Lifestyles category, Page 135
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...
Tips for growing cauliflower
For many gardeners, cauliflower is a challenging vegetable to grow. Not only do cabbage worms find it irresistible, but it can be persnickety to grow, requiring just the right weather and soil conditions to thrive. Today, I’d like to offer you some cauliflower- growing tips to help increase your chances of...
Sharing a meal: St. Joseph High School plans fundraiser for student battling cancer
Sitting down to eat this dinner will be about more than food for the body. It’s about feeding the spirit. The St. Joseph High School athletic association is hosting a fundraising dinner to support Eli Swierczewski, a senior three-sport athlete. The Harrison resident has been diagnosed with a recurrence of...
Ligonier Country Market branches out with monthly evening vendors
Ligonier Country Market’s popular Saturday morning array of food and artisan vendor booths is expanding this year — to include a monthly evening market. Partnering with the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce, the market will offer about 40 produce and processed food vendors from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on...
New Stanton Cracker Barrel named chain’s ‘store of the year’
Cracker Barrel restaurants are known for hearty meals, folksy decor and front porch rockers. The New Stanton restaurant, at 154 W. Pennsylvania Ave., also is basking in a special accolade these days. Its parent company has declared the site the chain’s “Restaurant Store of the Year” for fiscal year 2019....
Entrepreneurs find niche in small, local downtownsVideo
Jim Seaman is just one of many entrepreneurs zeroing in on — and filling — particular niche markets in the region. He’s also among those choosing to open in downtown business districts, sometimes filling otherwise empty buildings. After earlier operating a coffee shop in Lock Haven and a recent career...
Houseplants become more active as days get longer
Houseplants are quick to tell you when they need help. They display discolored leaves, drooping stems and little or no growth. That usually gives you enough time to make things right. “Plants send signals simply by the way they look,” said Dawn Pettinelli, an Extension educator at the University of...
Easy-to-grow succulents come in a variety of shapes, sizes, textures
A long greenhouse bench is filled with an array of succulents at Soergel’s Garden Center in Wexford. These varieties are indoor plants that have become increasingly popular over the past several seasons. Randy Potter is a general manager here and wears many hats at the nursery. One of his jobs...
Elderberries are beautiful landscape plants and medicinal, too
Question: Everyone in my family takes elderberry syrup in the winter because there’s evidence that it is antiviral and helps fight against the flu. We’d like to start growing our own elderberries and making our own syrup. Are there particular varieties we should grow? Answer: Elderberry (Sambucus spp.) plants have...
McKeesport Candy Co. among locations chosen to wholesale Clark candy bars
McKeesport Candy Co. hit the Clark Bar lottery. Only a select number of businesses were chosen by Boyer Candy Co. for distribution of the sweet piece of Pittsburgh history. Jon H. Prince, owner of McKeesport Candy Co. and candyfavorites.com, said customers won’t be able to buy the bar there, as...
Most popular Valentine’s gifts in each state
OK, guys. By now you either have your Valentine’s Day gift or … well, good luck. But what presents are guys around the country buying the most? The folks at the online store All About Gifts & Baskets used sales data and a survey to customers to put together a...
Make the best breakfast in bed this Valentine’s Day
On any given weekday, breakfast might mean a simple cup of coffee and perhaps a piece of toast — still warm if you’re lucky — gobbled up as you leave a trail of breadcrumbs to the door. But Valentine’s Day is a special day meant for spending with the one...
For the ultimate grilled cheese, use both stovetop and oven
Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food, an adult treat that harkens back to childhood. I never met a grilled cheese sandwich I didn’t like. Where I grew up, there was an old-fashioned drug store with a lunch counter. When the weather was good, my best friend and I would...
Distillery owner looks to boost Somerset County agritourism
Somerset County will soon have a new distillery. By spring 2021, Maximilian Merrill plans to open Ponfeigh Distillery Inc. in Somerset Township. “This is a $3.4 million project,” he says. The distillery will be located along Stoystown Road, following renovation of a long-closed 84 Lumber site. “There will be a...
What’s Brewing? A tasting plan for upcoming Pittsburgh Winter Beerfest
How about a few, new brews to warm up these gloomy February days? The Pittsburgh Winter Beerfest is once again being presented by Fat Head’s Brewery and will be held at the David Lawrence Convention Center Feb. 28-29. Tickets are on sale now. Thousands of people will attend and proceeds...
Want to sleep at Ikea? You can on World Sleep DayVideo
A trip to Ikea is always special. And now it doesn’t have to end at closing time. The Swedish furniture store is letting a few lucky members of its Ikea Family spend the night. But only at select locations — the Ikea Brooklyn (New York) and Ikea Costa Mesa (California)...
Out & About: ‘Pasta Palooza’ benefits humane society mission
If you’ve ever wondered what a “Pasta Palooza” looks like, you’ll have to attend the Humane Society of Westmoreland County’s next Have a Heart Buffet. Held Feb. 9 at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield, the annual event featured a hearty meal of tortellini, rigatoni and stuffed shells with both meatballs and...
