Tag: Business

• Jacqueline Gathers is a home inspector and owner of a Pillar to Post franchise in Brooklyn.
• She worked for New York City for 30 years and had no interest in entrepreneurship.
• When her husband died at the age of 55, Jacqueline became a home inspector.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jacqueline Gathers, owner of JS Gathers Pillar to Post Home Inspectors franchise. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm a third-generation civil servant. I spent 30 years at the New York City Housing Authority. I enjoyed the work and felt that I was helping people find safe and affordable housing.

When I first joined the Housing Authority back in the '80s, my dad insisted I sign up for early retirement. At the time, the extra contributions to my pension seemed expensive, but my dad assured me the investment was worthwhile. A lot could change between 55 and 62, he said, and being able to retire early would give me choices.

He was so right. Decades later, that decision allowed me to take early retirement in order to be home with my husband, Joseph, as he fought brain cancer. Joseph died when he was 58, and I was 55.

When my husband died, I considered selling our franchise back

A little more than a year before he died, Joseph said he wanted to take me into the city. I thought it was a date night, but when I came out in my heels, he told me to put on something more comfortable.

Turns out, he wasn't taking me to a fancy dinner: we were going to the franchise expo. That's when Joseph dropped the bomb that he wanted to purchase a franchise. I said OK, but I wasn't particularly interested. I didn't have any plans to be involved.

Joseph researched Pillar to Post, a home inspection company, and underwent training with the organization. But before he could open the franchise, he died. The company offered to repurchase our franchise. I was tempted, but then I thought about how hard Joseph had worked to prepare the business. I decided to launch it in his legacy.

It took time to build a business as a Black female inspector

That's when things got scary. I had retired from the Housing Authority, but I knew nothing about home inspections. I had to train with Pillar and Post and obtain a license from the state of New York.

Most home inspectors don't look like me. That became abundantly clear when I tried to work in Staten Island and other areas known for their racial tension. I wasn't well received there. However, when I expanded into more diverse areas of the city, such as Flatbush, Brownsville, and East New York, business picked up.

I initially got to work when other inspectors didn't show up. In those situations, my customer service skills from the Housing Authority helped me stand out from the crowd. Plus, people saw I knew what I was talking about. Before long, people were asking for "that Black lady inspector in Brooklyn."

I found my niche with first-time buyers

During the first year, I would go to work, then come home and cry. The business was a huge distraction and gave me a reason to get up every day, but my grief was raw, and the tears were never far. Eventually, I started crying less and focusing more on business.

Today, it's been eight years since Joseph died, and seven years since I launched the business. I've created a niche working with first-time homebuyers. I also work with educational nonprofits in the city.

Particularly in my community, first-time buyers may be the first people in their family to ever own a property. They need guidance and a relationship that doesn't end once the sale closes. My clients can reach back out to me whenever they have questions about their homes.

I've set an example for my kids

Joseph and I always lived below our means and planned to travel in retirement. In addition to running the business — which still bears his name — I try to take two international trips in his honor each year. Our first grandchild was recently born in Guam, and I'm looking forward to spending time there.

I'm surprised to find myself an entrepreneur at 64. I never imagined myself running a business, let alone one that's super successful. In doing so, I've set an example for my three kids: sometimes in life, you get curveballs, and you just have to keep pushing. There's something else waiting around the corner.

• Fei-Fei Li, founder of World Labs, immigrated to the US from China when she was 15.
• She ran her family's dry-cleaning shop for seven years, helping her parents make ends meet.
• She says the experience helps fuel her ambitions to build the future of AI.

Every influential scientist has an origin story — and the "Godmother of AI" is no different.

Fei-Fei Li, a Stanford professor best known for her work on ImageNet, is now the founder of World Labs, a one-year-old AI startup that's already valued at over $1 billion.

Her start, however, was far more humble.

Li immigrated to the United States from China at the age of 15 and helped her parents run a dry-cleaning business in Parsippany, New Jersey, to make ends meet.

"We were not financially very well off at all. My parents were doing cashier jobs and I was doing Chinese restaurant jobs," she told Bloomberg in a Q&A. "My family and I decided to run a little dry cleaner shop to make some money to survive."

Li said she likes to joke that she was the "CEO." She ran the shop for seven years, from when she was 18 until the middle of her graduate studies.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Li attended Princeton University for college, keeping her close to her parents' shop. Later, while pursuing her Ph.D. at Caltech in California, she continued to run the business remotely.

"I was the one who spoke English. So I took all the customer phone calls, I dealt with the billing, the inspections, all the business," she said.

The experience, she said, taught her the value of resilience — a principle that continues to guide her career.

