This side dish is so smoky and fragrant, you may find yourself pushing aside the main course so that you can focus your attention on it. Smoked paprika not only lends its intense flavor to the couscous, but it also adds color, creating the most beautiful golden hue. Toasted sliced almonds add textural crunch to the dish (something that is all too often missing in plain ol’ couscous), and a slew of chopped fresh parsley brings its pop of green freshness to the equation. Enjoy this as a bed for roast chicken, grilled steak, or even just a pile of juicy roasted vegetables for a simple, satisfying meal.

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(Image credit: Alison Payne Bellaud)

From Apartment Therapy → Before & After: Adding On and Leveling Up For a Gorgeous New Kitchen

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I had my first baby at age 21 and my first drink of alcohol at 36 — and no, that’s not a typo. I was born and raised a Mormon and, as part of adherence to my faith, I abstained from alcohol. Entirely. I never touched so much as a drop until several months after I left Mormonism at 36 with my husband and our two sons.

Mormonism is a high-intensity religion (like, even more than SoulCycle), demanding equal parts obedience and belief. Obedience was never the hard part for us, but belief? Over time, that part became impossible.

Leaving the church came with a lot of changes for us and a period of reevaluating rules by which we lived, including rules about drinking.

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The best weeknight dinners are the ones that require the least amount of cleanup. At the end of a busy day, no one really wants to be standing over the sink for longer than they have to, right? These 10 chicken-centric recipes are weeknight gold, as they only call for one single pot to pull it all together. Pull out the paper plates to eat (we won’t tell) if you really want minimal cleanup.

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Whether you’re getting married or you’re heading to a wedding, the present aspect can be tough! What should you register for? Or what’s a good gift that you can give a couple and be sure they’ll use?

We asked five wedding bloggers to share the one gift they loved the most — and continue to use well after their weddings. You can’t go wrong with any of these ideas!

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Cool Whip)

About once a year, if you open my freezer for something normal, like ice, you’ll find a big tub of Cool Whip — and that’s never going to change. I indulge when I’m making my grandmother’s family famous coconut cake because there’s no substitution for the sweet and creamy goodness that is Cool Whip. It brings back great memories for me. It means a special occasion, a surprise dessert, and family fun.

I love fresh, hand-whisked whipped cream. There’s no denying how perfect it is over strawberries and homemade sweet biscuits, even if you use Bisquick to make them. Bisquick, which, by the way, is another product you can pry out of my cold, dead hands because, goshdarnit, it makes things easier. But that’s another story for another day.

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(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

It’s time you get to know labneh. And if you’re already in the know, it’s time you use labneh to make cheesecake bars.

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Wine and food pairings don’t need to be as complicated as they are often made out to be. Sure, there are certain wines that work better with certain foods, but you don’t need to overthink it too much. That’s especially the case when it comes to pre-dinner snacks and sips. When you’re easing into the evening, whether it’s a dinner party with friends or a quiet Sunday on the couch, the best approach is the most causal approach: Pop open whatever you most enjoy drinking, be it white, rosé, red, or even bubbles, and snack on whatever you’re in the mood for. These 20 appetizers work with just about any bottle of wine and I have a good feeling that at least one of them is what you’re in the mood for.

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(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

Let’s all thank the Brits for the trifle, which we are going to take full advantage of here to turn leftover cake into breakfast. Breakfast trifle will make you look like the Patron Saint of Brunch (or hey, just a cool mom) and it’s easy, pretty, and delicious.

So what is a breakfast trifle, you ask? It has layers of tangy yogurt, studded with ripe blueberries and candied ginger, all sandwiched between vanilla cake and granola. Sounds like a real treat, right? That’s because it is!

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