SPRINKLE

A dash of this Japanese seasoning, starring sesame, chili flakes and dried seaweed, delivers a kick to soup, grilled meats and more.

HOUSE FOODS SHICHIMI TOGARASHI, $20 FOR THREE, AMAZON

SPECIAL SPREAD

Instantly upgrade any sandwich with a schmear of this rich, savory and tongue-tingling North African chili sauce.

MINA HARISSA SPICY, $7, MINA.CO

FRESH FAVORITE

Loaded with basil, parsley and jalapeños, this pick makes a speedy marinade or a flavorful topping for grilled steak, chicken or fish.

GOTHAM GREENS CHIMICHURRI, $8, GOTHAMGREENS.COM

Dazzling Drizzle

Salsa macha—made from dried chile peppers, nuts and oil—adds smoky, spicy flavor to any dish. It’s similar to Asian chili oil in terms of texture and ingredients; both may have been created when conquistador Hernán Cortés turned Veracruz, Mexico, into a port of trade with the East. It also has indigenous roots, as the Totonac people have been making a similar salsa for centuries.

Spicy condiments are a secret weapon.

UPCYCLED ALL-STARS

To fight food waste, these companies turn potential trash into delicious treasures.

is a waste of a good meal.

CHOCOLATE TREAT

While 70% of the cacao pod goes to waste during traditional chocolate production, this brand makes use of the whole fruit in a crunchy, rich mix.

BLUE STRIPES WHOLE CACAO TRAIL MIX, $8, BLUESTRIPES.COM

CRISP CHIPS

Grains left behind from beer production (sprouted barley and wheat) create the base for these pita-like chips. Pass the dip!

BREWER’S SEA SALT CHIPS, $6, BREWERSFOODS.COM

FRUITY SPREAD

A schmear of this four-ingredient jam, sweetened with dates instead of sugar, makes the most of bruised berries.

STRAWBERRY CHIA SMASH SUPERFOOD JAM, $8, CHIASMASH.COM

Playing with your food could go viral.

TOP TIKTOK TIPS

Quick-hit hacks from the app are helping home cooks everywhere. Here are some of our favorites:

TORTILLA TRICK

Make a slit from the edge to the middle of 1 large tortilla and add a filling to each quadrant, then fold up the tortilla 1 corner at a time to form a stacked triangle.

Credit: @crystalscookingfun, @ellcarter1 and @cookingwithayeh

CAKE CRUSH

Skip cutting frosted cake into slices and serve it in wine glasses instead: Simply flip the glasses upside down and scoop out the cake into perfect portions that feel fun—and fancy. Cheers!

Credit: @theroseperiod

BOOZY BEARS

Soak pineapple gummy bears in a coconut-flavored liqueur (such as Malibu rum) and stash them in the fridge for at least a week before snacking. They taste like a piña colada in candy form!

Credit: @neverdunnhome

RETH INK

WEEKNI GHTS

Make a fresh and delicious dinner in less time than you’d need to order takeout, thanks to these reimagined takes on classic dishes.

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large cast-iron skillet on medium-high. Add 2 small zucchini and 1 small summer squash (both cut into half-moons), season with 1⁄4 tsp each kosher salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until light golden brown, 3 to 4 min. Transfer to plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add 1⁄2 Tbsp oil and 1 small onion (finely chopped) and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 min. Stir in 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) and 1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes; cook 30 sec.

3. Add 8 lasagna noodles (broken into pieces), 2 cups marinara sauce and 3 cups low-sodium

chicken broth; bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously, stirring often, until sauce begins to reduce, 6 min. Lower heat and gently simmer until pasta is tender, 7 to 8 min. more.

4. Meanwhile, heat broiler. Fold in 2 oz cream cheese (cut into small pieces) to melt, then vegetables, 1⁄2 cup chopped basil and 1⁄2 cup grated mozzarella

5. Sprinkle with 3⁄4 cup grated mozzarella and 2 Tbsp grated Romano and broil until golden brown, 2 to 3 min. Top with torn basil and serve.

SERVES 4 About 486 cal, 20.5 g fat ( 8.5 g sat ) , 23 g pro, 954 mg sodium, 56 g carb, 6 g fiber

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large skillet on medium and sauté 3 shallots (finely chopped) 4 min. Transfer one-third of shallots to small bowl and remaining to large bowl along with 1⁄4 cup pinot noir, 2 Tbsp each Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, 1⁄2 Tbsp tomato paste, 11⁄2 tsp fresh thyme (chopped), 3⁄4 tsp kosher salt and 1⁄2 tsp pepper and mix to combine. Mix in 1 large egg, then 1⁄2 cup plain breadcrumbs

2. Add 11⁄2 lbs ground beef (90% lean); mix to combine (do not overmix). On parchment-lined baking sheet, shape mixture into two 5-in. loaves. Cook until internal temp registers 150°F, 30 to 35 min. Let rest 5 min. before slicing.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter in large skillet on high. Add 10 oz cremini mushrooms (sliced) and sauté until browned, 5 min. Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 clove garlic (grated) and reserved shallots. Stir in 2 tsp tomato paste and 1 tsp Dijon, then 1⁄2 cup pinot noir, stirring to incorporate. Simmer to reduce by half.

4. Stir in 1 tsp vegetable base, 1⁄2 cup water and 1⁄2 tsp thyme leaves; simmer 3 min. Stir in 2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter (diced) to emulsify, then 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley (chopped) and 1⁄4 tsp pepper. Serve spooned over sliced meatloaf with sautéed spinach

Photographs by MIK E GARTE N Prop styling by LIS E N GE LH ART

1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Working in stacks, halve 12 oz square wonton wrappers to form noodles; separate. In bowl, combine 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium tamari, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar and 2 tsp maple syrup; set aside.

