Lifestyles category, Page 136
McDonald’s celebrates half-century of ‘scentsational’ Quarter Pounder
Almost 50 years ago, McDonald’s began introducing America to what would become one of its signature sandwiches — the Quarter Pounder. Created by a franchise operator in 1971 and hitting menus nationwide in 1973, the sandwich remains a favorite with the chain’s loyalists. Enthusiasts now have a line of Quarter...
Backyard gardeners can act to help bee populations
Chemicals are routinely applied around residential landscapes to kill insect pests and troublesome weeds, but many are indiscriminate and devastate pollinators in the process. Over the past 30-plus years, pollinator populations have crashed worldwide due to a variety of reasons, including pesticide and herbicide exposure, invasive pests and diseases, loss...
True geraniums are hardy, disease- and pest-resistant perennials
Question: I just found out that geraniums aren’t actually geraniums! I’ve been growing them in a porch pot for years and didn’t realize there’s also a perennial called a geranium. What’s the difference between them and are the perennial ones worth growing? Answer: When most gardeners read the name “geranium,”...
Dig into seed catalogs before you dig in the dirt
The ebbs and flows of gardening parallel the fashion world. One year plant breeders turn everything lime green, and the next it’s deep red. Seed sales slump some years, then return with a vengeance for various reasons, often in times of economic uncertainty. I sometimes feel like a sort of...
Allagash Brewing Company bringing brews to Pittsburgh
This beer will travel from Portland to Pittsburgh. Allagash Brewing Company, based in Portland, Maine, will begin distributing in Western Pennsylvania. The brews will be sold through Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale Co. on Pittsburgh’s South Side starting March 30. Allagash is a Belgian-inspired brewery and its beers are distributed in...
Rare 45-year-old Irish whiskey released with $40K price tag
Described as rich, earthy and peppery, a “unicorn” whiskey from Ireland is now available with the hefty price tag of $40,000. The first bottles of Midleton Very Rare, produced by Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland, were released with a tasting and launch on Tuesday night in London. The whiskey,...
Ohiopyle State Park program in need of citizen scientists
As part of a new program called “Tree Measuring,” Ohiopyle State Park is seeking “citizen scientists” to help measure the park’s trees. The Fayette County park has some of the state’s, and in some cases, the northeastern section of the nation’s, tallest trees, says Rose Fuge Bando, environmental education specialist....
East End Brewing’s cider being launched in cans and keg versions
East End Brewing is launching cans and kegs of its hard cider. Along Came A Cider is described as a semi-dry cider made from fresh apple juice from Kistaco Farms in Apollo. The brewery has made the cider since 2009 but wasn’t legally allowed to can it because of its...
Sweet, salty salmon gets a kick from Asian-inspired glaze
If you want a fancy-yet-easy main dish, look no further than baked salmon fillets. This baked salmon comes out beautifully with little to no effort. The marinade is an interesting blend of sweet and sour flavors. It’s similar to a teriyaki sauce, though it takes its main spice ingredients from...
The best version of nutty muddies goes a little salty
This is for chocolate-peanut-butter lovers everywhere. A salty-sweet spin on the sugar-coated cereal snack known as muddy buddies, this version adds pretzels and salted peanuts to the mix. If you want to package these like a box of chocolate, form the mix into clusters in the variation below. Salty-Sweet Nutty...
Vote for your favorite during annual South Side Soup Contest
Carmella Salem and Michael Alberter, co-owners of Carmella’s Plates and Pints on East Carson Street, South Side, know how to beat winter’s chill with a hearty bowl of homemade soup. They also know how to beat the competition in two out of four categories in the South Side Soup Contest,...
Top Tips From the Wine Cellar: 4 South African bottles to try
Pittsburgh might seem an unlikely epicenter for America’s education on South African wines, but that doesn’t faze Certified Sommelier and wine “translator” Adam Knoerzer. A Pittsburgh resident for the last nine years, Knoerzer in 2019 won the Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup national competition in New York and then...
