MERRY AND BRIGHT
CUT THE STRESS FROM DECORATING THE CHRISTMAS TREE
BEADED GARLAND Beaded garland always looks so much
Decorating your Christmas tree should be fun, but the process often turns into anything but. Between finding decorations, untangling lights, and trying to get the tree picture-perfect, the happy event can quickly become stressful. Even if you love decorating the tree, you can likely make the experience (and the end product) even better. Here are the most common sources of frustration and how to fix them with minimal fuss. BARE SPOTS Whether your tree is natural or artificial, you need to fluff the branches. However, as important as this step is, you don’t need to spend more than 10 minutes on it because let’s face it: There are some bare spots no amount of fluffing will fix. Luckily, tinsel garland hides a wide variety of flaws and might be the easiest solution. If you don’t care for tinsel, tying large gift bows to the tree is festive and covers a lot of space. You can
also buy fake twigs that have berries, look like real tree branches, or are covered in glitter. Stick them in the bare spots to fill out your tree, then save them for the next year.
better in the store than it does on your own tree. No matter how much you fiddle with it, it just doesn’t lay right or have the even, dramatic swoops you see in display windows. The true problem is probably that you’ve been hanging your beaded garland incorrectly. You may think there can’t be too many ways to drape beads over branches, but draping itself is the entirely wrong approach. Instead of simply wrapping the beads around the tree and hoping they fall into place, you should attach ornament hooks to the garland along the string. Use the hooks to gracefully hang your garland from the branches and marvel at the simplicity. When your Christmas tree goes up this year, these tips should make the experience faster, easier, and more joyful. You can now use all that time you would have spent wrapping garland to wrap presents instead.
LIGHTS If you use an artificial Christmas tree, we
strongly recommend buying one that is pre-lit. If your holiday just doesn’t feel complete without a real tree in the house, hanging the lights can be one of the most frustrating parts of the tree- decorating process. Get on the right track by setting yourself up for success. Instead of shoving your lights in a box or bag at the end of the season, wrap them around the outside of the box or around a clothing hanger instead. Getting your lights hung properly around the tree can be a pain, too. This year, try hanging them vertically on your tree, from base to top and back again, until the tree is covered. It’s easier to do and helps camouflage the cord.
Crispy Fish With Brown Butter Sauce
HOW FAST DO YOUR NERVE IMPULSES TRAVEL? The speed of these signals depends on how fast the exchange of charged ions is inside and outside of the cell membrane. That means messages in the brain can travel at speeds up to 268 miles/hour. ARE PEANUTS REALLY A NUT? No! Peanuts grow underground and, along with beans and peas, belong to the single plant family Leguminosae (i.e. legumes). However, their protein structure makes them similar to walnuts, almonds, etc., that grow on trees and are sometimes referred to as “tree nuts.” WHY IS JAPAN CALLED “THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN?” If you stand on the nearby continent (in Korea or China), Japan is in the direction of the sunrise. This is why the Japanese began to call their country Nihon or Nippon, literally meaning “source of the sun” and often translated into English as “land of the rising sun.” Your Monthly Need-to-Know
INGREDIENTS • 1 tbsp olive oil •
• • • •
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, chopped
4 5-oz Chilean sea bass or salmon fillets, skin-on
2 tsp lemon juice
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Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon wedges, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. In an unheated skillet, add oil. Season fish with salt and pepper, then add to skillet (skin-down). 2. Heat the skillet to medium and cook for 4 minutes. With a spatula, press each fillet down, rotating between fillets every few seconds. When the skin begins to crisp, stop pressing and cook 8–10 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute. Remove the fish.
3. Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Add the butter and hazelnuts. Heat, swirling continuously, until butter foams and browns. Remove from heat. 4. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Pour over fish, garnish, and serve with salad.
Inspired by BonAppetit.com
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