Lifestyle Columns
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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.
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No reservations required: Treat your valentine to dinner and dessert made with loveFeb 12, 2025 6:01 am - Who says the perfect date night requires dining out? Treat your special someone (or yourself!) to a cozy, home-cooked Valentine’s dinner of creamy shrimp pasta with a fruit tart for dessert.
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Making chicken Marsala with my own twist for my sweetieFeb 12, 2025 5:59 am - My sweetie, Nan, loves Chicken Marsala and orders it every time it appears on an Italian restaurant menu. Since those restaurants are so good at making it, and because I don’t normally stock Marsala wine, I’ve never tried making it, until now.
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‘We deliver hope’: How Geneva therapist’s nonprofit provides accessible mental health careFeb 07, 2025 3:00 am - Randy and Amy Bennett of North Aurora have operated Intermission Therapies in Geneva since 2018, adding the nonprofit Second Act/Scene 2 as an option for clients with little or no insurance to cover mental health services.