The best coffee makers make the best coffee, right? That’s what we hope when we buy a new coffee maker and make a fresh pot of coffee. Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. (It ranks behind only water and tea in a recent study.) But on a workday morning in North America, I would guess that coffee is #1. According to The Motley Fool, the 150 million Americans who drink coffee consume 400 million cups of steaming java every day. That’s 140+ billion cups every year. And that makes the USA the #1 coffee-drinking country in the world. That’s why we decided to write about the best coffee makers to buy now. There are many types of coffee makers designed to brew coffee. Some models are full-pot brewers and some are single-serving coffee makers. Also available are dual coffee makers that brew either a pot or a single cup and espresso makers. Make no mistake: this story is a buying guide. We’ve highlighted the best features and benefits of each model featured here … [Read more...] about Best Coffee Makers to Buy Now
At Home
Top Calathea Plants and How to Grow Them
How to Grow the Top Varieties of Calathea Plants Calatheas are renowned for their stunning green foliage adorned with stunning patterns and striking hues. The leaves of the Calathea plant represent stunning shades of green, making them the perfect choice for any room. Calathea plants are usually referred to as Prayer plants because of the leaves’ distinctive movement with day and night light variation. Calathea can be a difficult houseplant choice for plant parents. People appear to either like them or dislike them. This is understandable since they can be somewhat demanding to maintain. However, once you've figured them out, they are fairly easy to care for. 7 Popular Varieties of Calathea Plants Here are a few of my top Calathea varieties I'm sure you'll enjoy as much as I do! Calathea Orbifolia Calathea Orbifolia or Round Leaf Calathea is a beautiful but difficult plant to maintain. It has large, round leaves with silvery stripes. It is so attractive, and those who … [Read more...] about Top Calathea Plants and How to Grow Them
Create an Eco-Friendly Home Office
Perhaps you have thought about how to create an eco-friendly home office. As more and more people become environmentally conscious, the demand for "green" and eco-friendly home office spaces is increasing. If you're hoping to create a more eco-friendly workplace in your home, there are a number of things you can do. Some of them are easier to implement than others, but all of them will help reduce your office's environmental impact. In this post, we will explain the green office concept to learn what it really means. After that, we will show you nine ways to create an eco-friendly home office environment. There are so many aspects of the topic to discuss, so let's dive straight into the subject! What Makes an Eco-friendly Home Office? A green office is one that is designed to be environmentally friendly. This usually means that the office has features like energy-efficient lighting, low-flow faucets and showerheads, and recycling and composting programs. Some green offices … [Read more...] about Create an Eco-Friendly Home Office
Easy Canning Recipes for Beginners
Here are three easy canning recipes for beginners. These recipes are from my late friend Antoinette Jucha, a Penn State Master Canner. Canning is a great way to preserve the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables from your summer garden. These easy canning recipes are also a great way to make lots of easy and delicious foods for eating throughout the year! If you have never canned before, you might want to read my Water Bath Canning For Beginners story before you try canning one of these recipes. Included in this story are links to canning supplies on Amazon. Home Garden and Homestead receives a small commission (at no cost to you) for the sales we generate. Thank you for supporting this website! Easy Canning Recipes for Beginners #1 BERRY ICE CREAM TOPPING Is there anything as wonderful as fresh berries served over ice cream? I don’t think so. But freshly canned berries served over ice cream—eaten in the fall and winter—is also wonderful. Ingredients 2 ½ pints … [Read more...] about Easy Canning Recipes for Beginners
How to Be More Creative
Have you ever wondered how to be more creative? If so, you are not alone. It seems everyone aspires to live a creative life. However, not everyone is aware of how to keep up with their aspirations. Not everyone knows how to be more innovative and artistic. This is where the importance of smart tips and information kicks in. So, if you are also someone struggling to actualize your artistic ideas, worry not! Here are some great tips to learn how to be more creative. These tips will help put you on a more creative and artistic path. How to Be More Creative-Tip 1: Choose Creative Friends Let’s start with who you choose to be with. You know the saying: “a person is known by the company he keeps.” Well, if you hang out with creative people, their creativity is likely to rub off on you. Be mindful of the person you choose to sit with, share secrets, and gossip with. That’s because the next person you hang out with is capable of influencing your actions and thoughts. Even … [Read more...] about How to Be More Creative