As a little girl, I used to pull out the Candy Land game board just so I could salivate over pictures of the Peppermint Forest, Gumdrop Mountains, and the Peanut Brittle House. I’d imagine that chocolate flagstones led up to my cake cone castle, with maraschino cherries perched atop dripping ice cream towers.
While those visions never exactly came true, I did experience moments of sugar-filled bliss when my parents took me to the candy store. With the heavenly aroma and shelves sagging with jellybeans, truffles, lollipops, and chocolate bars, such …

We live in a city where access to healthy food is in almost every grocery store. We as consumers have dozens of choices when it comes to buying locally grown and organic foods in Pittsburgh. Here’s a few of the great selections of stores in the Pittsburgh region that are locally owned and run and all have the same goal in mind: serving the public with the highest quality of organic and sustainable merchandise.
At Today’s Market, a full service health food store located in Oakmont, the privately owned and operated …

Sunday Brunch. The long venerated American institution. Complete with the long waiting line and crowded parking lots. But it can be different. Think of an intimate gathering of your kin. Think of good, personalized service. Think your local bed and breakfast?
Bed and breakfasts and boutique inns often offer more than just a quaint place to stay. You can have a great meal there too. The style and ambiance in bed and breakfasts lends itself to a slower pace (no turning and burning here). You are a guest, not just a …

Have no fear, July is here. And according to the International Ice Cream Association (IICA), we have a lot to enjoy this month! In fact, Ronald Reagan actually designated July as National Ice Cream Month in 1984.  A whole month to ice cream eating celebrations!
Don’t get me wrong; I love the brand name ice cream shops. I crave the chocolate peanut butter blizzard with extra peanut butter sauce. I smile every time I see Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby. But nothing hits the spot quite like a hand-dipped cone from …

My father is an early riser. Check that: He’s a really, really early riser. The man wakes up at 4:30 a.m., which means he’s rubbing his eyes just about the same time people in Hong Kong are waiting for the five o’clock whistle to blow. And, it’s not only three or four days a week, it’s every day — 365 times a year.
As a youngster, I wondered why? But then I got smart and started to ask how? The answer isn’t surprising.
Coffee.
My father drinks coffee like John Belushi drinks whiskey. …