Lifestyles category, Page 125
Necco Wafers returning to store shelves this summer
Good news for people who like their candy crunchy and slightly chalky — Neccos Wafers will soon be back on store shelves after a 2-year absence. Spangler Candy Co., which now owns the iconic brand, says the candy will return in all its multicolored glory beginning this month. “Major drugstores...
Gateway Clipper to resume some cruises this weekVideo
The Gateway Clipper Fleet will resume sightseeing tours this week, officials announced on their Facebook page. The tours, which last about an hour, will resume Friday when Allegheny County moves into the green phase of Gov. Wolf’s reopening plan, lifting heavy restrictions put in place to help curb the spread...
Pull out that wok for 5-spice-pork and rice stir-fry
Five-spice powder is the base for this sauce that glazes the meat and vegetables with an aromatic and exotic flavor. It is a blend of many spices, usually, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed and Szechwan peppercorns. It can be found in the spice section of the supermarket. You only...
Want a bright start to each day? Bake this easy yogurt lemon loaf
What makes this lemon loaf stand out is the addition of orange blossom water. Distilled from orange flowers, it encapsulates the heady scent of blooming citrus trees. It’s that perfumed air you catch on some sunny Southern California mornings, that happy smell that transports you to bucolic groves and wide-open...
Documentary focuses on unlikely champion of Mexican cuisineVideo
If you add garlic to your guacamole, we have bad news: You’re not doing it right. Do you mince the onion? That’s also a no-no. And, please, leave the avocado lumpy. So says 97-year-old Diana Kennedy, a foremost authority on traditional Mexican cuisine. Over many decades, she has mastered, documented...
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh plans 10 weeks of virtual summer camps
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and MuseumLab will offer 10 weeks of virtual summer camps and studios for children ages 3-13. Registration is open for Summer Camps @ Home and Summer Studios @ Home, week-long programs starting June 15. Each week will focus on a different theme and learning goals. Camp...
Ligonier Country Market plans crafters’ return, new night event
Craft vendors will set up shop again at the weekly Ligonier Country Market beginning June 6. “(Their return) signals the next step in us returning the market to full operation in light of the pandemic,” said LCM executive director Cari Frei. “Offering everything from handmade jewelry and wood crafts to...
‘Quarantine Barbie’ is keeping it real (and hilarious)
The folks at Mattel did their part to lighten the mood for children and support frontline workers in the fight against covid-19. Earlier this month, the company introduced its #ThankYouHeroes Barbie program. For every career doll sold between May 14-17, Mattel donated a doll to the First Responders Children’s Foundation....
Pizzeria Davide to open locations in Robinson, Carnegie
Pizzeria Davide plans a June opening in Robinson Town Centre. It’s the sister restaurant to the Strip District-based DiAnoia’s Eatery. A third location is expected in Carnegie this fall, according to a news release. The Robinson Town Centre pizzeria will offer take-out only, in accordance with Pennsylvania’s covid-19 guidelines. Order...
Disney plans to reopen parks beginning July 11Video
Looks like a lot of people are about to get a whole lot happier. Disney announced Wednesday it is hoping to reopen all four of its parks — the Happiest Place on Earth — in Orlando, Fla., by mid-July, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The phased reopening would begin July 11...
National Aviary virtual summer camps go behind the scenes
In response to the covid-19 pandemic, the National Aviary is moving its upcoming summer camps online. Campers will view exclusive live and pre-recorded content, participate in hands-on crafts and activities, and meet some of the National Aviary’s birds. The format will allow the aviary team to immerse campers in new,...
Hot dogs and hops? New Sheetz beer combines 2 summer favorites
Sheetz is going one better on the classic summer combination of a hot dog and a cold brew. The Altoona-based convenience store chain has announced the release of Project Hop Dog, a new, limited-edition craft beer brewed in partnership with Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. of Bucks County. “Now available at...