2. Mix 4 cloves garlic (pressed) and 1 Tbsp grated ginger. Add 4 scallions (white and light green parts only, chopped—set dark parts aside); mix half with 1 lb ground pork and 1⁄2 tsp pepper.

3. Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add pork mixture, break up and let cook, undisturbed, until bottom is crisp, 5 min. Break up and cook, scraping up any bits until cooked through, 2 min. Drain fat, then

toss with half of tamari mixture. Transfer to plate.

4. Heat 2 tsp sesame oil on medium. Add reserved scallion mixture and sauté 15 sec. Toss with 4 oz sugar snap peas (sliced) and 2 heads baby bok choy (thinly sliced), increase heat to medium-high and sauté 2 min.; remove from heat and toss with remaining tamari mixture.

5. Add noodles to boiling water, stirring. Cook 1 min., then drain and rinse under cool water, separating noodles. Shake off water; toss with greens to coat, then pork mixture. Thinly slice dark scallion greens and sprinkle on top.

SERVES 4 About 567 cal, 21.5 g fat (7 g sat ) , 33 g pro, 1,130 mg sodium, 58 g carb, 3 g fiber

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Cut eight 21⁄2-in. circles from 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed) and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with 1 large egg (beaten) and top each with 1 sprig dill, pressing to adhere. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 10 to 13 min.

2. Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp unsalted butter in large saucepan on medium. Add 2 leeks (cut into half-moons), 3 carrots (peeled and sliced 1⁄4 in. thick), 2 large stalks celery (sliced 1⁄4 in. thick) and 1⁄4 tsp kosher salt and sauté until beginning to soften, 8 to 10 min.

3. Sprinkle in 31⁄2 Tbsp flour and cook, stirring, 1 min. Slowly stir in 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until vegetables are tender and soup has thickened, 10 to 12 min.

4. Remove from heat and stir in 1⁄3 cup frozen peas and one 21⁄2-lb rotisserie chicken (meat picked into bitesize pieces) and its juices and heat through. Season with 1⁄4 tsp pepper and stir in 1⁄3 cup flat-leaf parsley and 1⁄4 cup dill (both chopped). Serve with puff pastry rounds. SERVES 4 About 528 cal, 3 7 g fat ( 14.5 g sat ) , 35 g pro, 953 mg sodium, 3 7 g carb, 4 g fiber

5-Ingredient Dinner

&Chips

EGG WHITES

Heat air fryer to 400°F. In shallow bowl, beat 2 large egg whites and 1 Tbsp water.

SALT AND VINEGAR POTATO CHIPS

Crush two 5-oz pkgs. salt and vinegar potato chips (you should have about 4 cups) and place in second shallow bowl.

COD OR HAKE FILLETS

Cut 11⁄2 lbs cod fillets into 3-in. pieces. Dip fish in egg whites, letting excess drip off, then in crushed chips, pressing gently to help adhere. Spray air fryer basket with olive oil, arrange fish in basket and air-fry until fish is golden brown and opaque throughout, 10 min.

No Air Fryer?

Heat oven to 450°F. Coat fish as directed and transfer to large rimmed baking sheet rubbed with 1 Tbsp oil. Roast until fish is golden brown and opaque throughout, 10 to 12 min.

Meanwhile, in bowl, microwave 16 oz frozen peas (thawed) on medium 2 min. Toss with 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp oil and 1⁄2 tsp each salt and pepper, then mash. Serve with fish.

Serves 4

About 661 cal, 30 g fat (4.5 g sat), 40 g pro, 916 mg sodium, 54 g carb, 8 g fiber

FROZEN PEAS & LEMON

T HE WORKBOOK

1⁄2 cup Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and pepper

1Tbsp chopped chives

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced diagonally

1 scallion, thinly sliced

2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (about 1⁄4 cup)

1⁄4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

3 Tbsp ketchup

3Tbsp buffalo wing sauce (we used Frank’s)

1 31⁄2-lb rotisserie chicken

8 medium wraps (spinach, tomato or plain)

3 cups baby romaine lettuce leaves

11⁄2 cups grape tomatoes, halved, or sliced if large

4 slices bacon, cooked

1. In small bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper; fold in chives.

2. Transfer half to medium bowl and toss with celery, scallion and blue cheese; fold in parsley.

3 In second medium bowl, combine ketchup and buffalo wing sauce.

4. Remove chicken breasts from chicken, discarding skin. Shred remaining meat, discarding skin and bones. Halve 1 breast and shred meat. Add shredded meat to wing-sauce mixture and toss to coat.

5. Form buffalo wraps: Divide shredded chicken and celery slaw among 4 wraps and roll up, then wrap in parchment or waxed paper.

6. Slice remaining chicken breast and form BLT ranch wraps with remaining wraps, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, sliced chicken and reserved creamy dressing. Roll up and wrap in parchment or waxed paper. Place wraps in airtight container before adding to cooler.

MAKES 8 WRAPS

Active 10 min. | Total 25 min.

Q G V

11⁄2 lbs oyster mushrooms, separated 21⁄2 Tbsp olive oil, divided Kosher salt and pepper

2bunches Broccolini, trimmed and cut into large florets

1 cup fresh ricotta

1 tsp lemon zest Milk, as needed

3Tbsp salsa macha (we used La Comandanta)

1. Heat oven to 425°F. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 11⁄2 Tbsp oil and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper and roast 8 min.

2. On second baking sheet, toss Broccolini with remaining Tbsp oil and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper. Toss mushrooms, add Broccolini to oven and roast both until golden brown and tender, 10 to 12 min. more.

