Lifestyles category, Page 167
Out & About: Pooches party at inaugural Dog Days of Summer event
On the run-up to the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival, there was something approximating a Dogstock on Aug. 11 at the Twin Lakes Park Expansion Area in Hempfield. It was the inaugural Westmoreland County Dog Days of Summer, a one-stop shopping event for information on area pet adoption...
What’s Brewing? Pairings for that lager, IPA and every other kind of beer
There are still a lot of parties and social gatherings happening as we finish the summer of 2019. And where there are parties and gatherings, inevitably there is craft beer and food. You don’t have to be an expert on either subject to pair the two. With just a little...
Get a taste of the inaugural Greensburg Restaurant Week
Local chefs are inviting diners to “be our guest” during the inaugural Greensburg Restaurant Week on Aug. 19-25. Seventeen restaurants and cafés in downtown Greensburg and along Route 30 in Hempfield are following the lead of other U.S. cities — including Pittsburgh — that roll out incentives during August, one...
Dole recalls baby spinach for salmonella concerns
Dole is recalling batches of baby spinach amid salmonella concerns. The company issued a voluntary recall for 6-ounce bags (Lot code W20308A) and 10-ounce clamshells (Lot code W203010), both with use-by dates of Aug. 5. No illnesses have been reported, but a sample of baby spinach tested positive for salmonella...
Olive Garden offering a lifetime pasta pass
Olive Garden’s pasta pass promotion is coming back and will offer a supersize option. On Thursday at 2 p.m. ET the restaurant chain is releasing its Never Ending Pasta Pass for $100 (plus tax), as it has for several years. There will be only 24,000 passes available for 30 minutes...
Out & About: Theater-goers enjoy signature Saint Vincent cabaret
The reviews were in at the Aug. 9 after-theater cabaret at the Saint Vincent Summer Theatre at Saint Vincent College — “Always … Patsy Cline” was a big hit! The musical portrays the true story of superfan Louise Seger’s unlikely friendship with her musical idol, starting with a chance meeting...
Mercurio’s offers a little taste of Italy by the slice or in a coneVideo
Authentic Neapolitan pizza and award-winning gelato has landed in O’Hara. Mercurio’s, a family owned and operated Italian eatery in Shadyside since 2012, opened a second location in June at 1335 Freeport Road. Three sibling co-owners, Anna Crucitt and Michael and Joe Mercurio, were raised around the original family gelato business...
Out & About: Strollers come out for Ligonier classic car cruiseVideo
A traffic jam isn’t a common occurrence in Ligonier, but there was a good reason for the congestion Aug. 9. It was the night of The Stroll, the annual antique and classic car cruise, dance contest and all-around good time. Warm temperatures and clear skies brought out dozens of cherished...
New lunchboxes ideas to kick off the new school year
A new lunchbox is one of the more fun back-to-school purchases you can make, and a cool one can be a bright spot in your kid’s day. These days, there are loads of choices, some simple, some with lots of bells and whistles. “There are so many more options for...
Out & About: Diners enjoy farm-to-table fare at watershed farm
How’s this for a mouth-watering summer dinner menu: • Garden gazpacho with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers • Watermelon and feta salad with arugula and honey herb vinaigrette • Thai kohlrabi salad with smoked salmon • Grilled street corn with Baja sauce, chili powder and Parmesan cheese • Green tomato pork...
Erie Canal boating rivals vaunted European river cruises
Some folks dream of riding along canals in Europe, but we can do the same thing much closer to home. Two of my friends and I navigated a 41-foot packet boat for a round-trip voyage of 88 miles on the Erie Canal from Macedon, N.Y., near Rochester, to Holley, N.Y....
Olive Garden offers diners up to 5, $5 take-home dinners
Pasta times five — for $5 each — is on the menu at Olive Garden through the rest of the year. The Italian restaurant’s promotion, previously a limited time offer, now offers guests $5 Take Home meals all year. Diners who order any any entrée in-restaurant (including kids’ entrées) can...
