Ron Wallace of Rhode Island celebrates after tipping the scales with his 2009-pound record- breaking pumpkin during the New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, Mass. on Friday, Sept. 28. (AP Photo/The Eagle-Tribune, Paul Bilodeau) TOPSFIELD, Mass. — Organizers of a fair in northeastern Massachusetts claim a Rhode Island man has set a new world record with the first pumpkin ever to weigh more than a ton. Leaders of the Topsfield Fair say the huge gourd...

A salmonella outbreak has caused Sunland Inc. to take precautions with its peanut butter production lines in Portales, N.M. A recall has impacted peanut butter and nut products sold at major retailers around the country. (Associated Press) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The country's largest organic peanut processing plant is scrubbing its facilities top to bottom and hopes to get back in production soon after massive recall of scores of products linked to a salmonella outbreak. (MORE: Video: Weather-proof Peanut Butter?) The...

Poinsettias can be damaged by temperatures below 50 degrees and are happiest between 65 and 75. (Getty Images) Though red is the color most associated with poinsettias, other shades abound. There are lots of fun colors, says Sara Melton, general manager of The Barn Nursery in Chattanooga, Tenn. "Take a trip out of the comfort zone and give Ice Crystals or Strawberries and Cream a try," she says. Ice Crystals are deep rose with creamy centers, and Strawberries and Cream...

'You Are Limited Only By Your Imagination' (Getty Images) Whether you favor tradition over trends, dozens of options abound in choosing your holiday decor. While red decorations may be a perennial favorite, green and white also are traditional.Other popular colors are silver, gold and maroon. The more modern Mardi Gras inspired colors such as hot pink, aqua blue, lime green and purple are available as well. "You are limited only by your imagination," said Darlene Shea of Shea's Nursery of...

(Getty Images) You may have already given in to the temptation and put up holiday lights and decorations outdoors. But for those who haven't, experts share some tips to assist in lighting up the landscape. Bob Byers, associate executive director of Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Ark., offers some pointers from his holiday lighting team, which covers 17 acres of the wooded park with 2 million brilliant bulbs for its annual holiday lights display, which is a stop on...

The lamp connects to your smartphone and gathers meteorological data via the internet to recreate the climate indoors. (Micasa Lab) You can now recreate the weather in your own home, thanks to a new lamp by experimental Swiss design studio, Micasa Lab. Through a mysterious combination of "some peculiar techniques, liquid nitrogen, WiFi, and high-powered vacuum suction," the Nebula 12 creates a circulating cloud of steam that responds to real-time weather conditions outside. The lamp is designed to connect to...

The Tumbleweed Tiny House company makes this 89-square-feet Epu model. (Courtesy: Tumbleweed Houses) The market for small living spaces is expanding. "San Francisco and New York City have plans to build experimental 'micro apartments,' and a small tiny-house community has popped up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.," according to Business Insider. At first, the idea of cramming all your possessions into less than 200-square-feet may be horrifying. At the same time, the idea of minimalist living is attracting more...

A vineyard was grafted with Cabernet Sauvignon earlier this year at Trefethen Family Vineyards in Napa, Calif. Napa Valley, one of California's premier wine growing regions, has an uncommon problem these days: Not enough new grape root stock to go around. SAN FRANCISCO — Napa Valley, one of the world's premier wine growing regions, has an uncommon problem these days: not enough new grapevine root stock is available to supply the massive replanting that's under way there. A trifecta of...

The Vertical Garden Incredible -- the entire front of this home is covered by a garden. (facebook.com/rebelodeandrade) A trio of architects is putting a fresh spin on home design by covering the entire exterior of a house in plants. According to the website Inhabitat, a "vertical garden" covers the outside of the four-story Travessa de Patrocinio in Lisbon, Portugal. About 4,500 plants are woven together to create the massive green wall. The designers chose to use plants that are indigenous...

I Lovey NYC Designer Brad Ascalon worked with furniture maker Kevin Burns to turn this reclaimed cyprus wood into a table which represents New Yorkers' love for the city. (Image: Reclaim NYC) While Springsteen, Bon Jovi, McCartney and dozens more musicians in December to raise money for the victims of hurricane Sandy, another group of artists was silently putting together one of the most-original post-Sandy fundraising campaigns called Reclaim NYC. The idea was born during a run in the park...

Lemonade With the kids out of school for the summer, making (and selling) lemonade is refreshing and fun. With warm weather, vacations, picnics and parties, we crave different foods during the summer. Whether it is a cool treat on the beach, a summer sipper on the back porch, or a backyard cookout with friends, the sunny days and laid-back attitude of summer inspire a variety of food choices. We polled our Facebook fans and Twitter followers to find out which...

(Getty Images) Active: 30 mins.Total Time: 6 hrs. 30 mins.Servings: 8Staff-Favorite At Pok Pok, Andy Ricker roasts these meaty, tender ribs for two to three hours over a low fire for a fabulously smoky flavor. In this easy adaptation, the ribs are slow-cooked in the oven, then finished on the grill. Baby back ribs cut across the bone are the classic Thai choice, but whole ribs are just as delicious. Ingredients: Marinated Ribs 3 racks baby back ribs (about 5...