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Preparation If you’re looking for an affordable way to give a piece of wood furniture a beautiful patina, you might want to consider distressing its finish. “Distressing is the process of manipulating furniture to appear older or to have been more heavily used,” says Jane Henry of Jane Henry Studios, a full-service antique conservation and restoration shop based in New York City. “It can add a level of depth to an otherwise basic, or perhaps inexpensive item, that you might otherwise toss....

Ingredients 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 1 can (5 oz) tuna, drained 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz) 1/2 cup Original Bisquick™ mix 1 cup milk 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 eggs 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced Preparation Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Sprinkle tuna, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the onion in pie plate....

Preparation It’s easier than ever to get crafty and colorful thanks to Martha Stewart’s new collection of spray paints—part of her large craft line of paints, tools, and accessories available at Michael’s stores. The new spray paint line boasts 64 colors that span from wild salmon to wet cement, beach glass, couscous, porcelain doll, wild blueberry, and everything in between—each color aptly named for its unique hue. The colors come in metallic, glitter, satin, gloss, and matte finishes—and the line includes gloss, satin, matte, and pearl sealers so you can preserve your projects now and always....

Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled gingerroot 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning (dry) 1 teaspoon soy sauce 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 3/4 lb) 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups) 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 lime, cut into wedges Preparation Heat oven to 425°F. Spray large, rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix oil, gingerroot, jerk seasoning, soy sauce and salt....

Ingredients 1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ chocolate chip cookie mix Butter and egg called for on cookie mix pouch 1/2 cup green and red M&M’s® candy-coated milk chocolate candies 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows 1/3 cup coarsely crushed mini pretzel twists 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cocktail peanuts 2 tablespoons green, red and white candy sprinkles Preparation Heat oven to 375°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms....

Ingredients 8 oz frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (from 16-oz bag), thawed 3 cups uncooked rotini pasta (8 oz) 2 1/4 cups milk 1 package (1.8 oz) white sauce mix 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz) 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz) 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted 3 tablespoons Progresso™ Italian-style dry bread crumbs 2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons) Preparation Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray....

Preparation I think about Mr. and Mrs. Robert Maus a lot. They were our jolly German-born neighbors who lived right next door to our house at 86 Elm Place. Retired bakers, having sold their profitable bakery in Newark, New Jersey, they were anything but retired from their art. Still enamored of flour and sugar and butter and cream and fresh and dried fruits and nuts, they transformed, little by little, their concrete-floored basement into a mini version of their former professional premises....

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 lb bulk mild Italian sausage 1/2 cup diced red onion 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ chicken broth 1 jar (24.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato basil pasta sauce 1 lb uncooked medium pasta shells 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz) 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves...

Ingredients 1 loaf (1 pound) sliced bakery white bread 1/2 cup butter or margarine 3 medium stalks celery, diced (1 1/4 cups) 3/4 cup finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-ounce carton) 8 pork boneless center-cut loin chops (about 4 ounces each) 3 tablespoons orange marmalade 1 teaspoon lemon juice Preparation Heat oven to 200°F....

As both of our parents don’t live in the US, it’ was a nice break for me and my husband as well. We went to see a movie (MI4), had a nice long massage twice (I love Chinese massage – painful but works for my tired body!), and had a relaxing time at hair salon. I’ve also shared some pictures on my Facebook fan page if you are interested in checking some of the food I enjoyed in Taiwan....

For those of you who have followed my recipe on how to make plum wine (umeshu) last year, congratulations. Your patience is finally paying off and the plum wine is now ready to drink! The liqueur takes a year to mature, and with the weather continues to warm up, we’ve come to a full circle to enjoy our ‘fruit of labor’ from last year. Just before you open the jar, you may wonder what to do with the plums in the plum wine....

Preparation When a recipe calls for unsalted butter, as most (and nearly all baking) recipes do, how important is it to stick to the script? In other words, what’s the harm in using salted butter in place of unsalted if that’s all you have on hand? As it turns out, substituting one for the other is not such a simple swap. Salted butter is great for spreading on toast, tossing with steamed potatoes, or melting and pouring over a bowl of popcorn....

Ingredients 2 slices bacon 1/2 lb lean Italian turkey sausage, casings removed 2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups) 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 4 cups water 3 1/2 cups Progresso™ reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton) 4 cups chopped fresh kale or Swiss chard leaves...

Ingredients 2 cups cranberry juice cocktail 1/4 cup sugar 1 cinnamon stick (3 inch) 1 tablespoon sliced gingerroot 5 whole cloves 2 star anise 1/2 cup dark rum 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur Fresh cranberries and orange slices, if desired Additional cinnamon sticks and star anise, if desired Preparation In 1-quart saucepan, heat cranberry juice cocktail and sugar to boiling over medium-high heat. Add cinnamon stick, gingerroot, cloves and anise. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 15 minutes....

Ingredients 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 cup drained coarsely chopped artichoke hearts (from 14-oz can), patted dry with paper towels 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 24 slices (1/2 inch thick) baguette (about 8 oz), toasted 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 oz) Preparation In medium bowl, mix tomatoes, artichokes, thyme, oil, vinegar and pepper....

Ingredients 1 box Betty Crocker™ fudge brownie mix Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 2 cups powdered sugar 2 teaspoons milk 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup butter Preparation Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan....

Preparation Surely the joy of watching your daughter get married is one of the great delights of parenting. Yet, all too often, wedding planners see the mother-daughter relationship go through waves of ups and downs throughout the wedding-planning process. The struggle can run from something as benign as a disagreement over wedding colors to something as sticky as cutting down the guest list. More often than not, the spats that arise while planning a wedding are avoidable and easy to soothe with a few classic tips and tricks from the pros....

Preparation A head-turning pennant guarantees that all eyes are on you as you make your entrance. Iron-on transfer paperScissors13 1/2-by-25-inch woven fabric or linen from graylinelinen.comIron and ironing boardStraight pin or safety pinChalk fabric pencil19-inch-long wooden dowel (1/4-inch diameter)White glueSewing machine and sewing supplies (optional; if you want a banner with a finished edge as shown in our photo) Download and open the PDF. Print onto regular paper to use as a placement guide....

After sharing our favorite Japanese movies last year, we received some very passionate responses from many of you! So we decided to put together a list of JOC readers’ top Japanese movie recommendations. If you are new to Japanese films, this is a great place to start. And even if you are a seasoned patron of Japanese films, we hope you will find something new to check out. From classic to drama, animation to documentary, these films are more likely to surprise us and very often give us a peek into Japanese culture and values....

Preparation We love using something completely unconventional to hold wedding rings. Here we took a beautiful music box made from an antique makeup compact as the base. Inside, we added a little velvet pillow to keep the rings nestled safely during their journey from the aisle to your fingers. This sweet little box will become a treasured keepsake for years to come, holding precious valuables and treasured memories. Another unique way to carry the rings is binding them to a beautiful book....