By YEVHEN KLOPOTENKO, Voracious

Adding fermented vegetables to the first course of a meal is common in Ukrainian cuisine, and one of the most popular pickled-vegetable dishes is sauerkraut soup.

It might sound a little odd, but trust me — it’s breathtaking. This recipe is from my cookbook “The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen,” and is so easy to make that you can prepare it every week throughout the cold season.

This image released by Voracious shows the cookbook “The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen” by Yevhen Klopotenko. (Voracious via AP)

Combining the sauerkraut with the pork is the key. The sourness balances out the fat, enhancing the taste of the dish. Many Ukrainian cooks make a version of kapusnyak with fresh cabbage. To try that, just replace half the sauerkraut with shredded fresh cabbage.

Kapusnyak/Sauerkraut Soup

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) boneless pork shoulder
1 bay leaf
2 allspice berries
1 large carrot
1 large onion
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) sunflower oil
2½ cups (300 grams) sauerkraut
4 to 5 medium starchy potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

This image released by Voracious shows a sauerkraut soup recipe from the cookbook “The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen” by Yevhen Klopotenko. (Voracious via AP)

Directions

1. Cut the pork shoulder into bite-size pieces and put them in a medium stockpot. Add enough cold water to completely cover the meat and bring to a rapid boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and cook at a simmer for about 1 hour, occasionally skimming off and discarding the foam. After an hour, add the bay leaf and the allspice and continue cooking over low heat.

2. While the broth is simmering, shred the carrot using a box grater. Peel and dice the onion. Add a little oil to a sauté pan placed over medium heat and sauté the shredded carrot and the diced onion until fragrant. Add the sauerkraut. Ladle some of the broth into the pan so the vegetables don’t dry out. Once the vegetables are tender, take the pan off the heat.

3. Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes and then add the sautéed vegetables to the pot. Bring everything to a rapid boil, reduce the heat, simmer the soup for about 5 minutes, and remove from the heat. Season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper and let rest a little before serving.

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Yevhen Klopotenko is a Ukrainian chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and social activist. He is known for his cooking website klopotenko.com, promoting authentic Ukrainian cuisine around the world.

Excerpted from “The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen” by Yevhen Klopotenko. Copyright (copyright) 2024 by Yevhen Klopotenko. Photograph by Dima Bahta. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

By TRACEE M. HERBAUGH

It turns out, love may benefit from a little less labor.

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Couples who spend money on time-saving services — like getting takeout, hiring a housecleaner or calling a dog walker — report greater relationship satisfaction, especially during stressful periods, says Ashley Whillans, a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School.

Whillans studies the “tradeoffs people make between time and money.”

“When you spend money to save time — hiring an accountant, a babysitter, a cleaner — you feel more control over your life,” she said. “That sense of autonomy boosts well-being.”

Not everyone can afford to outsource bigger household chores. But Whillans says even a little bit can help. She advises couples to take a “time audit” — examining how they spend their hours and what small changes could reclaim even a few moments.

“People underestimate how much these choices matter,” she said. “It’s not about luxury — it’s about freeing up time to connect.”

Whillans’ team tracked busy, dual-income couples — partners working full-time who often report feeling time-starved — and found consistent patterns. In one six-week diary study, couples who made “time-saving purchases” on a given day were happier and more satisfied with their relationships.

Use that saved time for connecting

Simply outsourcing chores isn’t a magic fix, however.

“It’s about being intentional with the time you get back — using it to spend quality time together, to reconnect,” Whillans said.

“Think of that half hour not as an opportunity to send more emails, but as a chance to spend time with your partner.”

Targol Hasankhani, a Chicago-based marriage and family therapist, stressed that while outsourcing domestic labor can ease daily stress, it doesn’t replace communication. Juggling careers and kids takes a toll on families, and housework is often freighted with resentments over who is doing it.

“If conflict around chores is rooted in something deeper — like inequity or not feeling heard — hiring a cleaner won’t solve that,” she said.

Couples must dig deeper to address problems with many layers.

“It opens up time and space, but couples still have to know how to show up for each other in that space,” Hasankhani said.

Casey Mulligan Walsh, 71, a former speech pathologist and author in upstate New York, said the best part about hiring a housecleaner once a week was that it freed up time for her and her husband to spend together.

“My favorite day of the week was coming home to a clean house,” she said. “We’d go get coffee together instead of arguing about who should vacuum.”

A Valentine’s Day gift that stuck

Getting started on delegating household tasks isn’t easy for some couples, Whillans said. Besides the cost, “it takes time to find someone and coordinate — but the long-term payoff is real.”

And making such decisions together can deepen trust and a sense of teamwork.

For one Colorado couple, outsourcing started as an act of love.

FILE – Dog walker Kathleen Chirico strolls with a pack of dogs during a warm day along the Hudson River, May 2, 2018, in Hoboken, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

“When I started dating, my now-husband noticed how hard I was working — at my job, at home and as a single mom,” said Melissa Jones, a 45-year-old teacher in Pueblo.

His Valentine’s Day gift? A deep housecleaning.

“It was truly amazing,” Jones said. “After that, I kept it up on my own for years. When my husband and I moved in together, we decided to continue.”

“We’re able to make memories with each other, our kids and our families instead of spending weekends scrubbing floors,” she said.

Dinnertime can be a stress point

In Miami, Elizabeth Willard, 59, runs The Pickled Beet, a culinary service preparing customized meals.

