Lifestyles category, Page 65
Almond butter makes chocolate cookies moist and fudgy
In her cookbook “My Two Souths,” chef Asha Gomez added an intriguing twist to the classic chocolate cookie — Nutella. It was an innovative way to introduce nutty flavor to an otherwise straightforward chocolate cookie dough. Inspired, we wondered what other nutty spreads would work, so for this recipe from...
Visit Kauai to tour, taste through one of America’s only working chocolate farms
KAPA’A, Kauai, Hawaii — In a quiet clearing on the lush, tropical fruit and chocolate plantation of Lydgate Farms, we take our first bite of tangy, mucilaginous cacao fruit. The creamy white pulp could have become an epic sour candy flavor had it not been overshadowed two millennia ago by...
Out & About: Derby-themed event benefits Redstone Highlands benevolent care
It almost looked like Kentucky Derby day as more than 300 guests in stylish headgear filed into Stratigos Banquet Center in North Huntingdon on Saturday evening. In a way, that’s what it was. Derby Dreams was the theme for the signature Highlands Fling fundraiser held annually for Redstone Highlands Seniorcare....
‘Pittsburgh Pumpkin Guy’ shares tips for Halloween carving and sculpting
Take it from a pro — if you want to create the perfect jack-o’-lantern, you have to pick a pumpkin “that speaks to you.” That’s professional pumpkin carver Brendan Conaway’s best advice. Conaway, a 35-year-old Plum resident, doesn’t just carve pumpkins, he sculpts them, a completely different art form, he...
West Virginia spring’s waters still drawing devotees
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Every couple weeks, Lauren Lee stuffs a few dozen gallon jugs into a big black laundry bag. She brings it to a covered pavilion right in the middle of Berkeley Springs State Park, which itself is right in the middle of downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia....
Ex-teacher brings retro classroom vibe to new School House Bakery in Unity
Shoppers have a new option for sweet treats in Unity, with the Oct. 7 opening of the School House Bakery in the Latrobe 30 Plaza. Display cases are filled with grab-and-go cookies, brownies, scones, cupcakes, small cakes, muffins, seasonally flavored cinnamon rolls and more, all baked on site. Young patrons...
Out & About: Seton Hill gallery shows artwork of area art students, educators
When she got the invitation, Shannon Pultz thought she was too busy to participate in a student-teacher art exhibition at Seton Hill University. It took a sixth-grader at Pittsburgh CAPA, where Pultz is chair of the visual art department, to change her mind. Their work is showing in “Cultivations: Art...
Gross or great? Fancy butter boards soar as shortage looms
NEW YORK — Legit gross or crazy delicious? Butter boards, the polarizing stepchild of charcuterie, have taken TikTok to new food-craze heights as some horrified safety and nutrition experts look on. And now, heading into the holidays, the boards are landing on tables as quick, inexpensive alternatives to the meat-...
Out & About: Westmoreland Historical Society presents annual preservation awards
At its 22nd annual Arthur St. Clair Historical Preservation Awards Dinner, the Westmoreland Historical Society recognized two groups that have been key to its mission of developing, managing and sharing the area’s abundant historical resources. Honorees at the event held Wednesday evening at Rizzo’s Banquet Hall in Crabtree were the...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Oct. 21-23
Spooky happy hour Art After Dark is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Friday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg. The 21-and-over happy hour will feature seasonal beers from local breweries, craft cocktails, hot dog bar and Oktoberfest-themed light bites, pumpkin carver Brendan Conaway, a gallery...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 21-23
There’s more spooky season fun this weekend in the Pittsburgh area — and that’s not all there is to do. Not-so-scary ZooBoo ZooBoo, the annual kid-friendly Halloween celebration, is planned for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and Oct. 29-30, at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium in...
Long-awaited Sobel’s Obscure Brewery opening in Jeannette
The anticipation has been building for the past three years as Sobel’s Obscure Brewery chipped away at transforming an old Jeannette department store into a taproom. It’s finally here — the Clay Avenue space is opening Friday. Jackie Sobel, who co-owns the craft brewery with her father, David Sobel, said...