"As a scientist, you have to be resilient because science is a non-linear journey. Nobody has all the solutions. You have to go through such a challenge to find an answer. And as an immigrant, you learn to be resilient," she said.

At World Labs, Li has big ambitions. She is working on building world models. These are AI models that leverage spatial intelligence, which Li says is "the ability for AI to understand, perceive, reason and interact [with the world]. It comes from a continuation of visual intelligence."

A growing number of AI experts believe that world models are what will propel the AI revolution into its next phase. Some believe large-language models, which are trained on, as the name suggests, lanaguage, and which the leading products are now based, are limited.

Li said ImageNet, a comprehensive training dataset of visual information, was a precursor to world models.

At the core of Li's research is the idea that visual information, a passive way of understanding the world, is a crucial foundation for real-world action, which remains one of the ultimate goals of some top AI builders, like Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun, who recently announced he would step down to launch his own world model startup.

The through-line between Li's research and her immigrant story is the same.

"I was always a curious kid, and then my curiosity had an outlet, which was science — and that really grounded me," she told Bloomberg. "I wasn't curious about nightclubs or other things. I was an avid lover of science."

• Amanda Yochum, 44, has worked at childcare company Bright Horizons for nearly 23 years.
• She oversees the company's 24-hour day care centers in Indiana and Kentucky.
• The night shift children stay up all night to match their parents' schedules.

This story is based on a conversation with Amanda Yochum, 44, of Haubstadt, Indiana. She oversees Bright Horizons' 24-hour day care in Indiana and Kentucky. The account has been edited for length and clarity.

If you've never played football or dodgeball outside at 3 a.m. with preschoolers — or watched the sunrise with them — you're missing out.

I know this because I'm a regional manager at childcare company Bright Horizons, overseeing the 24-hour day care centers we run in Princeton, Indiana, and Georgetown, Kentucky, which are located at the Toyota manufacturing plants in both areas.

The business of making cars runs 24/7, and so do our day care centers. When you're a parent on night shift — and need to sleep during the day — you need your child to be on that schedule, too. Especially if both you and your partner are working night shift, or you're a single parent, which is often the case at these plants, which are some of the largest employers in both regions.

So while some people on a more conventional schedule might baulk at the idea of 3-year-olds staying up playing happily all night long, that's just what we do here.

Staying up all night is part of the routine

The night shift runs from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., so when the plant workers drop their children off, we'll have some that are still half asleep on their parents' shoulders. However, they typically run excited to see their friends. We'll have activities that are already planned out on the table to engage them as they transition into the classroom. Once they're settled in, then they have some free play and can explore our different learning environments.

When these plants were established in 1996 and 1986, respectively, there were few quality childcare centers available, so Toyota recognized the need to provide this service for its employees.

That's why our nighttime day care service is in such high demand. At our Princeton childcare center, 164 children are enrolled during the day, while 44 are enrolled at night. In Georgetown, about 159 kids are enrolled in the day program, and 32 are enrolled at night. The center is also open on Saturdays. Around 25 are booked in the day and around 20 at night.

Keeping our nighttime routine as close as possible to our daytime routine is a strong principle that we have implemented throughout the years. It's that equity piece. We don't want our children or our families to feel that they are missing out because of the shift that they are on. For example, if it's Grandparents Day during the day, we will replicate that at night. We often say that the only difference is that we swap sunscreen for bug spray.

It's so fun to be outside with the kids in the middle of the night

The rest of the night runs like this: once they have settled in, they will eat breakfast. Then they will play outside, and come back in for some activities and projects. We follow a curriculum, but we also discuss with the children what they are interested in learning.

They typically have lunch around 10:30 p.m. Then, after lunch, just like daytime children, some will take a nap of up to two hours at this point. For those children who don't nap, they'll transition into rest time and quiet activities. We offer "inner explorer," our mindfulness program that helps calm the mind and body, promoting relaxation.

After this, it will be snack time, and we will go outside again. They return for some additional curriculum time, and then, toward the end of the shift, they'll have some extra learning time. It will then be time to go home.

It's actually a lot of fun being outside with the children in the middle of the night. We are in the middle of a cornfield, so we have high fencing and stadium lighting. There is nature outside to contend with, but we know how to keep safe. The children like to holler at the deer, and we often get mice wandering in. We might also see the occasional coyote, and the children love it. The lights are so bright you often forget what time of night it is.

Kids can come starting at 7 weeks up to before they start kindergarten

Many children start with us at around 7 weeks old and stay with us until they begin kindergarten. Typically, night shift families have it made in this regard – their babies sleep the best and they don't struggle.

