Estate sales, yard sales, and antique shops were regular weekend destinations for my brother and me as kids. My parents, always on the hunt for period-appropriate decor for our Staten Island 19th-century house, made sure of it. Since then, I’ve had a love for home design and…read more
I am a linen fangirl. Ever since I discovered the magic of linen bedding 2.5 years ago, I haven’t gone back, and the obsession passion has extended to my clothing and decor, too. (I am writing this while wearing a linen dress.) The thing I love most about linen is that it actually does get better with time, rewarding those who lovingly put in the hours to use and take care of it. Really good linen can feel rough at first, and heavier than you might expect, but that just means it’ll last for a long time, getting softer and lighter as it’s used.
Of course, that also means it’s not for everyone. Some people don’t love how it feels, even after several washes, while others aren’t sold on the wrinkled appearance. But if you fall into that category, I am confident that I have found the solution: Kassatex’s Linen-Bamboo Sheets. While I usually stay away from linen blends (yes, I’m a big ol’ linen snob), I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a linen-bamboo blend. Both materials are eco-friendly and known for their cooling benefits, and bamboo has a super soft feel that could interact very nicely with the texture of linen.
The verdict? These sheets are kind of… perfect. They’re even softer than I imagined and feel a bit more substantial than other 100 percent linen sheets I’ve tried. (Alas, this is the problem with many popular linen sheets today: They’re lightweight and soft right out of the box, which means they might not be built to last long and could potentially be prone to tearing.) Kassatex’s sheets manage to be soft and substantial, combining all the best benefits of both linen and bamboo. They have a smoother texture than 100 percent linen bedding (so they aren’t as wrinkly, either), and although they’re slightly heavier, they’re still exceptionally airy and comfy.
These sheets are excellent if you’re one of those people who sleeps hot. Bamboo and linen are both breathable, moisture-repelling materials, and the lightweight feel means you’ll easily be comfortable all night. Not only that, but bamboo is also hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, making it ideal for those with sensitive skin. (And, um, technically you wouldn’t have to feel so bad about not washing your sheets every week.) Another bonus? Unlike other materials, bamboo is a fast-growing plant that can easily be cultivated using sustainable methods, making it a fantastic eco-friendly alternative to cotton. Similarly, the flax plant that linen comes from doesn’t require much water to harvest.
The only downside is the high price, which is pretty standard for linen bedding. Linen isn’t the easiest material to produce, thanks to the small geographic area where flax can grow and the difficulty of harvesting it to make linen. But, a splurge like this is worth it when you know they’ll last for year. And if you’re not quite ready to splurge on a whole new sheet set, take note that there’s also a cloud-like linen-bamboo duvet cover that’ll keep you comfy all year round.
I organize the Before & After series and cover DIY and design. I joined AT in October 2020 as a production assistant. I have an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri and a BA in Journalism from Belmont University. Past editorial stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and local magazines in my hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
Estate sales, yard sales, and antique shops were regular weekend destinations for my brother and me as kids. My parents, always on the hunt for period-appropriate decor for our Staten Island 19th-century house, made sure of it. Since then, I’ve had a love for home design and…read more
I’ve often heard the simple, go-to advice for making a cramped space appear bigger: paint it white. Homeowners (and sellers) have long relied on this classic hue to craft an illusion of openness for potential buyers. However, nowadays, real estate professionals are recommending more unconventional hues to entice future buyers.
“A common misconception about paint colors is that white walls will make a space feel bigger. For white to work in a cramped space, you need natural light and other natural features. Otherwise, it can look dingy,” mentions Libby Fehsenfeld, home stager and owner of Tralala Interiors.
To help you move beyond white walls and choose the best paint colors to transform any cramped room, we consulted a few leading real estate professionals. Here is their best advice.
I love slow cooker pot roast — tender slices of chuck roast, meltingly soft carrots, little golden potatoes that burst from their peels when you bite into them, and the gravy. Oh, the gravy! Few things are more satisfying than the beefy sauce that’s slowly been mingling with those ingredients all day. It’s the best part of fall, and I make my mom’s old recipe the moment the first crimson leaf drops — except I give it a major glow-up.
My mom, like most home cooks from the 1980s, relied on a packet of French onion soup mix to make slow cooker pot roast. While I still remember it fondly, it’s far too salty and artificial-tasting to my palate these days. That’s why I switched to using Savory Choice demi glace instead.
Demi glace is a rich, brown French sauce that’s made by combining espagnole sauce (a tomato-beef sauce) with beef stock and wine. The mixture is then simmered and reduced until it’s a thick glaze. It’s traditionally used as a finishing sauce for meat dishes like steak with mushroom sauce or impossibly tender chateaubriand — the strong beefy flavor and lip-smacking texture makes everything taste richer and meatier.
It takes a long time and a lot of skill to make homemade demi glace. I made it once in culinary school and, while it was delicious, it was tedious. I vowed that life was too short to ever fuss with it again. Fortunately, Savory Choice makes shelf-stable packets of demi glace concentrate for those of us with busy lives.
It’s made from wine, vegetables, beef stock, maltodextrin (a sweetener), butter, and beef fat. When mixed with a few tablespoons of water, it makes a rich, velvety pan sauce, but that’s not all it can do.
I season a three-pound tied chuck roast, plunk it in my slow cooker, mix one 1.33-ounce packet of the demi glace concentrate with 3/4 cup of water, and pour it over the meat. Then I add large peeled carrots and a handful of small unpeeled yellow potatoes, turn it on low, and let the magic happen. The demi glace mingles with the beef juices, and in 8 to 9 hours I’ve got a delicious gravy that tastes like a French chef had something to do with it.
Because chuck roast is a fairly fatty cut, I degrease the cooking liquid in a gravy separator and whisk the defatted juices into a simple roux to make a luxuriously thick gravy in seconds. I pour the gravy over the sliced roast and veggies and voilà! My favorite slow cooker meal, Frenchified!
It’s hard to imagine these little packets hanging around in the pantry for more than a few weeks. If somehow they do, Savory Choice recommends using them within two years from their manufacture date.
But when stored properly — in an airtight container, kept in a cool, dry place — they are usually still safe to eat past the suggested date. Before you toss them (or any pantry staple) use your senses of smell and taste. You may end up saving hundreds of dollars a year.