Learning how to make ribs that are finger-licking good is as American as apple pie. The weather is warming up, which means you can finally start prepping for the summertime barbecue season and 4th of July festivities. These unbelievably delicious (and ultra-tender) ribs will give you something to look forward to.

Unless it's your first time bellying up to the pit, you probably know by now that grilling ribs is nothing to be taken lightly. Everything — from the quality of meat you choose, to the temperature of the grill, to the flavor of the barbecue sauce — makes a difference. If you're looking to grill ribs that literally fall off the bones as you eat them, you're at the right place. We searched high and low for the best tips when it comes to grilling ribs. Give it a try — we're certain you won't be disappointed:

1. Make a rub

The first thing in preparing tender ribs is creating a rub that's sure to delight your taste buds and add to the ribs' already delicious flavor. We like to keep things simple with a rub consisting of just three ingredients — salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. After applying a generous amount of the rub to the ribs, let them sit and marinate for a good 30 minutes.

2. Precook the ribs

Most people place their ribs directly on the grill after they marinate. Though this will produce delicious ribs, we recommend precooking them in the oven first. Wrap the ribs in foil, and place them in the oven at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. Precooking them helps intensify the flavor and naturally brings out the juices, ensuring your ribs will be anything but dry.

3. Grill the ribs

This is the easy part! Place the ribs over indirect, medium heat on your grill. The temperature should be about 325 degrees F. Cover the grill, and cook the ribs for approximately two hours. Do not check on the ribs for the first 30 minutes — this is crucial! If you open the grill too many times, you put the ribs at risk of drying out. After the two hours are up, use a fork to make sure the ribs pull off the bone easily. If so, they are done. If you're using barbecue sauce, now is the time to slather the ribs in it.

What is indirect heat? The cooking does not take place directly over the heat. If you're using a gas grill, turn on half the burners, and place the ribs on the unheated side. This allows them to cook more slowly and evenly and makes it less likely for them to burn.

4. Cool the ribs

After the ribs are fully cooked, take them off the grill, and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Allowing the meat to rest lets the moisture build up again and prevents the juices from running out of the ribs as you cut them. If you cut the meat right away, you lose a ton of vital juices pertinent to the overall flavor. We know you're hungry and your mouth is watering, but it's worth waiting an extra 10 minutes.

Common grilling mistakes

The most common mistakes people tend to make when grilling ribs — or grilling meat in general — include:

• Grilling over direct heat. Any meat that is 2 inches thick or more should be grilled indirectly.
• Putting on the barbecue sauce too soon. Save this for the end. You don't want the sauce to burn.
• Peeking too often. If the recipe calls for a closed grill, do your best to not peek. Once per hour is fine, but any more than that, and you run the risk of losing too much moisture.
• Getting tipsy. We know it's more fun to grill with a drink in hand, but try to limit yourself to just one until the food is served.

More grilling tips

How to grill perfect chicken
How to make brownies on the grill
The secrets of the perfect steak

Updated by Bethany Ramos on 3/23/16

Today I'm answering a question about a boss who created a major problem for his employee — and then left her to clean up his mess.

More: 7 ways to make your boss stop hating you

Question:

Three weeks ago, my boss told me that, because he trusted me, he wanted me to give him notes when other employees arrived late to work or left early. At first I didn’t think that would be a problem, but it is.

Two coworkers are married and were both coming in late and often leaving early. Apparently, they were turning in time sheets showing they worked eight hours a day and 40 hours a week. Because I turned in their real times, they both got shorted on their take-home pay.

I learned this when the wife stormed into my office and called me names. Later that afternoon, her husband came into my office, closed the door and told me I’d better watch my back. He scared me. I told my boss, who said, “They’re just blowing off steam. Don’t worry about it.” 

What should I do?

More: 4 tips for writing an awesome résumé to score that new job

Answer:

The husband sounds like a bully, and bullies often back down when others stand up to them. Unfortunately, he may feel he can get away with threatening you if your boss does nothing. By asking you to record times and then saying, “They’re just blowing off steam,” your boss says he considers it acceptable behavior for the wife to call you names and the husband to threaten you.

Ask your boss for a second meeting. Let him know you’re willing to continue recording everyone’s times but that the husband’s threat genuinely scared you. Ask that he back you up by telling the husband it’s not OK to threaten you for performing a task he assigned. In other words, hand him back the problem to solve.

Have a question? Email Curry at lynne@thegrowthcompany.com with the subject “SheKnows,” and she may answer you (confidentially) in an upcoming piece on SheKnows.

More: 6 traps to avoid when dealing with a workplace bully

Lynne Curry is an executive coach and author of Solutions and Beating the Workplace Bully (AMACOM). Follow her at www.workplacecoachblog.com, www.bullywhisperer.com or @lynnecurry10 onTwitter.

If she's told you once, she's told you a hundred times -- your cat needs her own space. Why not come up with something adorable and DIY that your little kitty can call her own? Our favorite cat condos are hip, functional and super-stylish. They're also inexpensive and easy to make at home.

1. Tree branch tower

If your cat loves to climb and perch, this rustic-chic tree makes a perfect project for your indoor kitty. The queen of all things awesomely DIY, Martha Stewart, shares her secrets to creating this cat climbing haven.

Next Up: Tower with a twist

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2. Tower with a twist

If you're an experienced woodworker, or have a handy friend around, this cat tower tutorial is a must. Paint it with a modern pop of color or add cat-friendly textiles for a fully custom look. Your kitty will love spending time perched up on its one-of-a-kind tower.

Next Up: DIY on the fly

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3. DIY on the fly

If your fur-baby has been spending its days knocking books off your shelf, take that as a hint. These handy-dandy bookshelf clip-ons turn your shelves into a catwalk. Your kitties are able to walk, climb and perch without disturbing your home decor. Since you do have to clip them on yourself, let's call it DIY.

More: 10 Amazing catios that'll make your cat love you forever

Next Up: Shabby chic condo

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4. Shabby chic condo

This adorable and affordable shelf makes wonderful entryway piece and perhaps an even cuter cat condo. Blogger Michell of Girl in Air walks us through how to create this thrifty masterpiece. To make it cat-friendly, simply add scratching surfaces or non-slip padding in the cylinders and this cute shelf becomes your kitties' favorite place.

Next Up: Floating shelves

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5. Floating shelves

I quick trip to IKEA or your local home improvement store makes for an easy DIY project your best friend will love. Using small wall shelves and attaching them in a stairway configuration makes this the ultimate climbing station for your feline.

Next Up: Ultimate cat condo

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6. Ultimate cat condo

Not for the novice DIYer, this architectural masterpiece will not only impress even your non-feline-loving friends, but your kitty will give you four thumbs up. This step-by-step guide tells you everything you need to know to get started. Good luck!

