Garlic paste is useful anytime you want to add a pungent garlic flavor and smooth texture to any dish. Justin Chapple shows off the method in the video above. Using a rolling pin, roll the crushed garlic into a paste. You have garlic paste for building braises, dipping sauces, salad dressings, and more. Or it’s possible for you to make it fresh every time. Either way, there’s no need to ever spend money on jarred garlic paste....

The whole point of investing your money is to make more money. So what do you do when your investments start going down for a few months? Assuming they weren’t bad investments to begin with, the answer is often to hold on to them. Economies ebb and flow. In fact, most earned back the money lost from the market crash in 2008 by mid-2011. We did have one client though that didn’t do so well....

President Barack Obama wasn’t always successful, though. In a recent interview, Obama was asked about a time when he felt the most broken. Here’s how he responded: I first ran for Congress in 1999, and I got beat. Because if you’re worrying about yourselfif you’re thinking: ‘Am I succeeding? Am I in the right position? Am I being appreciated?’ then you’re going to end up feeling frustrated and stuck. There’s always something to be done....

It’s simple, doesn’t require any external services, and it’s easy to set up. Head over to Digital Inspiration for the full guide. Quickly keep your Gmail Messages in Evernote with a Google Sheet| Digital Inspiration

It’s OK, though: Bathroom germs are unlikely to make you sick. TheAtlantic’s CityLab spoke with two biologists about common germ-avoidance behaviors, and found that many are pointless. 8 Things People Do to Avoid Germs That Are Basically Pointless| CityLab Photo bym01229.

Making vegetable soupis a delicious way to clear out the crisper. Sweating your veggies is easy: simply put your prepped vegetables in a pot on low heat. Keep the lid on, and let them cook slowly. The technique is calleda l’etouffeein French cooking, and it leads to soups and bisques with depth of flavor. you could also apply this to purees that are part of other disheslike mashed potatoes, for example....

But picking out the best engine for you and your skillset is a little tough. Let’s take a look at some of the best free software for a variety of skillsets. But whetheryou’re a childoran adult,we’ve got you covered. As far as making your first game, our friends over atKotaku have you covered. Two of the most popular and well-received are Stencyl and GameMaker. Both are very easy to use for beginners and have churned out some quality titles....

The Affordable Care Act is the granddaddy of tax law changes this year. In fact, it’sthe largest single change to the tax code in 20 years. It’s a complex one to dig into, so let’s set it aside for now. This post originally appeared atGOBankingRates. This complexity affects almost 9 million students. (Note: More resources on this are forthcoming from the IRS. So yes, it’s taxable. Different calculations will apply if you invest in virtual currency or receive it as compensation for services....

At least store your stuffed animals by creating this simple toy for your dog to tear apart instead. Load the ball up with fabric strips and treats. Let your pup go at it! They’ll use up a ton of energy playing and won’t leave piles of fluff around your house. Be extra careful and confirm to keep an eye on them so this doesn’t happen. For step-by-step photo instructions, check out the full post linked below....

Be sure to check outGizmodo’s reviewif you want to learn more. That’s $75 below Amazon’s previous low, and a terrific deal. This is theSweethome’s pick for best budget sous vide circulator, and hasfantastic user reviewsto boot. As a point of comparison, that’s less than half ofAmazon’s priceif you bought them new. [Quirky] The Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury bills itself as theworld’s fastest gaming mouse. Hopefully your wallet can keep up, because it’s down to $43 today....

Finding a goodcompany culturecan be just as important to your job satisfaction as the work you do. When most people go in for an interview, they tend to focus on impressing the employer. Employers assume the same thing, so they’re not usually paying attention to being on their best behavior. During your interview, notice whether you’re being given the interviewer’s full attention and interest. Do they seem interested and engaged in what you’re saying?...

Paying off debt is a huge win. Huge, but not easy. The key to making it work? Devising a strategy that works with your habits. We want to know which debt repayment strategy helped you most, and why. TheSnowball Methodand Stack Method are the two most basic debt payoff strategies. We’vetalked about these, and we’ve rounded up thebest ways to pay off different types of debt. So tell us: which debt repayment plan worked best for you?...

Apple doesn’t give you many options for customizing your dock from the System Preferences. Free app cDock lets you customize the colors and backgrounds to your heart’s content. cDock lets you change just about anything on the Dock. Check out the link for all your customization options.