I've always been baffled when forced to choose between heavy and whipped cream at the grocery store. Isn't all cream more or less the same thing? Not exactly, I discovered when I finally searched for the answer. There are differences in milk fat content. All cream contains at least 18 percent milk fat: "whipping cream" is made up of 30 percent, while cartons labeled "heavy cream" or "heavy Read more

Homemade whipped cream is one of those dishes that I've made so many times that I don't consider it a recipe. Once you know the basic proportions, you can get creative and flavor the whipped cream with everything from extracts to liqueurs to spices. Experimenting with different kinds of sugar will also result in varied texture and flavor. The most important thing to remember when whipping cream Read more

I was so pleased to stumble upon a great interview that Bob Vila conducted with designer Celerie Kemble. The long interview is full of great advice, and topics range from color to showhouses to kids' rooms, as well as Kemble's book Black and White (and a Bit in Between). Since so many people get stuck on the rules of decorating with color, I thought that this advice from the interview was Read more

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to Read more

Traditionally, "chowder" is considered a catch-all word for a variety of seafood and vegetable soups, but several regions have their own spin on the classic dish. Here's a rundown of the most popular chowders across the US, from classic New England clam chowder to San Francisco's Cioppino fish stew. Boston — New England Clam Chowder: Made with chopped clams, potatoes, and onions, this classic Read more

Many night creams make your face feel heavy and greasy come sunrise, but Bliss has found a way to lighten things up with its The Youth As We Know It Anti-Aging Night Cream ($79). This feather-light, soaks-right-in moisturizer, however, still packs plenty of punch. And it smells rather amazing, too, redolent of fresh, light citrus aromas. Free from sulfates and phthalates, this mighty hydrator is Read more

You know what they say: if it's too good to be true, then it probably is. For a while, the weather was unseasonably warm, and I started to think there might not be a Winter in the Bay Area. But then this week hit, and boy, was I wrong. Not only is it cold, but the sky's poured rain incessantly, and the bleak forecast continues all week. So I did what I'm wont to do in cold weather: I made clam Read more

If you've been disappointed by eco-friendly beauty products in the past, it might be time to give them another chance. Formulas have improved by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and there's something to appeal to everyone. Celebrity makeup artist Lina Hanson, who counts Naomi Watts and Natalie Portman among her clients, goes green whenever she's doing makeup. Here, she shares her Read more

Creamy wintry soup can have a lot of calories, but reader JuicyNoelle slashes the fat by using cauliflower puree instead of cream in her recipe for Swiss chard soup, which she posted in our Healthy Recipe group. I love thick and creamy vegetable soups. But I don’t always love the calories. So this week I decided to substitute heavy cream with a smooth cauliflower puree instead. If you are Read more