Lifestyles category, Page 158
Former WPXI reporter/anchor Courtney Brennan connects followers to jewelerVideo
Courtney Brennan left the world of television news and quickly became a sought-after social influencer. The Emmy-award winning journalist from Lawrenceville, who left WPXI-TV at the end of May, has partnered with Henne Jewelers. Through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, she’s connecting with her followers to highlight high-end jewelry pieces. Brennan...
Taco Bell’s free taco promotion happening WednesdayVideo
Taco Bell’s “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” promotion is a go this year and is happening Wednesday. The annual promotion offers diners a free taco if a base is stolen during the World Series. This year’s taco hero is Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals for taking a bag...
California wine production mostly unaffected by wildfires
The headlines sound ominous: “Devastating Fires in Northern California Wine Country.” One might think the industry has been brought to its knees and that the wine will stop flowing from the likes of Napa and Sonoma. The facts to date tell a different story. When the fires broke out in...
Nutty, cookie crust makes a better pumpkin pie
How do you make the classic pumpkin pie even better? Replace your basic pie crust with this delicious pecan sandy cookie crust instead. Pecan candies bring a delicious buttery, nutty goodness to everyone’s all-time favorite holiday pie. The unexpected twist adds some mild fun without upsetting the pumpkin pie purists....
What’s the difference between stock and broth?
For most of my cooking life, I thought “stock” and “broth” were just two different terms for the same thing. (Perhaps one was old timey and the other new age.) I didn’t really think much about those savory meat-flavored liquids beyond the occasion I wanted to make soup. But as...
Scary good cocktails make celebrating Halloween sweeter
With wineries holding trick-or-treat events for adults, and restaurants and bars hosting Halloween for the 21-and up crowd, who says the holiday is strictly for kids? And speaking of wineries and bars, what’s a holiday without a few special, signature cocktails? The mixologists at the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, where revelers...
The Wine Cellar: An insider’s peek at Northern Italy’s wineries
It’s a privilege to visit vineyards during the hectic harvest season. Seeing ripening grapes hanging heavily on the vines provides a thrill and creates an appreciation for the hard work required to produce a tasty bottle of wine. A recent tour of three leading northern Italian wineries proved the point....
You can still save those green tomatoes
The last green and blushing tomatoes still hang in the garden. It’s been a longer than usual season and they won’t be harvested until there’s a credible chance of frost. Even then, it’s not critical to have them off the vine, but soon after. Holding a tomato which has just...
It’s Pittsburgh vs. the whole sports world in new trivia game
If watching the Steelers this season isn’t challenging enough, make game night a true game night by adding a few rounds of the new Pittsburgh Against the World Sports Trivia Game. The latest creation of You Gotta Know Games tests fans’ knowledge of not only Pittsburgh sports, but also information...
Paranormal Pennsylvania: Scary Halloween (and beyond) tales abound
It’s the bewitching time of year and Western Pennsylvanians know the region has seen its share of supposed UFOs and Bigfoot sightings for decades to add to the ghostly mix of the season. UFOs Independent film director Cody Knotts premiered “Kecksburg” Sept. 12 to a crowd of more than 1,000...
Popeyes returns ‘sold out’ chicken sandwiches to menuVideo
Popeyes is announcing the return of its popular chicken sandwich by resuming its online “feud” with Chick-fil-A. The sandwich, which sold out in two weeks over the summer, will be available again — permanently — beginning Sunday, Nov. 3. Chick-fil-A outlets are closed on Sundays, a fact Popeyes notes with...
Sewing a place in history, one stitch at a timeVideo
Jessica Young can laugh now, but it was not funny when a client once asked if an article of clothing she had ordered for a re-enactor costume was indeed hand sewn. The stitches, the client believed, were too perfect. “I said, ‘thank you,’” recalls Young, 34, of Trafford. Young is...
Out & About: They’re all good dogs at Humane Society Whisker WalkVideo
Picking the best canine costumes at the annual Humane Society of Westmoreland County Whisker Walk is no easy task, given the “ruff” competition — but judges Margo Donati and Barb Nichols are equal to it. They’ve been doing it for a long time, most recently at this year’s event, held...
A splash of color can refresh the kitchen without a remodel
Some days, do you look around your kitchen and think about ripping it apart and starting fresh? But a full kitchen remodel isn’t in the cards? That’s no reason you can’t give your kitchen’s look and feel a little boost. The easiest way to change things up is to add...
Out & About: Awards dinner attendees test their trivia knowledge
Attendees at the 20th Annual Arthur St. Clair Historic Preservation Awards Dinner tested their local historical knowledge in hopes of winning dinner for eight in the tavern at Historic Hanna’s Town. The event program included a 10-question quiz with no-brainers like, “What PA town dominates the morning news every Feb....
Out & About: Watershed group event celebrates the four seasons
The Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s signature fundraiser reflects its mission of caring for the region’s land and water. Its 35th Annual Art Auction Benefit, held Oct. 26 at Latrobe Country Club, offered patrons the opportunity to bid via live and silent auctions on 32 pieces of art by about two dozen...
Out & About: Center celebrates half-century of serving GreensburgVideo
A half-century of history is just the beginning for the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, according to speakers at a 50th anniversary open house held Oct. 25 at the facility. On the horizon is remodeling of the third-floor penthouse suite to provide more event space, said Terry Reese, chairman of...
Out & About: MHA dinner guests hear about invisible wounds of war
Not all scars show. Guests at the 56th annual dinner hosted by Mental Health America of Southwestern PA learned about the invisible wounds of war from keynote speaker John C. Burns. Dinner took place Oct. 24 in the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center in Hempfield. Waynesburg native...
Living with Children: Son playing war games has mom worried
Question: My normally happy 6-year-old son has recently started incorporating death and war-like games into his imaginative play. He isn’t and has never been a mean-spirited child, but his dad and I just divorced (amicably), and I feel like he’s having trouble dealing with it. For example, he has started...
Cruise ship passengers should prepare for illness, injury at sea
Royal Caribbean’s gargantuan Oasis of the Seas boasts four outdoor pools and an 82-foot zip line. It made quite a splash shortly after its 2014 refurbishment when it added the first Tiffany & Co. boutique at sea. But in January 2019, the cruise ship, which bills itself one of the...
Travel tip: To drive abroad, Americans need international permit
The number of Americans traveling abroad is on the rise, according to a survey by AAA, which says the number of Americans wanting to drive during their international travels also is growing. In that case, travelers should look into obtaining an International Driving Permit, AAA says. Many countries do not...
Bob Evans offers couples year’s worth of free date nights
If your date nights include comfort food — think mac and cheese, biscuits and gravy, chicken pot pie — you might be familiar with the menu items at Bob Evans restaurants. If you’d like to up your entree game, the “down on the farm” restaurant is releasing four new steak...
Grow your own microgreens
Growing microgreens is a great way to get some homegrown veggies into your diet during the winter months. Microgreens are the young shoots of various plants, harvested soon after the seedling develops its first set of leaves. Microgreens are somewhere in between the “sprout” stage and the “baby greens” stage...
Latrobe party scares up Halloween fun for kids
The Latrobe Art Center and Latrobe-Greater Latrobe School District Parks and Recreation are teaming up to host a creative Halloween party for kids. Set for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the art center, at 819 Ligonier St., the evening offers children ages 5-12 the opportunity to design their own...
Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity offers fire cider demo, sample
Fire cider isn’t a variation on the caramel-colored apple beverage found at fruit stands each fall. It’s a trendy health tonic, typically made with apple cider vinegar, and Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity is ready to reveal how to concoct the liquid. The free pop-up workshop for adults is...
