Blog Posts by Real Simple Magazine

How to finesse sticky financial situations involving friends and family.
by Teri Cettina


Greg ClarkeResponding to Nosy Questions
Problem: A nosy friend asks how much you spent on your car, your clothes, or your house, and you think it's none of her business.

Solution: When someone asks an invasive question, you're never obligated to answer, says Laurie Puhn, a relationship expert in New York City. "If she asked about your favorite sexual positions, would you feel you had to tell her? Probably not," Puhn says. The next time this friend asks the price of a new leather handbag, Puhn suggests saying something like: "I have a new policy that I'm not going to share prices or salaries. It's nothing personal. I've just found it's easier not to discuss finances with friends." Or try what etiquette expert Anna Post, author of Emily Post's Wedding Parties ($23, amazon.com), calls the "gently evasive" approach. "If your friend asks what you paid for your new house, say, 'Well, probably a little more than I

Easy dishes for days when a bowl of cereal just won't do.

Banana Nut Bread
Serves 16 | Hands-On Time: 05m | Total Time: 50m

Formula Z/SIngredients
-1 box yellow cake mix
-1 package Jell-O Instant Banana Cream Pudding & Pie Filling
-1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-2 ripe bananas, mashed
-4 eggs
-1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
-Heat oven to 350° F.
-Mix all the ingredients well. Pour into 2 large or 4 small greased loaf pans.
-Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. (For those allergic to nuts, this recipe can be made without the pecans.)

Related: Make Breakfast in Bed


Buttermilk-Cheese Scones
Serves 12| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 30m

William MeppemIngredients
-3 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
-1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan
-1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
-1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
-1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions
-Heat oven to 400° F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable

As these photos show, what makes a kitchen great is how you organize it.


Frances Janisch

Turn to a Lazy Susan

Contain messes by housing sticky or spillable food items on an easy-to-clean lazy Susan.

Related:
18 Clever Organizing Tricks






Justin Bernhaut

Give Cookbooks Space

Cookbooks are fine on open shelves, so long as they're not exposed to humidity and grease from the fridge or stove.

Related: Low-Key, Stress-Free Organized Home





Annie Schlechter

Start Hanging

Hang aprons, pot holders, and dish towels on pegs (mount them at least two feet away from the stove).

Related: Easy Ways to Streamline Your Supplies







John Gruen

Store Items by Use

Arrange your kitchenware by frequency of use, with everyday dishes on an easy-to-reach lower shelf and special-occasion pieces up above.

Related: Before and After: A Refrigerator Makeover






Bjorn Wallander

Group Similar Objects

Group objects by purpose and assign them to specific cabinets, as with the bakeware centralized here.









David Prince

Designate a Cooking Zone

Create a cooking zone around the stove, storing pots and pans as close

Essential talks to have with your spouse, your kids, and your parents.
by Walecia Konrad

Wesley Bedrosian
CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE WITH YOUR SPOUSE

Where Does All Our Money Go?
Why it's important: If you don't know where it goes, you could end up running low, not to mention straining your relationship. "Financial issues are the number one reason I see couples divorcing," says Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist and the author of Emotional Fitness for Intimacy ($11, amazon.com). The biggest marriage-buster among them? Over-spending. "Oftentimes a spender marries a saver," says Goldsmith. "They need to master the art of compromise, and if they don't, their relationship can quickly get complicated."

The ideal time to talk: Yesterday, says Goldsmith. Every couple needs to have this discussion. Even if your finances seem to be in good shape, you should check in regularly in case priorities change or debt sneaks in unnoticed.

What to do first: Suggest to your spouse that the two of you―together―keep a

Recipes for party-worthy finger foods that take 20 minutes or less from start to finish.
By Real Simple Staff

Cheese Quesadillas
Incredibly simple to make, just-from-the-oven cheese quesadillas are always a crowd pleaser.
Serves 8 | Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 15m

Quentin BaconIngredients
-8 8-inch flour tortillas
-2 cups (8 ounces) grated Monterey Jack
-1 12-ounce container refrigerated store-bought salsa

Directions
-Heat broiler.
-Place 2 tortillas on a baking sheet and sprinkle ½ cup of the cheese evenly over each. Top with 2 more tortillas.
-Broil until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
-Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cheese.
-Cut into triangles and serve with the salsa.

Calories Per Serving: 237

Related: 10 Store-Bought Best Party Appetizers



Chickpea and Mint Crostini
In this no-cook recipe, combine chickpeas with juicy pomegranate seeds and chopped mint for a bright, fresh topping.
Serves 8 | Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 10m

Mikkel VangIngredients
-1 15.5-ounce can

What to tackle if you have 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or half a day to clean.
By Maria Shollenbarger

Easy Steps for Cleaning the Kitchen
Kitchen duty isn't easy. The main culprit: grease. Before you start combating it, move small appliances off the counters to ensure that bacteria (kitchen enemy No. 2) won't flourish underneath the toaster oven or the coffeemaker.

Tim Evan CookIf You Have 15 Minutes
-Clean countertops and the sink. Spray disinfectant in the sink and let it soak. "Otherwise the product won't have time to kill all the bacteria and viruses you're trying to remove," says Janice Stewart, owner of Castle Keepers, a professional cleaning service in Charleston, South Carolina. Meanwhile, spritz the counters with disinfectant. Then scrub the sink with a sponge, rinse well, and dry. Return to the counters and wipe dry with a fresh cotton or microfiber cloth.
-Sweep or dry-mop the floor. Make a pass using an electrostatic mop (like those from Swiffer) or cloth. This will pick up dirt

Try one of these quick, delicious dishes starring everyone's favorite catch.
By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry

Hoisin-Glazed Shrimp Skewers
Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 15m
David Prince
Ingredients
-1 seedless cucumber, sliced
-2 scallions, sliced
-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-kosher salt and black pepper
-1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
-1/4 cup hoisin sauce
-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions
1. Heat broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, scallions, vinegar, oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Thread shrimp onto 6-inch skewers, wrap the skewer ends with foil, and place on a broiler-proof rimmed baking sheet.
3. Broil, basting with the hoisin sauce, until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with the cucumber salad.



Related: The Best and Worst Appetizer Choices


Spaghetti With Shrimp, Feta, and Dill
Serves 4 | Hands-On Time: 25m | Total Time: 25m
David Prince
Ingredients
-12

Combat clutter with ordinary household items used in unexpected ways.

Antonis Achilleos
Use Jewelry Boxes

Those little boxes are so sturdy and trim that you hate to throw them out. So don't. Instead, clip them together to create tidy divided storage for pens and pencils, lipsticks, plastic flatware, whatever it is that clutters your drawer (maybe jewelry?). (For more junk drawer tips, see Make Over Your Junk Drawer.)

Related: Essential Everyday Forms and Checklists





James Baigrie
Use Glass Jars
"Grandpa's wood-shop solution of attaching glass jars underneath a table or a shelf is tried-and-true," says Ted McCann, a Brooklyn-based custom woodworker. This trick works in the garage, the basement, and the craft room (or even possibly the home office, if you have an appropriate area): Nail or superglue the lids to the underside of a surface near where you store your tools, then twist the jars into place. Put like-size nuts and bolts in one jar, wood screws in another, nails in another. Also attach an empty jar so that