Familiar song returns to No. 1 in WDVE Memorial Day 500 countdown
“Stairway to Heaven” ascended back to the top. The Led Zeppelin song finished first in the DVE Memorial Day 500 countdown, which ended Monday night. It bested Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Guns ‘N Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine,” “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink...
Living with Children: Appreciate the odd among us
I have come up with a new psychological diagnosis, one that I won’t, however, be submitting for approval to the powers that be: simply, odd. My “odd” is to be distinguished from ODD, the acronym for oppositional defiant disorder, an invention that enables mental health professionals to obtain payment from...
Vendors scramble to replace income from canceled festivals
For Tim Roth of Hempfield, selling his artwork at area fairs and festivals is a hobby. The cancellation of this summer’s events won’t break his budget. But things are different for Grace McCracken of Carnegie, who left her day job in 2016 to produce and market her charcoal drawings full-time....
Pittsburgh-area company’s candles inspired by the city, help raise money for Light of Life missionVideo
A candle brings light to the darkness. Jennifer Ingram provides that illumination. She founded Pittsburgh Candle Works last year. Her candles are made from soy wax and hand-poured in her home studio in Marshall Township. She collaborates with local artists on the label designs. Ingram created a specific candle in...
Moroccan beef burgers get added dose of spice
Here’s a way to spice up your Memorial Day burgers using Moroccan-style spices. Ground cumin, ground cinnamon, fresh mint and parsley may seem unusual additions to burgers, but they add an intriguing flavor to them. Ground spices can lose their flavor after a few months. If yours look grey or...
Make the next ‘Taco Tuesday’ vegetarian
Wrapped with corn or flour tortillas or even lettuce leaves, tacos have become a national favorite. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner they’re easy to eat and can be easy to make. Here’s a vegetarian taco made with soft whole wheat tortillas. They fold easily and add an earthy flavor...
Universal Orlando seeks to reopen theme parks in early June
ORLANDO, Fla. — Universal Orlando is aiming to reopen its theme parks in early June, a resort official said Thursday, more than two months after the company joined crosstown rivals Disney World and SeaWorld in closing their gates to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Universal Orlando executive John...
Let them eat Torte: Prantl’s Bakery reopens in Greensburg, Shadyside
For those craving a burnt almond torte during quarantine, Prantl’s Bakery is back. The famous bakery’s three locations have been closed since mid-March in the coronavirus shutdown, though some products were still available for delivery via online orders. Now customers can once again walk into the Greensburg and Shadyside locations...
Delmont, Murrysville farmers markets will open with some restrictions this season
Annual farmers markets in Delmont and Murrysville will open in June, but with some special measures in place to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. • In Delmont, the market will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning June 13, and will add a curbside pickup...
Walnut Grill plans to open 5th Pittsburgh-area restaurant amid pandemic
The newest Walnut Grill American Eatery & Bar is slated to open in July. It will be located in a strip mall at 1001 Cool Springs Road in Bethel Park (at the former Steel Cactus Restaurant). Walnut Grill, which has been in business for more than 21 years, also has...
Disney, Universal may require masks, but will tourists comply and how can it be enforced?
ORLANDO, Fla. — Quarantined alone for weeks, Kristen Hariton listens to Walt Disney World ride soundtracks while she works in her one-bedroom condo. Her music playlist is the best she can do right now since she has lost her happiest place on Earth. Hariton says she would do anything, including...
Author urges gardeners to form 1 big ‘national park’
Imagine if all the back and front yards — and even patio container plants — across the country were seen as one magnificent patchwork quilt, a “Homegrown National Park.” Home gardeners would join forces to bring back a variety of native plants to protect and nurture struggling birds, bees and...
Living with Children: The value of a reward
Psychologist B.F. Skinner, the formulator of behavior modification theory, was attempting to prove that the same principles that govern the behavior of amoeba, planaria, rats, dogs and monkeys also govern the behavior of human beings. A very Darwinian proposition, indeed. What my graduate school professors conveniently “forgot” to tell me:...