We are often asked if we plan to open a kindergarten program, but there are no plans at the moment. We do everything we can to support them in their transition into kindergarten and school, where they will have to adhere to more conventional hours. We'll lengthen naptime, so by the time they're graduating, they'll be sleeping for an extended period at night.

Our families will also tend to take off the week before school starts, to get into that new groove and routine. Parents aren't guaranteed to be moved to the day shift when their children start kindergarten, so they may have to drop their children off at Grandma's and Grandpa's or arrange for someone to come to their house.

In Kentucky, though, we do have a school-age program. The children have their own beds, dressers, locker rooms, and showers, and they will go to bed by 9:30 p.m. while their parents work the night shift.

Our facilities are crucial to working parents

We don't tend to have issues with our children not being rested enough — they have learned to follow their parents' schedules, and they start young enough that it's easy for them to adapt. Sometimes, life admin needs to be taken care of during the day, and we might not get a full night's sleep, but that happens to all of us at times.

However, there is a doctor's office, pharmacy, and store on-site, and we also have health professionals visit us to support the children. For example, twice a year a local hospital will send in occupational, speech, developmental, social and emotional therapists, and they will come in and do developmental screenings. They will bill the health insurance providers directly at no cost to the families.

We also have optometrists and dentists come on-site. Then we have professional family photographers come too. These events occur both during the day and night, benefiting everyone.

Even though I am a regional manager now, I still will go in and work nights. I just drink an extra Diet Coke. I also have an almost 19-year-old autistic son who has never slept well anyway, so he's been conditioning me my entire adult life to do this kind of work.

It's a big misconception that we just keep the kids up all night. Yes, we do that. But that work-life balance is critical for parents who work hard. That's why we pioneered this style of childcare years ago — and it works for everyone.

• For my 13th birthday, my mom gave me a handmade recipe book with entries from friends and family.
• The recipe book features handwritten recipes, notes, and photos that I still cherish today.
• Once my kids are older, I plan to make a similar book for each of them to enjoy.

For my 13th birthday, my mom compiled a recipe book, filled with recipes and notes from family and friends.

While I didn't immediately jump up to make all of the recipes, and there are still some that I haven't touched (I doubt I'll ever make a salmon loaf), the recipe book has become my go-to for meal planning and baking.

Julia Child's cookbook rests prominently on my shelf, and while I daydream of making clafloutis, I'm much more likely to make my mom's spice cookies or my grandma's apple crisp from my homemade book.

Notes and photos make the recipes more personal

Some friends and family included little notes on the recipes themselves, like noting if a recipe was a holiday favorite, listing modifications, or mentioning if a specific family member always requested a certain food.

These additions have become even more cherished over the years, as some of these family members are no longer with us. Seeing their handwriting and recipes evokes memories of breaking bread together, cooking together, and even receiving handwritten cards from them.

My mom also included some of the letters she received over the years, along with the recipes, photos, and stickers. There are even a few recipes where she photocopied the originals from generations past. I never knew my paternal grandparents, and having their handwritten recipes helps forge a small connection to them.

The recipes created bonding moments

Some of the recipes, such as my dad's chili or holiday cookies, were ones I had helped make over the years.

Others, like my aunt's mother's tortillas, were not. My aunt often talked about not liking to cook, but she coached me through making the recipe, which included instructions such as "one small bowl of flour." Thankfully, she had an idea of how much this was!

She often told stories of how her mother would make the tortillas fresh for my cousin as an after-school snack, and how he'd roll them up into a buttered tortilla "burrito." These are the types of stories and connections that help make great food.

Some of the recipes reflect my great-great-grandparents' country of origin, Hungary, or my aunt's grandparents' homeland in Mexico. Others are recipes that have become holiday "must-haves," such as birthday cake, Thanksgiving tamales, and Christmas cookies, as well as recipes to warm us in the colder weather.

The book was a way to bond with loved ones, near and far

Living in a military community, we have friends and family spread across the miles, so having these recipes helped me feel closer to those who were far away.

For my birthday party, my mom requested that everyone bring a recipe as part of my gift. This provided unique scrapbook-style additions, with recipes written in loopy cursive by tweens using colorful gel pens.

My mom copied the recipes for my party guests, and one of them told me she still has all the recipes. She, like me, hasn't made all of them, but kept them because it felt special. It was something different, but fun.

I hope to someday make similar recipe books for my children

Having these recipes easily accessible is amazing, as I don't have to hunt through multiple recipe books or files to find them. Once in a blue moon, over the years, I've found family recipes missing from the book and added them in.

I've also added some new favorites over the years, such as sourdough crackers and the ooey gooey butter bars we had at a friend's wedding.

