At the end of the summer, we spent a week in Michigan with professional painters Chris and Lexi Dowding, of SwatchOut. In just a few days, they totally transformed our Social Media Manager’s kitchen from a dark and dated space to something so bright and fresh, it looked custom built. We had a lot of fun, ate a ton (thanks for being such a gracious host, Kaitlin!), and learned a lot. Painting wooden cabinets is no easy task — but it will be much easier if you use the right supplies, do it correctly, and take your time.

We passed all of the lessons down to you guys at the time. Here’s a quick refresher.

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The only person who loves Costco more than us is you. As much as we all go there, there’s still plenty to learn about the warehouse store. Whether we were uncovering new-to-us grocery items or catching up the latest big announcements, there was a lot to talk about in the world of Costco this year. Here are the highlights.

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Every single holiday season, without fail, this happens: I get a deep craving for eggnog, resist until I can’t resist any longer, buy a carton, pour myself a small glass, and find satisfaction in just a few sips. The problem is I leave myself with the majority of the carton left over after I’ve fulfilled my craving. What the heck do I do with all the rest?

That’s when I end up scouring the internet for recipes using the remainder. Here’s the recipe I’ll now turn to. This French toast casserole not only tastes of the holidays, but it’s also a make-ahead dish that’s a welcome addition to your breakfast roaster this time of year.

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There are few things the almighty Crock-Pot can’t tackle, but above all else it makes getting dinner on the table a whole lot more manageable on busy nights, and even helps us to serve up some healthier choices. I know I am not alone when I say that if it wasn’t for my slow cooker, there would have been many more nights of frozen pizza and takeout this year.

From stew and chili to takeout favorites at home, these were our top slow cooker recipes of the year.

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They say a man is only as good as his tools, right? So if you want a sparkling clean kitchen, you’re gonna need the right tools for the job. We spend a lot of time looking for the best cleaning supplies — and this year we found a few we really love.

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Have you gotten an Instant Pot, the seven-in-one workhorse, yet? It quickly became a kitchen favorite for its space-saving, multi-tasking superpowers. After just a few years on the market, it’s still winning over new fans and holding up to all the hype. And while there’s little maintenance involved beyond post-cooking cleanup, a few key parts hidden under the lid can make or break the appliance’s oh-so-important sealing power.

Here’s how to clean your Instant Pot (including the silicone sealing ring that tends to hold onto the odor of your leftovers) to keep everything in working order.

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Baking is a messy endeavor, and the messiest bit of it all is the flour. It gets everywhere! And heaven forbid you try to clean it up with a sponge, like you would any other kitchen mess, because when you add water to flour, it turns into glue. Like, literally, glue — water plus flour is exactly the recipe I used to make papier-mâché with my kids one time, and that stuff has still not come out of the clothes we were wearing. That’s because water activates the starches in flour, making them sticky. And if they dry and harden, it’s almost impossible to clean. Hence, the ruined clothes.

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My favorite kind of gift to give (and also receive) is the homemade kind — especially when it’s edible. Not only are these gifts totally thoughtful and delicious, but there are also so many wonderful options that are easy to pull together in a pinch. Here are 10 of my favorites.

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While there are many things I can tell you about my grandfather, the one thing you should know is that he loved pecan sandies. In fact, I cannot bite into these buttery, nut-studded cookies without thinking of him. This version, which he’d heartily approve of, is firm and sturdy, and greets you with a crisp edge all around that softens as you get towards the center. A generous scoop of brown sugar lends a rich, caramel flavor and highlights the toasted aroma in the pecans that you’ll notice in every bite.

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This is the kitchen of the late Flo Braker, a well-known cookbook author and baking professional, who some call the “patron saint of all pastry makers.” Fine Cooking magazine photographed her kitchen, a sprawling space with all sorts of clever design details that would make any baker envious: yards of granite countertop to roll out dough, racks of rolling pins for every conceivable use, perfectly organized drawers of pastry tips and biscuit cutters. It’s really a thing of beauty, even for someone like me who can burn a chocolate chip cookie with no effort at all.

There’s one feature in her kitchen that I have never seen before, and it’s brilliant. It seriously blew my mind. It’s super smart and it’s something that could honestly help out even the terrible bakers among us.

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