In Disney version of ‘Extreme Makeover,’ castle gets updatedVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Even Cinderella needs an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Disney officials said Monday that the iconic Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World in Florida would be renovated over the next several months. The most noticeable changes will be the addition of gold trim to most of the castle...
Battle of the Beasts at Mr. Smalls in Millvale combines music, art and fashion
Honeybees are the influence behind a fashion show collaboration coming to Mr. Smalls Theatre this weekend. A trio of artists — Stuart Frick of Pittsburgh, who makes hand-painted clothing, the Pittsburgh-based band Hunnycomb and Pittsburgh painter and photographer Mariah Wild – got together to incorporate the insects into their assignment...
Colorful Depression era glass show returns to New Kensington
Trying to pass on an appreciation of antique, colorful glassware, the Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society is offering free admission to visitors under the age of 30 for their glass show March 7 and 8 at the Quality Inn in New Kensington. The 43rd annual Three Rivers Depression Era...
Out & About: From joy to despair, ‘The Art of Love’ covers it allVideo
From joy to despair, all aspects of love are covered in “The Art of Love,” a group exhibition running through Feb. 29 in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. As curator and exhibitor Mary Ellen Raneri put it, artists were “invited to explore love in all its splendor and non-splendid...
Snapping into place: Jigsaw puzzles have ardent following
There are jigsaw puzzle nights at coffee shops and libraries. Puzzle groups and puzzle games online. Hand-cut wooden puzzles that cost thousands of dollars. And puzzle designs that range from edgy, original artwork to your own, custom-ordered family photos. Jigsaw puzzles for grown-ups are in vogue. “I was not as...
Out & About: Reception offers first view of African-American art
Members and patrons of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art were invited to a Feb. 15 preview reception on the eve of the opening of “African American Art in the 20th Century,” a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Attendees heard remarks from Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO Anne...
Out & About: Animal Friends hosts Monopoly-themed cash bash
The guest of honor entered the Animal Friends of Westmoreland cash bash both giving and receiving kisses. “She’s the sweetest thing. She’s the shelter favorite,” said volunteer coordinator Kim Crosby about Rhyann, a 9-year-old pit bull who was surrendered by her owner and has been in the shelter for five...
Remember When: Feb. 17
100 years ago Truck seized by U.S. carrying liquor An automobile truck with $2,000 of whisky and wine headed from New York City to Vandergrift was seized by federal authorities when the vehicle stalled near Greensburg. The incident occurred weeks after the nationwide prohibition of liquor was underway. 75 years...
Bud Light hopes to cash in on seltzer trendVideo
If you tried to affix the word “seltzer” to “Bud Light” 15 years ago, you would have been laughed out of the hallowed halls of Anheuser-Busch. Back then, Bud Light was the unrivaled king of American beer. It not only sold far more than any other brand in the U.S....
There is an art to toasting nuts, and here’s how to do it
I sometimes joke and say that as a Southern cook, I use pecans like other chefs use salt and pepper. That is to say, on just about everything. I love pecans and every other nut because they add a crunchy texture and an earthy sweet — nuttier — flavor to...
Living with Children: More big mistakes parents make
This is the second in a series of three columns on the Biggest Mistakes Parents Make (and How to Stop Making Them!). Last week, I identified giving children explanations for parental instructions, giving children lots of choices, putting wonderful relationship with one’s kids at the top of one’s parenting priorities,...
Public can comment on rule to limit support animals on planes
Roosters have boarded airplanes. So have turkeys, ducks and monkeys — all in the name of service. These animals allegedly helped their owners stay calm. Never mind that they may have had the opposite effect on nearby passengers. The “emotional support” designation also helped owners save money — calming, indeed,...
Travel tip: Pittsburgh is cloudiest U.S. city, but not world’s worst
Here’s another Steel City superlative that you probably suspected: Pittsburgh is the cloudiest city in the United States. According to worldatlas.com, the ‘Burgh averages 77% cloud cover and sees the sun for about 2,021 hours annually. So where to go for a dose of Old Sol? Here are the sunniest...
