Lifestyles category, Page 154
America’s scariest haunted house requires doctor’s note, 40-page waiver, safe wordVideo
This is no neighborhood fundraiser haunted house. In fact, you’ll be paid $20,000 if you make it through. No one has. Russ McKamey runs the scariest fright house in the country and it’ll cost you just a bag of dog food (McKamey has five dogs) to enter, reports WFLA.com. The...
Mistakes to avoid when cooking potatoes
Potato problems? Potatoes may seem basic, but there are a lot of ways to mess them up. Whether they come out partly raw, mushy or generally flavorless, the good news is there is usually a simple solution. Read on and see what you might do differently next time to achieve...
‘Age of Aquarius 4’ show to play at Quality Inn, New Kensington
The four bands from “Age of Aquarius 4” are taking the show on the road. Instead of performing at the Casino Theatre in Vandergrift, The Love Generation, First Light, Heidi & the Hellcats and Sourmash will play for the first time in the ballroom of the Quality Inn in New...
12 fun facts you never knew about pumpkins
Nothing says autumn more than a beautiful, orange pumpkin, but this most beloved symbol of fall is hiding some fun little secrets. Think you know everything there is to know about these great big gourds? Here are 12 fun facts about pumpkins: 1. Pumpkins are fruits, not vegetables Fruits are...
What’s Brewing? Pumpkin beer is a fall tradition
The temperature has dropped and the leaves have started to turn. It’s time to break out the sweaters and light up a campfire on the cool nights. Now is the time to drink pumpkin beer if you haven’t already indulged. Pumpkin beers, along with harvest ales, continue to mark the...
Pa. baker creates life-size deer wedding cake
A couple asked a Lancaster County baker to create a wedding cake in the shape of a deer. The result has been deerly beloved on Facebook. Pam McNeal sculpted the life-size deer at Shady Maple Farm Market in East Earl, according to the market’s Facebook page. The couple provided the...
Pizza Hut testing plant-based pizza in round box
Round pizza. Square box. It’s an ages old problem, but one pizza chain thinks it has a solution. Pizza Hut is introducing a test of a specialty pizza with a plant-based topping called Incogmeato from Kellogg. The pizza will be delivered in a round box. Let that stink in -...
Hershey’s Mini ranks as Pennsylvania’s favorite Halloween candy
You can’t keep a good candy bar down. Only two years after coming in third as Pennsylvania’s favorite Halloween candy, Hershey’s mini bars lands at No. 1 this year as the state’s most popular candy treat. Each year, Candystore.com adds up several years’ worth of sales figures — 12 to...
Samuel Adams’ most extreme and expensive beer now available
Samuel Adams is back with its latest version of Utopias, its extreme beer. Utopias is Sam Adams’ limited-release beer that clocks in at a whopping 28% ABV and sells for $210 a bottle. It has been available at select locations since last week and for the first time will be...
Fall’s the best time to harvest discounts at garden centers
Fall is the best time of year to get new trees, shrubs and perennials into the ground before cold weather sets in, and it’s often the best time to buy them, too. Garden centers traditionally mark down their off-season inventories rather than muscle them indoors for overwintering protection. Now is...
Biophilic decor: Ways to bring the feel of nature indoors
The term “biophilia,” an affinity for the living world, was coined back in the 1980s by American biologist and author E.O. Wilson. We have an instinctive drive to connect with nature, he said, and the more we connect, the happier we are. That’s why a walk in the woods can...
Out & About: Wearing white no faux pas at Animal Friends auction
Wearing white after Labor Day is often considered a fashion faux pas, but not on Oct. 18 at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield. Animal Friends of Westmoreland called its 14th annual auction gala the White Party, and guests were invited to dress up or dress down for the theme. (Maybe they...
Out & About: Latrobe Art Center show walks the wild (animal) side
Latrobe Art Center promises to take visitors on “A Walk on the Wild Side,” via its current exhibition of animal artwork by Becky Mormack and June Drexler Robinson. Prior to an Oct. 17 reception in the downtown Latrobe art space, executive director Lauren Buches said, “We’ve already sold several of...
Out & About: Latrobe artist’s portraits capture loved ones
Latrobe-based artist Rachel Wheeler specializes in painting portraits of loved ones — both human and animal. According to her website, she accepts commissions to create lasting mementos that include: • Lively pet portraits that capture your animal’s personality. • Stunning images of babies, children and family that emit love. •...
Red Robin’s fall menu has new items, brings back favorites
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews is introducing a new burger and bringing back a few fan favorites as part of a limited-time menu. Through Jan. 26, diners can enjoy the new French Onion Ringer. Topped with Swiss cheese, crispy onion straws, French onion spread and tomatoes on a melted...
Travel tip: In New Orleans, Halloween parties rival Mardi Gras
For a good time in New Orleans, Halloween is second only to Mardi Gras. Long known for its voodoo, vampire and occult undercurrents, the Big Easy offers all kinds of devilish fun leading up to Oct. 31. Here are a few ways the city celebrates: • Voodoo Music + Arts...
Does outsourcing affect our personal connection to food?
The growing options for outsourcing meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking can be called time-saving blessings or culture-destroying curses. In the end, they’re probably a complicated mix of both. The positive spin goes something like this: Assuming you can afford it, you’ll save precious time by clicking a few digital...
Living with Children: The ‘Doctor’ is in
I have good news for parents: You do not need more than a few tools in your disciplinary tool-bag. One especially valuable tool, one that belongs in every modern home, is the “Doctor.” The Doctor is akin to a genie — an invisible parenting sprite, so to speak — whom...
How to grow figs, pick the best varieties for cold climates
You might be surprised to learn that figs (Ficus carica) thrive in Western Pennsylvania, with a little help and winter protection, of course. Though many varieties of this fruit have been selected for improved cold hardiness and early ripening, you’ll want to select a warm location with southern exposure to...
Breast cancer walk in North Fayette to help raise money for research
The “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk” is Saturday morning at Settlers Cabin Park in North Fayette. More than 1,500 cancer survivors, their caregivers, family, friends, and supporters are expected to attend. This October, use or RT the hashtag #IDriveFor & @Chevrolet will contribute $5 to the fight against #breastcancer...
Fashion show lets Down syndrome models strut their stuffVideo
One model sashayed down the runway with a leather jacket and a guitar, basking in applause from the crowd. Another danced and strutted in a multicolored bomber coat. A toddler had a little help with her modeling turn, holding on to an adult as she wore a peach outfit with...
Tree of Life survivor among ‘A Gathering of Authors’Video
An author alone in a bookstore bothers Francine Costello. “I hate to see authors sitting in a bookstore waiting for people to come and buy books so they can sign them, and no one is there,” said Costello, co-owner of Word Association Publishers in Tarentum. “They are all by themselves....
Phipps’ annual fall flower takes ‘Japanese Inspirations’Video
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ fall flower show is like the season itself — a brief but welcome respite before the return of a long and cold winter in Pittsburgh. “Japanese Inspirations” is the theme of this year’s fall show, which celebrates not only the nearly 2,900 chrysanthemums that dominate...
Pick the best native shrubs for birds
Question: We have a new area to plant along the property line with our neighbors. We’d like to plant some native shrubs that produce berries because we’d like to help feed the birds in the wintertime. Do you have any suggestions of berry shrubs we can include in the border?...
Dahlias hold special significance for Ross gardener
It is a yearly ritual for me to photograph Amy Krut’s dahlia garden at the end of the season. We became friends on Facebook, and after seeing just about every inch of her landscape filled with the late blooming beauties, I knew I had to photograph them. The low angle...
