CASA GRANDE -- Over the years, our family has hosted several foreign exchange students. Most stay a few months or the entire school year, experiencing life as an American teen, then, when thei…
Home and Hearth
DEAR DR. BLONZ: I’m under the impression that vitamin D requires fat in order to be absorbed well. Does that mean they must be consumed at the same time? If I drink a glass of nonfat milk by itself, will I absorb less of its vitamin D? Also, is that why cod liver oil is one of the best ways …
CASA GRANDE — Military veterans living in Pinal County are twice as likely to die by suicide than their peers in other communities across the state, a recent study found.
After a season of windstorms and spotty rain, your home’s exterior including windows, patios, walkways, driveways and pool decks may look rather grimy. If a sweep of the broom does not do the trick, a power wash, also known as pressure wash may be the next step.
AP
The weather has gotten weirder and more unpredictable, but there is a small way that gardeners can take more control: finding and exploiting microclimates.
top story
CASA GRANDE -- Gougères are traditional puffy French cheese rolls that are light, airy and irresistible. But despite their French origins and somewhat fancy-sounding name, they’re so easy to make that a child can do most of the work.
AP
In recent years, brown anything in a living space was considered by some arbiters of decor as drab and outdated. But this fall the hue is back in favor, in part because of the unsettled, anxious state of the world.
More people have taken to reading during the coronavirus lockdown. And many of them prefer real books over the e-editions. In turn, publishers are facing a paper shortage.
If the air doesn’t seem to move throughout your house, the problem could stem from restricted airflow. Not only will restricted airflow make the indoor climate uncomfortable, it can wreak havoc on your finances.
PHOENIX — Jim and Dorothy Karam celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Sept. 10.
CASA GRANDE — “Finding Meaning and Hope” is a video discussion series for family members caring for someone with dementia. The series is virtual using Zoom from 10 to 11:30 a..m. on Tuesdays from Oct. 6 to Dec. 8.
If you didn’t clean your chimney during spring-cleaning, it’s time to now, before the temperatures get chilly.
AP
Without warning last spring, millions of parents found themselves working from home while their kids attempted to do schoolwork under the same roof. The changes happened so quickly that families — especially those short on space — could only make the best of it with hastily arranged solutions.
AP
Neither evening stocks nor jasmine tobacco are particularly worthy plants by day. But as darkness falls, the petals of each of these flowers unfurl to release a delicious, heavy scent.
top story
ARIZONA CITY -- Ron Jolly joined the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1038 in the fall of 1985, just a month or so after arriving in Arizona City.
top story
CASA GRANDE -- I love a cooking challenge, so when it was suggested that Simple or Not Kitchen try a few Mediterranean diet-friendly recipes that were easy and tasty, it was a challenge I was eager to accept.
CASA GRANDE — Grandparents play a variety of roles in their grandchildren’s lives. For many, a grandfather or grandmother is an additional loving adult who provides positive, nurturing support early in life. For other young children, grandparents have taken their grandchild into their home a…
Your home is your biggest asset. Keep it, yourself, your family and your possessions safe from intruders.
AP
PHOENIX — When my birthday rolled around in June, I had to face the fact that, thanks to COVID-19, I would not be having cake with anyone. Yet I went ahead and made the cake I really wanted — a three-layer, naked strawberry chamomile cake.
featured top story
ARIZONA CITY -- Stripey, a black pit bull mix with a contrasting white stripe on his chest, was calm and friendly Tuesday morning as his owner, Jazmine Berumen, dropped him off at a spay-neuter clinic in Arizona City.
top story
CASA GRANDE -- Although lemon-ricotta cheesecake is simple to make using an Instant Pot, when we made it for Simple or Not Kitchen, it didn’t impress one of the two kids tasked with taste-testing the results.
top story
CASA GRANDE — Wearing white sashes emblazoned with “Votes for Women” and donning hats and 1920s-era clothing, members of the Casa Grande Valley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution gathered near the Main Library on Wednesday morning to pay tribute to those who struggled to ach…
AP
DETROIT — The coronavirus is shaking up America’s liquor laws.
The lines of grout between the tiles in your shower, bathroom walls, and floor tiles can get grungy and gray after a while. Refresh its appearance by cleaning and resealing.
The largest use of potable water in Arizona is for landscaping, and as much as 70 percent of residential water use is outdoors, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources. That a point I cannot stress this enough.
CASA GRANDE — The Central Arizona Small Business Development Center is offering two online training seminars as part of a “Rebuilding Your Business” series for small business owners. The courses offered online and are free of charge are:
Between bathing, cooking, laundry, and landscaping, the average individual in Arizona uses 120 gallons of water per day, according to Water Use It Wisely.
For a complete listing, visit http://pcld.libnet.info/events.
Stoners could be funding improvements to Interstate 10. It’s right there in the Stoners for Legal Doobies Act.
Is your swimming pool 10 years old or older? It may be time to resurface it.
top story
CASA GRANDE -- A fresh loaf of crusty bread tops my list of the most satisfying baked goods to pull out of the oven.
Most of the time our weather in Arizona is predictable with lots of sunshine and clear skies. But, every year during our two wet seasons of late summer and January/February, floods occur. Along with the floods come reports of loss of life and property. People who are new to Arizona often are…
top story
CASA GRANDE — What’s more refreshing on a triple-digit day than a frozen treat like ice cream?
This is the time of year that big, black beetles take to the air. These bugs are sometimes thought to be cockroaches but, they are a very different animal unique to the desert southwest. These beetles, known as palo verde beetles, appear about the time summer arrives and continue through the…
CASA GRANDE — A thick and chocolatey frozen treat that resembles the Wendy’s Frosty is easy to make at home.
For some people, the words honey-do list are welcomed with vigor. But, for others, those same words conjure up dread and denial. If you are not a person who relishes the challenges of fixing, repairing or installing you might consider hiring a handyman.
TEMPE — Marriage is for love, but new research by an Arizona State University professor finds proof that wedding bells also provide some protection against financial risk.
TUCSON -- It's intuitive and scientifically shown that wearing a face covering can help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. But not all masks are created equal, according to new University of Arizona-led research.
Last Christmas, our daughter Sarah visited from Massachusetts.
Ready or not, the monsoon is here.
top story
CASA GRANDE -- One of my favorite desserts is “Blan Manje,” a sweet and creamy treat sometimes called “Haitian fruit cocktail.”
When it comes to security, everyone is concerned. We want to know that when we are home, we are safe inside and when we are away, we want to know that our belongings are safe.
CASA GRANDE — Prioritizing our own self-care benefits our families, friends, co-workers and most of all: ourselves. A popular saying suggests: “You cannot pour from an empty cup.”
top story
SIGNAL PEAK -- Two viruses are stalking the nation.
One of the trends we really like is the meshing of outdoor living with activities traditionally designated for indoors. This trend has commanded more conversation as people try to make staying at home more inviting during the quarantine. Outdoor gathering places are a nice option to mix thin…
top story
CASA GRANDE -- June is a celebration of many things, among them National Dairy Month and its counterpart awareness campaign, National Dairy Alternative Month.
featured top story
CASA GRANDE -- For retired teacher and amateur cake maker Gail DePadre, baking is a creative passion.