Next Up: Repurposed drawer condo

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7. Repurposed drawer condo

For a sleek and modern look, try this simple yet chic DIY project your kitty will adore. Jackson Galaxy from TV's My Cat from Hell walks us through making this unique cat condo your feline will purr for.

More: 8 Hypoallergenic cat breeds so you can be a cat lady without sneezing

Next Up: Modern cylinders

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8. Modern cylinders

This super-easy tutorial by Lowe's shows us how to create this ultra-modern and hip cat condo. The cylinder shape gives this piece a unique look while its compact size allows for easy placement in any room.

Next Up: Box tower

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9. Box tower

With a little inspiration and a handy husband, blogger Heather West of Bake. Create. Love. shows us how to create this super-customized cat condo. The simple use of wooden boxes with scattered holes cut in varied sizes, stacked, fastened and painted in colors of your choice make this a unique and stylish cat haven for your furry best friend.

Next Up: All in the details

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10. All in the details

For more experienced woodworkers, this standard cat condo was brought to life with adorable cutouts that add flair to an ordinary piece. The full free plan can be found here via Meow-Cat Blog.

More: 12 Ragdoll cat facts for the ultimate cat lover

Next Up: Vintage ladder

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11. Vintage ladder

This easy DIY project makes an excellent masterpiece for any shabby chic home. All it takes is an old ladder, a crate and a pillow to make this a stylish condo for your kitty.

Next Up: Bright and cheerful condo

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12. Bright and cheerful condo

The perfectly stacked mixed pieces of furniture make this an ideal condo for your feline. Not intended as cat furniture, this Thomas Wold piece can be recreated as a kitty haven by using a mix of dressers, shelves and boxes that are scattered, secured and painted.

Updated by Bethany Ramos on 3/29/2016

Call the authorities! Former star of The Bachelorette Jillian Harris is drinking coffee while pregnant! Only a few weeks after announcing she's pregnant, Harris has found herself under fire for posting a few photos of her pregnant self enjoying a cup of joe. Harris posted two photos to Instagram in one day that featured coffee (the nerve!) and another coffee shot a day or so earlier.

If you were wondering if anyone had anything to say about Harris' penchant for caffeine while growing a human inside her body, of course they did, because #TheInternet.

More: Facebook doesn't want people to see this photo of a mom giving birth

In the first photo, Harris is looking happy and cool in the back seat of a car.

For the second pic, Harris simply styled The New York Times, half an orange, her glasses and a cup and saucer of coffee.

Is this woman trying to harm her baby? Jeez, she may as well be mainlining, right? Eh, not so much, but that's certainly the sentiment many of Harris' followers echoed next to her photos.

After the backlash, Harris essentially told People that everyone needs to back off a bit. She said she stopped drinking alcohol, stopped getting Botox, but she's not about to give up her coffee no matter what anyone thinks.

More: How breastfeeding in public can turn dangerous

As most pregnant women know, there are risks to drinking coffee — or anything with caffeine — while pregnant. The American Pregnancy Association advises women to watch their coffee intake while pregnant, as studies have shown an increased risk of miscarriage for women who just can't part with their beloved morning cups. Adding even more pressure, a recent study found that there's even an increased risk of miscarriage if a woman drinks coffee while trying to conceive. Of course, all of this said, every woman does pregnancy differently and makes decisions based on what she feels is best for her. Some women have a little wine while pregnant, others don't. Some take antidepressants, others go off of them. And, as we all know, some continue to enjoy the occasional Starbucks run, while others forgo their lattes until after they give birth. Not only does each woman have to do what's right for herself, but anyone who's ever been on the Internet knows that there is a host of conflicting information out there. What one study says one week, another disputes the next.

More: The hot parenting trend that's suffocating the life out of me

Clearly Harris is comfortable with her coffee intake. And like she told People, who's to say she wasn't drinking decaf? What's more disconcerting than a pregnant woman enjoying a few cups of coffee each day is the assumption that it's OK to tell a pregnant woman what to do with her body — even if it is via the Internet.

From the sound of things, Harris is going to continue to enjoy the occasional — or daily — cup of coffee during her pregnancy. Let's just hope the Internet makes its peace with that. Because in case Harris' followers forgot, it's Harris, not them, who's having the baby.

Did you drink coffee while pregnant?

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

Bethenny Frankel will no longer have to pay spousal support after a ruling in her favor in an appellate court, says InTouch Weekly. Frankel has allegedly been paying ex-husband Jason Hoppy $26,000 monthly in temporary alimony and child support since the couple split in 2012. "After acknowledging and representing that they are 'fully capable of being self-supporting,' the parties agreed to 'waive any and all claims for spousal support and/or maintenance both now and in the future,'" read court documents.

More: Bethenny Frankel's divorce drama continues, three years after filing

Frankel's payday was tempered by some bad news: despite the fact that she bought the couple's shared apartment, she won't be considered its sole owner.

“Jason was thrilled that his wife’s argument that just because she paid for the condominium apartment, that she was therefore the sole owner was rejected. By rejecting that argument and requiring an evidentiary hearing, Jason is looking forward to his day in court,” Hoppy's lawyer Bernard Clair tells InTouch. The apartment was in fact owned by a trust, which has since been invalidated.

More: Bethenny Frankel's ex-husband has found a new way to slam her as a mother

“Of course, Jason was not so happy with the decision to deny him temporary support and agreed with the judge who would not go along with the other judges,” said Clair. The case will move forward to a civil court.

Frankel will return to star on the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of New York, where her plotlines this season include a struggle with cystic fibrosis.

More: Bethenny Frankel reportedly threatening to quit RHONY over money

I love a good comedy, and when that comedy has an ass-kicking hilarious leading lady, I love it even more. These ladies are killing the comedy game, and most of them are writers and producers on their own shows. Here are 11 shows worth binge-watching.

More: 11 cult-classic TV shows you can binge-watch right now

1. Portlandia

The leading Portlandia duo is Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, who also created the series. It's a satirical sketch-comedy show that pokes fun at Portland culture. Armisen and Brownstein each play multiple amusing characters, including “Fred and Carrie,” whose relationship is based on Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street, and “Nina and Lance,” a couple completely steeped in stereotypical gender roles, except Fred plays Nina and Carrie plays Lance, which makes for very funny segments.

Where to watch: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox

2. Broad City

Originally a web series, Broad City, which stars and was created by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, is a scripted show about two twentysomethings living life in New York City. The pair is always getting into sticky situations and adventures that lead them into bizarre entertaining situations, such as being accidently locked into the back of a moving truck or being stuck in a nightmare trip to the DMV for a new license photo.

