Lifestyles category, Page 154
The 9 best cheeses to use in mac and cheese
Instant mac and cheese might pass the test for as a college dorm room quick fix, but everyone knows that nothing beats the homemade stuff. At its best, the real deal — made from scratch — can truly transcend you to a carb-loving comfort food heaven. Whether it’s baked into...
Living with Children: The ‘portal’ lures parents into micromanaging school work
The portal. It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, the gateway to an alternative universe that lures, then traps the unwary, in its nefarious web of illusion, where things are never what they seem. If the previous sentence sounded to you like Rod Serling intoning the intro...
How to harvest fresh herbs in the winter
While the first frost certainly signals the end of fresh basil harvests, it doesn’t have to signal the end of all herb harvests, especially if you’re willing to get a little creative. With a little effort, you can harvest several types of fresh herbs all winter long by potting up...
Carnegie Mellon University lauded for its connection to the Tony AwardsVideo
When a Broadway actor wins a Tony Award, he or she often thanks a teacher, that one person who was an inspiration for the winner’s passion for the theater. That’s what the two women who plan the annual Tony Awards shared with a group of Carnegie Mellon University students on...
Cheer on wrestlers at Pioneer Hose in Brackenridge
Let’s get ready to rumble. The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance, based in Lawrenceville, will showcase a number of matches Nov. 9 at Pioneer Hose Company in Brackenridge. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10. “Rebel Rumble” will help raise money for Brandy Marie Cheer, nicknamed the Rebels, based in...
Pink or blue? Some gender reveal parties take dangerous turn
It was supposed to be a happy moment, a chance to declare the sex of a soon-to-be-born baby with a blast of color and burst of attention on social media. But the gender reveal party explosion that killed an Iowa woman this weekend highlights the extreme lengths some families go...
These are the best ways to save seeds
Question: Now that the gardening season is over, we would like to save some seeds from our flowers and vegetables to replant in the garden next year. What’s the best way for us to do this, and can we save seeds from all plants or just certain ones? Answer: Saving...
Students get hands-on in Pioneer Education Center’s sensory garden
The soft plumes of tall, ornamental grass sway in the breeze in the Sensory Garden at Pioneer Education Center in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The school was designed and built as a special education center. Many of its students are medically fragile with multiple disabilities. The garden at Pioneer...
Out & About: Excela Brush of Hope mixes painting, educationVideo
When Dana Rizzo went through breast cancer treatment at Excela Health during 2013, she had no idea that she’d end up as the television and radio voice of the health care system. But a year later, there she was. The New Alexandria voice-over artist told her story during Excela’s Brush...
Former WPXI reporter/anchor Courtney Brennan connects followers to jewelerVideo
Courtney Brennan left the world of television news and quickly became a sought-after social influencer. The Emmy-award winning journalist from Lawrenceville, who left WPXI-TV at the end of May, has partnered with Henne Jewelers. Through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, she’s connecting with her followers to highlight high-end jewelry pieces. Brennan...
Taco Bell’s free taco promotion happening WednesdayVideo
Taco Bell’s “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” promotion is a go this year and is happening Wednesday. The annual promotion offers diners a free taco if a base is stolen during the World Series. This year’s taco hero is Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals for taking a bag...
California wine production mostly unaffected by wildfires
The headlines sound ominous: “Devastating Fires in Northern California Wine Country.” One might think the industry has been brought to its knees and that the wine will stop flowing from the likes of Napa and Sonoma. The facts to date tell a different story. When the fires broke out in...
Nutty, cookie crust makes a better pumpkin pie
How do you make the classic pumpkin pie even better? Replace your basic pie crust with this delicious pecan sandy cookie crust instead. Pecan candies bring a delicious buttery, nutty goodness to everyone’s all-time favorite holiday pie. The unexpected twist adds some mild fun without upsetting the pumpkin pie purists....
What’s the difference between stock and broth?
For most of my cooking life, I thought “stock” and “broth” were just two different terms for the same thing. (Perhaps one was old timey and the other new age.) I didn’t really think much about those savory meat-flavored liquids beyond the occasion I wanted to make soup. But as...
Scary good cocktails make celebrating Halloween sweeter
With wineries holding trick-or-treat events for adults, and restaurants and bars hosting Halloween for the 21-and up crowd, who says the holiday is strictly for kids? And speaking of wineries and bars, what’s a holiday without a few special, signature cocktails? The mixologists at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, where revelers...
The Wine Cellar: An insider’s peek at Northern Italy’s wineries
It’s a privilege to visit vineyards during the hectic harvest season. Seeing ripening grapes hanging heavily on the vines provides a thrill and creates an appreciation for the hard work required to produce a tasty bottle of wine. A recent tour of three leading northern Italian wineries proved the point....
You can still save those green tomatoes
The last green and blushing tomatoes still hang in the garden. It’s been a longer than usual season and they won’t be harvested until there’s a credible chance of frost. Even then, it’s not critical to have them off the vine, but soon after. Holding a tomato which has just...
It’s Pittsburgh vs. the whole sports world in new trivia game
If watching the Steelers this season isn’t challenging enough, make game night a true game night by adding a few rounds of the new Pittsburgh Against the World Sports Trivia Game. The latest creation of You Gotta Know Games tests fans’ knowledge of not only Pittsburgh sports, but also information...
Paranormal Pennsylvania: Scary Halloween (and beyond) tales abound
It’s the bewitching time of year and Western Pennsylvanians know the region has seen its share of supposed UFOs and Bigfoot sightings for decades to add to the ghostly mix of the season. UFOs Independent film director Cody Knotts premiered “Kecksburg” Sept. 12 to a crowd of more than 1,000...
Popeyes returns ‘sold out’ chicken sandwiches to menuVideo
Popeyes is announcing the return of its popular chicken sandwich by resuming its online “feud” with Chick-fil-A. The sandwich, which sold out in two weeks over the summer, will be available again — permanently — beginning Sunday, Nov. 3. Chick-fil-A outlets are closed on Sundays, a fact Popeyes notes with...
Sewing a place in history, one stitch at a timeVideo
Jessica Young can laugh now, but it was not funny when a client once asked if an article of clothing she had ordered for a re-enactor costume was indeed hand sewn. The stitches, the client believed, were too perfect. “I said, ‘thank you,’” recalls Young, 34, of Trafford. Young is...
Out & About: They’re all good dogs at Humane Society Whisker WalkVideo
Picking the best canine costumes at the annual Humane Society of Westmoreland County Whisker Walk is no easy task, given the “ruff” competition — but judges Margo Donati and Barb Nichols are equal to it. They’ve been doing it for a long time, most recently at this year’s event, held...
A splash of color can refresh the kitchen without a remodel
Some days, do you look around your kitchen and think about ripping it apart and starting fresh? But a full kitchen remodel isn’t in the cards? That’s no reason you can’t give your kitchen’s look and feel a little boost. The easiest way to change things up is to add...
Out & About: Awards dinner attendees test their trivia knowledge
Attendees at the 20th Annual Arthur St. Clair Historic Preservation Awards Dinner tested their local historical knowledge in hopes of winning dinner for eight in the tavern at Historic Hanna’s Town. The event program included a 10-question quiz with no-brainers like, “What PA town dominates the morning news every Feb....
Out & About: Watershed group event celebrates the four seasons
The Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s signature fundraiser reflects its mission of caring for the region’s land and water. Its 35th Annual Art Auction Benefit, held Oct. 26 at Latrobe Country Club, offered patrons the opportunity to bid via live and silent auctions on 32 pieces of art by about two dozen...
