How to Make Your Own Girl Scout Cookie-Style Do-Si-Dos

It’s been a tough couple months for me since Girl Scout Cookie season ended, and it’ll be a long eight months until those clever sales-children start distributing again. In the meantime, one of the best ways to get your fix is to make dupes of your favorite Girl Scout Cookies at home. I’ve dabbled in the Thin Mint and Caramel deLite territory already, but now it’s time to unveil the recipe for my favorite peanut butter cookie of the bunch: Do-Si-Dos.

Tagalongs get a lot of love from the peanut butter crowd—and they deserve it (I’ll test out a copycat recipe of those soon enough)—but if quantity eaten is an indicator, then Do-Si-Dos are my pick. It’s a crisp, sweet, slightly oaty peanut butter sandwich cookie with a hint of salt: Simple, like a PB cookie should be, but with a concentrated nutty center that only sandwich cookies can provide.

The Do-Si-Do is relatively simple to recreate, which is more than I can say for the multi-component Caramel deLite or chocolate enrobed Thin Mint. Both the cookie and peanut butter filling are straightforward, no tricks or fancy skills necessary. The only picky thing I recommend is using two different peanut butters. A chunky peanut butter (like Crazy Richard’s) is best for the cookie dough, providing better texture and a more robust, nutty flavor, while you want a smooth peanut butter for the filling. I choose a sweetened, emulsified peanut butter (Skippy, in this case) for the filling because it perfectly replicates the almost peanut candy flavor of a Do-Si-Do.

How to make Do-Si-Dos dupes

1. Make the dough

This recipe uses possibly the most used American cookie method: creaming. Stir the softened butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Stir in the chunky peanut butter, egg, vanilla extract, and salt until combined. In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and oats together. Pour the dry mixture into the butter mixture and stir until combined.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

2. Shape the cookies

The dough will be thick but soft. If it’s too warm in your kitchen, you might want to chill the dough for 20 minutes to make rolling easier. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out half of the cookie dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Using a small circular cookie cutter about 1 inch in diameter, cut out as many rounds as you can and put them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Put the pan in the freezer to chill for about 10 minutes. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

3. Bake

Do-Si-Dos have a slightly patterned surface and a small hole in the center, so you can replicate this by pricking the top with a fork and using the tines to make a criss-cross, or skip the fuss out and don’t do anything at all. Either way, bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 to 13 minutes, or until they’ve lightly browned on top. Cool them on the pan for 5 minutes, and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Fill the Do-Si-Dos

In a small bowl, mix smooth peanut butter with powdered sugar. The combination will be like a soft Play-Doh. Flip over half of the cookies and put teaspoon-sized balls of the filling in the center. Top the filling with the other cookies and gently press down to force the filling out to the edges.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Now the hardest part: Wait until tomorrow to eat them. I’m kidding—no human on earth could resist. But like any sandwich cookie, giving them a day in an airtight container allows the texture of the cookies to soften slightly, and the filling to firm up. As a solution, eat some today, and store the rest for tomorrow.

Do-Si-Dos Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
½ cup chunky peanut butter
1 egg, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt for salted peanut butter (or ½ teaspoon for unsalted)
1 ⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup rolled oats

For the filling:

½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Mix the butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chunky peanut butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir until well combined.

2. In a separate smaller bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and oats together. Add this dry mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined.

3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s a ¼-inch thick. Cut 1-inch circles out of the dough and put them on a parchment lined sheet tray. Press a pattern into the cookies now, if you choose to. Chill the rounds in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes or until evenly browned. Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely.

5. To make the filling, stir the smooth peanut butter with the powdered sugar, it will be a thick paste. Flip over half of the cookies and add a teaspoon-sized ball of the filling to each of them. Top the filling with the other cookies and gently press until the filling reaches the edges of the cookie sandwich.

How to Help Your Parents Afford Retirement Without Going Broke Yourself

Retirement planning can be a scary subject, with good reason: More than a fourth of non-retired people have absolutely nothing saved for retirement, and even many folks who have some retirement savings don’t have nearly enough. For some folks that means tightening their belts and figuring out how to survive on Social Security. But for a lot of aging parents, having nothing saved for retirement means they’re relying on their adult children to be their retirement plan.