The binding is starting to show some wear, just like a beloved teddy bear wearing at the seams. I hope to someday create similar books for my children — a blend of my family's and my husband's family's recipes, as well as recipes I've discovered, and new recipes that I'll request from our friends. Food and handmade items are both precious gifts of love, and combining the two has given me a priceless heirloom.

• Matika Wilbur photographed members of every federally recognized Native American tribe.
• She named the series Project 562 for the number of recognized tribes at the time.
• She published a book of her photos titled "Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America."

Photographer Matika Wilbur was on assignment in South America when her grandmother appeared to her in a dream and told her to go capture her own people.

Wilbur, who is Native American, listened.

She embarked on a yearslong project photographing members of every federally recognized Native tribe in North America. In 2023, she published her collection of photos in a book titled "Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America."

Wilbur spoke with Business Insider about her project, her photos, and the importance of agency in Native American representation.

Take a look at Wilbur's powerful portraits.

Photographer Matika Wilbur went on a mission to photograph members of every federally recognized Native tribe in North America.

Wilbur herself is Swinomish and Tulalip.

She drove hundreds of thousands of miles and photographed members of different Native American tribes for Project 562.

When Wilbur began her project in 2012, there were 562 federally recognized Native American tribes. Now, there are 574. 

The project grew from a photo series to a documentary to a full-blown archive of Native people, their communities, and their stories.

"We're always redrafting the language to describe this project," Wilbur told Business Insider.

Wilbur photographed her subjects on black-and-white film using a method called the Zone System.

The Zone System creates more dynamic range in the images.

She's drawn to peer portraiture with simple landscape backdrops.

"I figured that that was sort of irresponsible when I started this project, to travel all over the country and not show the landscape," Wilbur said.

She let her subjects choose where and how they'd like to be photographed, giving them agency over how they'd be represented.

"Sometimes I'll be in the Grand Canyon and I'd rather take somebody's picture at Havasupai Falls because it's magnificent and there's this incredible blue-green water coming out of the ground … and they want to be photographed on their front porch because they love where they live," she said. "I'll do what they want to do because people should be represented in a way that is important to them, especially in Indian Country."

"We've been photographed so many times by non-Indians and we've had our stories told so many times by people outside our community, and they get the story wrong," Wilbur said.

In the above portrait, Wilbur photographed three members of the Tulalip tribe: Darkfeather, Bibiana, and Eckos Ancheta.

"We aim to correct that narrative through honest individual agency and storytelling," she said.

Dine' (Navajo Nation) member Jaclyn Roessel posed for one of Wilbur's portraits.

Wilbur asked people questions about themselves and their lives as she took their pictures.

Their conversations touched on family, love, heartbreak, moments that shaped them, and their hopes for the future.

She also asked about their Native American identities.

"I find that people have really interesting things to say when you ask them what it means to be whatever their tribe is, and then when you ask them what it means to be an 'Indian,'" she said. "I'm fascinated by that."

Sometimes her subjects wore traditional Native clothing, while others wore everyday outfits.

Ailee Fregoso of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe showed off her colorful fringed shawl.

Wilbur published her work in a book called "Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America."

The book, published in 2023, became a New York Times bestseller.

What began as a photo series has become an archive rich with history, culture, language, and resilience.

Wilbur also cohosts the podcast All My Relations, in which she and Adrienne Keene — a professor who is also Native American — discuss their relationships to land, ancestors, and other Native peoples.

Wilbur values the connections she's made throughout the creative process.

"I didn't know that strangers can become family relatively quickly," she said. "It's such a whirlwind of a journey."

Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2025.

• Pumpkin pie is a staple on Thanksgiving.
• But if you're looking for something different, here are other desserts you can make.
• Baked apples with vanilla ice cream and chocolate cream pie are both crowd-pleasing options.

If you're not a fan of pumpkin pie or want to switch things up this Thanksgiving, there are other easy, crowd-pleasing desserts you can make instead.

Pumpkin pie has been a Thanksgiving staple since the holiday's early days in the 17th century, when pilgrims and early American settlers frequently used pumpkins in many of their recipes.

However, fewer than a quarter of Thanksgiving tables are expected to feature pumpkin pie this year, per 2025 WalletHub data.

As such, you don't need to stick to tradition to please your guests. If you're looking for options that don't require an oven, you can make slow-cooker cobbler or chocolate cream pie. Adding premium ingredients, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, or walnuts, can also elevate a classic brownie recipe to bakery-quality status.

Here are 10 easy Thanksgiving desserts that aren't pumpkin pie.

If you still have pie on your mind, you can make an easy chocolate cream pie.

Chocolate cream pie is generally easier to make than pumpkin or apple pie, since many versions, like this recipe by Simply Recipes, don't even require you to bake it. Instead, you just chill the dessert for a few hours in the fridge, which is perfect when you're trying to keep the oven free for other Thanksgiving dishes.

