Lifestyles category, Page 211
Gooey goodness: Eateries put unique twists on grilled cheese
The Ancient Romans did it. Ate cheese on toasted bread, that is. For centuries, the grilled cheese sandwich has satisfied appetites. During the 1920s, America embraced the classic grilled cheese, thanks to a readily available supply of inexpensive sliced bread and American cheese. The Armed Forces cooked thousands of grilled...
Wooden barrels: The fifth ingredient in making flavorful beer
One might consider a wooden barrel the fifth ingredient in beer after water, malt, hops and yeast. Brewers use them to impart additional flavors into the beer. But why barrels — bourbon in particular — and how did this come about, you might ask? Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all...
New Amazon headquarters a tale of 2 very different cities
Before mid-November, Long Island City and Crystal City were never on the same page, much less uttered in the same sentence. Though both destinations are on the East Coast (New York and Virginia, respectively) and within shouting distance of a major metropolitan center, they had little else in common. Well,...
Explaining nurse’s schedule to boyfriend’s family is like talking to a brick wall
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I am a nurse, my boyfriend is a teacher. A lot of his family are teachers, too. My boyfriend and I get along great, he is really patient with my schedule and I am completely understanding that he gets extra time off...
Woodlands group offers tour of Champion wood mill
The Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association is sponsoring a field trip Saturday to a wood mill in Champion that turns lumber into handles for landscaping and gardening tools. The tour of the Ames Companies’ mill begins at 9 a.m. at 135 Roaring Run Road. It is expected to last about 90...
Metallica now has its own beer — Enter Night
Metallica has teamed up with California-based Stone Brewing Co. to create a dark beer named after one of the band’s most popular songs. Enter Night, a hoppy pilsner, clocks in at 5.7 ABV and should be hitting shelves near you soon, USA Today reports. Until now, it’s only been offered...
Wigle Whiskey releases Phil’s Shadow in advance of Groundhog Day
On Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil may or may not see his shadow. But before he predicts six more weeks of winter — or not — he and the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club will visit Wigle Whiskey Distillery, 2401 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 18 for the release of Phil’s...
Superior Motors kicks off Dinner Series with guest chef Simone Tong
Superior Motors will kick off its 2019 Dinner Series on Feb. 5, the first night of the Lunar New Year celebration, with guest chef Simone Tong of New York’s Little Tong Noodle Shop visiting the Braddock location. “We’re excited to introduce and showcase (Tong’s) amazing Yunnan-inspired cuisine to Braddock and...
Bud Light debuts bigger nutrition labels
DETROIT — Nutrition labels are coming to the beer aisle. Starting next month, packages of Bud Light will have prominent labels showing the beer’s ingredients, calories and the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein in a serving. The labels aren’t legally required, but major beer makers agreed to disclose ingredients...
Dreading graduation accolades after a rocky year
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Hi, Carolyn: I am finishing a training program and the ritual is a gathering with one of the senior people standing up to say (presumably nice) things about each of the departing trainees. I’ve had a rocky year, and my close supervisors and I...
Out & About: You Are Here Gallery reception is ‘snow’ problemVideo
Sometimes the best-laid plans of mice and men fall prey to a snowstorm. Such was the case for the Jan. 12 opening of “Stitches” in You Are Here Gallery in Jeannette, the evening that Winter Storm Gia blew through. Unlike previous openings in the new downtown art space, where guests...
Bleach isn’t so scary if you know how to use it correctly
There is dissension in laundry rooms and grocery store cleaning aisles everywhere. For some of us, when it comes to whitening and disinfecting laundry and certain areas of our home, common household bleach is a wonder product. To others, bleach is a hazardous chemical. To get to the hard truth...
Out & About: Art on Tap warms up a cold January night
It was cold outside, but warm and friendly inside The Westmoreland Museum of American Art for the Jan. 11 Art on Tap happy hour. The monthly gathering in the Greensburg museum features live music, an art scavenger hunt, light bites from Elegant Catering and beer from All Saints Brewing Co....
Out & About: Urban fantasy author visits Seton Hill writing group
A man walks into the Philadelphia airport and buys a Pittsburgh Pirates cap. It sounds like the beginning of a joke — or maybe a tragedy, given what we hear about Philadelphia sports fans. But that’s what urban fantasy novelist Kevin Hearne did on his way from his Arizona home...
Hotels sweat the details to help guests meet their fitness needs
It wasn’t the price or the points or the location that most influenced Ruth Furman to book a stay at the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki in Honolulu last summer. It was the yoga. Namely, the free poolside yoga every weekday morning. Furman, who makes fitness a priority at home, knew...
9 steps to the perfect pan sauce
A core principle of my cooking philosophy is to never pass up an opportunity for flavor. So when I see cooked-on juices in the bottom of my saute pan, I don’t see a dishwashing chore. I see pan sauce. Think of it as the difference between a plain pork chop...
Living with Children: Remember, you can’t control everything
“So, anyway, after they take showers I lay out their school clothes for the next day. And then….” “Hold on right there,” “How old are your girls again?” “Um, they’re 7 and 5,” she answered, being the 30-something mother of the girls in question. “Why?” “I guess I need you...
Coming to terms with mother’s decline
Dear Carolyn: The holidays were great except … my mother looks like she is dying. She had a significant fall the week before. Went to the hospital. Somehow managed not to break anything. Was given antibiotics for a “raging” (doctor’s word) infection. She and my dad managed to get to...
Travel tip: All roads lead to Allentown’s Auto Mania flea market
All roads will lead to Allentown for antique and classic car enthusiasts, collectors and flippers from Jan. 18 to 20. Those are the dates for Auto Mania, which for more than 30 years has been Pennsylvania’s largest indoor heated automotive flea market. The 59,000-square-foot Agri-Plex facility at the Allentown Fairgrounds...
Wife fears husband’s bragging sets family up for failure
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: Two years ago, we were invited to skip our son “Johnny” ahead from first grade to second mid-year. My husband was a bit insufferable about it, bragging to a number of our friends about how well Johnny was doing academically. This really...
Give yourself permission to move away from toxic mom
Dear Carolyn: No one in my family, including myself, wants to spend time with my mom. She can be really toxic. She has hurt me all my life, and, really, everyone I love. I stopped asking my husband and kids to go with me a while ago. In fact, I...
Step into the tropics during Phipps annual orchid, bonsai show
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens knows how to brighten up a cold winter’s day in Pittsburgh. Its annual Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show, “Eye Candy” — which opens Jan. 12 and runs through March 10 — is a treat for the senses, spotlighting more than 1,000 orchid blooms and some...
Galentine’s Day moonlight yoga set at Heinz History Center
Valentine’s Day may be Cupid’s chance to celebrate romantic love, but first, women will celebrate the importance of their friendships with Galentine’s Day. The Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, in partnership with Pittsburgh Yoga Events, offers women a chance to toast to health and history with...
Acme horse team pulls out heavyweight win at Pa. Farm Show
The Brown Brothers team of Mt. Pleasant Township brought plenty of horse power to the Pennsylvania Farm Show last week, winning the heavyweight horse pulling contest with equine siblings Chip and Charlie in harness. Chip and Charlie, a pair of Belgian draft horses, beat nine other teams Tuesday to take...
Relentlessly positive friend can be exhausting
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: A good friend has a habit that makes me crazy and I’d love to deal with it better. Whatever anyone says, she tries to put a positive spin on it. I realize I sound like a monster for being annoyed by this,...