About one-third of middle-aged adults are already supporting their parents financially, and most expect that to continue indefinitely. While most people love their parents and probably don’t want them to slide into poverty and sadness, there’s one obvious problem with serving as your parents’ retirement plan: You might go broke doing it. If you know that your parents will be looking to you for support when they can’t work anymore, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

Start with the numbers

First, you need to know what you’re dealing with, and that means digging into your parents’ financial situation and overall net worth. Consider all of these possible sources of income and potential financial needs.

Do a Social Security audit. If your parents worked, they’re likely entitled to Social Security benefits. If they haven’t already, have them create Social Security accounts and check into their benefit situation. Keep in mind that the longer they can wait to take their Social Security benefit, the larger the payouts. Social Security won’t be an enormous amount of money, but depending on your parents’ work history, it can be a significant amount that will definitely help defray the costs of supporting them.
Track down their retirement savings. Even if your parents have long assumed you’ll be their retirement plan, they may have accrued some retirement savings automatically through their jobs. They may have even forgotten about small 401(k) plans they left behind at old jobs. Do a deep dive to uncover every single retirement account they have or once had, and make sure you know how to access them and what the balances are.
Plan what to do with their property. If your parents own a home, find out what the situation is there. Do they still owe on a mortgage? Are there any open home equity lines of credit or loans? What’s the home’s value? Selling can unlock a lot of cash that could be used to support your parents (while eliminating the associated costs of home ownership), while a reverse mortgage might be a way to let your parents age in place with an enhanced income.
Make a budget. Once you know how much money your parents actually have, you can make a budget for them that will stretch that money as far as possible. Getting them used to living on a budget now will pay dividends later if you have to take a more active role in the day-to-day management of their lives. It’s important that this budgeting process includes how much you can reasonably contribute without harming your own finances—or your own future retirement. Knowing what your “number” is in the context of supporting your parents will be essential in every decision made, so you’ll have to plan out your own budget as well, with your parents as a factor.

Consolidate your resources

Now that you have an idea of how much your parents (and you) can contribute to their own upkeep when they retire, you can start to think about how to lower those costs. A few scenarios to consider:

Move them in with you. If selling their home is part of funding their retirement, or they don’t own a property, one of the easiest ways to lower their retirement costs is to have your parents live with you. There are obviously a lot of emotional and psychological factors at play here, but from a financial standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Instead of trying to pay their living expenses on top of your own, a lot of those expenses would be shared—and you’ll also have control over those expenditures.

This can especially make sense if you have space in your own home and your parents don’t need the support of an assisted-living facility or other resources (such as a nurse). But it’s important to formalize how they’re going to contribute to the household budget, whether that means paying rent or covering specific bills.
Give them tax-free “gifts.” You can give a certain amount of money to your parents every year without any tax concerns. The current limit is $18,000, so you can give that amount to your parents to help support them without having to file any tax paperwork. That can help cover their bills without any extra penalties for your income or assets.
Create a money pool with your siblings. If you have siblings, you may each have a different capacity to help out. Instead of richer siblings paying for everything and lower-income siblings paying nothing, create a “pool” of money that everyone pays into according to their situation, and pay our parents’ bills out of that. It’s important to consider not just a siblings’ income, but also their direct costs—if your parents are living with you, for example, you might be paying more to cover higher utility bills and other costs, and thus you might contribute less to the pool to reflect that.

Find support

One of the most crucial things you can do to protect your own retirement once it becomes clear that your parents will need your assistance in theirs is to identify public programs that your parents can use to supplement their retirement. There’s often a stigma surrounding utilizing these sorts of government- and community-run programs, but this is why they exist in the first place—so take advantage.

There are the obvious programs like Medicaid and Medicare, or food assistance through the SNAP program, but there are more other options than you might think, so do your research. A good place to start is this site, maintained by the National Council on Aging, which lets you search in your area for specific support programs, including health care, transportation needs, or simple senior discounts that might be available. There are often a lot of valuable benefits out there that can save your parents—and thus, you—a lot of money.

Outside your local area, there are several programs run by the federal government that can help too:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If you can’t afford to have your parents move in with you, and they can’t afford where they’re currently living, HUD offers programs to help senior citizens find affordable housing.
Utility assistance. Heating and cooling can be a significant expense, and attempting to keep costs down by not heating or cooling the home can be dangerous. Many local utilities have low-cost programs in place for seniors in need, so it’s worth a call to investigate this. There’s also the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which can provide assistance.
Tax credits. If your parents have a very small income (currently between $12,500 and $25,000, depending on their filing status), they may be eligible for a federal tax credit, which can be as much as $7,500.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If your parents are 65 or older and earn less than $1,971 per month, they may be eligible for SSI benefits. This won’t be a huge amount of money (it depends on actual income and other factors, but tops out at about $914 per month for individuals and $1,371 for couples), but it can help defray costs.

Additionally, many areas offer free transportation for seniors (sometimes specifically to and from medical appointments, but some municipalities also run free bus services around town) which might allow you to cut the expense of a vehicle from your parents’ budget.

Being your parents’ retirement plan is a lot of responsibility—and a lot of stress. But if you plan ahead and look into all the resources available, you can at least avoid going broke yourself in the process.

Power Zone Workouts Are the Best Thing About the Peloton Bike

Peloton bikes are best known for their video classes, which feature a social leaderboard, chatty instructors, and handpicked music. But from a fitness perspective, my favorite feature is “power zone” training, which you can do with specific classes or enable the power zone bar for any workout. Let me tell you why I love it, and how you can get started with it, too.

What is power zone training?

Cyclists measure their effort in terms of power: how much energy you transmit through the pedals in a given length of time. It’s often measured in watts. On an outdoor bike, you need a power meter to measure this; on Peloton, this measurement is built in. (The Bike estimates your power; the Bike+ has a true power meter. Both work just fine for everything I’m discussing today.)

Power zones are personalized to you—in a minute we’ll talk about how—and there are seven zones. If you’re familiar with the output metric (the number in the middle of your screen), your output is what determines your zone. Higher output numbers fall into higher zones.

A power zone workout (or “ride,” as Peloton calls them) will tell you when to go into each zone. Unlike other Peloton classes, instructors leading power zone rides won’t tell you what resistance to use, and they may recommend a cadence, but you’re never required to hit it. So if you’re in zone 1 and the instructor tells you to pedal in zone 3, you can choose to increase your resistance, your cadence, or both—whatever gets you there.

To be totally clear, power zones are nothing to do with heart rate zones. We’ll talk about the difference a little bit later.

Why are power zone rides special?

Since power zones are calibrated to your personal abilities, you always have a scale that tells you how hard you’re working, relative to what you are capable of. I like power zone rides because I know what kind of training effect to expect from them.

Where a “classic rock ride” could be hard, easy, or anywhere in between, I know that a “power zone endurance” ride is going to keep me in zones 2 and 3 for most of the workout, training my stamina without making me too fatigued. On the other hand, a “power zone max” ride will have me working hard, like a HIIT workout. The difference is that I know from the power zone bar on my screen exactly when I’m hitting the ideal output for the workout that I’m doing—not too hard and not too easy.

In short, other rides are great for having fun or for letting yourself be surprised. Power zone rides are for training. If you want to get faster and better on the bike, these are structured workouts that will make that happen, and give you ways to measure your improvement.

What is a power zone ride like?

When you want to do a power zone ride, your first job is to decide which kind. You can filter classes by “power zone” as a type, but within that you’ll see three types of classes:

Power zone (PZ): With these you’ll spend most of your working time in zones 3, 4, and 5, with recoveries in zone 1 or 2 in between efforts. These tend to be pretty hard workouts, but they’re usually not too intense.
Power zone max (PZM): These rides will take you into the higher zones (6 and 7) with easy recoveries, usually in zone 1.
Power zone endurance (PZE): These rides almost always keep you in zones 2 and 3 the whole time. Your effort will be moderate but steady.

The shortest power zone rides are usually 30 minutes (there may be a few 20-minute rides in the catalog). The 45-minute rides are probably the most popular, but there are plenty of 60-minute rides and a few 75- and 90-minute PZE rides.

