Home and Hearth
CASA GRANDE -- Many of us grew up on McDonald’s apple pie.
Imagine you won a gourmet meal prepared in your kitchen by a celebrity chef. Would the chef be able to find the tools needed to create the feast without having to call in a search party? If not, it’s time to organize.
CASA GRANDE -- Tuesday is the end of Mardi Gras and what better way to celebrate than with the sweet and creamy Haitian celebratory drink known as kremas.
If a candle is burning in a dark room, we don’t see the darkness, we see the light. