Use these tips on how to harvest sunflower seeds to enjoy this snack at peak flavor. Tall, colorful sunflowers always stand out in summer gardens. However, this typically refers towhen sunflower plants will bloom. Credit:Peter Krumhardt Most seed packets dont provide any information about when the sunflower seeds will be ready to harvest. These are all key signs that your sunflowers are ready to be picked. Seeds can be thoroughly dried on the plant or harvested early and dried indoors....

If you sift flour for cookies and its a chore, heres good news: You dont need to. Heres what to do with dry ingredients for your cookie recipes instead. But is sifting flour necessary? Credit: Karla Conrad However, sifting flour isn’t a must for desserts that are chewy or crisp, like cookies. Sifting flour through a sieve or sifter helps break up clumps and aerates the ingredients. In the past, sifted flour also allowed for more accurate measuring results....

We have Charlie Brown to thank for the holiday’s famous phrase. Most of us fondly remember going door-to-door as kids andasking for chocolatesand other treats on Halloween night. The tradition dates almost as far back as the holiday itself, and its story is fascinating. Credit: Wholly Owned ISUnited Kingdom/Getty Images In fact, the phrase “trick-or-treat” wasn’t coined until fairly recently. When Did the Tradition of Trick-or-Treating Become Popular? Volunteers would dress in costume and perform dances to scare off the ghouls in exchange for food and drink....

Those jars of jam stored in your pantry might need to be tossed. How Long Do Jellies and Jams Last? However, that only tells you how long the food will be fresh if it’s unopened. Credit:fcafotodigital / Getty Images And be sure to use it within a year of canning. Also, ensure that homemade jams are properly sealed in awater bathor with pressure canning. If not, they may have already spoiled before even opening....

When do leaves change color? This fall foliage map shows when to expect peak leaf color in your area. Changing leaves and brilliant colors can be abreathtaking sight on fall trees, but when do leaves change color? Credit: Courtesy of SmokyMountains.com This natural show can vary from year to year. The best color is represented by cherry red. Finally, Southerners will see some attractive foliage and fall color from November 6-13....

Make Mom feel extra special this year by sharing one of these traditions with her. We didn’t always pamper Mom this way, though. Ann Jarvis was a Civil War medic and peace activist in the late 1800s. Credit: DisobeyArt / Adobe Stock Anna also held a memorial service in Philadelphia, where she was living. Anna’s memorial for her mother sparked a national movement to dedicate a special day to moms everywhere....

If you hit links we provide, we may receive compensation. Below 60 Hilary Duff certainly knows how to tell a story. Ive always been interested in fragrance, Duff tells Better Homes & Gardens. Credit:Below 60° scents with a streamlined, unobtrusive plug-in diffuser. I love candles, so this is not taking the place of any candles," Duff says. “And theres always opportunities to burn candles, but I love that this is always going....

Summer has ended and with it, peak hummingbird feeding season. So exactly when should you take down your hummingbird feeder and bring it infor the winter? The answer depends on where you live. Credit:Bob Stefko Hummingbirds migrate to warmer climates for the winter as temperatures fall. Chad Witkois the senior coordinator for avian biology at the National Audubon Society. Audubon’s Bird Migration Explorer online helps you see when hummingbirds arrive and depart from your area....

Discover the secret to trim 75% of the chill time and score the same results. There are three main reasons why recipes suggest chilling cookie dough. Longer can be even better, Francois says. Credit:BHG / Cara Cormack Woods is a firm believer that 8 to 10 hours is when youll start noticing a flavor difference. Related:Do You Really Need to Use a Cooling Rack for Cookies? Putting cookie dough in the freezer can speed up the chilling process by a lot, Hill says....

before you roll planting, familiarize yourself with your last frost date and read your seed packets carefully. But indoor sowing is still recommended for plants that are sensitive to cold weather. This includesfast growing cropsand certain annuals, such as okra and zinnias. Credit:Dean Schoeppner However, cold weather crops dont germinate well when theyre planted outdoors in hot weather. When to Transplant Seedlings Outdoors Timing your indoor planting schedule to perfection is the first step....

So, how many cicadas are expected to emerge this spring? In short,a lot. What Are Periodical Cicadas? Credit:Jeff Herge / Getty Images There are two kinds of cicadas: periodical cicadas and annual cicadas. The differences lie in their life cycles and patterns of emergence from underground. Another important distinction is the difference between cicadas and locusts. While cicadas are often mislabeled as locusts, these two species of insects arenotone and the same....

It’s apantry stapleofMediterranean recipesand other ethnic cuisines. If you’ve never used tahini, you might not know where to find tahini in the grocery store. Here’s how to get your hands on a jar to make your nextfalafel saladorchicken dinner. Credit:Jake Sternquist Jake Sternquist What Is Tahini? Tahini is a thick paste made of hulled, ground sesame seeds. Depending on the brand, tahini consists of raw or lightly roasted sesame seeds....

If you choose links we provide, we may receive compensation. These tropical trees with stunning multicolored bark can be found at a few locations throughout the U.S. But this eye-catching tree species does exist. Credit: James Ronan, FOAP/Getty Images What Is a Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree? It has spear-shaped, silvery-green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers. In their native environment, rainbow eucalyptus trees reach over 200 feet in height. Credit: Katlyn Moncada...