Credit: Peloton

All power zone rides start with a warmup that is usually between 10 and 13 minutes. A typical one goes like this:

A few minutes (usually one song’s worth) of pedaling in zone 1 to let your legs start to warm up.
Spin-ups, where you move your legs as fast as you comfortably can, for maybe 30 seconds at a time. Your exact zone doesn’t matter here. In between the spin-ups, you’ll pedal in zone 1 to recover. After three to five spin-ups, with maybe 30 seconds or a minute in between, it will be time for the next phase.
A “build” with 30 to 90 seconds in each of the zones you’ll be using in the workout. For a PZE that might be 90 seconds in zone 2 and 90 seconds in zone 3. For a PZM, you might get 30 seconds each in zones 3, 4, 5, and 6.
A short recovery (usually 1 minute) of zone 1 pedaling before the main workout begins.

Instructors will get creative with the details, but will always keep the structure of a zone 1 segment, a few spin-ups, and a build. During the warmup, they will usually explain the structure of the workout to come.

To see the structure of the workout before you start the class, you can tap “class plan” in the ride description, then “view details,” and you’ll be able to see the full breakdown. (Some older classes don’t have this information, but ones from the last year or two will always have it.) The plan will show you what zone each interval is in, and how many minutes you’ll spend there. In the example here, you’ll spend 3, 5, 7, and then 5 minutes in zone 3, with shorter recoveries in zone 2. This is pretty typical for a PZE class.

Why you’ll love the power zone bar

Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Peloton

Anybody can take a power zone class at any time, but if you haven’t set up your power zone bar, you won’t know exactly when you’re in the right zone. (Go ahead and take the class anyway, though. During the build, the instructor will explain what each zone should feel like. You can do your first ride or two by feel.)

The power zone bar is a color-coded line at the bottom of your screen underneath your output. The zones will fill in with color according to your output, so that when you’re in zone 1, you’ll just see the leftmost blue chunk lit up, and when you’re in zone 7, you’ll see the whole rainbow, with zone 7 in red to let you know that’s where you are. Power zone classes released after November of 2022 have an indicator outline around the zone you’re supposed to be in, so even if you missed the instructor calling out the zone, you’ll see on your screen what zone you should be in.

When you set up your power zone bar—more on that in a sec—you’ll get the option to show it all the time, instead of just in power zone classes. I highly recommend doing this. With the power zone bar, you can use the idea of power zone training when you’re doing a scenic ride, and you can see how traditional style classes compare to your own zones. If I want to take a music ride for fun, but stick to easy training, I’ll just make sure my output stays in zone 2 or 3. With the power zone bar enabled, it’s easy to do that.

How to set up your power zones on Peloton

Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Peloton

If you know what the term “FTP” means (hello, cyclists), you can go into your settings right now and turn on the power zone bar. It’s in your profile, under Preferences. At the bottom of the screen, find the FTP section, and tap “calculate custom value.” You can enter your FTP number there.

For the rest of us, though, you’ll want to take an FTP test. Well, you might not want to, but you kind of need to, to calibrate everything properly.

How to take an FTP test

Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Peloton

FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power, and it’s a measure of how high an output you can sustain over time. There are specific Peloton rides that are designed to measure your FTP. After you do one, you’ll get a prompt asking if you’d like to update your FTP in settings. (Say yes.)

The FTP test takes 20 minutes, but I like to budget an hour. That gives you 10 to 20 minutes for a warmup, 20 minutes for the test, 5 to 15 minutes for a cooldown, and then plenty of time to lie on the floor afterward. (Pro tip: Have someone bring you a fresh, cold bottle of water when you finish.)

People get nervous about the FTP, but it’s really just a benchmark of where your fitness stands at the moment. If you do it right, you’ll be exhausted at the end, but then you’ll know your FTP—which means you can take easy rides and know they will be easy, because they’ll be calibrated to you.

