Andrew Wiggins and the Warriors reportedly mutually agreed that the veteran forward will not represent Team Canada at the Paris Olympics this summer.
June 2024
Cubs call up Jorge Lopez, place Keegan Thompson on injured list
The Cubs called up right-handed reliever Jorge Lopez to the major league roster, the team announced on Friday. They also recalled Ethan Roberts, placed Keegan Thompson on the 15-day IL with a right rib fracture and designated recently signed Vinny Nettoli for assignment. López, 31, stirred league-wide controversy after throwing his glove into the Citi Field stands following an ejection…
This Is Actually the Best Way to Reheat Fries
It wouldn’t be fair to say that I bought an air fryer simply to reheat french fries, but it would be disingenuous to claim that my desire to reheat french fries had nothing to do with the purchase. A few years ago—when we were young and the air was sweet—I wrote a blog claiming that waffling sad, cold fries was a first-rate way to reheat them.
Almost immediately, the comments started rolling in. “You fool, you absolute imbecile,” they said. “An air fryer is the only tool you should use to reheat french fries, and you are an idiot for suggesting otherwise.” (I am paraphrasing, but this was the feel of the comments, at least as I recall it.)
“Maybe I should get an air fryer,” I thought, before waiting another eight months to get one. (I finally got the Instant Pot Vortex Mini, because it is small and red and $50.)
The tiny, powerful convection oven—which does not technically fry anything—is quite handy. I’ve already got a whole list of stuff I plan to air fry, but I started with cold fries (and ate them for breakfast), because that’s what brought us to this point in the first place.
My friends, you (and everyone else who yelled at me) were not lying. When it comes to restoring limp, cardboard-like fries to their former crisp, golden glory, the air fryer kicks the waffle maker’s ass (though I maintain waffled leftover fries make excellent breakfast potatoes).
How to reheat cold fries in the air fryer
Beyond reheating completely cold fries, this is a great way to revive takeout fries that may have sat in a paper bag or plastic container for too long. Just five to 10 minutes in a 375-degree air fryer perks ‘em right back up. Timing will vary from air fryer to air fryer but, unlike the Instant Pot or a sous-vide circulator, it’s very easy to check on your air fried food mid-cook—just slide the little basket out. Try not to over-pack the air fryer; you want the hot air to be able to circulate around each fry. It took my air fryer a mere five minutes at 375℉ to restore cold, lifeless, fairly thick-cut breakfast fries to their former glory, which is dangerously quick, particularly in a household that is prone to over-ordering french fries.
While a little overlapping is fine, try not to crowd your fries.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
What makes leftover fries so sad?
Leftover fries are sad and soggy due to moisture migration, and the air fryer takes care of that nonsense in short order. Once a fry starts to cool, the water inside the fluffy starch granules moves out towards the crust, rendering the insides of the fry grainy and the outsides mushy.
Why reheat fries with an air fryer?
An air fryer can’t rehydrate those starch granules, but it certainly revives a fry’s soggy outsides. The hot, circulating air drives off moisture and gets any dormant fry grease movin’ and groovin’, re-crisping the potato’s crust. And while the insides aren’t quite as tender and fluffy as they are when you first take them out of a deep fryer, they are pretty damn close. The ones I ate for breakfast this morning were almost indistinguishable from fresh fries, though it’s worth noting that they seemed to be a “fresh-cut, once cooked” kind of fry, so this may have only been their second (not third) heating.
Tips for reheating fries in the air fryer
Don’t crowd the pan. Lay the french fries in a single layer and try to avoid a lot of overlapping. This will prevent any steam from getting trapped and allow your taters to crisp faster. If you have a lot of fries to reheat, it might be best to do it in batches.
Spritz ’em with oil. For a just-out-of-the-fryer crust, give your fries a light spritz with a neutral cooking oil. The fresh layer of fat conducts the heat from the air fryer that much more effectively.
Check on them mid-cook. Your air frying time will vary depending on the thickness of the french fry you’re reheating (steak cut? shoestring? crinkle?), so it’s important to check on your spuds once or twice. The convection air flow is so efficient, a few minutes too long and you’ll go from crisp and fluffy to hard and dry.
Here’s the unique number Matas Buzelis will wear for the Bulls
Now that the Bulls drafted Chicago native Matas Buzelis, officially making him a team member, they announced what number he’ll wear for the 2024-25 season. The rare 00. Buzelis and Coby White will represent triple zeroes on the floor for the Bulls. As for Josh Giddey, who the Bulls acquired by trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder, it appears he…
Euros quizzes: Can you do them all?
Have you missed any of our European Championship quizzes? Find them all here and see if you can do them all.
