Lifestyle Columns
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No stove required: Refreshing cold peach soup just right on a hot dayJul 02, 2025 6:11 am - Soup probably isn’t at the top of your dinner menu when temperatures are pushing past 90 degrees. What if we told you there’s a soup that’s cool, refreshing and doesn’t require you to fire up the stove? One that’s creamy, sweet and just tangy enough to keep things interesting — with ripe summer peaches as the star of the show? Now we’re talking.
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Spritzers, sangria, frosè: Tips for enjoying wine in the summertimeJul 02, 2025 5:09 am - It’s time to switch to warm weather drinking habits. Here are tips for delicious and healthy summertime wine enjoyment.
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‘An inspirational story’: Beds for Kids founder steps down after 30 yearsJun 27, 2025 2:00 am - Former Batavian Daniel Sergi, founder of Beds for Kids, a fund that has purchased beds for Fox Valley children in need for more than 30 years, is stepping down.
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Home inspector didn’t inspect furnaceJun 26, 2025 6:48 am - A home inspector missed critical furnace issues. What else did they overlook that could cost you thousands?
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‘It’s fun to bird with others’: Why DuPage Birding Club is going strong at 40 yearsJun 24, 2025 1:27 pm - The DuPage Birding Club is still flying high after 40 years of welcoming fledglings and veteran birders alike. The secret? Fresh ideas and rotating leadership.
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Poppy seed dressing an instant time machineJun 23, 2025 6:00 am - For a very special occasion, Nana would take her first grandson, Donny, all dressed up, to lunch at The Dominion Room in Evanston, a “charming colonial-style tearoom.” All-grown-up Don Mauer clearly remembers their poppy seed dressing, so he decided to build a time machine and make his own version.
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The difference between commissions and committees in HOAsJun 21, 2025 7:26 am - Many HOAs establish what are actually commissions and call them “committees” in error. The improper delegation of board authority to a committee or commission can undermine the legality of actions taken by that group.
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Hosanna! Lutheran pastor to retire after 39 years of serviceJun 18, 2025 10:58 am - Being a pastor for a long time means John Nelson, who is retiring from Hosanna! Lutheran Church in St. Charles, has touched thousands of people through various organizations and programs, in addition to sermons at church services.
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The best bowls are delicious, complete and convenientJun 18, 2025 6:06 am - Do you remember when the only thing served in a bowl was soup, breakfast cereal or an ice cream sundae? My, how things have changed! Today, bowls are a vehicle for just about anything. This recipe for Asian Salmon Bowls is a favorite.
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The wonders of willows: How this hardy tree is designed to survive floodsJun 16, 2025 11:22 am - Nature columnist Mark Spreyer takes a look at the history and uses of weeping willow and black willow trees, including their medicinal benefits and how they are designed to survive floods.