You could also make an apple pie.

If you do want to spend a little time making your dessert, but don't want to make pumpkin pie, apple pie is an excellent option. In fact, around 12% of Thanksgiving tables are going to opt for this dessert, per 2025 WalletHub data.

There are plenty of recipes out there, from more intricate lattice pies to easier versions that use pre-made pie crust.

Business Insider's Paige Bennett tried three celebrity-chef recipes for apple pie and found Ree Drummond's recipe to be the most delicious, while Gordon Ramsay's was the easiest to make.

Apple crisp is another easy and festive dessert.

If you're looking for a dessert that doesn't take up a lot of time in the kitchen, apple crisp pairs perfectly with ice cream. Plus, some versions, like this one by All Recipes, require only an hour to make.

Slow-cooker cobbler is ideal if you need to free up oven space.

Taste of Home's slow-cooker berry cobbler uses frozen berries and cinnamon. Despite being a slow-cooker recipe, it also only takes about two hours to cook, with just 15 minutes of prep time.

Bread pudding is an often-forgotten dessert.

Bread pudding is a nostalgic dessert for many, although it usually doesn't get the recognition it deserves around the holidays. This delicious, stick-to-your-bones dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving and uses festive ingredients like raisins and cinnamon. 

Chocolate-chip pumpkin bread is a delicious option that will keep for days after the holiday.

While chocolate-chip pumpkin bread, like this contest-winning recipe by Taste of Home, can be made practically any time throughout the fall season, it's also an easy Thanksgiving dessert that can be paired with ice cream or coffee or served on its own.

It's also easy to transport if you're traveling for Thanksgiving or want to send some slices home with your guests.

Pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies are also great to send home with your guests.

Adding pumpkin to chocolate-chip cookies takes them to the next level. There are plenty of recipes available, but Delish's recipe for pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies uses pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Coffee cake is another easy-to-make sweet treat that you'll be just as thankful for the morning after.

Coffee cake pairs well with after-dinner coffee or tea, is easy to transport, and will keep until the morning after Thanksgiving for a delicious breakfast. While it might not seem as decadent as pumpkin pie, celebrity chef Ina Garten's version packs a ton of fall flavor with ingredients like cinnamon and sour cream.

Adding nuts like macadamia nuts, pecans, or walnuts can elevate a standard brownie recipe.

Brownies might seem like a cop-out when it comes to a Thanksgiving dessert, but there are ways to elevate this otherwise simple recipe. Try adding nuts to take brownies to the next level, or pair them with ice cream for homemade brownie sundaes. 

For example, Kris Jenner's brownies, which Business Insider's Paige Bennett called "chewy and fudgy," feature walnuts.

Baked apples with vanilla ice cream is another easy dessert.

Baked apple slices with cinnamon are easy to make and give all the delicious flavors of other apple desserts, without the stress of making and rolling out pie crust. You can pair baked apple slices with vanilla ice cream for a delicious take on Thanksgiving dessert, or serve them on their own.

• I cooked jasmine rice in an Instant Pot, on the stovetop, in the microwave, and in the oven.
• Rice I made with a stove and a pressure cooker turned out great, but it got gummy in the microwave.
• The oven-cooked rice turned out to be my favorite — it was a fluffy and flavorful delight.

I love rice and have been cooking it regularly for all of my adult life.

It's a perfect staple to serve alongside salmon or steak, stir-fry with veggies and tofu, or mix into soups and stews.

Many swear by making it with a rice cooker, but I don't have one, and I was curious to see which other appliance in my home could produce the best results.

So, I tried cooking rice four different ways: in an Instant Pot, on the stovetop, in the microwave, and in the oven.

For each method, I prepared a cup of jasmine rice with an equal blend of vegetable broth and water, along with a small amount of olive oil.

Here's how these different ways of cooking rice stacked up in terms of ease, timing, and, of course, taste and texture.

Pressure-cooked rice is hands-off.

First, I measured out a cup of rice, which I then rinsed well under tepid water. Next, I added ½ cup of broth, ½ cup of water, and a bit of olive oil to a lightly sprayed Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Then, I secured the lid and pressed the "rice" button. And that's it — that's the beauty of this device. It's so easy to use.

After a brief period of pressurization, the rice cooked for all of 12 minutes, then the appliance beeped, indicating it was rice time.

This still feels like a reliable way to quickly cook the grain.

My pressure-cooked rice was plenty flavorful and had a soft, though not quite fluffy texture. All of the grains of rice were cooked through.

