Lifestyle Columns
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Summer sides that steal the showJul 09, 2025 5:58 am - Summer is the season of laid-back gatherings and spontaneous backyard barbecues. This duo of crowd-pleasing recipes is perfect for any festive spread: a bold and tangy summer pasta salad loaded with salami and crisp veggies, and a crunchy chopped broccoli salad packed with sweet and savory bites.
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Rethinking hard-boiled eggs, againJul 09, 2025 4:57 am - Readers have lots to say about hard-boiled eggs and the best ways to prepare and peel them, Don Mauer found in this Best of Lean and Lovin’ It column from 2022.
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Chicago area receives $139M in grants to fund bike paths, walking trailsJul 07, 2025 12:01 pm - Illinois has allocated $139.2 million for biking and walking infrastructure projects over the next four years.
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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.