Where to watch: Comedy Central website, Hulu

3. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

The premise of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, starring and executive produced by Rachel Bloom, is that successful lawyer Rebecca picks up and moves from NYC to the West Coast to pursue her childhood sweetheart, but after upending her life, she’s faced with the reality that her love has a new girlfriend. The most hilarious part is the musical numbers they break into, such as “Sexy Getting Ready Song,” which pokes fun at the process women go through to prepare for dates.

Where to watch: Hulu

4. Another Period

This historical satire follows the lives of the obscenely rich Bellacourt family and their many servants in turn-of-the-century Rhode Island. Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome play the main Bellacourt sisters in a look at narcissistic aristocrats and the poor people who serve them. It’s basically a really funny and less realistic Downton Abbey.

Where to watch: Amazon, Comedy Central website

5. Inside Amy Schumer

If you like self-deprecating humor with a feminist bent, uncomfortable sex talk and charmingly inappropriate insights, Inside Amy Schumer — a combination of stand-up, sketches and wild interviews with people on the street and topic “experts” — is for you.

Where to watch: Hulu, Amazon

More: 8 reasons 'Survivor' has survived for 16 years

6. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The classic friends-get-into-crazy-hijinks show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars Kaitlin Olson as Dee Reynolds. Olson is the only woman in the crew, and she is hilarious. Her quests for relationships and easy money lead to uncomfortable situations, as she holds her own against the rest of the gang when it comes to taking charge and coming up with harebrained schemes.

Where to watch: Hulu, Amazon

7. The Mindy Project

Starring and executive produced by Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project is an awesome romantic comedy that follows Mindy’s journey as an OB-GYN trying to find her way in life, love and career. I was drawn to the show because it had a woman of color starring and producing it, and I stuck around for the laughs from Kaling and the awesome supporting cast.

Where to watch: Hulu

8. Super Fun Night

Rebel Wilson kills it as the creator and star of this show. Her character, Kimmie, hilariously navigates staying true to herself and her old friends while trying to move up the ranks as an attorney and also find love. Her quirkiness makes her stand out in a unique way in both law and romance.

Where to watch: Amazon

9. Veep

When Senator Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, becomes vice president, the experience is nothing like she thought it would be. Her blunders and faux paus are endless. This political comedy is a great relief from real-world politics.

Where to watch: Amazon, HBO On Demand, Xfinity On Demand

10. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Tina Fey is a lead writer on this series, so you know it has to be funny. After spending 15 years in a cult, Kimmy Schmidt, played by Ellie Kemper, moves to New York City. You can imagine all the wacky miscommunication that occurs when a person hasn’t been a part of civilization and then hits the big city. Introducing Kimmy to modern life is amusing to the say the least and comes with a few musical numbers that will be stuck in your head for days.

Where to watch: Netflix

More: 11 riveting historical dramas to binge-watch all weekend

In fact, wearing a belly binder after the birth of my last child was one of the best decisions I've ever made, helping me heal faster from my fifth baby than I did after any of the previous four. (I know it sounds crazy, but belly binding is something women have been doing after childbirth for centuries, and it has serious benefits.)

More: I waist-trained after my fifth baby, and the results were dramatic

But there are times when you shouldn't wear a waist trainer. According to a study published in Fibers and Polymers, one of those times is during your workout.

The current fad of working out in a super tight waist cincher can be credited directly to the Kardashian sisters, who, though they didn't invent the practice, certainly popularized it on social media.

The idea is to wear the waist trainer under (or over) your workout clothes while you sweat it up. Proponents say it shrinks your waist, burns fat, debloats your tummy and helps you get the hourglass figure of your dreams through compression and increasing sweat. Unfortunately, science says otherwise.

Depending on the type of corset being used, researchers found that women wearing one perspired up to 90 percent less. They also had 36 percent less blood flow to their extremities and, according to a separate study, had 29 percent less airflow. Do you know what you need most for a really effective workout? Sweat, blood flow and, oh, oxygen. The waist trainers also decreased the wearers' heart rates 15 to 20 percent, busting the myth that they increase calorie burn. (The higher your heart rate, the more calories you're burning at that moment.) Plus, any effect only lasts as long as you wear the waist trainer.

More: The best at-home workout

There was one positive, however, is the scientists found that waist trainers with built-in boning increased circulation in the torso area due to the "seesaw effects of leveraging boning wires on blood vessels." Yay?

Now don't get me wrong. I am not a hater by any means. I love the look of a nipped-in waist, and do not think all corsets are "the symbolic imprisonment of women." But the science seems to be telling us that there is an appropriate time, place and method to use them. For the occasional costume or under a formal dress? Sure. To help heal after childbirth? Absolutely. For fun? Why not. But at the gym? No — unless you also want to bring fainting couches back into vogue.

Let's clear one thing up, though: There are many different types of shapewear and corsetry, and I used "waist trainer" in this article only to specify the latex high-compression faja styles that are most popular for wearing while exercising. This should not be confused with "waist training," the practice of using tight lacing in boned corsets to semipermanently decrease your waist size over time (not while exercising). This is also not the same as using light compression to "belly wrap" after childbirth for the purpose of bringing your internal organs and muscles back into alignment.

Rory Feek has taken us all with him on his family's harrowing journey throughout his late wife's battle with cancer. His love for his bride is so deep, so true and so obvious that you don't even have to know him personally to grasp the depth of the bond they shared. In his blog This Life I Live, he's documented the many ups and downs of Joey's illness and shared many precious moments along the way.

His latest blog post is titled "Less is more." In it he talks about the couple's youngest daughter, Indy, and Joey's selfless decision to help her cope with losing her mother. "Joey was Indy’s whole world. Everyone else was… well, just everyone else. Including me," he writes as he describes the unshakable bond between Joey and Indy. "When Joey started to realize that there was a good chance that she might not beat her battle with cancer, she made a decision…'he must become greater and I must become less.'"

More: I have a son with autism, and I sympathize with the anti-vaccine movement

In the following weeks and months, Joey pushed Indy toward her father's arms instead of her own. "She let Indy fall more in love with me…and less in love with her. She carried the pain on her own shoulders, to try to keep it off of mine. And even more so, off of Indy’s," Rory writes in the post.

Sacrificing your own precious moments with a child so they can bond with the other parent is undeniable proof of a parent's love.

More: Owning guns doesn't make me a bad mom

Preparing a child for the loss of a parent is something no one ever expects to need to do, but sadly for some, it's quite a familiar concept. Losing a parent flips a child's world upside down no matter what their age, but there are ways parents can help to ease the transition for everyone. The move to forgo some of those extra kisses and precious moments is undoubtedly a devastating one, but necessary nonetheless.