Is inflation affecting travel points and miles?
After years of unusually low prices on airfare and vacation rentals during the pandemic, travel prices have taken off in 2022. And while travel price inflation has cooled with slowing demand and falling fuel prices this fall, it continues to affect travelers’ plans and budgets. So with travel prices still...
Out & About: YWCA Westmoreland fashion show reveals thrift store ‘hidden gems’
Organizers of the annual YWCA Westmoreland County Girls in Pearls Fashion Show called this year’s rendition “A Hidden Gem Extravaganza.” Looking at the sell-out crowd of 280, board President Theresa Rusbosin said the Y itself is something of a hidden gem in the community, “but we may not be after...
Report: Theme park attendance was a roller coaster in 2021
ORLANDO, Fla. — Last year was a roller coaster ride for theme parks worldwide, with U.S. water parks approaching pre-pandemic levels and parks in China struggling with lockdowns, according to a new report. The speed of recovery was greatly influenced by the level of government restrictions, the success of vaccine...
Fighting financial insecurity: When pinching pennies isn’t enough
Scaling back streaming subscriptions is solid savings advice for some. But what if the choice you’re faced with is not whether to pay for Netflix or Hulu, but whether to pay for food or electricity? Millions of Americans face food, housing and general financial insecurity every year, according to data...
What goes around comes around: Roller skating’s retro appeal
At a nondescript, basketball court in Waltham, Massachusetts, the leaves take on an autumnal glow and the air is crisp. But there are no pickup basketball players. This is now a spot for people who roller skate. “I had my eye on skates for a while — I saw they...
The next invasive garden threat? A slithering, jumping worm
Just when you think you’ve become accustomed to the spotted lanternfly invasion, along comes another menace to the ecosystem: the Asian jumping worm. Allow me to introduce you to Amynthas agrestis, also known as “Alabama jumper,” “Jersey wriggler” and the rude-but-accurate “crazy worm.” Unlike garden-variety earthworms, these flipping, thrashing, invasive...
Out & About: The Westmoreland’s new exhibitions explore meaning of ‘American’
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has a historic first with the simultaneous opening of three exhibits exploring the meaning of the word “American” in the museum’s title. At a Saturday evening preview for members and special guests, Chief Curator Jeremiah William McCarthy said, “It’s really not just a word...
Soup’s on: warm and comforting recipes
Fall ushers in more than just cardigans and colorful foliage. For many, cooking up a big batch of their favorite soup combines a little tradition, comfort and come-back-for-more goodness. Tortellini tribute Joe Reskiewicz of Brackenridge was a college freshman at California University of Pennsylvania when his father died suddenly of...
FSHD Society Western Pa. chapter gets ready to ‘Drum & Roll’
Members of the FSHD Society Western Pennsylvania chapter are getting ready to rock ‘n roll for the second annual Drum & Roll to Cure FSHD event. Set for 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, the event will feature African...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 14-16
Good music, good food, giant pumpkins and giant bats are on the slate for this weekend’s events in and around Pittsburgh. Shostakovich and Sibelius The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will present Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 during concerts at 8 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Heinz Hall, 600 Penn...
New York’s Hamptons offer a feast of indoor, outdoor art
On the eastern end of Long Island, New York, lies a trove of art venues and a rich cultural scene to explore at leisure. You can find works in lush gardens and meadows, on manicured lawns, around ponds with waterlilies, by marshy creeks, and in historic Hamptons buildings. The list...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Oct. 14-15
Rockin’ at The Lamp Rock ‘n’ rollers have a choice of two concerts this weekend at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin: • Floyd Live, 8 p.m. Friday. Billed as having “the authentic sound of Pink Floyd,” along with a Floyd-worthy light, laser and projection show, the tribute band...
How to change Medicare plans — and why you might want to
Medicare open enrollment starts soon, but 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries say they don’t compare Medicare plans during this period, according to a 2021 analysis by KFF, a health policy nonprofit. That’s not great, since Medicare Advantage plans — which operate much like the private insurance you may have had...
