Lifestyle Columns
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Birding on the border: South Texas festival delivers special birds, experiencesApr 21, 2025 10:41 am - Jeff Reiter’s trip to the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival offered a chance to finally do some serious birding in Texas. Special birds were calling, some available nowhere else in the United States.
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‘The game certainly has grown’: How one player’s efforts boosted pickleball’s popularity in the Tri-CitiesApr 18, 2025 4:54 am - One might be inclined to tag Cris Anderson as the “Queen of Pickleball” in St. Charles. And that’s certainly not a stretch.
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Make this bacon and onion quiche the centerpiece of your Easter brunchApr 16, 2025 6:15 am - Easter brunch is an excuse to make everyone’s favorite dishes and serve them all at the same meal. Instead of the standard egg casserole, try this bacon, caramelized onion and cheese quiche.
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Uncovering the secrets of Geneva’s Fabyan Estate … and its leaky pondApr 11, 2025 5:00 am - The Fabyan Estate in Geneva faces environmental and preservation challenges, including a leaky pond in the Japanese Garden and deteriorating artifacts in the Fabyan Villa Museum.
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An Easter feast: Elegant rib roast, colorful spring salad, easy cherry pie bars call us back to the tableApr 09, 2025 6:01 am - It’s not too early to plan your Easter dinner. Here’s a menu that feels just right for the occasion: a show-stopping standing rib roast, a colorful spring salad with strawberries and sugar snap peas, and a sweet ending that’s as nostalgic as it is easy — cherry pie bars.
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With care, cast-iron can serve for a centuryApr 09, 2025 4:56 am - A properly seasoned cast iron skillet can function as well as any Teflon-coated one and last for generations, as long as you follow some basic steps in its care and use.
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Grated orange zest, fresh ginger add zing to sunny carrot soupApr 02, 2025 6:00 am - This Carrot, Orange and Ginger Soup is healthy, easy to make, and you can’t be in a bad mood when you are eating it. Because it’s so light, it’s a perfect soup for lunch and would also be a nice addition to an Easter brunch menu.
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Time in a bottle: The case for a mature, fine wineApr 02, 2025 5:26 am - About 5% of wine needs more time to develop than the length of your car ride home from the wine shop. These wines are hard to find, pricey and finicky, requiring TLC after purchase, including pristine storage and possibly decanting. So why bother?
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Illinois legislators consider bills expanding bicyclists' rights, liability protectionsMar 30, 2025 7:05 pm - Many Illinois lawmakers are sponsoring bills related to bicycling, including defining tricycles as bikes, allowing bikes to treat stop signs as yield signs, and deeming bikes intended roadway users.
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Trump administration blocks more than $400M in funding for Illinois health programsMar 28, 2025 3:52 pm - President Donald Trump’s administration is pulling back $477 million from Illinois that was to be used to prevent infectious disease and treat mental health and substance abuse issues.