The U.K. supports stability and democracy in Ukraine, says British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who visited NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. Jim Tuttle/NPR hide caption

There are dozens of varieties of borscht — but at its most basic, it's a beet soup with potatoes, tomatoes and often beef or pork. Flickr/Liz West hide caption

This Blockbuster store in Mission, Texas, is franchised by Border Entertainment. The company has 26 stores across Texas and Alaska that will live on after the last 300 or so company-owned stores are closed by early January 2014. Courtesy of Alan Payne hide caption

Julia della Croce says pistachio pesto is an economical — and delicious — alternative when Italian pine nuts can cost up to $120 per pound. Nathan Hoyt/Courtesy of Julia della Croce hide caption

Jeremy Jackson wanted to rethink his grandma Mildred's famous Strawberry Cake recipe, which uses boxed cake mix and Jell-O. His updated cupcake version is shown on the right. Jeremy Jackson for NPR hide caption

A worker paints fingernails with O2M polish at an Inglot shop in a Polish shopping center. The breathable nail polish has become a hit with Muslim women. Czarek Sokolowski/AP hide caption

Rudi Kistler and Maurus Oehmann, Mannheim 2012 Courtesy of Francois Brunelle hide caption

Bargain-hunting Greek shoppers may soon have more options at the grocery store. The government is asking retailers to discount expired nonperishable products in response to rising food prices. Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images hide caption