The process was so easy, and I have no big complaints about the taste or texture of the rice. This has been my go-to method for cooking rice for several years.

The stovetop rice required a bit more effort.

The stovetop was my go-to way of cooking rice before I got an Instant Pot.

For this method, I measured and rinsed a single cup of rice, then added it to a medium-sized saucepan with a cup of water, a cup of broth, and 1 teaspoon of oil.

I placed the pan on the stove over a medium-high heat. As soon as the rice came to a boil, I reduced the heat to a low simmer and covered the saucepan with a lid.

I kept an eye on the rice, turning up the heat slightly when the simmer dropped to just a few bubbles every few seconds, then easing the heat back off again once the bulk of the liquid seemed to have been absorbed or cooked off.

Once I could see little pockets of air between the rice grains, which typically takes between 15 and 20 minutes, I cut the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for another five minutes.

Then, I fluffed the rice with a fork and took some bites.

I actually liked this better than the pressure-cooker rice.

This was, to my surprise, better than the pressure-cooked rice.

Before this experiment, the two had been more or less interchangeable to me. Now that I had eaten each rice side by side, I could definitely tell the difference in the taste and texture.

The stovetop rice was truly plump with a nice flavor, and there wasn't even much of it caked to the bottom of the pan. This method took a little longer than the pressure cooker, but the resulting rice was slightly tastier and fluffier.

This is a great way to cook rice as long as you have the proper grain-to-liquid measurements and keep a close eye on your pot. With this method, it can be easy to accidentally overcook rice.

I wasn't excited about trying to make rice in the microwave.

Before cooking rice in a microwave, I cross-referenced at least a half-dozen recipes I found online, so I'm confident my approach was decent. But the outcome? I can hardly describe it as such.

I rinsed the rice, combined it with 1 ¾ cups of my water-broth blend, and added the olive oil to a microwave-safe glass container.

Next, I partially secured the container's lid — not too tightly, as I didn't want it to explode — and popped the rice in the microwave on full power for five minutes.

Then, I microwaved it for another 15 minutes on half power and let it rest for an additional five minutes before retrieving it.

I won't be using this appliance for rice again.

I had low expectations, but I was still disappointed.

The microwaved rice was clumpy and dried out, except for the largest gobs, which were gummy and unevenly cooked.

Only a generous dose of a sauce and further cooking in a frying pan could have made this rice tasty. I took three or four bites and then composted the rest.

The oven was the dark horse of the taste test.

The thing about oven-cooked rice is that you need to start with boiling water — or a water/broth blend, in my case. So, you'll probably also need a stovetop or electric kettle.

Once I preheated my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, I rinsed the rice and brought a cup of water and a cup of broth up to a full boil on my stovetop.

Next, I greased a 2-quart glass baking dish and added the rice and oil to it. Then, I carefully poured 1 ¾ cups of my boiling liquid over the rice.

Finally, I quickly covered the dish with aluminum foil and popped it into my heated oven. I pulled the baking dish out after 25 minutes and let it sit, still covered, for five minutes.

I'm amazed by how good the oven rice was.

I pulled back the foil to reveal the best rice I have ever made.

It was evenly cooked, and each grain was fluffy and full of flavor. The oven-cooked rice had taken on the taste of the broth and had a faint, yet pleasant, roasted flavor.

Plus, other than having to boil liquids, this cooking method was fairly hands-off. I was able to pop my dish in the oven and work on other tasks.

I may have found a new favorite appliance for cooking rice.

I had my wife do a blind taste test of all four versions of the rice, which I'd carefully timed to be ready at the same time. She agreed that the oven-cooked rice was the best on all fronts.

I had never thought to cook rice in the oven, but I'll consider doing it every time going forward, provided I have enough time on my hands.

This experiment also had me second-guessing my switch from stovetop to Instant Pot, but the convenience of the latter is still so hard to beat.

When I'm in a rush, the pressure cooker will still be my go-to for preparing rice, but on more relaxed days, into the oven it goes.

Click to check out the other appliances we've put head-to-head so far.

• Destinations around the world are feeling the pinch of overtourism.
• Fodor's travel guide's annual "No List" highlights destinations to rethink visiting in 2026.
• Destinations like Antarctica, the Canary Islands, and Montmartre are facing tourism pressures.

The travel bucket list, or a catalog of places you must go, has long been a thing, but with the rise in global tourism — and subsequent strains of overtourism — there's increasing talk about where not to go.

International tourist arrivals increased 5% globally in the first half of 2025 compared to the same time period a year prior, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Fodor's, a long-standing travel guide company, compiles an annual list of places that travelers should reconsider visiting due to the potential negative impacts of rising tourism.

