Q: Set your oven to 350 F. Measure out 1 cup of uncooked wild rice. Pour the wild rice into a mesh strainer and rinse the seeds under cold water. Rinsing the wild rice will remove unwanted hulls from the seeds. 1 cup uncooked wild rice will yield approximately 3 to 4 cups cooked wild rice. Pour the rinsed wild rice into a 2 quart covered glass dish. Add 3 cups cold water to the rice. Instead of water, you can use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth. Cover the dish and insert it into the oven. Bake the wild rice at 350 F for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the dish from the oven. Use a table fork to fluff, or stir, the rice. If the wild rice appears dry, add more water to the dish. If you used broth, add more broth instead of water. Cover the dish and return the fluffed wild rice to the oven. Bake the wild rice at 350 F for 30 minutes. After half an hour, remove the dish from the oven. Transfer the cooked wild rice to a mesh strainer to drain off any excess liquid. Pour the strained wild rice into a serving dish. Fluff the cooked seeds with a table fork and serve. After you strain the wild rice, you can season it to taste.
A: Preheat your oven. Rinse the wild rice. Combine the wild rice and water. Bake for 1 hour. Check the wild rice. Bake for 30 minutes. Strain, fluff and serve.

Q: Release and set the brake repeatedly in an attempt to help dislodge any ice from the brake system. Shovel snow or arrange other material along the sides of the vehicle. Doing this will create a path for air flow from front to rear of the vehicle, minimizing "losses" from under the vehicle's sides. The objective is to get the heat created by the engine and circulated to the radiator at the front of the vehicle, to the rear of the vehicle where most of the parking brake components are located (adjust for locations that differ from those offered in this article). Creating a "channel" under the vehicle by piling snow, etc. in the space under the sides of the vehicle accomplishes just that. If ice is preventing the release of your parking brake, warming up the car can help melt the ice and free the brake. Start the car and leave it running for at least 10 minutes before attempting to release the parking brake. Wait outside the vehicle while it is running. Once the engine has warmed, the heated air pulled through the radiator by the fan and heat created by the exhaust system will pass under the length of the vehicle. The more effort used to "seal" the open spaces under the sides of the vehicle, ensures that the warm air passes under its entire length and allows the thaw process to complete in the least amount of time.
A: Start the car first. Block as much of the open space between the ground and sides of the vehicle if the brake is still frozen. Allow the car to warm up.

Q: Pruning the plants while they're young will allow you to help shape how they grow. Once the herbs have a full set of leaves, they're old enough to be pruned. For many herbs, you can begin pruning them once they're roughly 6 inches (15cm) tall. Pruning your herbs will make them sturdier, allow them to grow more leaves, and prevent them from becoming too bushy or top-heavy. Locate the spot where the branches and leaves meet the main stalk. Use clean scissors to make a cut right above the set of leaves. This cut will allow 2 new stems to grow from that spot, giving your plant more volume. You can use your fingers to prune delicate plants. Make sure you don't rip off stems, as this can lead to disease. This will leave a solid base for the plant to grow from. You can trim the plant right above the 1st or 2nd set of leaves when pruning the side stems that will grow from that initial cut. This is an especially helpful way to grow herbs like basil abundantly. Thicker herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage don't need to be pruned very often unless you want to harvest them frequently. Simply pruning them when you see dead leaves or at least once a year should be enough. Woodier herbs are herbs with hardier stems and leaves, as opposed to delicate herbs with thin stems like basil or cilantro. Try to always prune away leaves before they start to flower. Removing flowers will redirect the energy into leaf production. Remember to prune right above a set of leaves.
A: Prune your herbs in their early stages. Make your cut right above where the branches intersect the stalk. Cut above the 3rd set of leaves the first time you prune. Trim woodier herbs roughly once a year. Remove flower buds from herbs when you first see them.

Q: A sagging couch could be the result of worn out cushions, old springs, or a bad frame. If the problem is the cushions, you're in for an easy fix. If the cushions seem fine upon inspection, you may have to replace the springs or the frame. Depending on the level of damage you may need to replace the entire couch. Before you start taking your couch apart, take some pictures so you have something to refer to. If you can, take the pictures to a local furniture repair shop and see if they can help you determine the problem. Remove all the sofa cushions and turn the couch over so that you can see the bottom. Look for torn fabric and broken or rotted wood. If you see any cracked wood, or wood that is "bowed" out, you'll need to replace it. This will involve taking off most of the upholstery fabric and can be time consuming. You may have to remove some of the fabric on the bottom, known as a dust cover, to inspect the springs. Be gentle and take care not to rip the fabric. Some couches have zig-zag springs which are also known as "sagless" springs. Other couches use coiled springs. Determine whether your springs are bent or broken. If the springs are bent you may be able to fix them yourself. If they're broken you may need to bring your couch to an upholsterer. Older couches tend to have coiled springs, while newer couches have zig-zag springs. Your couch may not have springs at all, depending on the quality of the frame. Check the space beneath the cushions. You may find that the slats or straps of the couch have snapped.
A:
Determine why your couch is sagging. Take pictures. Inspect the frame of the sofa. Take note of what kind of springs your couch has.