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    Blog Posts by Sunset Magazine

    • How to Choose & Cook with Sustainable Meat

      Cooking with sustainably raised beef, lamb, and eggs gives you remarkable flavor and health benefits. Try our tips for choosing and cooking the right product to maximize flavor and health potential.

      27 mouth-watering burger recipes

      How to cook grass-fed beefHow to cook grass-fed beef
      Grass-fed beef

      Beef that's conscientiously raised, good for you, and incredibly tasty―now that's something to sink your teeth into. Grass-fed operations are easier on the environment than grain feedlots are, and easier on the animals too (grass is, after all, a cow's natural diet). Grass-feeding also gives the meat a truer beef flavor that's not masked by the marbling of fat typical in grain-fed beef. Plus grass-fed beef is lower in saturated fats and higher in omega-3s and other essential nutrients.
      How to successfully cook grass-fed beef:
      1. Lower the heat. Grass-fed beef cooks fast. Instead of searing burgers and steaks, put them over a medium flame.
      2. Add moisture. With a larger cut (like a roast) that needs a longer cooking time,

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    • 5 Ways to Conserve Water in Your Yard

      Start your garden:
      Your get-started guide
      No-fail spring planting
      Garden border ideas

      Thomas J. StoryThomas J. Story
      Put the right plant in the right place
      Add low-water-use plants. Group plants with similar water needs, so nothing gets over- or under-watered. For what works in your region, use the Sunset Western Garden Book, the Sunset Plant Finder, and our plant list.

      E. Spencer ToyE. Spencer Toy
      Water efficiently
      Irrigate deeply and infrequently, then allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings. Water early in the morning, when the air is calm and temperatures are cool. If you have sloping ground or clay soil, water more often but for less time to minimize runoff.

      Norm PlateNorm Plate
      Shrink the lawn
      Across the West, lawns are the number-one consumer of residential water outdoors. Reducing their size, restricting them to spaces where you actually need them (like kids' play areas), or eliminating them altogether are the most effective ways to reduce your own outdoor water use.

      E. Spencer ToyE. Spencer Toy
      Mulch, mulch, mulch
      Organic mulches (ground bark, wood chips, compost)

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    • 10 Natural Decorating Ideas

      Touches of nature reign supreme in this unique Mother Earth-inspired décor fit for every season
      More from Sunset:
      30 living room style tips
      14 key decorating strategies
      54 home decorating projects

      Andrea M. GómezAndrea M. Gómez
      Coastal chic
      Vintage glass bottles are like treasures that washed ashore. Paired with seashells, they help create a coastal organic look inspired by Southern California's natural and simple beach lifestyle.

      Thomas J. StoryThomas J. Story
      Fancy florals
      Violet anemone and hyacinth blooms, seeded eucalyptus, and green berries are displayed like rare specimens in bell jars and catch the light streaming in from a window.

      Thomas J. StoryThomas J. Story
      Fresh centerpiece
      When cut to the length of your dining table, a piece of weathered barn wood can function as a runner (no ironing required). Use the plank as a stage for seasonal produce, such as plums, pears, apples, figs, and pattypan squash. Weave crabapple branches throughout for added texture, and stagger candles nestled in pebble-filled votive holders for ambience.

      Thomas J. StoryThomas J. Story
      Nature-inspired bar
      A bar is

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    • 8 Delectable Cupcake Recipes

      Who doesn't love a good cupcake? From classic to creative varieties, these treats will be the hit of any party.

      More from Sunset:
      12 best morning bun & coffee cake recipes
      25 decadent brownies & bars
      Amazing chocolate treats

      Vanilla Buttermilk CupcakesVanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes
      Vanilla Buttermilk Cupcakes

      The same basic ingredients that make the cupcake recipe simple also ensure that it is over-the-top delicious. Dress this cupcake recipe up or down for showers, parties, or friendly neighborhood gatherings.
      Ingredients
      6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
      1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
      2 large eggs
      1 teaspoon vanilla
      2 cups all-purpose flour
      2 teaspoons baking bowder
      1/2 teaspoon salt
      2/3 cup buttermilk
      Preparation
      1. In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and all the sugar until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed until well blended.
      2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into another bowl.
      3. With mixer

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    • Top 10 Las Vegas Restaurants

      Gone are the days of discount buffets dominating the Las Vegas culinary landscape. See how Sin City has become a foodie's paradise

      Downtown3rd Farmers MarketDowntown3rd Farmers Market
      Fresh fare
      Not every leafy morsel of organic goodness comes to Las Vegas in the back of a FedEx truck. The Friday morning Downtown3rd Farmers Market takes over a repurposed transit terminal where local producers sell jerky, jams, honey, mushrooms, and more.
      More: Downtown3rd Farmers Market