3 In bowl, mix ricotta and lemon zest, adding milk so mixture is smooth. Spread onto large plate or platter.

4. Arrange Broccolini and mushrooms on top of ricotta, then spoon salsa macha on top.

SERVES 4 About 359 cal, 24 g fat ( 10 g sat ) , 18 g pro, 433 mg sodium, 22 g carb, 9 g fiber

OREO SUNDAE

MUG CAKE Q O

Active 5 min. | Total 5 min.

8Oreo cookies

1⁄2 cup milk

Mint chocolate chip ice cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries and raspberries, for serving

1 In mug, mash cookies into small pieces. Add milk and continue mashing until combined. Microwave on High 1 min. If not set, microwave 20 sec. more.

2. Serve topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce and berries if desired.

SERVES 1 About 501 cal, 22.5 g fat (7.5 g sat ) 7 g pro, 412 mg sodium, 73 g carb, 3 g fiber

MAKE IT VEGAN

Swap in an equal amount of oat milk for cow’s milk to turn this sweet into a plant-based treat. Then top with your favorite vegan ice cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

ROASTED BROCCOLINI AND MUSHROOMS WITH SALSA MACHA

Mediterranean-Style Grazing Board

SMOKY ROASTED

TOMATOES Q G M V O

Active 5 min. | Total 25 min.

1pint grape tomatoes

2Tbsp olive oil

1tsp coriander seeds, crushed 1⁄4tsp cumin seeds, crushed Kosher salt and pepper

Basil, for serving

Heat oven to 425°F. On small rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes, oil, coriander, cumin and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes have begun to break down and are juicy, 15 to 20 min. Sprinkle with basil.

SERVES 6 TO 8

TZATZIKI Q G M V

Active 10 min. | Total 10 min.

1 large Kirby cucumber, peeled Kosher salt

1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp olive oil

1⁄2 tsp lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp juice

1 scallion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

Cut cucumber lengthwise in half; scoop out seeds. Coarsely grate cucumber; toss with 1⁄4 tsp salt and let sit 10 min. Transfer to double layer of paper towels; squeeze dry. In medium bowl, combine yogurt, oil, lemon zest and juice and 1⁄4 tsp salt. Fold in cucumber, scallion, dill and mint.

SERVES 6 TO 8

ROASTED ARTICHOKES Q G M V O

Active 10 min. | Total 25 min.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, halved and patted very dry

1⁄2 lemon

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and pepper

Heat oven to 425°F. Spread oil onto rimmed baking sheet and arrange artichokes, cut sides down, on sheet. Roast on bottom rack until golden brown, 10 to 12 min. Zest lemon all over artichokes, sprinkle with thyme and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper and toss to combine.

SERVES 6 TO 8

GRILLED BABY

PEPPERS Q G M V

Active 10 min. | Total 10 min.

1⁄2 lb baby peppers, halved and seeded

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and pepper

Heat grill to medium-high. Toss peppers with oil, vinegar and 1⁄2 tsp each salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until charred and just tender, 3 to 4 min. per side. Transfer back to bowl and toss with any remaining oil and vinegar.

SERVES 6 TO 8

MARINATED FETA Q G M V

Active 10 min. | Total 20 min.

12 oz firm feta, cut into cubes

1⁄3 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small red chile, thinly sliced

1 strip lemon zest, thinly sliced, plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 small sprig fresh rosemary (needles only)

Kosher salt

Arrange feta in shallow bowl. In skillet, warm oil, garlic, chile, lemon zest and rosemary on low until garlic is golden brown, about 5 min. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Spoon warm oil mixture on top of feta and let sit 10 min. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

SERVES 6 TO 8

CHEESE BOARDS 2.

0

Grazing boards go beyond your typical cheese-and-cracker spread. You can serve up dessert (think: candy, cookies and sweet dips) or anything savory. Here, we took a cue from mezze, a small-plates style of dining that is popular in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African countries and often features olives, salads, dips and much more.

KITCHEN-SINK FRITTATA

G V O

Active 15 min. | Total 30 min.

8 large eggs

1⁄8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tsp olive oil

Cleaned greens from 1 bunch beets, stems discarded and leaves chopped (about 4 cups), or 4 cups Swiss chard or baby spinach

1 small clove garlic, grated

4 scallions, dark and pale green ends, thinly sliced on bias (or 1⁄2 cup parsley or chives)

2oz aged Manchego or extra-sharp white Cheddar, grated, divided

1 Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, nutmeg (if using) and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in 9-in. cast-iron skillet on medium-high. Add greens and 1⁄4 tsp salt and cook, tossing and stirring often, until just tender, 11⁄2 min. Toss with garlic and cook 30 sec.

3. Add scallions, egg mixture and half of cheese and stir to combine, scraping down sides of pan with spatula and shaking to settle. Top with remaining cheese and cook until set around edges, 2 to 3 min.

4 Transfer to top rack of oven and bake until edges are golden brown and center is just set, 10 to 12 min.

SERVES 4 About 233 cal, 16.5 g fat

(6.5 g sat ) , 17 g pro, 551 mg sodium, 4 g carb, 2 g fiber

BEET GREEN AND WALNUT PESTO Q G V

Active 5 min. | Total 10 min. Makes about 3⁄4 cup

Cleaned greens from 1 bunch beets, stems discarded (about 4 cups)

1⁄3cup walnuts, toasted

1large clove garlic, pressed

1⁄4cup grated pecorino Kosher salt and pepper

1⁄2cup olive oil, divided

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and fill bowl with ice. Add beet greens to water, stir, then immediately transfer to ice bath to cool. Strain and squeeze as much water out of greens as possible, then roughly chop.

