Lifestyle Columns
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Dinner detente: Tortilla soup two ways satisfies carnivores and vegetarians alikeMar 05, 2025 6:06 am - Soup is the perfect dish to bring carnivores and vegetarians together at the dinner table. It’s so easy to take one recipe and make it two – even three – ways. This recipe for tortilla soup is a wonderful example.
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Celebrate spring with Cava, Spain’s sparkling wineMar 05, 2025 5:25 am - What’s the difference between Cava and Champagne? In brief, about $50 per bottle. In detail, the difference between all wines amounts to four variables: grape, soil, climate and culture.
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Geneva park welcomes Chimney Swift tower to aid in mosquito controlFeb 28, 2025 3:00 am - A tall, brown tower has been constructed in Wheeler Park, Geneva, as an Eagle Scout project to provide nesting habitat for Chimney Swifts, birds that eat mosquitoes and other insects.
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Romesco gives easy vegan tacos a smoky, savory kickFeb 26, 2025 6:16 am - These beginner-friendly romesco cauliflower tacos served with cilantro lime rice check all the boxes. At taco night classes where they were served alongside meatier options like pork carnitas, many carnivores preferred the cauliflower option.
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Famous peanut butter chocolate chip blondies get low-sugar makeoverFeb 26, 2025 5:24 am - Years ago, when low-fat was all the rage, Don Mauer developed a reduced-fat version of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies that were rich in flavor and nearly melted in your mouth. Now he’s giving the same recipe the low-sugar treatment.
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Stewards of local history: Preservation Partners seeks creative solutions to save historic structuresFeb 21, 2025 5:00 am - Education and creative solutions are needed when faced with the challenge of preserving historic structures, according to Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, weighing in on the 1843 Judge Barry House in St. Charles and the blacksmith shop in Geneva.
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Not just for Tuesdays: Shrimp, pork tacos with homemade tortillas are good any day of the weekFeb 19, 2025 5:30 am - Penny Kazmier grew up on tacos made with ground beef seasoned with a packet of taco seasoning served in store-bought shells. Today’s tacos have all kinds of creative fillings, such as her Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Lime Slaw and Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Pickled Red Onion.
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Hot bird news: Unusual sightings, loons coming soon and moreFeb 18, 2025 6:14 am - Birding columnist Jeff Reiter recaps recent rare bird sightings in Illinois and neighboring states, advises on best places to see spring migrations, and gives updates on bird conservation efforts and events.
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Fat tire bikes allow cyclists to keep riding all winterFeb 15, 2025 9:30 am - Bike tracks on snowy sidewalks? If the tracks are 3-4 inches wide, you can bet a fat tire bike, aka “fattie,” or fat bike, is on the prowl, pedaled by someone who won’t take snow for an answer.
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Witness to history: Reader shares memories of man who saw St. Charles bridge collapse in 1902Feb 14, 2025 6:00 am - A reader of Dave Heun’s column cared for a man who witnessed the 1902 St. Charles bridge collapse and shared stories about his life in St. Charles.