The recently released "No List," which outlines eight places that travelers should rethink visiting in 2026, includes a far-flung continent, a United States national park, and some popular city destinations.

Fodor's says the list is not a call for a total boycott but instead meant to "highlight destinations where tourism is placing unsustainable pressures on the land and local communities." Conversely, Fodor's also compiles an annual "Go List," with the latest edition highlighting 26 of the best places to visit next year.

Here are the eight destinations that made the "No List" for 2026.

Antarctica

While Antarctica, one of the most remote places on the planet, isn't overrun with tourists in the same sense that Venice is, the continent may be welcoming more visitors than it can responsibly accommodate, according to Fodor's.

The number of tourists visiting Antarctica increased tenfold between 1992 and 2020, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The group says travel to Antarctica has a high carbon footprint and can damage sites visited by travelers as well as disturb wildlife.

The IUCN and other conservation groups have called for additional measures to protect Antarctica's wildlife and ecosystem as tourism increases.

The Canary Islands

Spain's Canary Islands draw millions of tourists every year, prompting local concerns about crowding and traffic, rising housing costs, and environmental impacts.

There have been multiple protests against overtourism on the Canary Islands in recent years, with thousands of people taking to the streets with signs that read things like "Canaries have a limit."

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park in Montana was one of the most visited national parks in 2024, with more than 3.2 million visitors.

In 2020, the park instituted a timed reservation system during the busy summer months to handle the increase in visitors, but concerns remain around increased traffic and congestion, higher risks of wildlife disturbance, and a rise in carbon emissions and threats to air quality.

Isola Sacra

Isola Sacra, located southwest of Rome, is a historic coastal community in Italy home to some ancient Roman ruins.

Italian officials have approved a plan for a new port that will allow large cruise ships to dock in the town. The plan has been controversial among locals of Isola Sacra, with community groups protesting the development, citing potential harm to local ecosystems.

Local authorities have said the port will bring employment to the community and that the plan includes measures to protect the environment.

The Jungfrau Region in Switzerland

The Jungfrau Region in Switzerland is a major attraction for visitors to the Alps, with its alpine lakes and dramatic peaks.

But the region is struggling to manage its tourism boom while protecting the natural environment and quality of life for the area's locals, according to Fodor's.

Mexico City

Mexico City has been a booming tourism destination in recent years, leading to concerns about rising housing costs and cultural loss in the city center.

Demonstrators gathered in Mexico City in August to protest tourism, gentrification, rent hikes, and the rise in short-term rentals.

Mombasa

Kenya has seen a notable rise in tourism since the pandemic, with cruise ships bringing an influx of visitors to cities like Mombasa.

The historic Kenyan city is already experiencing the impacts of rising tourism, with some cultural sites overrun by visitors, leading to congested roads, overcrowding, and littered beaches, Fodor's said.

Mohamed Osman, minister for Tourism, Culture, and Trade in Mombasa County, told Fodor's that measures are currently being developed to address concerns with overtourism.

Montmartre

Montmartre, a picturesque Paris neighborhood popular with visitors, has experienced overtourism impacts like rising prices and the displacement of locals.

Residents have protested against the "Disneyfication" of Montmartre, as the French newspaper Le Monde reported, citing a decline in stores catering to locals and lines of tourists trying to capitalize on a good photo op.

• We live about 1,000 miles from my in-laws and don't see them often.
• My two kids, 6 and 8, still have close relationships with their grandparents.
• They talk regularly over FaceTime and make the most of the visits we do have.

Most mornings, my 6-year-old is the first one awake; we chat while I get coffee, and I ask if he wants to call his Meme — my mother-in-law, and his grandmother. This is one of the only times of the day he can catch her, so if he's up early enough, he almost always takes the opportunity.

He eats his oatmeal and FaceTimes her until she arrives at work or is needed by an employee. Then it's time for him to call Pops, who arrives at work slightly later in the morning. More often than not, he's on his commute and chats during his drive.

My 8-year-old prefers to sleep in and is continually grumpy that he doesn't get the same talking time with breakfast.

They do the same after school or in the evenings, depending on schedules. They love to take their grandparents around the house or out in the yard while they play. No doubt they are dizzy with the poor camera work. The boys share about their day, including what they had for lunch or what they played during recess. They show what they've been working on in the backyard.

They don't live close by, so these phone calls are important

If Meme and Pops can't answer or pick up, I hear about it. We don't see them in person often, and this time is precious. Although we are in the same time zone, we are in north-central Kansas, and they are in southern Mississippi — about 1,000 miles away. Driving takes 16 hours; by plane, it's four and a half.