2. In food processor, pulse walnuts to chop. Add greens and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add pecorino,

1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper and

1⁄4 cup oil and pulse to combine. Add remaining oil and pulse once, quickly.

SERVES 12 About 113 cal, 11.5 g fat

( 2 g sat ) , 2 g pro, 122 mg sodium,

1 g carb, 1 g fiber

MARINATED BEETS

Active 15 min. | Total 1 hr. 15 min. Makes 2 cups

8 small beets (about 11⁄2 lbs), tops and bottoms trimmed

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp fresh orange juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and pepper

1 Tbsp canola oil

1Tbsp fresh rosemary

1. Add 11⁄2 cups water to Instant Pot and insert steam rack. Place beets on steam rack and lock lid. Cook on High Pressure 25 min. Use quick release to release pressure. Transfer beets to plate and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, mustard and 1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper.

3. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into small wedges. Add to bowl and toss with dressing. Let sit at least 20 min.

4 Meanwhile, heat canola oil in small skillet on medium-low. Add rosemary and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3 min. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate and sprinkle with 1⁄4 tsp salt. Sprinkle over beets just before serving.

SERVES 4

STEP 1

Remove hardware and lightly sand the cabinet—this will create some texture for the primer and paint to adhere to. Wipe with a clean cloth.

STEP 2

Paint a thick layer of Jasco Mask & Peel on the glass doors. Allow several hours to dry (the white liquid should turn clear once dry). Apply one coat of Stix bonding primer to the entire bookcase before adding two coats of interior gloss paint. Run a craft knife along the glass trim to release the mask and peel away to reveal clean glass. Use an old credit card or a butter knife to scrape away extra masking residue.

STEP 3

Measure and trim removable wallpaper to fit the back of each shelf. Peel back the bottom left corner and set in place, slowly peeling back the rest of the paper backing and smoothing the wallpaper as you go. Use a wallpaper smoother or a credit card to remove any air bubbles. Complete the look by replacing the hardware.

GLUTENFREE PASTA PICKS

Stock up on these shapes that rival any regular noodle.

Stash a few packs of these cauliflower-based noodles in your freezer for an easy dinner in minutes.

RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE-STYLE TURKEY

AND ARUGULA Q G

Active 25 min. | Total 25 min

1 lb lean ground turkey

2 tsp sweet paprika

4 cloves garlic, grated, divided

1 tsp red pepper flakes, divided Kosher salt

12 oz grain-free rigatoni (we used Banza)

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1large bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

4 cups loosely packed baby arugula

1⁄3cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Get your fill of fiber from this legume-based one-ingredient pasta.

1. In bowl, combine turkey, paprika, half of garlic, 1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes and 1⁄2 tsp salt until just fully mixed (can be made and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead).

2. Cook pasta per pkg. directions, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid before draining and rinsing.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add fennel seeds to skillet and quickly add bitesize pieces of sausage mixture on top, gently pressing down. Cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 min. Toss and cook just until cooked through, 1 to 2 min. more. Transfer to plate.

4. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining Tbsp oil on medium. Add sliced fennel and 1⁄4 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 4 min. Stir in remaining garlic and cook 1 min. Stir in lemon juice, 1⁄2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid and remaining 1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes.

5 Gently fold pasta and arugula into fennel mixture, then half of sausage, adding more cooking liquid if pasta seems dry. Serve topped with remaining sausage and Pecorino Romano.

SERVES 4 About 644 cal, 29 g fat (6 g sat ) , 47 g pro, 729 mg sodium, 59 g carb, 12 g fiber

For meatballs:

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1Tbsp sriracha

2scallions, finely chopped

1Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1clove garlic, grated

1medium to large carrot (about 4 oz), coarsely grated

8oz ground pork

For salad and assembly:

2Tbsp mayonnaise

11⁄2Tbsp sriracha

11⁄2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1tsp fish sauce

1⁄2tsp brown sugar

Kosher salt

1large carrot

1⁄2small daikon

4rolls or 1 baguette cut into 4 pieces Cilantro and mint, for serving

1 Heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2. In bowl, combine fish sauce, sriracha, scallions, ginger and garlic. Toss with carrot, then mix with pork until fully incorporated. Form 20 small balls, place on prepared sheet and broil until cooked through and golden brown on top, 8 to 10 min.

3 Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and 1⁄4 tsp salt. Using vegetable peeler, create long ribbons of carrot and daikon, letting them fall into vinaigrette, then toss all to combine.

4. Warm rolls, then split. Spread with sriracha mayo and fill with meatballs, carrot salad, cilantro and mint.

SERVES 4 About 431 cal, 14.5 g fat (4.5 g sat ) , 20 g pro, 1,216 mg sodium, 54 g carb, 4 g fiber

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GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SUNFLOWER SEED SATAY SAUCE G M

Active 30 min. | Total 45 min. plus marinating

For chicken: 11⁄2Tbsp yellow curry paste (we used Maesri)

2tsp lime juice

1tsp fish sauce

1tsp brown sugar

1⁄2tsp ground turmeric

1 clove garlic, grated

11⁄2lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (8 small), trimmed

For satay sauce:

2Tbsp yellow curry paste

2Tbsp lime juice

2tsp fish sauce

1Tbsp plus 2 tsp brown sugar

1⁄4cup unsweetened and unsalted sunflower seed butter

11⁄2Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, melted

11⁄2to 2 Tbsp boiling hot water

For cucumber salad and rice noodles:

3Tbsp lime juice

1Tbsp fish sauce

1Tbsp brown sugar

4Persian cucumbers, sliced thinly 1⁄2small red onion, sliced very thinly 8oz thin rice noodles

3cups mixed small herb leaves such as cilantro, mint and basil

Thinly sliced Thai red chile, for serving Lime wedges, for serving

Marinate chicken: In medium bowl, combine first 6 ingredients, then toss with chicken to coat. Refrigerate 1 hr. and up to overnight.