If kids are weaned into some version of what their new normal might look like, they are less likely to struggle with the transition, and the remaining parent can also benefit from the strengthened bond they share with their child. It's hard and sad and oh so heartbreaking, but in the long run, everyone's life is made just a little easier by one enormous sacrifice.

More: Jenelle Evans' ex let his girlfriend cross a major parenting line

Joey Feek may not physically be with her daughter anymore, but some of her final selfless decisions made her daughter's life that much easier. That is the truest sign of a mother's unconditional, unwavering love.

Burger King is launching a new burger at the end of March, and to be honest, this one looks like it has a little something special.

The chain has been shilling novelty buns in Japan for years, but now spice lovers in the USA have a chance to take a bite out of the bright red, hot sauce-flavored bun of its new Angriest Whopper sandwich.

More: 10 international fast-food items we desperately want in the States

The burger is made with bacon, jalapeños, crispy onion petals and "spicy angry sauce," all nestled on top of a red, hot sauce-infused bun.

Honestly, finally getting the chance to try a novelty bun excites me (BK did have a black A.1-flavored bun during Halloween, but that was a little too gnarly to entice me), but the burger sounds... actually spicy? Usually fast-food items that claim to be spicy are anything but, but with the triple threat of jalapeño, angry sauce and red bun, the Angriest Whopper may stand a fighting chance against spice lovers' favorite foods. I'm kind of scared to try it, to be totally honest.

More: Yes, this is a black cheeseburger, and it's as weird as you think

Add bacon, beef and crispy onion to all that spice, and you have a burger that could pack a pretty powerful flavor punch. Pro tip: This is probably not something you want to eat within 24 hours of going out on a date.

The Angriest Whopper will be available at Burger King locations in the U.S. for a limited time starting March 31. Get your antacids ready, folks.

More: Burger King Japan's red burger is actually colored with something natural

More: Comedian highlights double standard in advertising

Laird was let go after parents tracked her down on Facebook and found photographs of her modeling underwear, reported Metro.co.uk. One parent complained to the school, and Laird was summoned by the headmistress, Laura Liddell, who told Laird she couldn’t continue in her job on the basis that she would damage the school’s reputation and people would "lose respect for the school" if they found out about her modeling work.

"Another thing [Liddell] said was that some of the pupils have low self-esteem, and she didn’t want them to search for me on Facebook or Instagram," said Laird. "She said she doesn’t want her year six pupils thinking it is acceptable to be a model. She made me feel dirty and like I was a prostitute. It’s ridiculous."

The mum of one, who has never done glamour modeling, claims the school knew she had previously done modeling, and hired her anyway.

In a statement, Liddell said: "Members of staff and those on apprenticeship placement in school are expected to adhere to certain standards of behaviour, including in relation to their use of social media, and to set a good example to pupils.

"It was brought to our attention that images which were not appropriate and which did not comply with our expected standards had been posted on social media by a newly appointed apprentice. Unfortunately we felt that we had no choice but to bring the placement to an end in order to offer the person the chance to seek an alternative placement elsewhere at the earliest opportunity."

More: Fans react to Henry Cavill's comments about double standards

Laird’s story is interesting when you compare the reaction to another modeling teacher. Pietro Boselli, 28, who taught advanced math at University College London, was dubbed the "world’s sexiest teacher" last year after his students Googled him and found his modeling pictures.

Unlike Laird's pictures, nobody seemed to have any complaints about this kind of thing:

Since his modeling background was uncovered, Boselli’s career has gone from strength to strength. He didn’t lose his teaching job for a start, but decided himself to take a break from academia to pursue his modelling career. He signed with top agency Models 1, and last week he was announced as the new face of Giorgio Armani’s sporty EA7 collection.

OK, so Laird worked with young children and Boselli with university students, but it's still interesting how different their experiences are. Would Laird still be working as a teaching assistant at Bloemfontein Primary if she was male? Maybe, maybe not.

It's the "inappropriateness" of Laird's images I have an issue with. Is a photograph of a woman in underwear really inappropriate? By telling children it is, what message are we sending about the female body?

In any case, there's no way any of the pupils Laird was working with would have had access to her modeling photographs. And if they had, it's their parents who're at fault for giving them free reign on social media — where there are no end of images that make a young woman in lingerie seem positively tame.

More: An anonymous actress is exposing the double standards in film

The world lost an American treasure on March 29, 2016 when Patty Duke passed away. The news of her death is, of course, trending all over the Internet today — but many millennials and those of a younger generation may not have any idea just how much Duke did with her life.

In celebration of Duke, here's a sampling of her accomplishments.

More: The Bachelor's Erin Storm dead after tragic accident

1. Academy Award winner

Duke took home a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Helen Keller in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker. At 16 years old, she was the youngest person to ever take home an Oscar at the time.

2. Exquisitely pulled off a double role

It's never a small feat to pull off playing two different characters in a production, but back in the day when special effects weren't as developed, it was even more difficult. Duke managed to go back and forth perfectly between Patty and Cathy on The Patty Duke Show, which is just one of the many reasons why the series is so iconic.

3. Breaking the mold

Just five years after The Miracle Worker and one year after the curtains closed on The Patty Duke Show, Duke flawlessly transitioned from child star to movie star when she played Neely O'Hara in Valley of the Dolls.

4. Prolific actress

Other than the amazing work above, it's important to note the sheer number of films and shows that Duke starred in. Her career spanned 63 years and included appearances in 139 movies and TV series — and that doesn't even include her work onstage.

5. Her sons

Being a great parent is a huge accomplishment, and we would be remiss to not mention Duke's three children. Two of her kids went on to achieve fame of their own: Son Mackenzie Astin is best known for his role on The Facts of Life and, more recently, appears as Dr. Max Cahn on Fox's Rosewood. Her other son, Sean Astin, is a household name for roles in movies like Rudy, The Goonies and The Lord of the Rings franchise.

5. Her charity work

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982, Duke took it upon herself to raise awareness for mental illness and was chairperson of The Patty Duke Mental Health Project.

Sean posted this touching Facebook message about his mother's legacy on the morning of her death.

6. Twice-published author

In addition to being a spokesperson for mental health, Duke also wrote a book on the topic titled Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic-Depressive Illness. She also penned her autobiography, Call Me Anna.

More: Much-loved YA author Louise Rennison dies at age 63

7. Mrs. President

Duke served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988. During her tenure, Duke worked toward equal rights in the industry.

"During her presidency, the Guild devised a low-budget motion picture agreement giving advantages to productions that hire more women, minorities, seniors and disabled performers," reads the SAG website.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Being an international superstar comes with some very obvious downsides, one of which is the fact that you can never leave the house without being stopped by an admirer or hounded by the paparazzi. But during a recent outing, superstar Adele managed to go out in public completely undetected.

