Lifestyles category, Page 186
Easy-breezy: Planning ahead can make your picnic just that
As the weather warms up, many of us start thinking about enjoying our meals outdoors as we enjoy the fun of summer. Whether you are taking in a concert in the park, a stop roadside on your way to the beach or just stepping out to your deck, a seamless,...
Safe selfies: Here’s a checklist for taking your travel photos
Are you practicing safe selfies? It might be time to examine your photo-clicking habits and put caution first. In late March, a man visiting the Grand Canyon from Hong Kong tripped while taking a photo, falling over a 1,000-foot rim to his death. According to a 2018 report in the...
How to solve those carrot problems
Carrots are among the easiest crops to cultivate in a home garden. They’re easily grown from inexpensive seed with reliable germination rates. Carrots are tolerant of both cold and hot weather, and if you sow a few more seeds every week or two, you’ll have a continual carrot harvest from...
‘Hoss’ the Ohio hair ball is 125 pounds and counting
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio — What’s 4 feet tall, 125 pounds and is covered in hair? No, it’s not Cousin Itt of the Addams Family. It’s Hoss, the giant ball of human hair. Hoss, named after Dan Blocker’s character from “Bonanza,” is an oblong shape and is, well, hairy. Hundreds of people...
Buy a house in Italy for less than a cappuccino
Two bucks will buy you a house in the Italian countryside. Many of Italy’s ancient towns are losing residents so community leaders are taking action. The city of Mussomeli, in Sicily, is an example of a place desperate to rebuild its population. In fact, they will give you a house...
Ligonier Country Market opens for season
The Ligonier Country Market will open for its 44th season on May 18 at the Loyalhanna Watershed Association Farm, off West Main Street and Route 30 in Ligonier. The market will be held from 8 a.m.-noon, rain or shine, each Saturday through September, says Cari Frei, executive director. Featured are...
Charities find challenges go along with doing good works
There are dozens of charities and nonprofits at work in the area, some large and high-profile and others smaller and more limited in scope. They serve the hungry, the homeless and those struggling with issues of mental, spiritual and physical health. Not all their clients are human, either. Some have...
New shrub rose hybrids are easy to care for, easy to love
Roses are among the oldest flowers in cultivation, although many have earned a reputation as fussy or difficult to grow. Some of the newer shrub rose hybrids, however, are disease-resistant, carefree and repeat-blooming — just the qualities novice gardeners love. “They are generally much healthier, more free-flowering, easier to prune...
Potting, growing succulent plants is simple
Question: I am in love with all of these great succulent plants that I keep seeing at garden centers. I’d like to plant a bunch of containers full of them for my garden. We go away a lot in the summer, and I know they don’t have to be watered...
Vatican Gardens filled with holy history
Twelve years ago, I was lucky enough to visit Rome with my wife, celebrating our 25th anniversary. We had never traveled internationally before, so the mysteries of a different country and language were both thrilling and daunting. I knew there were gardens at the Vatican and wanted desperately to see...
Taco Bell Hotel & Resort will have sauce packet floaties in the pool
You can spend your summer vacation at Taco Bell. If you’re a big fan of the Mexican cuisine, fast-food chain you’re going to love this immersive taco-themed getaway. It’s called The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort and it will be located in, you guessed it, California. Palm Springs...
Pittsburgh chef Justin Severino plans cafe near North Park
Renowned Pittsburgh chef Justin Severino is taking on another challenge. By summer’s end, he hopes to open a yet-to-be-named casual, California-inspired cafe in McCandless near North Park. Severino closed his popular Cure restaurant in Lawrenceville a few months ago and already had announced plans to open another venture, Larder of...
Girl Scouts raising funds at Ligonier Country Market
In an effort to raise funds for trips next year, two area Girl Scout troops will have stations at Ligonier Country Market this summer, says Cari Frei, market manager. Ligonier Girl Scout Troop 46136 will sell girl-made specialty gummy bears, including vegan and sugar-free. The troop is raising money to...
Barattolo opens at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort’s newest dining experience, Barattolo, offers guests the chance to savor the flavors of Italy at the Farmington, Fayette County, resort. The restaurant opened May 15, with a grand opening planned for Memorial Day weekend, a resort spokeswoman says. The new restaurant is located in the former Caddyshack,...
15-foot great white shark heading toward Outer BanksVideo
A 15-foot great white shark is moving up the coast toward the Outer Banks. Researchers are tracking the 2,137-pound fish as it migrates past South Carolina on course for North Carolina’s beaches. OCEARCH, a nonprofit that tags and tracks sharks, reports that the female shark, named Luna, was detected May...
Pickled Chef products coming to Greensburg Shop ‘n Save
Lovers of The Pickled Chef now have another source for their favorite piquant products. Items are now in stock at Shop ‘n Save, 730 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. “We are thrilled to have partnered with the Charley’s, a fellow Greensburg business and family, to provide our local, artisanal small-batch, hand-crafted...
Lovely lime squares bring just enough zing
If you’re a fan of all things citrus, you’re going to love these tart little lime squares. Just 5 ingredients give you a bright and cheery dessert that goes great washed down with hot tea or ice cold milk. I could pretty much commit to only eating desserts that incorporate...
The Wine Cellar: 3 tips for graduation party wine picks
The end of May brings graduations aplenty. Graduations, of course, bring festive parties at every turn. And every fun party must offer tasty libations. With graduation party wines, following a few simple tips makes it easy. First, the wines must be convenient to open and serve. That means avoiding the...
Is the U.S. ready for ruby chocolate?
The world’s largest chocolate market is finally getting a taste of the ruby range, the first new type in more than 80 years. Switzerland’s Barry Callebaut, the top maker of bulk chocolates, is rolling out its ruby breakthrough in the United States almost two years after announcing the discovery. The...
‘Ugly’ produce? Don’t waste it, taste it
When picking through produce at a grocery store or farmers market, one’s first inclination might be to look for only the best. That mindset, however, can contribute to a great deal of waste, as some consumers decline to purchase foods that don’t meet the “pretty” test. Imperfect looking food, though,...
Master herbalist to speak at Pittsburgh event
Sara-Chana Silverstein went through a range of feelings after finding herself sitting at her daughter’s hospital bedside and then for months in a rehabilitation facility. The young girl had been hit by a tow truck, which doctors thought might have caused an undetected blood clot in her spine months later...
Tailgate with Trisha Yearwood before the Pittsburgh Garth Brooks show
One of the superstar couples in country music — Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood — met long before either one of them was famous. In the 1980s, both were demo singers, people who perform a song for those hoping to get the tune they wrote get noticed. “We sounded so...
New museum opening at Statue of Liberty
NEW YORK — A new museum opening at the Statue of Liberty is giving visitors another opportunity to explore its history and the impact the iconic structure has had on the world. The 26,000-square-foot museum on Liberty Island, scheduled to open to the public on Thursday, is the new home...
Disney will use Stormtroopers to police ‘Star Wars’ land time limit
“Move along.” It’s something any true “Star Wars” fan would love hearing from a real Stormtrooper. But, wait. They’re serious? With tons — and we mean TONS — of people desperate to visit Disney’s new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction in California and Orlando, the Los Angeles Times reports the...
WQED announces PBS writers’ contest finalists
WQED invites the public to vote for the “Reader’s Choice Winner” in its 2019 PBS KIDS Writers Contest from May 24-31. The contest is made possible locally by the EQT Foundation. Partnering with WQED this year is West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB); PBS 39 (WLVT), serving eastern Pennsylvania and western...