Make satay sauce: Mix curry paste, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, sunflower seed butter and coconut oil. Whisk in hot water until desired consistency is achieved; set aside.

WHAT IS SATAY?

It’s said that this delish grilled meat dish originated in Indonesia, and it’s popular throughout Southeast Asia. Typically, chicken or pork pieces are stacked on skewers, charred and served with a satay sauce—often made with peanut butter, lime juice and plenty of fragrant spices like cumin and ginger. We swapped in sunflower seed butter to turn this dinner into a nut-free feast!

p. 66

Make cucumber salad and rice noodles:

1 Mix lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Divide sauce between 2 medium bowls; add cucumbers and red onion to 1 bowl and toss; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Cook noodles per pkg. directions, drain and rinse under cold water to cool to room temp, then shake off any excess water. Add to second bowl with remaining dressing and toss to coat. Cook chicken and assemble: Heat grill or grill pan on mediumhigh. Oil grill well, then add chicken. Reduce temp to medium and grill until charred and cooked through, 5 to 6 min. per side, adjusting heat as necessary. Transfer to cutting board and let rest at least 3 min. before slicing. Serve with noodles, cucumber salad and satay sauce, herbs, chile and lime wedges if desired.

SERVES 4 About 651 cal, 24.5 g fat (8.5 sat ) , 34 g pro, 1,080 mg sodium, 72 g carb, 4 g fiber

SLOW COOKER PORK AND SLAW SANDWICHES

Active 35 min. | Total 5 hr. 20 min. on High or 8 hr. 20 min. on Low

3⁄4cup cider vinegar

3Tbsp brown sugar

Heaping 1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and pepper

31⁄2lbs boneless pork butt or shoulder, well trimmed

1⁄4cup mayonnaise

3Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1Tbsp whole-grain mustard

1⁄2small cabbage (about 1 lb), cored and thinly sliced 1jalapeño, thinly sliced 6rolls, split

Potato chips, for serving

1 In small measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes and 1⁄2 tsp salt. Pour half into 5- to 6-qt slow cooker. Rub pork with 1⁄2 tsp pepper and place in slow cooker. Cook, covered, until pork is very tender and easily pulls apart, 4 to 5 hr. on High or 7 to 8 hr. on Low.

2. Twenty minutes before pork is finished, make slaw. In large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, 1⁄4 tsp salt and 1⁄2 tsp pepper. Add cabbage and jalapeño and toss to coat.

3. Transfer pork to large bowl and shred. Pour reserved vinegar mixture over pork and toss to coat. Form sandwiches with rolls, pork and slaw. Serve with potato chips if desired.

SERVES 6 About 572 cal, 26.5 g fat (8 g sat ) , 41 g pro, 684 mg sodium, 39 g carb, 3 g fiber

S’MORES BROWNIES

Active 30 min. | Total 1 hr. plus cooling

For crust:

6Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan

10graham crackers, broken into pieces

2Tbsp granulated sugar

1⁄8tsp kosher salt

For brownie batter:

1⁄4cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1⁄2cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1⁄2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

9oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, divided

11⁄2cups granulated sugar

3⁄4tsp kosher salt

1tsp pure vanilla extract

3large eggs, at room temp

For meringue topping:

3large egg whites, at room temp

2⁄3cup granulated sugar

Kosher salt

1⁄4tsp cream of tartar

1⁄2tsp pure vanilla extract

T HE WORKBOOK

Make meringue:

1 Whisk egg whites and sugar in heatproof bowl of electric mixer. Set bowl over pot of rapidly simmering water and whisk until mixture is hot to the touch and sugar is completely dissolved, about 11⁄2 to 2 min. Add 1⁄8 tsp salt and cream of tartar and whip on medium-high speed 2 min. Raise heat to high and whip again until medium-stiff glossy peaks form and meringue is still slightly warm, 2 to 3 min.; beat in vanilla. Do not overbeat.

2. Spoon mounds of meringue on top of brownie and swoop with spoon to make peaks and valleys and cover surface of brownie.

3. Using kitchen torch on low, pass torch with side-to-side motion quickly over surface of meringue until desired toasting is achieved. For best results, serve immediately and cut with slightly wet knife, wiping between cuts.

SERVES 8 TO 10 About 447 cal, 33.5 g fat ( 19 g sat ) , 7 g pro, 336 mg sodium, 31 g carb, 5 g fiber

1. COSMOPOLITAN Q G V

Active 5 min. | Total 5 min.

2oz vodka

1oz Cointreau

1oz cranberry juice

1oz fresh lime juice

Lime slice or twist, for serving In cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake all ingredients until chilled. Strain into coupe glass and serve with lime slice or twist.

SERVES 1

2. ESPRESSO MARTINI Q G V

Active 5 min. | Total 5 min.

11⁄2oz vodka

1oz espresso 1 oz Kahlua

1⁄2Tbsp simple syrup

Cocoa powder and espresso beans, for serving

1. In cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake all ingredients until cold and foamy.

Make crust:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-in. square ceramic or glass baking dish; line with 2 strips parchment paper to create overhang on all 4 sides for removing brownie from pan; generously butter parchment.

2. In food processor, pulse graham crackers, sugar and salt to form fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse to combine. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake until fragrant and just set, 10 min. Let cool at least 12 min. Make brownie batter:

1. Sift together cocoa and flour; set aside. In microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and 6 oz chocolate in 30-sec. intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Whisk in sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, waiting until each is combined before adding next egg. Fold in flour mixture until just combined, then fold in remaining 3 oz chopped chocolate.

2. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly over crust. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with slightly moist fudgy crumbs attached, 35 to 40 min. (be careful not to overbake). Let cool in pan 1 hr., then use overhangs to transfer to cutting board or platter.

2. Strain into coupe glass. Cover half of top of glass with paper towel and dust other half with cocoa powder. Add espresso beans to plain side of glass if desired.

SERVES 1

3. NEGRONI Q V

Active 5 min. | Total 5 min.

1oz gin

1oz sweet vermouth

1oz Campari Orange twist, for serving Add all ingredients to mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into rocks glass filled with ice, then squeeze orange twist over top and drop into glass.

SERVES 1

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIENCE THE WALT DISNEY WORLD 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION! (page 118) No purchase necessary to enter or win. Good Housekeeping Magic Sweepstakes, sponsored by Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. To enter, beginning August 9, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. (ET), through September 19, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. (ET): (i) Go to goodhousekeeping.com/magicsweeps on a computer or wireless device and complete and submit the entry form pursuant to the on-screen instructions. Important Notice: Standard message and data rates may apply. You may be charged for visiting the mobile website in accordance with the terms of your service agreement with your carrier. One (1) Winner will receive a five (5)-day/four (4)-night trip for Winner and up to three (3) guests to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. ARV: $10,240.04. Any difference between the stated ARV and actual value of Prize will not be awarded in any form. Important Notice: Odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entries received. Open to legal residents of the United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 21 years or older at the time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, Quebec and where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes subject to complete official rules available at goodhousekeeping.com/magicsweeps

FROM THE EXPERTS AT THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING INSTITUTE AND OUR SPONSOR

TESTED

In the GH Tested program, our Labs test products from brand sponsors and share our results on the ones that impress us.

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LAB LOWDOWN: Chemists and registered dietitians in the GH Wellness Lab were impressed by the lack of fishy aftertaste with this non-GMO krill oil. Plus, the soft gels’ red color is thanks to astaxanthin, a naturally occurring antioxidant. Kori delivers omega-3s in their most natural phospholipid form, which our experts confirmed provides superior absorption and is clinically proven to raise omega-3 levels. A scannable QR code makes every bottle fully traceable to the exact spot in Antarctica where the wild-caught krill was harvested. Always speak to your physician prior to taking any new supplement.

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THEY LOOK FEROCIOUS, BUT INSIDE THEY’RE JUST CHICKEN RAISED WITH

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FamilyRoom

Rethinking Kids’ Grades

When I stopped focusing so much on the letters and numbers on my kids’ report cards, everything changed for the better. by SALINA JIVANI

I still remember the day my fourth grader brought home her first C. She’d always been a sharp student with a voracious appetite for learning, and the grade contrasted with her usual steady stream of A’s and B’s. Of course my first reaction was to round up the troops, so to speak, and figure out what the problem was. My husband and I met with her in her room to discuss the rogue grade and why it was there along with mostly B’s, with none of the usual A’s in sight.

She told us she didn’t understand what the teacher was trying to teach, and that she’d liked her other teacher — one who’d retired midyear and been gone after winter break — better. I took these statements with a grain of salt, thinking that perhaps the TV or electronics were stealing her focus from school.

Then parent-teacher conferences happened, and we met with her new teacher. She’d transitioned from teaching in another state where the requirements weren’t nearly as rigorous as they were where we live, she admitted with tired eyes, so the semester had been a challenge. Her struggles, I realized, were apparent in her students’ grades. My heart went out to her and to them.

From the time my daughter was a toddler, I’d invested in books, math games, phonics puzzles and an endless reservoir of resources centered around learning. Good grades meant it was working and were rewarded with bigger allowances, more sleepovers and generous Christmas gifts. With so much invested in her educational uplift, I’d come to view her grades as a reflection of my own success, and this C was screaming that I’d failed.

But that moment in the classroom was pivotal for me. I began questioning just how wise I’d been to place so much emphasis on those letters peeking out from report cards over all these years. What did they reflect that we, as parents, never even considered?

THE PARENT TRAP

According to Brent Sweitzer, a professional counselor in private practice, parental involvement plays a significant role in grades. “Children pick up on parents’ anxiety about school performance and can internalize it,” he says. “On the other hand,

parents’ lack of involvement can prevent children — particularly those diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia or other learning differences — from developing healthy habits that will serve them later in life.”

The solution, then, is learning how to balance how much you get involved and when. “One of the most important learnings for children,” says Sweitzer, “is to be able to trust themselves, but that can only happen when we trust them.” A way to establish that trust, he believes, is by letting children be responsible for their own work based on what’s developmentally appropriate. In addition, we need to give them room to learn through mistakes — including a few bombed tests and assignments — and offer them lots of

about school and how you felt about them,” Sweitzer says. “Unconsciously, you may be repeating what was done to you.”

When kids struggle, Sweitzer believes parents should first try to understand why. For instance, adults can struggle at work for many reasons: inadequate support or training, emotional or relationship issues, being in the wrong job and so on. A good boss will have faith in their employees’ capabilities, dig deeper out of curiosity about their struggles, listen with an attentive ear and offer resources to help. Children need such things too.

SHIFT ATTENTION

Most parents drink from the same well when it comes to report cards: Grades mean everything. With this concentrated focus on academic achievement, are we coming up short elsewhere? It turns out we might be, especially when it comes to areas like emotional intelligence.

Emotional learning is what lets people understand and manage emotions, feel and express empathy for others, attain positive goals, maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions. “Though hard to quantify, emotional intelligence is vital for thriving,” says Sweitzer. “We give lots of attention and resources to formal schooling, but we often don’t give the same attention to our children’s inner lives and their capacity to form and maintain healthy relationships. But research shows that the quality of our relationships — not our income level or our educational background —  is key to a satisfying life, particularly in industrialized nations.”

chances to improve on those mistakes.