More: Adele makes a newly engaged couple's night after inviting them onstage

Her secret? Dressing like a tramp.

According to the Daily Record, Adele enjoyed a shopping trip at the Glasgow Fort retail and leisure park, where she visited stores like H&M and Asda Living.

She reportedly also bought a toy for her son, Angelo, at toy store Smyths, and shoes for herself at Office, where the store's assistant manager, Jessica Smith, said, "She was very down to earth. She was nice and friendly."

Another staff member added, "We didn't recognise her at first until the person who served her came back and said, 'Am I really serving Adele?'"

More: Adele in turmoil after hackers steal personal images

Adele commented on her shopping trip during her Saturday show at Glasgow's SSE Hydro, where, according to Daily Star Sunday, she revealed that she was unrecognisable because she dresses a bit "like a tramp."

"I look like a tramp most of the time, which means I don't need to go out in disguise. People think I'm a hermit, but it's just because no one recognises me when I go out," she said.

She may well have been joking (we all know Adele to be a joker at times, and this is one of the reasons we love her), but her comment says something about society and just how invisible the homeless community is to us. If someone as loved and recognizable as Adele can walk around without attracting any attention just because she has chosen to dress down, then it proves that appearance has a significant influence on the way that people perceive us — it is truly sad to be judged only at face value.

It's great that Adele was able to enjoy some time out and about without being hounded, but her comments should also serve as a reminder that the homeless community should not be perceived as an invisible nuisance, and that they're in need of our help.

More: Woman's touching post helps to dispel stigma surrounding homelessness

Luckily, there are countless charities across the U.K. that are trying to do good and help those who find themselves without decent homes and in vulnerable circumstances. If you want to do more, contact foundations such as the Salvation Army, Shelter and Barnardo's.

If you think about it, every generation enjoys hassling subsequent generations about their work ethic, morals and cultural contributions to society. Members of the Greatest Generation, who lived through the Depression and World War II, thought Baby Boomers were privileged and entitled, Baby Boomers considered Generation X a bunch of whiners who didn’t want to work and Gen Xers often poke fun at millennials for everything from getting their parents to write their college admission letters to singlehandedly destroying music with all of the beeps and blips on their electronic devices.

Unfortunately, some rather unflattering myths about millennials are sticking and it’s time to separate fact from fiction. Here are nine things millennials are sick and tired of hearing about themselves.

They live at home in their 20s because they’re a product of helicopter parenting

Young adults were hit by the recession and, as a result, you may see fewer teens and people in their 20s working 9-to-5 jobs. In general, millennials are making less money than previous generations and have less spending power. Rent is a major expense. The decision to stay at home longer than their Gen-X cousins is often a choice made between cooking dry noodles over a stove that frequently has the gas turned off or saving money and surrounding oneself with family.

More: 13 Signs you're stuck between Gen X & millennials

Millennials don't want to work

It's not that millennials don't want to work, it's that they want to work differently, and why the heck not? There's a good reason they're demanding more flexible work schedules and "me time" on the job: They likely grew up watching their parents struggle to cook a meal after getting home at 7 p.m. or find time to do things like drag themselves to a doctor when they were feeling ill. And is it even necessary for me to drag maternity and paternity leave into this mess? Our work environments and work/life balance could be better and we should all be rooting for millennials to make strides in this area.

They're not motivated to succeed

Tell that to influential millennials like David Karp, Malala Yousafzai, Adele and Mark Zuckerberg. According to consulting firm CEB, 59 percent of millennials said competition is "what gets them up in the morning," compared with 50 percent of baby boomers.

They ruined music

In almost every discussion about music, you’ll hear gripes about how young people have no idea what good music is and that you’ll never again find tunes as authentic as those put out by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, John Coltrane or fill-in-the-blank. But people always forget that for every “Norwegian Wood” there was a “Wild Honey Pie” (ask your parents or grandparents what I mean). It’s arrogant to assume great music isn’t being made nowadays because you can’t get on board with modern hip-hop, K-Pop, J-Pop, uplifting pop, thoughtful goth and about a million other subgenres out there. Music is supposed to reflect cultural change and millennials deserve an opportunity to create something that tells their story.

They all sleep around

The way some tell it, millennial dating is one big communal orgy in which no one communicates and everyone is having sex with everyone else. Here’s what’s actually happening: Since the 1960s, there has been a steady decline in marriage among folks in their 20s, and only 26 percent of millennials (compared with 65 percent of young people in 1960) are opting to tie the knot between the ages of 18 and 32. That means more time to date and, yes, for some, possibly more sexual partners. But that doesn’t mean every millennial is sleeping with every person they meet for a beer.

More: Here's what your boss can't ask about your Facebook account

Millennial women wear yoga pants everywhere they go because they were raised in a derrière-obsessed culture

I’m not about to argue that we aren’t a whole lot more butt-centric than we were pre-Kardashian, but there’s another, positive story behind all of the yoga gear you see on the street: turns out millennials are more health-conscious than previous generations, with 24 percent focused on eating right (compared with 12 percent of baby boomers) and 22 percent into fitness (compared with 14 percent of Gen Xers and 12 percent of baby boomers). Maybe they have more time to dedicate to fitness and health, true, but those yoga pants are probably being worn by someone who gets her bridge pose on.

Millennials waste their time on social media

They grew up with computers in their homes and they had phones at an early age, so naturally, millennials have mastered the art of the 140-character tweet and prefer to communicate with friends via social media. But how is this any different than Gen X teens passing notes to one another in class? Than a baby boomer getting yelled at by her mom for running up the phone bill? Different times, different technology, but the goal remains the same: communication and expression.

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They’re obsessed with video games

Don’t even get me started on this one. Someone told me the other day about an uber popular series of YouTube videos called Let's Play where people watch others playing video games and comment on their plays. “Isn’t that crazy and weird?” my Gen X friend remarked. Well, no, not really. Back in the good ol' Nintendo days, kids would routinely gather at each other's houses (after playing stickball on the street, of course) and do exactly that — watch with saliva dripping from their mouths as friends discovered the princess in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Millennials are so darn entitled

These young folks today were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, weren't they? Yeah, not so fast — millennials are actually less wealthy, less indebted and less employed than previous generations. Baby boomers are far more entitled, some say, and showed it by doing things like enjoying low energy costs for so many years without thinking about how their carbon footprint would affect future generations.

Throwing stones at millennials isn't as much fun when you realize how much they actually have their act together.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

John-David and Joe Duggar just proved they're ready to fulfill the grand tradition of Duggar men by pushing around their sister, Jana.