I’ve taken a few FTP tests. Here are my tips:

Schedule a time, and when the time comes, hop on the bike and do it. If you are the type of person to get nervous when a test is on your calendar for a future date, just do it now. I’m serious, turn on your bike right this second and get it over with. You can read the rest of this article when you’re done.
Do an FTP warmup ride. Some are 10 minutes, some are 15. I find that longer is better; sometimes I’ll do a 10 minute warmup twice. Pick your favorite, most encouraging instructor for the warmup.
After the warmup, take a quick minute for a water break if you need it, and then go right into the FTP test. It does not matter who the instructor is; you’ll barely notice them. Mute the screen and play your own music if the music matters to you.
Start at a strong, steady pace, something you’re confident you could keep up for 20+ minutes. Every five minutes, ask yourself if you could kick up the intensity a notch and still be able to hang on. If you have a 20-minute PR already in the system (whether a previous FTP test or another ride), filter the leaderboard to “just me” and try to beat yourself.
Anytime you feel like you can’t possibly continue, slow down a little but do not stop. Use this as your new steady pace, and get back to asking yourself every few minutes whether you could increase your output or if you need to stay where you are. Better to go out too fast, slow down, and then continue to the finish, than to quit halfway through and…then what? Do it all over again? No way.
No matter your fitness level, there is some amount of power that you can log in a 20-minute test. If you don’t like the number you get, you can retest in a couple weeks. But you won’t know what number that is until the end. So don’t quit. Keep pedaling. You can absolutely do this.
Whatever minute you’re in, don’t focus on how many minutes there are left. Just focus on making it through this minute.

Before you know it, you’ll be in your final sprint to the finish. The ride will end, and at this point I usually snap a photo with my phone of my output on the leaderboard. When you leave the ride to do a cooldown (please do a cooldown, your body will thank you), Peloton will ask if you’d like to update your FTP. Say yes. By the way: It’s recommended to take a new FTP test every 4 to 6 weeks.

Heart rate zones vs. power zones

I need to make something very clear: When you’re training with power zones, those are to be used instead of heart rate zones. Not in addition.

Now, you can still wear a heart rate monitor. That’s fine. You’re just not using it to guide your workout. You’ll see the power zone bar at the bottom of your screen, and a heart rate zone indicator at the top left. Either ignore or hide the heart rate zone indicator. You can tap the little sideways arrow and it will disappear, but keep logging your heart rate data so you can look at it later.

Note the heart rate zones in the top left, and power zones at the bottom. At the moment, both are in zone 1.
Credit: Beth Skwarecki/Peloton

People often wonder how heart rate zones match up with power zones, but there is no consistent way to convert them. In general, heart rate zone 2 matches power zones 2-3. But your heart rate drifts upward the longer you work out, and your heart rate also takes longer to change when you shift gears. If you’re moving into power zone 5, your bike will be at zone 5 immediately. Your heart might take 30 seconds to catch up. Don’t ever worry if your heart rate zones and power zones aren’t matched, OK? You can only train with one at a time, and we’re here to train with power zones.

What kind of power zone workouts should I do?

When you first start, the easiest way to learn your way around power zone workouts is to do the Discover Your Power Zones program (available from the “Programs” section on the Bike/Bike+). It will guide you through doing an FTP test at the beginning and at the end of the four-week program, and in between you’ll get a sampler of all the different power zone workout types. The instructors know they’re talking to power zone beginners, so they’ll spend plenty of time explaining how everything works and giving you tips on making the most of it.

When you’re done with that program, you may want to take Build Your Power Zones to continue working in that same vein, but it’s also fine to just start taking whichever power zone classes you think you’ll enjoy. Eventually you may want to take Peak Your Power Zones, a more advanced program that is geared toward improving your FTP. (Your FTP will improve no matter which program you take, but the “Peaking” program is laser-focused on making that number go up rather than delivering a well-rounded fitness program.)

Besides those three built-in programs, you can also find program suggestions on Reddit (there is a #RedditPZ group that runs nine-week programs) and a Facebook-based Power Zone Pack that runs challenges for subscribers.

But if you’re on your own, you can build your own routine just by knowing what to expect from each type of power zone workout. For most people, it would work to do:

0 or 1 Power Zone Max ride(s) per week
1 or 2 Power Zone ride(s) per week
Power Zone Endurance rides for the rest of your available time (or do other rides while staying in zone 2-3 on the power zone bar)

So if you ride three times each week, you might do one PZ and two PZE. If you’re a monster who rides every day, you might do one PZM, two PZ’s, and four PZEs, with one or two of those PZE rides being all zone 2 (instead of following the callouts to switch between zones 2 and 3). Adjust as needed to your own fitness level, and choose the lengths of workouts that work for your schedule.

