Lifestyles category, Page 206
6 ways to make kitchen prep work easier and tidier
When you spend as much time in the kitchen as I do, you pick up a few tricks along the way. Some are designed to simplify recipe prep work. Others help make cleanup easier, which means I can instead use those precious minutes to enjoy what I cooked — or...
Living with Children: Public education forecast
I receive a steady stream of missives from teachers, ex-teachers and other folks who have insider knowledge of America’s schools. They all say the same thing — classroom discipline is falling apart and has been for some time — and ask the same question: What can be done? Public-school administrators...
Pick Pa.’s best root crops
Root crops have long been popular with gardeners. While our ancestors dug wild roots to supplement their diets, modern humans have spent decades breeding and selecting root crops to develop the delicious and nutritious root crops we grow today. Many root crops contain a broad diversity of vitamins and minerals,...
Snowbirds trade vacation homes for winters at 5-star resorts
When Upper East Siders Adelle and Robert Rathe boarded a flight to Saint Martin in mid-January, they left behind a typically cold New York day. By the time they return from their resort getaway in mid-April, the trees in Central Park will have started to bloom. The Rathes are hardly...
Wary of dating a much older man
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I’ve recently started chatting online with a considerably older man — closer to my parents’ age than mine. I swiped right because I thought he was attractive, but I didn’t really expect to ever meet up with him. A few weeks and...
Beer from 1886 shipwreck may yield new brew
COBLESKILL, N.Y. — Ahoy, beer lovers: A bottle from a 133-year-old shipwreck may yield yeast for a new brew in upstate New York. Biotechnology students at the State University of New York at Cobleskill uncorked a bottle from the shipwrecked SS Oregon on Thursday. Serious Brewing Company of Howes Cave...
A few feel-good moments to remember from NY Fashion Week
NEW YORK (AP) — Fashion Week has ended in New York, leaving a trail of sequins and feathers, worn-out stilettos and blisters and traffic jams. But sometimes, fashion feels good: there were some moments of genuine, happy emotion. Here are a few feel-good moments of the week: —— BARRY IN...
Pittsburghers vote to send Kennywood token to the moon
A tiny piece of Kennywood Park may soon blast its way into space. A token from the West Mifflin amusement park is the voters’ choice to represent Pittsburgh culture in the first commercial moon landing in 2021. More than 20,000 votes from Western Pennsylvania (and beyond) were cast as part...
Prantl’s offering free Burnt Almond Torte for a year
Get ready for two phrases that taste great together: “Free year’s supply of” and “Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte.” In celebration of National Almond Day, the famed Pittsburgh-based bakery is offering patrons a shot at the sweet prize. That’s right, the very same cake that Food Network named best cake in...
Foodscape expert Brie Arthur to speak at Uniontown program
Noted horticulturist and foodscape expert Brie Arthur will speak at a March 23 program in Uniontown. Hosted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Fayette County, the event is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Grayson House at 157 Riggin Hill Road. Arthur will discuss how to interplant ornamentals with...
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s tableware gets Architectural Digest shout out
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s line of tableware, Penn + Fairmount, is barely 2 years old. And for the (at least) second time, it has been singled out and earned high marks from design industry giants. During the recent NY NOW winter market, it caught the attention of Architectural Digest and was...
4 ways to support your local insects
Question: I just read an alarming article about the decline in the insect population. I know that in addition to writing about gardening, you also write about insects. Can you tell me what homeowners like me can do to help insects and slow their decline? Thank you. Answer: What a...
Four area restaurants retain AAA Diamond luster
Four Southwestern Pennsylvania restaurants have retained coveted annual AAA Diamond awards in this year’s listing of elite eateries released this week by the motoring and travel organization. Two of the high-rated restaurants are at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Fayette County. Lautrec, which features French cuisine, holds AAA’s top...
Beach house standoff
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My wife and I have a beach house. When we bought it 12 years ago, we established one firm rule — no one could use it when we’re not there. And we’re very cautious about inviting relatives or friends to stay with...
Sunrise view is goal of snowshoe hike up Laurel Mountain
Winter outdoors enthusiasts are invited to take part in a free Rise N’ Shine snowshoe hike Feb. 23 in the Laurel Highlands’ Forbes State Forest. Geared toward families, the moderately-paced, two-hour hike begins at 7 a.m. and will take participants to a scenic high point on Laurel Mountain, to enjoy...
Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society includes Ohio exhibit in show
The Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society will feature regional and tri-state area glass/pottery dealers in its 42nd annual show and sale, set for March 2-3 at the Quality Inn in New Kensington, 300 Tarentum Bridge Road. Included will be American glassware from the 1880s to Art Deco to the...
Should kids be forced to call adults by their honorific?
Dear Carolyn: I hate honorifics for myself and want to be called by my first name, period. Some kids in my life have parents who say they HAVE to call me Ms. Lastname or at least Ms. Firstname. They insist it’s important to them that their kids “show respect.” I...
Ligonier Valley Writers plan session on family writing projects
Ligonier Valley Writers will lead a free program on family writing projects from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Ligonier Valley Library, 120 E. Main St. The program is aimed at parents or grandparents and children ages 4 and up, but adults who write for children or others interested in...
Homemade cake pops, cookies perfect for Valentine’s DayVideo
Add some pop to the menu this Valentine’s Day. Homemade cake pops make the perfect gift for your significant other. Nechama Huber of Greenfield, owner of The Pop Cakery, a company with a certified kosher kitchen, makes and sells customized chocolate treats, including cake pops (round and heart shaped), chocolate-dipped...
What’s Brewing? Is there really chocolate in your beer?
There are some pretty chocolaty tasting porters and stouts out there. After trying a sample for yourself, even you would be certain there is chocolate in the beer. But is the beer brewed with actual chocolate, or is it something else that is producing that taste? It might surprise you...
Shoes pulled from Katy Perry line after blackface criticism
LOS ANGELES — Katy Perry’s fashion line has pulled two types of shoes after some people compared them to blackface. The Ora Face Block Heel and Rue Face Slip-On Loafers were released last summer in nine different colors. They included protruding eyes, nose and red lips. In a statement released...
Daffodil Days return as American Cancer Society spring fundraiser
The American Cancer Society has announced its annual spring fundraiser, Daffodil Days. The colorful first flower of spring represents a campaign to bring hope to cancer patients and those affected by the disease, the nonprofit states. Funds raised through sales help support groundbreaking research, patient services and other cancer society...
South Side Soup Contest guarantees to warm your belly
The popular South Side Soup Contest that brings more than 1,200 participants into the Pittsburgh neighborhood for an afternoon of soup sampling is taking a cue from Disney World with the modification of its VIP ticket to include a FastPass feature. “This year’s VIP FastPass ticket will allow ticket-holders to...
Shake things up with these Valentine’s Day cocktails
It doesn’t matter if it’s surf and turf, a heart-shaped pizza or death by chocolate, Valentine’s Day meals should be chased with a special libation or two. Soft drinks and tap water just won’t do. If you are looking to capture your loved one’s, or your intended’s eye, along with...
Heart-shaped pies turn pizza into romantic Valentine’s Day fareVideo
Making dinner reservations or preparing a home-cooked meal for Valentine’s Day can be stressful. No worries. Numerous area pizzerias will play Cupid for you, rolling out a heart-shaped pie that you can share with your sweetheart. And as Feb. 14 approaches, their phones start ringing. Holiday pizzas popular Area pizzerias’...
