Lifestyles category, Page 130
Kennywood video shows how to make Potato Patch fries at homeVideo
Instructive? Sure. Creative? Yep. Disturbing? Eh, kinda. Kennywood Park released a video Wednesday demonstrating how to make its famous Potato Patch fries. Although it wasn’t a human chef manning the kitchen prep, it was perhaps the park’s newest mascot: Patchy the Potato. In a 2-minute video tweet, Patchy — a...
Quarantine Easter treats, dinner from the pantry
If you went shopping before schools closed and businesses started shutting down last month, you were probably worried about stocking up on things that would last a long time. You weren’t thinking about celebrating a holiday in quarantine. But as the coronavirus numbers have grown and the state has lengthened...
Pittsburgh art gallery turns its physical space into a digital den
Amid the coronavirus lockdown, most museums and art galleries have turned to virtual experiences. But one Pittsburgh art outlet has taken things a bit further — digitizing its entire physical space. LikeLike, on North Evaline Street in Garfield, is a gallery launched in February 2018 devoted to art as told...
With salons closed, here’s how to keep hair and nails looking goodVideo
If ever there was a time to focus on inner beauty, this is it. With hair and nail salons closed for the foreseeable future, some of us are starting to feel a little unkempt. “I thank the good Lord that someone invented headbands,” says Teri Bowes of Hempfield. “They’re a...
Communities plan Easter activities while keeping social distance
Easter egg hunts are out this year in local parks, neighbors’ yards and church grounds, but communities are finding ways to share the joy of the season while maintaining social distance. Here’s what’s happening around the area: Carbon-area Easter Bunny visit The Easter Bunny will hitch a ride on a...
Living with Children: The problem with ‘parenting’
I am convinced that “parenting” causes otherwise rational people — people whose thought processes are not typically driven by emotion — to lose their minds. If that is not the case, then why, ever since 1970 (or thereabouts), when “parenting” replaced the simple, straightforward process of raising children to adulthood,...
Region’s churches spread Holy Week message online
A number of the region’s churches will livestream Holy Week services as the state’s stay at home order remains in effect through the month’s end. • Catholic Diocese of Greensburg’s virtual Holy Week services will be streamed at dioceseofgreensburg.org, facebook.com/dioceseofgreensburg and youtube.com. • Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik...
Officials offer guidance on how to properly wear a homemade face maskVideo
Pennsylvania officials last week asked all residents to wear homemade face masks if they leave their homes to help prevent the spread of covid-19. But are they wearing them the right way to protect themselves and others? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the use of homemade...
Postcards help spread the love, raise funds for Pittsburgh-area artists in need
Who doesn’t like receiving a handwritten card or note from a loved one? It’s a special treasure now, as people shelter at home to avoid contracting or spreading covid-19. Monica Yope and Kelly Sanders, owners of the love, Pittsburgh boutiques in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District and Mt. Washington, have found a...
Ready to cook outdoors? How to clean and season your grill
Unless you are like me and grill year-round, the warmer weather signals the start of the grilling season. This spring, especially, as millions of us are told to stay home, a trip outside to the backyard or patio is a welcome change. If you have a new grill or have...
Spice up salmon with this roasted recipe
Add a touch of Indian flavor to your salmon with this simple curry sauce. Pan roasting is faster than oven roasting and gives similar results. The salmon is served with basmati rice. Basmati rice has a distinct flavor and smells like popcorn while cooking. It now comes in a microwaveable...
How to freeze and thaw bread while ensuring freshness
If you’re guilty of wasting one food it’s probably bread. Here’s the all-too-common situation: You just twisted open a basic bag of sliced sandwich bread at home, but then you go ahead and buy an artisanal loaf to accompany tonight’s dinner-for-two anyway. (After all, they are very different breads.) Then...
Edgewood residents invited to decorate windows with paper eggs
With Peter Cottontail likely under stay-at-home orders just like everyone else, people in Edgewood Borough are planning their own Easter egg hunting fun. Neighbors are being encouraged to decorate paper eggs and place them in windows, on doors or in other places where passersby can see them. Eggs can go...
Greensburg Garden Center’s annual May Mart canceled
The annual May Mart Plant Sale, scheduled for May 1-2 at the Greensburg Garden Center, has been canceled, according to organizers. The event is one of the group’s largest fundraisers of the year....
Bitter business for maple syrup makers amid virus outbreak
MARSHFIELD, Vt. — The sap has been flowing for weeks in trees in maple country, but syrup sales may not be so swift, with restaurants and specialty food shops closed, sugaring events canceled and fans staying home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. In the largest maple-producing state,...
‘Priceless’: 97-year-old Latrobe woman’s Facebook baking sessions go viral
It started with a live Facebook baking session as a way to connect with some socially distanced friends. Like a yeast dough left untended, it grew and grew and grew. Suddenly, Lucy Pollock, a 97-year-old home baker from Latrobe, became a social media sensation. A couple of weeks ago, Mary...
Coronavirus taking big bite out of Easter candy sales for region’s makers
Coronavirus-related business closures are taking a hefty bite out of area confectioners’ Easter candy sales. With chocolate bunnies, eggs and other seasonal sweets accounting for about half of annual revenue, it’s a situation that could put some companies out of business. “It’s devastating, actually,” said John Mandak, owner of Valos...
Have gardening questions? Master Gardeners’ hotline has answers
Home gardeners can have their questions answered beginning April 1 via the annual garden hotline sponsored by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County. The hotline is a free service offered through the Penn State Extension Office to help Westmoreland County residents with various gardening questions and concerns, including...
No need for soap or cleaners; washing produce with running water is enough
At the intersection of worrying about being infected by the coronavirus and what to do about groceries brought into the house, some are washing their produce with soapy water — even bleach or vinegar solutions — to try to kill the virus and other germs that may be on their...
Living with Children: More on picky eaters
Per the old Chinese saying, “May you live in interesting times,” it may be that the most interesting of times are those when people do not want to hear the truth — as in the present, or so it would seem. I did not intend to write a follow-up to...
Taco Bell offering free tacos Tuesday
While many restaurants and businesses are closed during the coronavirus outbreak, some are still offering food and takeout. Amid all this, Taco Bell announced that they are giving away beef tacos on Tuesday. Addressing the coronavirus outbreak, the company posted on Saturday night: “Now more than ever, we could all...
10 ways to make better photo memories when you can travel again
How to keep travel memories alive? Incorporate these steps into your travel routine before you head out the next time. Some are as easy as planning a meet-up with locals who know the lay of the land; others are about collecting information you can use when you return home. Here...
Travel tip: Cruise line offers credit to passengers changing plans
Royal Caribbean is offering a “Cruise With Confidence” plan to passengers already booked on a cruise, or those thinking about booking. The Future Cruise Credit plan allows passengers to cancel bookings on any cruise that embarks through July 31 from any port for credit on a future cruise. Cancellations must...
97-year-old Latrobe woman livestreams baking lessons on FacebookVideo
Back in the day, mothers and grandmothers passed down their culinary knowledge to daughters and granddaughters side-by-side in the kitchen, waiting to mix in an egg or lick extra icing from the spoon. On Sunday, 97-year-old Lucy Pollock, of Latrobe, will do the same. The only difference is that her...
Couples in quarantine: Stress, anxiety, fear of the unknown
The 60-something husband works in the food industry and still insists upon leaving every day for work, saying he needs to keep his business afloat. His frightened wife desperately wants him to stay home. For another couple, in the midst of a separation, the bitterly fought issue is the kids...