Sweitzer suggests that parents start by listening: Ask kids how they feel about their grades and where they think they need assistance. “This helps you know more about their strengths and weaknesses in school,” says Sweitzer, “but it’s also a way to express how much you care for them.” Had I asked questions earlier about my daughter’s struggles with her new teacher, I would have been less likely to feel so taken aback by that C.

Parents also need to tune in to their own anxieties about kids’ school performance. “It can be helpful to reflect on the messages you got from your own parents

According to Marc Brackett, Ph.D., author of Permission to Feel and the founder and director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, early childhood is the perfect time to instill emotional intelligence in kids. Brackett offers ageappropriate tips, such as acknowledging and naming children’s feelings, helping them identify what calmness feels like in their bodies and using sensory tools such as squishy balls or glitter jars. Also great for leverage for emotional learning, he says, are books. “When reading storybooks, talk about how the characters might be feeling,” he explains. “Discuss why they are feeling that way and whether they would want to continue to feel that way — and, if not, what they could do to change the feeling.”

For older kids, emotional intelligence also includes understanding how to behave online, in terms of both safety and being a good person. This could encompass things like learning to be cautious and responsible on the Web, avoid risky situations and be cognizant of their surroundings in the digital world — an additional type of smarts parents can help instill in their children.

Another important area of focus is financial skills. Most students spend years learning to solve increasingly challenging math equations in school (often ones that, though we tell them the opposite, they’ll never use again). And while they also learn the basics of dollars and cents as soon as kindergarten, these foundational skills don’t count for much in real life.

The Handbook of Consumer Finance Research states that many kids show poor ability to make age-appropriate financial decisions in their own best interests. And those who come from families with greater financial resources are usually more financially literate than those from families that are less well-off, which exacerbates the inequality between these groups.

To give kids a leg up once they exit the classroom environment and enter the world of bills and expenditures, parents can teach them to budget their money, live within their means, save and keep track of expenses. A credit card might be an option for young adults, and a bank account to keep track of funds may be a good place to deposit their allowance, teaching them to manage and invest money digitally. Collectively, these skills can translate to a healthier, more stable financial outlook for these future adults.

Though there are many types of intelligence that can make children more wellrounded and successful individuals, don’t view these potentially missed areas of focus as a reason to devalue tutoring sessions or chess club enrollment. Instead, think of them as supplemental avenues to help your child gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world around them.

Even several years after that first C, de-emphasizing grades doesn’t always come easily to me. I have to remind myself that it’s only when I allow my kids opportunities to stumble that they’ll have a chance to flex their muscles and lift themselves up —  stronger and more resilient every time. I know I won’t be here forever, and gifting them with independence and perseverance will be my legacy — one I hope they’ll carry, to their benefit, throughout their lives.

NEWS ALERT

Updated Developmental Markers for Kids

Are the recently released CDC guidelines actually helpful?

by MARISA LASCALA

Heads-up for parents: Earlier this year, the CDC revised the milestones it uses to help caregivers track children’s development for the first time since they were created in 2004. These markers are used to make sure children are hitting goals like rolling from tummy to back (which babies can typically do by 6 months), saying “Mama” or “Dada” or another special word for a caregiver (12 months) or clapping when excited (15 months). With these revisions, the CDC has streamlined the milestones to make them easier to understand and added checklists for a few ages. Markers are now laid out for every well-child checkup from 2 months through 5 years. But the biggest change is that the revised milestones are ones most children would be expected to achieve by the specified age. “Before, the milestones represented what about half of children typically achieved by each age; now they represent what at least threefourths of children achieve by each age,” says Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., a child clinical psychologist and author of the blog The Art and Science of Mom and the upcoming book Parenting for Autonomy

This may have the benefit of saving parents some unnecessary grief. “With the previous version of the checklist, when a child didn’t reach a milestone, a wait-and-see approach was often used anyway,” Edlynn says, since half of kids that age hadn’t reach the milestone. But the holding pattern could be worrisome to parents, who just had to sit tight and see if their kids would pick up the skill on their own or if intervention was needed.

Now that worry is lessened, but “some children’s delays may not be caught as early as they would have been with the previous guidelines,” Edlynn says.

“The American Speech-LanguageHearing Association is concerned about a possible risk of language delays being missed based on the new checklists.”

Still, the CDC emphasizes that the milestones are just one tool for keeping track of a child’s development. “These checklists are meant to guide, but not to screen or evaluate,” Edlynn says.

“If you have a concern about your child’s development, bring it up with your pediatrician whether or not it is on the checklist.”

Visit Walt Disney World for Its 50th Anniversary!

The magic is calling—Good Housekeeping wants to send you and three guests on a spectacular trip to Walt Disney World Resort. Our executive textiles director, Lexie Sachs, shares highlights from her family’s recent visit:

attractions for all

We found a perfect balance of fun for every age, from young (my daughters are 4 and 7) to young at heart. Our favorites included Dumbo the Flying Elephant at Magic Kingdom Park, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

luxury lodging

Our home base was Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which was right on the monorail —  a ride in itself! — and steps away from Magic Kingdom. The prize includes a stay in one of Disney’s Deluxe Resorts, which have premium offerings like spacious rooms and extended evening hours at the parks.

50th festivities

Enjoy classic favorites along with new additions in honor of the anniversary, such as the highly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. I had an unforgettable time at the 25th anniversary with my parents, so it felt extra nostalgic to bring my kids to the 50th.

