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Chili brings out my Goldilocks tendencies. I want one that’s spicy, but not so spicy that it has me breathing fire; I want it to be chunky and hearty, but not so much so that it’s like wading through wet cement with the occasional bean floating by; and, of course, I want it to be dynamic (the first spoonful should be just as exciting as the last).

That’s asking a lot of chili, but you know what? This is a dish that can handle all your requests because by its very design, chili is set up to accommodate all our desires. So say you’ve found this hallowed recipe but you still need to tweak it a bit to get it to your idea of the best. You’re going to need to know some tricks.

Well, here’s a bag full of them so you can have some damn good chili anyway you like it.

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If you’re looking for an excuse to throw a party, invite some friends over for a DIY chili bar night. Why chili? It’s a cold-weather classic, stretches to feed a large crowd, and can be tailored to most dietary considerations.

Setting up the chili spread in a bar format, rather then simply dolling it out to guests, is the best option for both the host and guests. It not only makes the party easier on you, but it’s also a hundred percent more fun! Here’s everything you need to know to set one up. Then just find a free night and start making the calls.

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It’s hard not to get in the celebratory spirit with all novelty green things that pop up around St. Patrick’s Day. But green beer is where I’m drawing the line. I say, why drink green beer when there are other options that are equally as festive and far more delicious? From family-friendly beverages to boozy concoctions, here are eight beverages for your St. Patty’s Day celebration.

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There are two types of chilis in my book: the ones that gently simmer for hours either on the back of the stove or all day long in the slow cooker, slowly building layer upon layer of rich, spiced flavor, and the ones you turn out on weeknights, using a single pot and about 30 minutes on the clock. A rich, full-flavored pot of chili sounds like a tall order without a lengthy cook time, but I assure you it’s not. Here’s the trick I use to make it happen every time.

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The party problem: You want a cute, festive decoration for your St. Patrick’s Day party, but you don’t have a ton of time — or crafting ability.

The party trick: Get a bunch of pennies and line them up on a tray.

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Here’s a kitchen that makes me think, “Sure! Great! I’ve paid many dollars every month for the privilege of cooking in much worse and much, much smaller spaces!” Turns out, though, it wasn’t all that great — and the makeover is so much better.

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Last year, my husband and I sold our 2,400-square-foot suburban home in Atlanta to move across the country to Boise, Idaho. We landed in a much smaller, roughly 1,600-square-foot, home in the heart of downtown. What we gave up in a living space, we gained in community, health, and a much lower mortgage payment.

Our story is not unusual. As more young families are choosing to live in cities rather than suburbs or rent rather than own, or opting for smaller homes, formal dining spaces and their bigger dinner tables are becoming less ubiquitous. Even though we have a small dining area, we still eat about two-thirds of our meals at home at the coffee table.

For several months, I struggled to let go of the ideal that family dinner had to be at the dining table. But the reality is the coffee table made family meals easier — especially outside of dinner. Coffee table dining also made room for more guests and helped us make friends in our new town more quickly. Here’s how I made peace with coffee table meals and embraced it as the new family table.

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The slow cooker is a mainstay of modern American cooking — but it’s not just you and me firing up the Crock-Pot on a weeknight. Famous chefs and celebrities are not above its charms, and this week we’re bringing you five recipes from five kitchen stars that show off their favorite ways to put the slow cooker to good use.

First up: Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman herself, with a classic broccoli cheddar soup that is kid-friendly and good for any cold night. Of course, leave it to the Pioneer Woman to come up with a recipe that officially counts as a serving of vegetables while also appealing to anyone’s love for cheese. I mean, it’s a lot of cheese.

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If you’re lucky, you currently spend zero time thinking about your trash bag. Because if you spend any time thinking about trash bags, it’s probably because the ones you have don’t work for some reason. We’ve all had bags that have leaked, or split open, or stretched until they ripped. I’ve experimented with some of the scented bags and found the smell off-putting and not particularly deodorizing. And I’ve spent more than I probably really need to on premium trash bags to go with my premium trash can. They worked nicely, though.

I was recently intrigued when I came across Wirecutter’s pick for the best trash bag. It doesn’t look like anything fancy. It’s a plain white trash bag. It doesn’t boast odor-blocking technology or lay-flat flaps or super-stretchiness or whatever. It’s just a bag. Their winner: Glad Tall Kitchen Drawstring Bags.

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The perfect pizza crust at home is chewy and crispy, with a slightly yeasty flavor. It should be easy enough to throw together on a Friday afternoon before friends come over. This is universally true for both traditional pizza and gluten-free pizza crust, despite the fact that each mixes and bakes up slightly different.

Working with a readily available gluten-free flour blend, we set out to make an easy gluten-free pizza dough. There’s no hard-to-find ingredients or overnight rises — just a crust that delivers that satisfying combination of chewy, crispy, savory crust that we all know and love.

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