Four of the Best Ways to Trigger a Bidding War on Your House
Unlike the weather, the real estate market hasn’t been as hot as usual this June, with the typical home selling for 0.3% below its asking price, according to new data from Redfin. While it’s a welcome shift for homebuyers, those getting ready to put their home on the market now face a harder sell.
At the same time, you may have heard about homes in your area that sold for over the asking price, following a bidding war involving multiple parties, and wondered what they’re doing right. As it turns out, there are several tactics sellers can use to improve their chances of having similar results. Here are a few realtor-approved methods for sparking a bidding war.
How to trigger a bidding war when selling your home
In theory, all you need for a bidding war is at least two people who fall in love with a home and have the money to offer more than the asking price. You could hope that you get lucky and it happens organically, but according to Dana Hall-Bradley, a realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Fine Living in Celebration, Fla. and Joe Muck, a realtor at J Muck Realty, there are several ways you can make your home more appealing to buyers and increase your chances of getting multiple offers.
First, there are the tried-and-true methods: Pricing your home lower than the comps, hiring a successful realtor, making it available for private showings, hiring a professional photographer to take the listing photos, making cosmetic repairs to the interior, improving curb appeal, and making sure your home smells good during a showing or open house.
If you’ve done all of that and your freshly painted colonial still isn’t bringing all the buyers to the yard, here are a few other tactics to try:
1. Set a deadline for offers
Instead of putting your home on the market and waiting for offers to roll in, this will help create a sense of urgency. “Offer deadlines are a good idea as long as you already have an offer your client/s like,” Much says. “This can push those sitting on the fence to submit an offer and perhaps even include an escalation clause, which can move the current offer to do the same.”
Once you receive more than two offers, have your realtor message the potential buyers saying something like: “We are in receipt of multiple offers. The seller has requested all buyers submit their highest and best offers no later than Tuesday at 7 p.m.” At that point, you can also add a line to the listing to that effect.
2. Respond to all offers
So, someone submitted a lowball offer for your home. Instead of getting annoyed and ignoring the message, use it as an opportunity to talk up your property and the interest it’s generating. When you (politely) respond thanking them for their offer, you can also mention that you’ve received multiple higher offers. That way if they really are interested in your home and have the money to buy it, they’ll know they have to step it up.
3. List the home around the holidays
Muck recommends this strategy for two reasons. First, there are fewer homes on the market at that time of year, so there won’t be as much competition. Also, “you can display how your home ‘feels’ at a time of the year when that is top of mind for many buyers,” he says.
4. Host an over-the-top open house
If you’re having trouble getting people in the door for public and private showings, you may want to consider holding an open house that feels more like An Event.
“I would highly recommend an ‘over-the-top’ and themed open house or broker’s open house to spark interest to buyers,” Hall-Bradley says. “[It] make[s] it a more fun and inviting space for local realtors/brokers to preview,” and, in turn, make them excited to promote your home to potential buyers.
But you’re going to have to get creative: Baking a few dozen cookies and putting some balloons on the mailbox isn’t going to cut it. Here’s what Hall-Bradley suggests:
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Hold the event immediately after listing the property.
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Create personalized invitations geared toward the theme.
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Advertise a give-away of some sort. “In the past, I have had the local spa in our town donate spa gift certificates,” she says. “The guest would leave their name or business cards, and we would have a drawing after the event.”
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Have a goodie bag for each guest—perhaps containing something local to your neighborhood.
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Roll out a (literal) a red carpet for guests, specifically if it’s a higher-end home.
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Have an open bar with themed cocktails.
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Order snacks from a local chef.
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Offer a photo booth where the potential buyer would need to put their phone number or email in order to get their photo sent to them.
For example, Muck once hosted an ice cream social open house during the summer—complete with an ice cream truck—that resulted in a bidding war. “[It] encouraged families to come to the open house and view the home, but also gave them a sense of what living in the house would be like for their family,” he says. Muck has also threw a lakefront BBQ as an open house for a lakefront property, which also helped generate multiple offers and resulted in selling the home for more than the asking price.
“By transforming your open house into an unforgettable event, you create a buzz that attracts serious buyers and highlights the uniqueness of your property,” Hall-Bradley says. “This approach can make potential buyers feel special and excited about their prospective new home.”
Dick Vitale announces lymph node cancer diagnosis after previous battles with cancer
Vitale, a legendary college basketball announcer, is a three-time cancer survivor; he will undergo surgery next week.
Bronny James to wear No. 9 with Lakers as he makes history with dad LeBron
Bronny’s name will be “James Jr.” on the back of his jersey.
Bronny James to wear No. 9 with Lakers as he makes history with dad LeBron
Bronny’s name will be “James Jr.” on the back of his jersey.
Bronny James to wear No. 9 with Lakers as he makes history with dad LeBron
Bronny’s name will be “James Jr.” on the back of his jersey.