Articles written by Marcia Passos Duffy
Showing 49 Articles
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Free Online Shipping Day
Late getting holiday gifts? Don't want to spend a bundle in shipping charges? Put Free Shipping Day on the calendar.
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Tips on Buying Prepaid Gift Cards
Have a hard-to-buy-for friend or relative? Consider a prepaid gift card. But understand the differences among the prepaid gift cards first.
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How to Regift
Want to save money, time and resources this holiday season? Try "regifting." Jerry Seinfeld coined the term, but it has become more popular and acceptable.
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Work after Retirement Has Health Benefits
Dreaming of playing endless rounds of golf when retiring? Work instead: it's better for your physical and mental health, study finds.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Cooking Tips
For the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, make sure that you don't make these cooking mistakes. Here are tips to ensure you buy enough turkey, thaw it in time, and more.
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Top 5 Recipes for Turkey Leftovers
What can you do with all that leftover turkey? Read on for some delicious and easy turkey recipes.
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How to Increase Chances of Getting a Holiday Job
Competition is fierce for holiday part time work this year, but here are some tips to help you stand out and get the job.
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How to Cook Dried Beans
If you've shied away from buying those inexpensive dried beans in bags because you think its too hard to cook, read on. You'll learn to soak, cook and freeze beans.
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Pruning Flowering Shrubs
Planning a late winter or fall pruning of your shrubs (such as lilacs)? Read this first -- or you may be cutting off next season's blossoms.
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How to Choose a Refrigerator
Refrigerator models come in all sizes and door selections. Here's help on how to pick the right refrigerator freezer for your family.
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Save Money on School Lunch
Looking for money saving way to prepare school lunch for your kids? Skip pre-packaged meals and create pizza kits, veggie platters and healthy (but yummy) snacks.
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Create a Winter Vegetable Garden
Sad that the harvest season is over? Bring the fun of a vegetable garden inside your home with a winter container garden!
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Difference Between Eating and Cooking Apples
There's a difference between cooking and eating apples. Here's how you can tell them apart.
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No-Bake Apple Desserts
Late summer and early fall are still warm, despite the apple harvest. Keep your kitchen cool with these no-bake apple dessert recipe ideas.
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Cooking with Garlic Scapes
Wondering what to do with the curly stalks growing up from garlic? Cut them and cook them! Here's how.
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Bilingual Children Learn Better
Think that introducing another language will confuse your growing child? Not so, according to researchers. It may even help your child academically.
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Prevent the Spread of Exotic Invasive Trees
Exotic trees may look beautiful in the landscape, but some have a dark side: They may be exotic invasives that are harmful to the ecosystem.
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Tree of Heaven
The Tree of Heaven, while it may be a heavenly plant in China, is not so angelic in areas outside its native range. It is an exotic invasive that is hard to control.
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Invasive Exotic Trees
Not all trees you find in a greenhouse are good for the environment. Take exotic invasive trees -- they are known to take over a landscape. Avoid them at all costs.
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Brick Paver Patterns
Learn the differences among the three basic patterns of laying brick to pick the best design for your walkway or driveway project.
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Barbecue Brazilian Style
Looking for a different kind of barbecue this summer? Try a Brazilian barbeque! But don't expect the standard hamburgers and hot dogs.
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Edible Landscapes
Not keen on starting a vegetable garden that takes up a lot of space? Use flower beds to create an edible landscape!
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Elm Trees Make a Come Back
The graceful American Elm, was once commonplace in the landscape. The Liberty Elm is genetically identical, but resistant to Dutch Elm disease.
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Rhubarb Coffee Cake and Crumble
If you love the sweet/tangy combination that rhubarb adds to dessert recipes, you'll want to try these two rhubarb mainstay treats: coffee cake and crumble.
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Dog-Proof Your Landscape
Don't let your garden go to the dogs. Learn to live happily with your canine friends by reducing digging habits and avoiding "dog spot" problems.
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Take a Farm Vacation
Tired of expensive resort vacations that are stressful and exhausting? Take a vacation on the slow lane -- visit a farm!
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Fiddleheads -- Eat Them While You Can
Fiddleheads are nutritious, delicious, and last only a short season in the spring.
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Be a Savvy Farmers Market Shopper
Want fresh? Want good prices? Visit a farmers market. But read these tips before you go.
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How to Cook with Alcohol
Alcohol is not just for drinking. It can add depth and flavor to a variety of sweet and savory recipes.
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Protect Fruit from Birds
Is your home orchard becoming lunch for birds? Here are tips on protecting your fruit from being eaten before you get to it!
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Bread Pudding
Don't throw away that stale bread! It is the main ingredient to make an incredibly rich and comforting dessert your whole family will love.
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Home Made Marshmallows
Think marshmallows are a mysterious confection impossible to make at home? Think again! Yes, you can make delicious light-as-air marshmallows in your own kitchen.
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Using Instant Coffee in Recipes
Hate the way instant coffee tastes? It still deserves a spot in your pantry to add zing to chocolate desserts, stews and chili.
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Angel Food Cake Recipe
Want to indulge your sweet tooth without all the fat? Try this recipe for Angel Food Cake. A little fussy to make but worth the effort.
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How to Grow Plants Near the Ocean
Do you live near the ocean? Lucky you! That is, until you try and plant a garden in salt-soaked soil. But your landscape can be lovely if you follow these tips.
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How to Mulch Your Trees and Shrubs
Ready to start mulching your trees and shrubs? Don't risk harming your plants -- make sure you mulch the right way. Here are helpful do's and don'ts.
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How to Create a Fire-Wise Landscape
Do you live in a wildfire-prone area of the country? How can you protect your home and property from damage? Become fire-wise.
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Can Your Trees Live Through an Ice Storm?
Before an ice storm blows in, learn how to protect your trees from damage and how to help trees heal from its devastating effects.
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Vernal Pools
An unsightly mud puddle in your yard? Look closer. It may be teeming with life.
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Top Shade-Loving Plants
The garden should look nice even when there is nothing in bloom. Here are some top shade-loving plants that have beautiful flowers and leaves.
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The 7 Types of Shade in Your Garden
Not all shade in your garden is created equal. Before plunking down expensive plants for your shade garden, consider the type of shade first.
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How to Make Mead
Many cultures have one form or another of mead. It is the drink of the Gods and its easy to make.
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Easy No-Cook Holiday Appetizers
Here are some no-fuss, no-cook appetizer ideas that are easy and fast, to make yet look festive and are delicious.
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Frugal Meal Planning
With skyrocketing food prices, it is not easy to keep your grocery bill under control. But there are ways you can plan nutritious, yet inexpensive, meals for your family.
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Pumpkins That are Made for Eating
In the world of pumpkins, there are the varieties that are great for carving - and those that are made for eating.
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Gift Jar Recipes for the Holidays
In these tough economic times, this holiday gift-giving season will be a challenge: The answer? Gift jar recipe kits.
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Wild Native Bees Can Pollinate Your Garden
There is an impressive diversity of native bees across North America. While they don't look like your typical honey bees, they do a yeoman's job of pollinating crops.
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Heirloom Apples
Go into any major supermarket and your choices of apples are limited to five or six varieties. That's not the way it used to be.
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Heritage Turkeys
The difference between an old-fashioned heritage turkey and those big Butterball birds lies in genetics.
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