Lifestyles category, Page 143
Everything that top chefs and bartenders hated in 2019
In late August, when Popeyes was selling about 1,000 sandwiches per store per day, it didn’t seem like there were more than three words — “fried chicken sandwich” — in America’s culinary lexicon. And yet when some of the country’s top food and drink professionals were polled on what they’re...
What’s Brewing? Brut IPAs for the new year
A new year and a fresh start are upon us. This is a time for self-reflection and celebrating beginnings however the outcome of 2019 was for you. We raise a glass with hopes that the new year will be filled with adventure, opportunities, love and peace. Typically, no celebration is...
Take it outside: Winter exercise is a snap with the right gear
It’s New Year’s Eve — time once again to make a resolution to do something better in the new year. Starting with Halloween candy, continuing with the Thanksgiving feast and finishing off with holiday indulgences in December, it’s no wonder that many of our resolutions have to do with getting...
Fresh noodle bowls recalled for listeria risk
Fresh veggie ramen sold locally at Whole Foods Market is being recalled for possible health risks, company officials said. Veggie Noodle Co. voluntarily recalled its Cece’s Brand noodle bowls for potential listeria contamination. The veggie ramen with chicken broth is sold in 11.5-ounce containers at retailers nationwide. Locally, it is...
Innovative fashion designers lead the way on sustainability
Innovative fashion designers are turning to such things as horseradish and nettles to make sustainable clothing and accessories to the delight of a growing number of buyers. While more consumers are paying closer attention to how the production of goods impacts the environment, old habits die hard. A buy-and-toss mentality...
Out & About 2019: So many social engagements, so little time
Your intrepid Out & About crew was busier than ever in 2019, dashing from one event to another — sometimes up to four in one day. We apologize for not being able to cover every worthy happening around Westmoreland County. Let us know about your upcoming art, social and fundraising...
Blankets to put you in the comfy zone
Author Lucy Maud Montgomery, of “Anne of Green Gables” fame, loved a good blanket. “I like to hear a storm at night,” she wrote. “It is so cozy to snuggle down among the blankets and feel that it can’t get at you.” Congresswoman Barbara Jordan once mused that the world...
Remember When: Dec. 30
100 years ago Second degree murder returned in sheriff killing A verdict of second degree murder was rendered by an Armstrong county jury against Charley Mack of Leechburg. Mack was accused of murdering Deputy Sheriff Joseph Coyle in Leechburg on Nov. 25. 75 years ago Sgt. Collins flies 65 missions...
Thank singer Lizzo for making 2019 the year of body positivity
Whether we’re talking the end of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or the rise of Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie, 2019 will be remembered as the year of body positivity. Not only were fleshy frames regularly advertised in the once-skinny-only world of lacy unmentionables. They also were lauded at awards...
10 tips for making changes that really work in new year
The New Year’s resolution really only works for gyms. They get lots of sign-ups, but more than half the people who make those costly commitments do not follow through on them. Personally, I like to be inspired, not directed, and forcing myself into a smelly gym is not my thing....
Stovetop recipe for tender Brussels sprouts
The latest cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen is “The Side Dish Bible,” a curated collection of 1,001 recipes for everything from roasted artichokes to stuffed zucchini. This hefty book should become a go-to reference for home cooks; it’s a winning combination of mind-boggling variety paired with trustworthiness. A team of...
Living with Children: Mindfulness parenting
I am often asked how long I intend to keep this up, as in writing this column, writing books and speaking on childrearing and family matters. My answer: As long as they keep it up; “it” being the utter nonsense that emanates and has been emanating from the mental health...
Ring in the new year with a (proper) glass or 2 of bubbly
In just two days, we can kiss 2019 goodbye and put a lip lock on 2020. Many of us look forward to ushering out the old year, and raising a toast as the new one arrives. If your plans include enjoying a glass of sparkling wine, you want to be...
Travel tip: Keep your car winter-ready with salt, shaving cream
Slow down, increase following distance, steer into a skid — everyone knows these winter driving rules. Here are a few perhaps lesser-known tips from “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” for staying safe when you’re on the road in cold and snow: • To prevent snow and ice from sticking, gently rub...
Bummed about a Christmas gift card? Sheetz offers trade-ins
Holiday gift cards can offer fun outings, restaurant meals, shopping excursions to one’s favorite places. Or, they can leave the recipient confused or even disappointed. Sheetz is among companies offering a gift card exchange program, giving patrons the chance to trade in unwanted/unused gift cards for Sheetz products including food...
Fiber arts groups knit community along with cozy creationsVideo
About a decade ago, we started hearing about hipsters resurrecting retro items like typewriters, record players and flannel shirts, along with those perpetual favorite pastimes of grannies everywhere — knitting and crocheting. Google “hipster knit hat,” and up pop pages of images, descriptions, patterns and knit-it-yourself kits for sale. But...
Bobby Flay’s Eggplant Bolognese is meatless but hearty
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay believes his new cookbook, “Bobby at Home,” is his most important book to date. That’s because it’s a collection of his favorite recipes, the ones he is likely to serve family and friends when he’s at home. As well as being a chef and restaurateur, Flay...
Learn to grow the adorable fairy washboard
Among the most popular houseplants today is the fairy washboard (Haworthia limifolia). This compact succulent plant stays small, making it a great choice for a windowsill, desk or bedside table. The plant reaches about 4 inches in height and width. Its ease of care is another endearing factor, along with...
Handmade Arcade Winter Market debuts in Market Square
Handmade Arcade will extend the holiday shopping season, hosting its first open-air market in the Peoples Gas Holiday Market site in Pittsburgh’s Market Square. The winter market will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 28-31. The holiday market closed for the season on Dec. 23. According to Handmade...
Advice to first-time gardeners: Think small, find your spot
Another growing season is building momentum with the arrival of the 2020 seed catalogs, and gardeners are drafting plans for new harvests. There’s such a thing as being too enthusiastic, though, especially among novices. Beginners can achieve their best planting results by thinking small. “Starting too large is the most...
Plant these for an interesting garden all year long
What is a gardener to do during the gray days of winter? For many of us, it’s all about planning. This is the perfect time to scout around for plants that provide winter interest to the landscape. Put them on your list of things to get in the ground this...
Scale a common pest of fiddle leaf figs, other houseplants
Question: Help! I have a fiddle leaf fig in my front window that I adore. It has tiny bumps all over the stems and the floor beneath the plant is sticky. I did an internet search, and I believe I have an issue with scale insects. What can be done...
You may have to give more personal data to get personal loan
Would you feel comfortable disclosing your bank account information on a personal loan application? What about your work history? Your college major? That’s what it could take to borrow money from some loan companies that consider alternative data — which can be anything that isn’t in your credit report —...
Starbucks plans Pittsburgh-area pop-up parties, free drinks
Starbucks will make the holiday week’s celebrations a little sweeter, with more than 1,000 pop-up parties planned at select stores across the nation, including in the Pittsburgh region. According to the coffee purveyor, the pop-ups are set 1 to 2 p.m. Dec. 27-31 at more than 200 stores each day....
Ring in 2020 at Highmark First Night PittsburghVideo
Cheryl Capezzuti creates fun. The Brighton Heights resident makes larger-than-life puppets. Those puppets will dance their way from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, along Penn Avenue and through the Cultural District during the the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh parade at 8 p.m. Dec. 31 Culminating with the city’s “Countdown...