“Most of the people I cook for are trying to invest in their health but don’t have the time,” she said, noting that families often juggle mixed dietary needs. “Sometimes the husband’s a carnivore and the wife’s vegetarian, one child’s celiac. They’re exhausted trying to make everyone happy.”

Her clients, often families with children and two working parents, are “not fighting over what’s for dinner. It’s one less daily decision.”

Whether ordering a pizza, paying a teenager to mow the lawn, or calling a car service to save 20 minutes, the outcome can be the same: Buying back time can buy peace.

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY

Many people start the new year thinking about ways to improve their health, be more organized and manage their finances. Experts say there is one area that touches on each of those resolutions — home care.

Early and routine home maintenance goes beyond fixing visible damage. It helps ensure a healthy living environment, extends the life of a home and can protect its long-term value, according to real estate professionals. Planning ahead for regular upkeep and for unexpected emergencies can reduce the risk of costly repairs later and help spread expenses more evenly throughout the year.

According to research by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, about three-quarters of existing homes are expected to still be in use in 2050.

“Maintaining the homes that we have is really essential to protecting our health and our well-being,” said Amanda Reddy, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, an organization that researches and advocates for reducing housing-related health disparities.

Despite who owns the property, Reddy says, keeping residences dry, clean, pest-free, well-ventilated and safe is the goal, which can mean different types of maintenance depending on the type of home, where someone lives and the time of year. Here’s what experts say about home care and what tasks to put on the checklist this year:

Home care includes the big projects and the everyday decisions

On average, Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, 70% of that time inside of a residence, according to the National Human Activity Pattern Survey.

“It’s not just that we spend time indoors, but at home. If you are older, very young, have health concerns, or work from home, it is likely more than that,” Reddy said, emphasizing the reason why home care is a valuable investment.

What many people think of maintenance includes addressing water and gas leaks, pest infestations, cracks and other major repairs, but home builders say not everything needs a professional and can include actions as simple as wiping counters and sweeping floors of food debris, opening windows for better ventilation or clearing out clogged filters and drains.

Residents should also consider the needs of those living in the home, commonly used spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, and typically neglected areas like attics and basements. Reddy says “anywhere we’re spending time” or often ignoring and possibly missing necessary repairs should be prioritized.

“At the end of the day, doing any preventative maintenance at all matters more than doing it perfectly or at exactly the right time,” Reddy said. “But timing can make a big difference. A lot of these tasks are seasonal or annual, and you’re not just going to do it one time. Homes are stressed differently by different times of the year, so seasonal maintenance helps us catch problems before they’re made worse by environmental stressors.”

Seasonal maintenance to plan for throughout the year

When it comes to maintenance, planning and preparing for anticipated and routine changes in the environment can help mitigate natural wear and tear on the exterior of homes and also create healthy conditions inside — where most people shelter from extreme weather events.

“What happens outside the house rarely stays outside the house. What’s outside gets inside, what’s inside builds up,” Reddy said, adding that fluctuating outdoor conditions put stress on appliances and systems at different times of the year. “For most people, the seasonal rhythm not only makes sense because of those stressors, it also just is more realistic and effective than trying to tackle a long, overwhelming checklist all at once.”

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For example, experts say the best time to prepare for cold and wet climate, storms and other natural disasters is to address concerns before temperatures drop. Similarly, it is recommended that residents address systems in homes that work to reduce the effects of extreme high temperatures, dry and drought conditions and associated risks like wildfires and air quality in the offseason.

Professional guidance from home inspectors, builders and real estate agents says spring and summer tasks should focus on preparing for warmer weather. Experts recommend checking air conditioning systems, cleaning dryer vents to prevent fire hazards, testing sprinkler systems, tending to gardens and plants around homes’ exterior and inspecting appliances, electrical equipment and plumbing fixtures. Experts also say spring is a good time to clean and do any house projects that involve painting or remodeling since rain is unlikely to cause delays during that time.

In the fall and winter months, experts suggest focusing on temperature control and air quality measures as people tend to shelter indoors during incoming colder weather. American Home Inspectors Training guidance says check heating systems, clean air filters, make sure carbon monoxide detectors are working, seal air leaks, prioritize pest control, clean and repair roofs and chimneys, and inspecting drainage options in and around homes.

By KEVIN FREKING and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term U.S. representative from California, has died, GOP officials said Tuesday. He was 65.

FILE – In this image from video, Rep. Doug LaMalfa. R-Calif., speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, April 23, 2020. (House Television via AP, FIle)

His death, confirmed by Majority Whip Tom Emmer and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, reduces the Republicans’ already narrow control of the House to 218 seats to Democrats’ 213.

Details surrounding LaMalfa’s death were unclear.

LaMalfa represented Northern California’s 1st District, along the Oregon border, including Redding and reaching just north of Sacramento. He had planned to run for reelection despite his district being dramatically redrawn under a ballot measure passed by California voters in November. The measure, backed by Democrats, was designed to make it harder for LaMalfa and four other Republicans to win reelection.

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“Doug was a principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California,” Hudson said. “He was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families. Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.”

LaMalfa was a former state lawmaker and rice farmer. He was first elected to Congress in 2012.

He was a regular presence on the House floor, helping GOP leadership open the chamber and offer his view local and national affairs.

C-SPAN in a recent compilation said he gave at least one set of remarks for the record on 81 days in 2025. Only two other lawmakers spoke on the House floor more frequently.

Catalini reported from Trenton, N.J.