In a new clip for Jill & Jessa: Counting On, Jana comes to her brothers with a backyard project she was excited to bring to life, only to be steamrolled by John-David and Joe.

More: Jill & Jessa: Counting On upsets a lot of big businesses

"I've been trying to come up with some ideas to just encourage the kids to get outside more and just have fun and play out there... Maybe a playhouse, a treehouse, some kind of a structure that they can just go and get their energy out — outside," Jana explains in an interview before bringing her proposition to her brothers.

She starts out confidently explaining her ideas to John-David and Joe, but as the conversation goes on and her brothers give her a thousand-mile uninterested stare, her voice trails off and her confidence dwindles. "So, yeah, I was thinking something to help the kids be outside a lot versus inside, when the spring and summer time come around," she says. "I was thinking, like, a tree fort or just a playhouse, or something to, just like, cope with that."

More: Josh Duggar leaves rehab: Will we see him on Jill & Jessa: Counting On?

Instead of helping their sister run with her project, John-David and Joe belittle her and make it their own.

"Well, after talking with Jana, and she was kind of kicking around [that we could] do a small thing or something, Joe and I kind of were like, 'Man, we could really do something big,'" John-David says to the camera.

Rather than getting mad, it appears that Jana takes her disappointment in stride and chalks it up to boys being boys.

More: Jill & Jessa's Josh Duggar comments on Counting On premiere upset viewers

"I think they're kind of just thinking like, 'Wow, I can make my boyhood dreams come to life now,'" she says. "And so I think they're kind of supersizing this project."

Do you think John-David and Joe were rude to their sister? Check out the clip and let us know in the comments.

And before you go, check out our slideshow below.

I was looking forward to seeing the new Pixar short Sanjay's Super Team for so long. Ever since I learned it was coming out years ago, I couldn’t wait to see how artist Sanjay Patel would portray Hinduism for Disney, a topic never explored by the company before.

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How Pixar got it right with Sanjay's Super Team

When it finally came out on YouTube, I sat all of our kids down to watch it together. Less than halfway through, I had tears streaming down my face. It's not a sad story like your typical Pixar tearjerker. There was no dramatic portrayal of a miscarriage and then the loss of a spouse. (Oh, Up, you get me every time.)

I was crying because it was so long overdue to see characters onscreen who look like my family and me.

I was crying because instead of having a brownish little boy with a “mainstream” name, they gave him his actual Indian name — unlike Cece on New Girl or Alex on Quantico.

I was crying because they didn't just make fun of Hinduism or pretend it didn't exist — like the NASA director in The Martian who was changed into a half-Baptist for the movie, apparently to make him more palatable for mainstream Americans. Instead, they actually let Hinduism be a part of the story. It was celebrated.

I was crying because I know how much this would have meant to me when I was younger.

What it's like to grow up without media representation

My parents worked very hard to instill a sense of religion and culture in my brother and me, but they couldn't keep the outside world away. My real friends did more than tolerate me — they tried to understand me. It still didn't erase the shame of being mocked by my peers for being a heathen and somehow gross.

You would think 30 years later my son would not have to go through the same thing. He tells me daily about comments from his classmates about how Hindu gods aren’t real or that Ganesha is “creepy.” Watching a Disney short isn’t going to erase that hurt, but it does give him the kind of validation that I cannot. To him it means his favorite cartoon company thinks he is not creepy and that his Gods are real, too.

In Sanjay's Super Team, it felt so fantastic to see an Indian father and son together, learning to relate to each other in new ways even if neither speaks a word. It even gave me hope that kids might someday tease my son a little bit less for being Hindu.

Most media couldn't even pass a two-point Bechdel test about South Asians. First of all, how often do you see two Asian characters together — with names? Then they have to speak? That one is even harder (ahem, Big Bang Theory). The topic of conversation they'd have would be irrelevant at this point.

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Media representation matters to me

Seeing an Indian woman onscreen matters. Exposure to media results in a lower self-esteem for minorities and women, both of whom have fewer roles and fewer lines than white males.

Media representation matters to my children

We need more than a short from Disney — an Indian princess would be great, or some characters with speaking parts. My daughter spent a long time questioning her beauty because Elsa has yellow hair. I finally thought to show her a video of Idina Menzel as the "real Elsa" — #parentinghack.

Media representation matters to all of us

Media representation also changes how others view you.

When people question if you speak English or they give up on pronouncing your name without even trying, it becomes obvious how foreign I am to them. I'm different and therefore not worth taking the time to relate to, and this impacts everything from friendships to school admissions, jobs, salaries and housing — even car loans.

It matters when schools are forced to stop saying "namaste" or putting up pictures of mandalas because a few parents are worried that portraying Hinduism in yoga class will be a corrupting influence. Stripping yoga of all its cultural context sounds a lot like appropriation to me. I cannot even begin to imagine how degrading it must feel to the Indian students in those schools.

As media representation of South Asians continues to grow, I expect stories like this will become fewer and farther between. Bollywood is awesome, but it doesn't reflect the real-life experiences of the Indian diaspora in America, and it does little to impact inclusion and tolerance in America.

It gives me so much hope to see artists like Sanjay Patel making books and cartoons and shorts that are so relatable to kids of all backgrounds. I love seeing more and more South Asians in media as well, such as Lilly Singh, Aziz Ansari and Mindy Kaling (née Vera Chokalingam). Things are slowly changing, and maybe they'll portray their culture without apologizing or hiding it.

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When my boyfriend and I made the long-awaited decision to move in together (we had been dating for six years), I was definitely a tad nervous. That's a lie. I was in complete and total freak-out mode. I'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking, "What if he can't stand my obsessive need to color code the bookshelves?!"

Moving in with someone is like the acid test for your relationship. If you can't make it work, you might as well call it quits now before legal documents and bank accounts complicate things exponentially. And through my anxiety vision, all I could see were relationship land mines just waiting to be stepped on.

More: 6 differences between couples who make it out of a rut and those who don't

Despite my worries, moving day inevitably came, and we both took one giant leap of faith together. We've now been living together for two years, and things for the most part turned out OK. Here's what actually went down during that fateful first year.

1. We had epic battles over furniture

Simply put, his furniture was from the hideous side of the 1940s (aka his grandmother's apartment), but he fought tooth and nail to keep it. I now know the only reason he did that was because I was fighting so hard to get rid of it. Those knockdown battles taught me an important lesson about communication — the only way to get what I want is to trick him into thinking it's what he wants first.