When choosing your own workouts, the Power Zone Tool from homefitnessbuddy.com is incredibly useful. You can filter and sort by instructor, length of workout, and a cool metric called TSS (training stress score). The higher the TSS, the harder the workout will be to recover from. (For example, you can search for “Christine PZE” and sort by TSS, lowest first. You’ll immediately see that she has several rides that are 30 minutes long and that are entirely in zone 2—great for a recovery ride.)

You can also get a preview of the zones as a visual chart, which I find easier to read than the way Peloton presents them in the class plan. Be aware that the very newest rides won’t be on this tool yet, but also that some older rides will be on there as well that may not have the power zone indicator. But fortunately all the statistics are right there in each entry, so you can choose exactly which rides you’d like to take.

These Robot Vacuums Are up to 50% Off Right Now

Like probably many people reading this, my first robot vacuum was a Roomba. It was great for its time, but if you’ve been paying attention, other companies have been improving their technology while iRobot seems to be stagnant. Shark, Yeedi, and Roborock are some of the better robot vacuum brands out there, and they’re currently very well priced. If you’re looking to improve your current robot vacuum, consider one of these.

Voice Control Robot Vacuum with Matrix Clean Navigation, Home Mapping, 60-Day Capacity.

Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum

8000Pa Strong Suction, 7-week Dust Storage, Bagless Dust Container, PureCyclone Tech, ZeroTangle.

Yeedi C12 PRO PLUS Robot Vacuum and Mop

Auto-Empty Dock Pure, Hands-Free Cleaning for up to 7 Weeks, APP-Controlled Mopping, 4200Pa Suction.

Roborock Q7 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop

The Shark AI is 50% off

The Shark AI has some good features for its $299.99 sale price (originally $599), like smart mapping and a self-emptying base that can hold 60 days worth of debris. It is bagless, so there’s no need to spend on bags every time you empty the debris, and it avoids obstacles with LiDAR technology. The main concern is that Shark doesn’t disclose the device’s suction power, which could be a tactic to hide underwhelming specs.

The Roborock Q7 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop combo is 47% off

If you’re looking for a vacuum and mop combo, the Roborock Q7 Max+ for $459.99 (originally $869.99) is a great option. The mopping is not high-tier, though, since it only uses a single brush—if that’s important to you, the higher-tier Roborock S8 will. However, it will clean surface-level stains without a problem.

Like the Shark, the Q7 Max+ also has a LiDAR system that it uses to map out your home. You can designate no-mop areasto avoid getting rugs wet, for example. If there are objects in the way, it will remember them and can maneuver around them to avoid accidents. The dock station can hold up to seven weeks of debris with its 2.5-liter bags. The suction power is decent for its current price, at 4,200 pascals. Just keep in mind you will be making purchases on the mop pads as you use them up, as well as the bags on the self-emptying dock.

The Yeedi C12 PRO Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop is $230 off

The Yeedi C12 PRO Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop combo might not have the impressive discounts the other two vacuums have, but it’s still arguably a better value for your money. After using the $130 on-page coupon, you can get the Yeedi C12 PRO Plus for $369.99 (originally $599). This vacuum has a self-emptying dust bin that can last up to seven weeks before needing to empty it; the most suction power with 8,000 pascals; a mop pad that scrubs the floor 480 times per minute; smart mapping of your home; the ability to set schedules; boosted suction on carpet; anti-tangle technology on the roller; and up to five-hour battery capacity. You won’t be spending money on dust bags or mop pads, since these ones are reusable.

How to Choose Between Ducks and Chickens for Your First Backyard Flock

Once you feel comfortable caring for domestic pets like cats and dogs, taking the leap to farm animals usually starts with poultry. And for good reason: they’re relatively easy to keep in suburban areas, and with a little flexibility, they can thrive in urban areas, too.

The most obvious benefit to caring for poultry comes in the form of those tasty eggs, but poultry can also can become an integral part of your garden as both a way to recycle yard and kitchen waste (food for the poultry) and fertilizer (composted bird poop). While most people immediately think of chickens as their first choice, ducks (not to mention turkey, geese, quail, and pigeons) are also a great choice.