These regular calls allow my kids to have close relationships with their grandparents. A few times a year, the boys also get gifts in the mail — a box of goodies my in-laws have purchased over the last few months. Occasionally, I'll also get a Venmo from Meme, saying to take the boys for ice cream or let them pick a treat. There is a dual excitement of first spending the money and then getting to tell her and Pops about it afterward.

Meanwhile, my husband and I both call them fairly frequently as well. He's an avid FaceTime user, while I prefer to chat on the phone while I fold laundry or do dishes. I send pictures almost daily, giving updates of what the boys have been up to that day. Last week, I sent pictures of our son's artwork and journal entries for school, a headband my youngest son made, and photos from "Dude's Day," when my husband and our boys dressed up to go out for lunch.

We don't see them in person often but we make the most of it when we do

Planning our visits is a constant juggling of budgets and schedules. Due to limited PTO and money, we aren't able to visit often. We've flown previously but prefer the freedom of driving because we can stop and eat along the way, and it's easier to take all our luggage; however, driving does take more time, so we have to factor that in when considering a trip.

This summer, we met up in Branson, Missouri, which is about halfway between our respective homes. It was great for everyone — plenty of family time, and larger digs, as we split the cost. Plus, we had Meme and Pops as built-in babysitters. And yes, the boys got super spoiled the entire time — they said it was the best trip ever, over and over again.

This Christmas, we'll make the 16-hour drive to their home. It's the first time we'll be making the trip in two years, and my kids (and husband) have been counting down for six months. There's a running list of where we will go, restaurants to visit, and dishes that need to be tried. There have also been a few in-depth conversations about how Santa will know how to find them.

Last year, they flew to us for the week of Christmas. We picked them up in Kansas City, where we spent a few nights exploring before heading to our house.

We never get to spend enough time in person, but at these stages in our lives, it's what we are able to make work. Thankfully, with technology, we can communicate regularly, even when we can't be together in person.

• My mother and I weren't close when I was a kid because I thought she was too strict.
• Now she's 90, and I've learned to forgive and accept her.
• With this new phase of our relationship, I'm cherishing the small moments together.

I grew up in Guyana, where cultural norms set the tone for my mother's parenting and led to plenty of friction in my teen and young adult years — friction that needed time and perspective to soften.

Back then, the rule was simple: children were to be seen and not heard. That didn't sit well with me. I came out of the womb a free spirit who prized autonomy and wanted an empowered voice. Clashes were inevitable. My orientation was incompatible with what I saw as heavy-handed, authoritarian parenting.

Fortunately, reason and time eased my anger. What I couldn't see then was that Mom was doing her best to parent from the only framework she knew — from her own lived experience.

Now that Mom is 90, my days with her feel like borrowed time I don't dare take for granted. I find myself more aware, wanting to slow time down, eager to savor and absorb everything.

I've found grace in forgiveness

As I matured and became exposed to travel, literature, and new ways of seeing people and their choices, I began to understand how cultural conditioning and limited education had shaped Mom. She had simply imitated what had been modeled for her.

My own education and exposure helped me look past my early judgments and see how profoundly environment shapes behavior. Mom had lived within strictly paternalistic rhythms, armed with only a fifth-grade education.

That realization softened me. What used to be disappointment became a gentler understanding. I saw that in her place, I might have made the same choices. This thought alone lifted something heavy. It gave me space to replace resentment with compassion and finally see my mother fully without holding the examples she repeated against her.

I now hold onto our rituals

Mom lives with me now, and we've developed rituals that are deeply satisfying and sustaining.

We have a nightly date to watch "Jeopardy." We also make time to share warm plates of delicious curry and rice or my famed mac and cheese. I also enjoy revisiting old recipes that prompt me to call on Mom for guidance.

It seems I taste the history in every bite, as I remember all the meals she once stretched to feed us when there was little to go around.

We also connect over music now. Our long drives through winding country roads — with Bob Marley or Marc Anthony's "Si Te Vas" playing — are gifts I get to unwrap twice: once in the moment and again later, as a memory.

A few months ago, my mom and I saw singer Lauren Daigle in concert — an experience Mom still talks about with delight. I won't soon forget it either.

I'm holding onto these last moments with my mother

I often wake up to the sound of my mother praying out loud. It's the sweetest alarm clock I could ever ask for. I cherish these moments, knowing there will come a day when I'd give anything to hear such a sound.

So I'm savoring it all greedily: the shared moments, the music, the quiet companionship, the chance to rub lotion on her feet or massage arthritic shoulders when the pain is overwhelming, the gratitude for my ability to outgrow old resentments and take a more expansive and empathetic view of our lives.

After everything we've gone through, it feels like a wondrous miracle to simply love my mother and be loved by her — freely and without reservations.