      Chocolate & Spice BakeryChocolate & Spice Bakery
      Downtown dessert
      Chocolatier Megan Romano sculpted desserts at Charlie Palmer's Aureole for more than a decade before decamping to Chocolate & Spice Bakery on the Westside. You'll find the usual assortment of indulgent creations (like dark chocolate hazelnut bonbons), but also a first-rate lunch menu with surprises like a Black Forest ham and cheddar panini with sun-dried tomato aioli.
      More: Chocolate & Spice Bakery

      Downtown Cocktail RoomDowntown Cocktail Room
      The local hang
      Downtown Cocktail Room feels exactly like a downtown cocktail room, with a slight speakeasy vibe, harlot-lipstick red walls, and mildly

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    • 15 Dahlias to Drool Over

      Don't write off dahlias as your granny's flower. Here are 15 jaw-dropping varieties that will knock your socks off


      More from Sunset:


      20 gorgeous peonies


      20 favorite perennial flowers


      10 ways to kick-start your spring garden

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    • 10 DIY Bathroom Projects

      In a weekend or less, transform your bathroom from standard to stunning with these easy and inspiring projects

      1. Apply tiled backsplash to your bathroom counter
      2. Build a wood-framed bathroom mirror shelf
      3. Paint a striped bathroom floor

      Paint your bathtubPaint your bathtub
      4. Paint your bathtub
      Materials
      Rust-bonding primer (only if there's rust)
      Shellac-based primer
      Latex enamel, 1 quart
      Tools
      Drop cloths
      Rubber gloves, bucket, and sponge-type scrub pad
      Household cleaner, or deglosser if existing paint has a gloss finish
      Painter's masking tape, 1 inch or wider
      Synthetic-bristle brush, 1½ inch
      Paint tray
      Mini roller
      Steps
      1. Wash. You'll be painting only the exterior of the tub. Check that any existing exterior paint is intact and not flaking off. (If it is flaking, you'll need to have the tub stripped or sandblasted first so the new paint won't peel.) Position the drop cloths. Wearing gloves, wash the exterior of the tub with water and the cleaner. Clean as much of the

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    • Top 10 Urban Parks

      The next time you're looking for an arts escape, or a good burger, why not try a park? They're the cities' hippest hangouts
      Digital Orca sculpture at Jack Poole PlazaDigital Orca sculpture at Jack Poole Plaza

      1. Art in open spaces: Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver, B.C.
      The surprise here is the life-size Digital Orca sculpture breaching vertically from the Jack Poole Plaza, a triangular slice on the waterfront. And no, the whale isn't fuzzy; it's pixelated into Lego-like blocks. Also on the plaza is the Olympic cauldron--where the flame burned during the 2010 Winter Games--now on display permanently. North end of Thurlow St.; 866/785-8232.

      2. Lessons in gardening: Hayes Valley Farm, San Francisco, CA
      Plunked down on what used to be a freeway off-ramp, Hayes Valley Farm is the urban equivalent of the back-to-the-earth experience you used to have to drive to. Just a block from a strip of boutiques, city farmers are growing kale, snap peas, and beets. Drop by to learn composting or take a yoga class. Free yoga; soil classes from $25; 450 Laguna St.;

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    • 8 Inventive Recipes with Fresh Herbs

      When taken beyond a garnish, fresh herbs have the ability to transform a dish. We've gathered 8 of our favorite herb-incorporated recipes for you to add to your repertoire.

      More herb recipes:
      6 dishes with fresh oregano
      13 dishes with specialty herbs
      8 tasty tarragon recipes

      DillDill
      Grilled Fingerlings with Dill
      Ingredients
      6 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise (if very small, keep whole)
      1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
      1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
      1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
      4 tablespoons butter, softened
      1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
      Coarse sea salt, for finishing (optional)
      Preparation
      1. Prepare a grill for medium heat (350° to 450°). In a large bowl, toss potatoes with oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
      2. Set out 4 sheets heavy-duty foil (each about 12 by 26 in.). Oil foil; divide potatoes among sheets, arranging them cut side down in a single layer on the short half of each sheet. Fold other half of each sheet over potatoes and crimp edges to seal.
      3.

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    • How to Kick-Start Your Spring Garden

      What to plant now for a garden full of beautiful blooms, abundant edibles-or both


      Treat a trellis as art
      Anything but ordinary, this circular trellis is a sculpture you can walk through. In Sunset's test garden, our "moon gate" entrance to veggie beds is also an ideal support for scarlet runner beans. Vine-covered or bare, it makes a big statement. The rustproof steel hoop measures 80 inches across and comes in seven vivid colors (we chose Kumquat). Each structure is handcrafted in Los Angeles by a sculpture and design studio. $840; terratrellis.com
      Triple-duty beauty: We're big fans of scarlet runner beans. The fast-growing vine (it covered our trellis in two months) pumps out gorgeous, hummingbird-attractive blooms that develop into tasty young edible pods and shellable beans later.
      Grow it: In spring, sow seeds 1 in. deep, 4 to 8 in. apart, in full sun. Provide poles or trellis for support.


      Taste a big-hit baby bell
      The 'Miniature Yellow' bell pepper has

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