While you could, of course, have both, people generally start with one or the other. I spoke with Jordan Barnes, founder of the The Smart Coop, which sells coops with smart features for both chickens and ducks, about how to choose between the two.

Startup costs (for both) may surprise you

You might think that chickens and ducks are cheap to own (with chicks costing $3 to $5 and ducklings at $5 to $10) but there are ongoing costs, especially when they’re babies, that can rack up quickly.

For the first six weeks of their lives, you’ll need to shell out money for a brooder, which is like a mini coop with a more controlled temperature setup. I was sure a simple plastic tote or box would do the trick, but the birds grow fantastically fast, and within a week or two, my flock of four needed bigger digs. You can get fancy brooders for about $100, but you can also source a scrappier one for under $40. The brooder will also need bedding (most people use pine shavings) which will cost about $20 for approximately four cubic feet. For my four chickens, this amount only lasted a few weeks.

Your baby birds will also need a heat source. While many people use heat lamps, a more modern method is a heat plate that the birds can nest under, and that will cost another $30 or so. You will also need a device so the birds can access water ($20) and food ($10). Then, add on the actual food and grit, both of which ducklings and chicks need.

With both chickens and ducks, you’ll spend a lot of time trying to minimize the mess the birds make with their water, but it’s easier with chickens. Ducks actually need to be able to submerge their beaks in the water, which requires a different kind of water device that makes it easier to splash around. Otherwise, there isn’t much cost difference between having ducks or chickens at this stage; both require (sometimes surprisingly) expensive stuff for the first six weeks of their lives that they won’t really need moving forward.

When it comes to food and housing, ducks cost more

Between six and eight weeks, your baby birds will be ready to move to their coop. Pinterest loves a fancy coop, but your birds won’t care how the coop looks, which can help you save some money. You can buy commercially made coops for anywhere from $150 to thousands of dollars, or build one yourself for a few hundred dollars. You might make some extra considerations for ducks, in that they like to have access to water; there are fanciful plans for duck coops with moats or ponds and sunpads, for example.

“Chickens need secure housing with roosting bars and nesting boxes,” Barnes said, describing each animal’s needs. “Ducks, being ground dwellers, need secure, ground-level housing and access to water for swimming and drinking.”

In either case, you’ll still need to account for bedding and feed. “On average, a laying hen eats about a quarter pound of feed per day or 1.5 pounds of feed per week,” Barnes said. Ducks at this age require twice as much food, about a half pound per day, and benefit from food that includes Niacin, which chickens don’t require. Niacin (vitamin B3) ensures ducks get the bone growth they need to support their body—but since this water soluble vitamin is eliminated daily and not stored in the body, it needs to be replenished.

In short, chickens may run $30 to $50 per month for food and bedding, but for ducks it will be closer to $70 to $100.

Ducks are a longer commitment, but lay larger eggs

Chickens generally live five to 10 years, but they lay consistently until they’re about five years old. Domesticated ducks can live to their twenties. They, too, will lay eggs consistently for about five years, but all egg production will taper off by the time they turn nine.

The eggs that chickens and ducks produce are markedly different in volume and substance, Barnes noted. “Chickens are prolific layers, with high-production breeds giving you around 250 to 300 eggs per year,” he said. While some duck breeds, like khaki runners, can produce as many as 300 eggs a year, most duck breeds produce slightly less. Ducks, while laying fewer eggs, offer larger eggs. And while taste is subjective, duck eggs are often considered more luxurious, with a richer taste.

Both are social animals, but ducks are “social butterflies”

Though I was determined not to attach myself to my own small flock, it’s hard to ignore how charming backyard birds are. My chickens have distinct personalities that are easily observed, and though cautious and easily startled, they’re are also curious and friendly. They also have a pecking order, Barnes pointed out. My small flock is being managed by a Machiavellian silkie named Cacciatore.

“Ducks are the social butterflies of the backyard,” Barnes said. “They’re more sentient and form stronger bonds, especially if you hand-raise them. Ducks are known for their quirky, playful personalities and are often less skittish than chickens. They enjoy being in flocks and can be quite affectionate with their human caregivers.”