MagicBand+ debut

We tried out this smart wristband, which you can use to enter the parks and open your hotel room — it was especially magical, with immersive features that interact with statues, light up with nighttime entertainment and more. The innovative wearable launches this summer!

.

Wyman’s Just Fruit Cups are delicious, healthy fun, whether you’re on kid duty or simply need a sweet little break.

Find Wyman’s in the frozen aisle of your local grocery store.

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Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Yes, it’s possible! Whether you’ve rescued an adult pup or yours has slid back into old habits, every dog can learn. We asked the experts how.

by LIZZ SCHUMER

Rule Out Medical Issues

With older dogs in particular, first make sure their behavior isn’t related to a physical problem. Older pets may urinate in inappropriate places because of continence issues, explains Mikkel Becker, a certified dog behavior counselor and lead animal trainer for Fear Free, or may be slower to respond to your call because of a new or worsening mobility problem like arthritis or degenerative joint disease. Link My Pet dog trainer Brandon McMillan says he’s always keeping an eye on older dogs’ weight, which can contribute to those mobility-limiting issues. Also, cognitive decline can cause dogs to forget training they’ve had for a long time or may contribute to confused barking or whining, especially in new environments. All dogs should visit the vet every

six months to help spot and treat issues early and manage their weight if necessary, but bring them to the vet right away if they’ve started struggling with a behavior that never used to be a problem.

Look at Their Environment

Thinking He should know better! is attributing morals to dogs that they just don’t have, Becker points out. “That dog that’s raiding the garbage can or barking at the mail carrier is getting something out of it,” she explains. Maybe the garbage contains a tasty snack, or they discover that after they make noise, the mail carrier goes away. She recommends removing temptation by doing something like getting garbage cans that lock or placing cans out of your pup’s reach, then giving the dog an outlet for their natural instincts. A pet

who likes to forage, for example, may like puzzle bowls for mealtime or a toy basket they can dig through instead of going into the trash. If your pet gets overexcited when visitors come through the door, consider an option like having the dog greet guests outside first.

Focus on Positive Reinforcement Yelling not only doesn’t help fix the issue but also can actually create a negative association with you in your dog’s mind, Becker explains. A dog who gets scolded for going potty on the carpet may come to fear doing so in front of you at all, which will only cause problems when you need them to do their business on a walk. “Scolding increases anxiety, and anxiety itself often is the root cause of a lot of behavior issues, including aggression,” Becker notes. And a distressed pet, just like a distressed person, won’t learn as well as one who feels calm and excited to learn new things. Set them up for success by promoting behavior you want to see.

Make Training Part of Life

Crash diets don’t work, and neither does a single marathon training session. Instead, Becker encourages owners to think of training as

a lifestyle change. That means patience is key, but so is considering the big picture. “Look at different ways you can integrate training into your daily life,” she advises. That might mean taking your dog through their known commands during a commercial break when you’re watching TV or for a few minutes before dinner every day. McMillan recommends that every dog know seven common commands they use as their obedience system: Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Off, Heel and No. Practice these, or other tricks they know, in training sessions with high-reward treats that last no more than a few minutes at a time. Go longer, and your dog may lose interest and be reluctant to cooperate next time. If your dog starts looking away, licking their lips, yawning, tucking their tail or ears, running away or trying to play, it’s time to stop for the day.

Reinforce Wanted Behavior

Many dogs will start acting out to get your attention, especially if it’s in short supply. Making an effort to praise them when they’re lying quietly on their bed, going potty in the right place or staying calm when the doorbell rings will reinforce that positive behavior, Becker explains. If you don’t make a big deal out of the behaviors you like, over time your pet will stop doing them because they don’t pay off the way

misbehaving does. “Ensuring that you are paying attention to reinforcing those right behaviors is really going to be paramount to success,” she says. And get the whole family in on it: When it comes to training, consistency is key.

Patience Makes Perfect

As with potty training a kid, progress in training a pet isn’t always linear, and it may take longer for older pets. Your dog didn’t develop unwanted behaviors overnight, so they’re likely not going to unlearn them immediately either. “Older dogs can learn the same things as younger dogs—they just can’t learn them as fast,” explains McMillan. Becker advises looking for success over time, even if slipups happen. Tracking the number of times your pet manages not to jump on guests, for example, rather than focusing on the one time they got overexcited, will help you keep perspective over the long haul. Finally, remember that daily training sessions are good for not just your pet’s behavior, but their body and brain as well. Think of training as being like a crossword puzzle or Sudoku for dogs, but with the added benefit of getting them some physical movement. “This type of training offers mental stimulation and physical mobility for older dogs,” McMillan notes. Staying on top of training will keep them not only better behaved but also happier and healthier.

SEPTEMBER 2022 VOL. 273, NO. 7 Good Housekeeping® (ISSN 0017-209X) is published monthly (except combined issues in Jan/Feb and July/Aug), 10 times a year, by Hearst, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, U.S.A. Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman; Mark E. Aldam, Chief Operating Officer. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc.: Debi Chirichella, President; Regina Buckley, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, Treasurer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. © 2022 by Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Good Housekeeping is a registered trademark of Hearst Communications, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional entry post offices. Canada Post International Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement no. 40012499. Editorial and advertising offices:300West57thStreet,NewYork,NY10019-3797.SubscriptionPrices:UnitedStatesandpossessions:$24.97 foroneyear;Canada, add $8; all other countries, add $22. Subscription Services: Good Housekeeping will, upon receipt of a complete subscription order, undertake fulfillment of that order so as to provide the first copy for delivery by the Postal Service or alternate carrier within 4–6 weeks. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to Good Housekeeping, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. For customer service, changes of address and subscription orders, log on to goodhousekeeping.com/service, or write to Customer Service Department, Good Housekeeping, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593.

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