Travel tip: Ohio town hosts ‘Shawshank’ anniversary celebration
Fans of “The Shawshank Redemption” are invited to a 25th anniversary celebration from Aug. 16-18 in Mansfield, Ohio, where the classic prison break movie was filmed around the old Ohio State Reformatory. Cast members including Bob Gunton (Warden Norton) will attend, along with director/screenwriter/producer Frank Darabont and Turner Classic Movies...
12 tips for making the best pesto
Pesto is a simple and delicious summer staple. Without it, think of all the basil that would go to waste! But the trouble with this sauce is that it doesn’t always go so well. Here are 12 tips for how you can make your most perfect pesto. 1. Clean your...
Living with Children: Alpha speech, a matter of properly conveying authority
Question: Some friends of ours who’ve read a couple of your books and attended one of your talks told us that they solved some major discipline problems with their 4-year-old just by using what they called alpha speech. They tried to explain it to us, but we’d like to get...
Son, daughter-in-law reject ‘circus-like’ family gatherings
Dear Carolyn: My oldest son has informed me he is finished with family gatherings “like a circus” and only wants to visit my husband and me in the future. The “circus” consists of his two brothers, their wives and one granddaughter. The excuse is that he and his wife have...
The culprit to blame for missing flower buds
I’ve heard from a few gardeners this season, asking about what’s happening to their flower buds. The damage, at first, seems like it may be rabbits, deer or groundhogs nibbling off the flower buds before they can open, but after a bit of investigation, it’s often discovered that a small...
Staycation destination: Westmoreland Heritage Trail
The Westmoreland Heritage Trail offers cyclists a chance to see the county’s natural beauty and rich history, all while getting some exercise. While a section connecting Export and Delmont has yet to be completed — that section presents the difficult problem of how to safely cross Route 66 — with...
It’s time for wine at the annual Penn’s Colony event
Enjoy a glass of wine on a summer day underneath a shade tree. The annual Wine Time at the Colony, set for 1-6 p.m. Aug. 17 at the Penn’s Colony grounds in Saxonburg, Clinton Township, will feature vinos from Pennsylvania and New York. The annual event had previously been held...
You can buy an extinct volcano in England for $60,000
You don’t have to be a James Bond villain to own a volcano. There’s patch of woods sitting atop an ancient volcanic outcrop in England that just might suit your needs. It’ll cost you about $60,000 to join the global ranks of volcano owners. The property is part of the...
Macy’s Backstage coming to Ross Park Mall
Macy’s will open its fourth Western Pennsylvania Backstage location on Saturday. Ross Park Mall will join South Hills Village, Monroeville Mall and Westmoreland Mall as regional locations with Backstage stores. Backstage is an extension of the department store and offers merchandise at significant savings. This latest shop is approximately 12,000...
Lincoln Highway Experience plans night of friendly competition
A night of friendly competition is planned for Aug. 23 at the Lincoln Highway Experience in Unity. Starting at 6 p.m., the “Thinkin’ Lincoln Summer Classic” will feature fun individual and team competitions both outside and in the museum’s new addition. Individual games will include basketball, fold a pie box...
Some common garden plants might help keep bugs away
If mosquitoes, gnats, black flies and no-see-ums are driving you buggy, then consider cozying up to some lavender, marigolds or basil. Scientists question their overall effectiveness, but many fragrant ornamental flowers and herbs grown around the home have properties that can repel insects. Insect repellents are divided into two primary...
Topiary tips: When you want shrubs to double as sculpture
Topiary is the art of growing trees and shrubs as living sculptures — cubes, spheres, obelisks, animal shapes or combinations of these. The tradition has flourished in various places at different times, but in modern gardens, topiary is rare, unless you count our foundation plantings of clipped yews and junipers...
When is the right time to dig potatoes?
Question: We have a few raised beds in our backyard. We’ve grown zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and basil for the last few years, and we planted seed potatoes in one of the beds earlier this spring. The plants are green and very big, but we aren’t sure when to dig the...