2. The bathroom almost turned into ground zero

Sharing one bathroom with another person is never easy, but it's one thing when it's a female roommate in college and quite another when it's your boyfriend. One surprising discovery I made was my guy takes a lot longer to get ready in the morning than I do. That's definitely a problem when you only have one sink (and two cats). We'd vie for position around the mirror while our cats stood on the sink, wondering when we'd turn the water on for them. Needless to say we had to come up with a better system — now, I get mirror time while he's in the shower and vice versa. Problem solved.

3. Texts got boring

When you live with someone, there is no end to all the little household things you now both handle together. As such, texts take on a whole new purpose. While you used to send tons of romantic and sexy texts to each other, now it's all about errands, reminders, bills and technology issues. Even though that might sound boring and lame, when my dude tells me he remembered to pick up milk on the way home, my heart goes all aflutter.

More: Husband turns collection of his wife's texts into a hilarious collage

4. The clothing pile issue

So yeah... this one still gets to me a bit. My boyfriend and I are like Bert and Ernie, and no, I'm not Ernie. He's just not great about picking up after himself, and as a result, I end up acting like his maid (or even worse, his mother) from time to time. As you can imagine, this does not make me want to jump him when he gets home from work. However, I've found that asking nicely to clean up his various piles generally succeeds in getting the job done, as long as he's not in the middle of something. To this day, the greatest moment of living together is when I came home from a weekend away to an organized, spotless apartment including a well-made bed. Don't worry, he was appropriately rewarded.

5. My alone time was compromised

One of the biggest downsides to living with someone is you have to give up some of your precious alone time. You know those days when you used to spend hours watching Gilmore Girls reruns by yourself in your underwear while eating low-calorie popcorn? You can't really do that anymore, unless you're lucky enough to have a sig-o who goes out of town a lot. However, what happens as a result of them always being around is you eventually get comfortable hanging in your underwear, snacking and watching chick-friendly TV together. Well, maybe not that last part, but you get what I'm saying.

6. You spend most weekends indoors

When you're really comfortable with each other, suddenly going out and actually having to do things with other people starts sounding like a terrible idea. I'd say we spent 65 percent of our first year living together indoors watching every show that was ever recommended to us by friends. But did we see those friends? Not so much.

7. We fought over a lot of stupid shit

Here are just a few choice soundbites from all the fights we had: "Why did you hang that there?", "I did not say you should buy the most expensive TV they had!", "Your mother's coming by this morning??", "You can't just screw that into the wall. You need an anchor!", "Did you ever do dishes in your last apartment?", "I thought you set up automatic payments??", "I haven't seen you wear half the clothes in this closet", "But you don't actually use the bike!", and finally the classic, "I asked you seven times to buy toilet paper on your way home!!"

More: We've been a couple since our teens — but spent most of our 11 years together apart

Everyone goes through some version of this list the first year they live with someone, so if you find yourself nodding along to all of it, you're not alone (hi). The best way to make it through is to keep an open line of communication at all times. You might feel like you're oversharing, but trust me, you're not. If you hide frustrations, they will grow until they're start to impact other aspects of your relationship. Just take every trial as it comes, and when in doubt, consult your friends who've been in it longer.

More: Why mums breastfeed in public: The truth and nothing but the truth

Carla Francombe, 37, was feeding 6-month-old Archie in Italian restaurant La Porchetta in Islington, London, one Saturday lunchtime around six weeks ago when she was told by a member of staff that she would either have to "cover up" or go into the back room of the eatery.

The Londoner said she was horrified and made to feel as if she had done something wrong.

"I totally broke down and cried in the restaurant," she told FEMAIL. "I felt like I must have done something embarrassing."

Carla, who was having lunch with friends at the time, said she lifted her T-shirt to feed her son, and didn’t use a blanket to cover herself as she was facing the kitchen and only had a "centimetre of skin on show."

More: How breastfeeding in public can turn dangerous

However, it appears that a centimetre of skin was too much for one particular waiter to handle, as he swiftly informed her that the restaurant's policy was for breastfeeding mothers to cover up completely or use the back room — because a man had once complained.

A spokeswoman for La Porchetta, which advertises itself as an "informal, family-owned chain," told the Islington Tribune it "apologised unreservedly" for the incident.

"I am really disappointed, it is absolutely not our policy," she added. "It is very unfortunate. We can only apologise to this lady. The manager will be disciplined."

Since feeling humiliated in La Porchetta, Carla says she has struggled to feed Archie in public. "I felt like I never wanted to breastfeed in public again," she said. "The only way this is going to get better is if people get used to doing it all the time."

It's crazy that barely a week goes by without another story of breastfeeding mothers being humiliated and discriminated against in public places making the news. Any chance we can send a group email to every business — large and small — in the U.K. with a reminder that women are legally allowed to breastfeed anywhere.

Just what is it about this that's so difficult to understand?

More: Mum refuses to back down when museum tells her to stop breastfeeding

After the birth of my third (and largest) baby, I was left with stretchmarks for the first time. My body was changed in a way I had never known before. I traced the deep purple lightning-bolt scars with my fingers, surprised at how soft the skin was where my body had reached its limit and still kept growing. I wanted to love my stretchmarks, to be one of those women who wore the scars of pregnancy proudly, but that was more easily said than done.

I didn’t love the way I looked in a bikini anymore. I didn’t have the same confidence in my body, because it wasn’t the body I had known so well all these years. It was new, difficult, and it took a while to feel comfortable again. The stretchmarks faded from a dark purple to a pinkish hue, and the skin surrounding them tightened back to something more familiar after a few months had passed. It was a new normal. I made peace with my stretchmarks. Then they disappeared completely.

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What once seemed so hard to accept was suddenly gone, and the surprising truth was that I missed my stretchmarks. I lost a physical reminder of my pregnancies, and I didn’t realize how precious that was until it was gone.

I knew they would fade and maybe someday be gone altogether, but it happened so quickly that I wasn’t ready to let go. Even if the stretchmarks still made me feel a little out of my element, they signified a time in my life that I would never experience again. A time that went by too fast.

More: People stare at me because my kids' skin doesn't look like mine

My sadness was about more than the physical loss of my stretchmarks; it was about losing so much to these early years of motherhood — those years which are too long and difficult, and too short and sweet all at once. It was all going by too fast. My last baby was outgrowing his infancy; my first was already moving on to kindergarten.

While I was struggling to figure out how to find confidence and make peace with motherhood, they kept growing. I realized that before I knew it, they too would be gone.

There is nothing to do to stop it, no way to slow down the thing that is already in motion. The evolution of childhood happens at an alarming rate. It does not matter if the days are blissful or if they leave you battered; they grow up all the same.

More: Mom puts on perfect face of makeup while giving birth

Even as I lean into motherhood, buried by sticky hands and too many voices calling my name, it is still slipping through my fingers. I know that when it is over, it will all feel too sudden.