How your birds will interact with your yard

Backyard birds are a double-edged sword when it comes to the impact they’ll have on your yard. On the one hand, they can provide fertilizer, bug control, and an ideal composting system for your kitchen scraps. On the other, both birds can be rough on landscaping. Chickens scratch up the ground to uncover edible bugs and create dirt baths, and ducks just consume whatever they can reach. However, these problems only exist if you free range your birds.

The benefits to free ranging extends beyond the happiness of the birds themselves, though, so I think it’s likely worth it. Free ranging your birds has an immense benefit to the birds, obviously, as they can forage and explore their surroundings, but it also means free pest control. Chickens eat bugs, and ducks love snails and slugs. You just have to balance that with the possible damage to the landscaping they can cause. You also have to remember that wherever birds go, they poop, which is a lot of cleanup.

The good news is that this abundance of poop is fantastic for your garden. A notable difference is that chicken poop needs to go through a composting period before it can be applied to your garden so it won’t burn your plants, but duck poop does not. It’s considered “cold” compost and can be applied directly. Since your ducks are going to produce a lot of wet waste if you have a pool for them, a plan for how you’ll use that water in your garden is necessary.

USDA and Reinvestment Fund Launch New Program to Increase Access to Healthy Foods in Underserved Communities

MONTGOMERY, Ala., June 24, 2024 – At the National Rural Grocer’s Summit today, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA and Reinvestment Fund are launching a new program under the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) to increase access to healthy foods in communities underserved by grocery stores. Funding for the new Food Access and Retail Expansion Fund (FARE Fund) is made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act.

USDA Announces Enhanced Resources to Support Businesses Interested in Procurement Opportunities

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced resource enhancements designed to simplify and streamline access to contracting information for businesses interested in selling their products and services to USDA.

Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Monday, June 24, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for June 24, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is hardert; I got it in five. Beware, there are spoilers below for June 24, Wordle #1,101! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Four of today’s letters are from our mnemonic! The other one is less common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

This is a piece of equipment you may use when you move.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There is one repeated letter today.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There is one vowel and one “sometimes” vowel.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with D.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with Y.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is DOLLY.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH, which yielded only one letter. I tried BLOND to eliminate possible consonants. This left only a handful of possible solutions—I tried MOLDY first, after which DOLLY was the only remaining answer.

Wordle 1,101 5/6

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟨🟨⬛🟨
⬛🟩🟩🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was medium difficult. The hint was “a common sound at summer camp” and the answer contained three common letters and two fairly common letters.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was BUGLE.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word.

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)
Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

CRANE
TRACE
SLANT
CRATE
CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

SALET
REAST
TRACE
CRATE
SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another
Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.
Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.
Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.
Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.
Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Sunday, June 23, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for June 23, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is medium difficult; I got it in five. Beware, there are spoilers below for June 23, Wordle #1,100! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

Three of today’s letters are from our mnemonic! The other two are fairly common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

A common sound at summer camp.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with B.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with E.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is BUGLE.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH, followed by GLAND to eliminate likely consonants. This left only two likely solutions: BULGE and BUGLE, and I guessed the former before landing on the latter.

Wordle 1,100 5/6

⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩
⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛
🟨🟨⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟨🟨🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was “a proclamation” and the answer contained four common letters and one pretty common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was EDICT.

A primer on Wordle basics

Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)
Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

CRANE
TRACE
SLANT
CRATE
CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

SALET
REAST
TRACE
CRATE
SLATE

How to win at Wordle

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another
Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.
Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.
Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.
Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.
Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Saturday, June 22, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for June 22, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is easier; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for June 22, Wordle #1,099! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

They are almost all common letters from our mnemonic today! Only one isn’t, and it’s fairly common too.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

A proclamation.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with E.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with T.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is EDICT.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE, which indicated that I probably didn’t need to guess any additional vowels. I tried BLUNT to check common consonants, which left only a few possible solutions. EVICT and EDICT seemed most likely—I guessed the former, which left the latter as the answer.

Wordle 1,099 4/6

⬛⬛🟩⬛🟨
⬛⬛⬛⬛🟩
🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was “this comes in many colors” and the answer contained four common letters and one pretty common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was PAINT.

A primer on Wordle basics

Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)
Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

CRANE
TRACE
SLANT
CRATE
CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

SALET
REAST
TRACE
CRATE
SLATE

How to win at Wordle

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another
Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.
Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.
Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.
Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.
Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.