Blog Posts by Real Simple Magazine

James Merrell In recent years, the alcohol content of wine has spiked considerably, even for varieties once considered light. "There's pressure on winemakers from critics for intense flavors, and that means riper grapes," explains Marnie Old, the director of wine studies at the French Culinary Institute, in New York City, and a coauthor of He Said Beer, She Said Wine (DK Publishing, $25). "So during the past few years, winemakers have been leaving grapes on the vines well after they would typically be picked, and that translates into fuller-bodied wines and more alcohol." Thanks to scientific advances in farming, it's now less risky to postpone a harvest. Warmer climates also play a role, so a Riesling from California is going to be much more potent than a traditional one from a cooler climate, like Germany. Here, see how your favorite varietals generally stack up. Learn More Ways to Enjoy Wine from Real Simple.

Very Low (under 12.5 percent)
Sparkling: Italian Asti, Italian Prosecco.
White: French

Frank Heckers
Pinocchio had it rough -- a telescoping nose is hard to hide. But human liars give off telltale signs, too.

• Watch the eyes. A liar's eyes may dart, dilate, rise, or refuse to make contact.
• Throat clearing, foot tapping, and raised shoulders are also cause for suspicion.
• Large people often pull in the chest and shoulder areas when they're lying.
• Whatever the revealing gesture, people tend to do it at the very moment they are fibbing. Watch what a person does when you know she's telling the truth to identify unusual behavior when she's not.

Written by Kyle Spencer

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The economy is down, food prices are up: What's a cook to do? I say, make recipes that taste even better as leftovers, so you'll be thrilled with your lunch (and dinner?) for the next day. The bulk of these suggestions are casseroles, which almost always improve with time, either cold or heated. Some of my favorite recipes (and a few I want to try):

Baked Pasta Casseroles

Cheesy Baked Shells with Broccoli from Real Simple
Baked Multigrain Elbows with Gorgonzola and Spinach from Southern Living
Baked Gemelli with Spinach, Ricotta, and Prosciutto from Martha Stewart

Grain-Based Dishes
Tuna Risotto from The New York Times
Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa from Serious Eats
Lazy Day Peanut Noodle Salad from 101 Cookbooks (pictured above)
Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous from Real Simple
Israeli Couscous with Chard from TheKitchn.com

And for the truly adventurous, YumSugar.com has reviewed a cookbook that claims you can make gourmet-tasting meals from the

Planning to serve wine at your upcoming Halloween dinner or cocktail party? Instead of your usual favorite brands, how about pouring such rare vintages as "Doctor Rotgut's Famous Embalming Juice", "Ghoul-Ail Ecotplasmic Extract", and "Zombie Virus"... or at least making it look that way! With these fun Halloween Bottle Labels from grandinroad.com, you can do just that! $24/set of $24 labels.

Also pictured above: Apothecary Labels from Pottery Barn, which read "wing of wasp," "tail of rat," "toe of frog", "eye of newt", "fang of bat" and "kiss of death." These labels are perfect for adding a whimsical Halloween touch to jars of other-wise innocent lemonade, iced tea, and punch or kool-aid in colors like black, purple and green. {Here's a fun recipe for Black Halloween Punch.} $19/set of 6

Another way to add an ominous touch to cocktails and drinks is by labeling the stemware or cups guests will be sipping from... The picture below with the foreboding champagne

James BaigrieMost of us toss cans in the recycling bin and never give them a second thought. But they're big business to the country's thriving recycling industry: 56,000 operations (according to the most recent study by the National Recycling Coalition), which collectively make $236 billion a year and employ 1.1 million people. That's more than the trash-disposal industry brings in. So how does it all break down? Consult this primer. (Related: How to Toss Medicine, Paint, Batteries...)

Plastic
"Most plastics are recyclable," says Keith Christman, senior director of packaging at the American Chemistry Council Plastics Division, in Arlington, Virginia. The problem is, not all plastics are recyclable everywhere. Almost all recycling programs accept plastics numbered 1 and 2. (Look for the number on the underside of a product, inside the ubiquitous triangle of chasing arrows.) But the numbers are not regulated federally; 39 states have various rules, so what you see can be inconsistent. "The plastics

Caren AlpertTransform carryout food into party-perfect cuisine.

Start with: A golden-brown rotisserie chicken.

To make: Toss thin slices of chicken with hot pasta, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped walnuts.

Also try: Quick chicken salad. Stir Dijon mustard, mayo, and chopped onion and herbs into shredded chicken meat. Season with salt and pepper and spoon onto whole-grain bread for sandwiches.

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Adam Howling

How to Negotiate Discounts on Uncovered Repairs

Consider This: "Companies don't always charge for repairs after the warranty has expired," says Patrick Griffin, a service manager for Dell. Common problems might not require a recall but may be so prevalent that a company will fix the glitch for free.

Try This: Enter the full name of the product ("Brand X digital camera M16") and the problem ("cracked view screen") into a search engine to find chat rooms where people have discussed similar troubles and learn what the company has done for them. Call the returns department, not customer service, to talk to someone who can authorize a free repair or a replacement. Tell them you're loyal to the brand, but that you've seen online evidence of widespread issues with the product. (Related: Extend the Life of Electronic Gagdets)

How to Negotiate Discounts on Home Repairs and Improvements

Consider This: Comparing bids from several contractors will give you some leverage with

Nato WeltonIf concentrating seems harder than ever, that's because it is. Find out why you lose focus -- and how to get it back.

It's no accident that you concentrate best when you're really engaging in something, like watching a good movie, or doing something challenging, like learning a new card game. Concentration occurs when the brain's prefrontal cortex, which controls high-level cognitive tasks, is awash with the right cocktail of neurotransmitters, hormones, and other body chemicals, particularly the "pleasure chemical" dopamine (you get a jolt of this when you eat delicious food, have sex, or encounter something new and exciting). "When dopamine levels rise, you subconsciously want more of the good feeling it gives you, so you're driven to concentrate on whatever you're doing to keep getting it," says Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of Find Your Focus Zone (Free Press, $25, www.amazon.com). But when your attention starts to falter, your dopamine