It’s hard to love when you’re in the thick of it. It’s easy to miss when it’s gone.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

How do you get your body to accept food when you spent so many months or even years telling it not to?

That is the question Francesca Baker and her colleagues, who suffered from disordered eating, asked when they decided to write a cookbook for people recovering from eating disorders.

The book is called Eating & Living: Recipes for Recovery, and it consists of recipes thought up almost entirely by fellow eating disorder sufferers and closely connected family and friends. Baker states on the book's website that the book "communicates the message that there is no such thing as a 'good' food, but everything in moderation is OK, positive, and necessary in a healthy and balanced diet, and that meals are an important and enjoyable part of a happy life."

More: Telling someone to 'eat a cheeseburger' isn't pro-curves, it's ignorant

Baker came up with the idea while she herself was in hospital for anorexia just last year. Her recovery is an ongoing battle (as it is for most eating disorder sufferers), but creating this book with others in the same boat helped her immensely.

"I think there's a misconception that people with eating disorders don't like food, don't want to eat," Baker said to Broadly. "But actually, that's not the case at all. They love food. In recovery, you want to eat, and you find it difficult to. You need a helping hand."

A large part of Baker's rehabilitation (and subsequently her book research) involved going to the grocery store and finding food that felt safe to eat. After talking with a few fellow patients, Baker realized the cookbook needed to be filled with simple dishes that are not only easy to make but that strike chords with people's memories of when food was a comfort, not a threat. As one patient named Jess Reeve comments, it's about getting past the idea that "food is a medicine" and remembering what it was about food that made it enjoyable.

More: Learning more about anorexia may help you save someone's life

Hitting that nostalgia button is what turned the corner for many who were desperately trying to break the hold their eating disorder had on them. Reeve recalls one of the first foods she felt like she could eat was porridge with a mashed-up banana in it, because that was what her parents used to make for her. That, in essence, is why she contributed said recipe to Baker's book.

It's actually filled with anecdotal recipes like that. In fact, Baker insisted that all her contributors share what made them choose to include their particular dish. One recipe, The Vietnamese Chicken Curry That Made Sarah Cry, references a curry one woman recalls from an awesome bike trip through Vietnam. They're all triggers that remind the contributor what made food particularly special to them at one point or another in their lives.

More: Talking about my weight hurt my sons more than I realized

Replacing the fear of food with these happy memories of food seems like an incredibly positive step in the right direction. And the fact that our sense of smell is one of the strongest ties to memory likely helps reinforce that feeling as one prepares the food. However, it's still a long, uphill battle, and one that confronts sufferers at every mealtime. Let's hope this empathetic cookbook will show them they're far from alone in this, and even if it doesn't feel like it now, food does have the potential to be their friend again.

Whole grains. To many of us the term sounds as thrilling as "homework" or "dentist appointment" or "oh my God, it's almost April and I still haven't done my taxes yet." We know we should eat more whole grains, but why can't they taste more like french fries?

My friends, I am here to give you the good news, because they can. In Ann Taylor Pittman's new cookbook, Everyday Whole Grains, she reveals the golden path to liking this good-for-you food. You can deep-fry millet and other grains, and they'll still be good for you. Mind blown, right? Me too! Here's a recipe for a crispy millet salad that won't make you feel like you're doing your taxes.

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Crispy millet salad with roasted radishes, asparagus and poached eggs

From Everyday Whole Grains

Perfect for a light spring meal, this warm salad features two of the season’s loveliest vegetables. If you’ve never tried roasted radishes, you’re in for a treat: Roasting makes them sweeter with a juicy texture. Instead of the fried millet, you can use any fried grain you like; I just prefer a small one like millet, quinoa or bulgur.

Serves 4

Hands-on time: 8 minutes | Total time: 23 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound medium-width asparagus spears, trimmed
• 9 Easter egg (multicolored) radishes, trimmed (about 1 bunch)
• 2-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup crunchy fried millet (see below)
• 4 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place asparagus and radishes on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes or until crisp tender and lightly browned, stirring after 8 minutes.
3. Combine 1-1/2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, thyme, mustard and pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add 1 tablespoon vinaigrette to crunchy fried millet; toss to coat.
4. Divide radish mixture evenly among 4 plates; drizzle remaining vinaigrette evenly over salads. Spoon about 3 tablespoons crunchy fried millet mixture over each salad.
5. Add water to a large skillet, filling two-thirds full; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. Break each egg into a custard cup. Gently pour eggs into pan; cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Carefully remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon, placing 1 egg on each salad.

Crunchy fried grains

This is my favorite discovery, my favorite technique in this book — and you’ll see it used in several of the recipes. Yes, as the recipe title indicates, I am deep-frying whole grains. Why? First off, don’t worry. If you keep the oil temperature as hot as specified, the grains don’t absorb much oil: This does not take whole grains into unhealthy territory. More importantly, frying turns whole grains into the crunchiest, most wildly delicious little nuggets with amazing recipe versatility. They’re great on creamy soups, in salads, on casseroles and as breading. They’re also a great substitute for nuts — good for folks with allergies.

Fried grains keep beautifully: up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature, or for three to four months in the freezer. I now always keep at least two types on hand (in the freezer) — one finer/smaller grain like quinoa, and a larger one like farro — and I’ll sprinkle a little over yogurt, stir some into ice cream, top my mac and cheese with it and use it anywhere else where I yearn for some crunch. The technique works best with quinoa, barley, farro, spelt, millet and brown rice, and the frying time is the same for all.

Makes about 3 cups

Hands-on time: 30 minutes | Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked whole grains (see suggested grains above)
• 6 cups canola oil or peanut oil

Directions:

1. Line a jelly-roll pan with several layers of paper towels. Spread cooked grains out into a thin layer on paper towels. Let stand 1 to 2 hours to dry out surface moisture, stirring grains occasionally.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven until a thermometer submerged in the oil registers 375 degrees F. Do not use a smaller pot (moisture in the grains will cause the oil to bubble up vigorously). Add 1/2 cup cooked grains to oil; do not add more than this, or oil may bubble over. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until grains are browned and crisp; do not allow temperature of oil to drop below 350 degrees F. Remove fried grains from pan with a fine wire mesh ladle; drain on paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining grains, 1/2 cup at a time.

Calories, 270; fat, 19.2 grams (sat, 3.3 grams; mono, 11.4 grams; poly, 3.8 grams); protein, 11 grams; carbs, 15 grams; fiber, 4 grams; sugars, 3 grams (est. added sugars, 0 grams); cholesterol, 186 milligrams; iron, 4 milligrams; sodium, 378 milligrams; calcium, 67 milligrams

Before you go, check out 24 cauliflower rice recipes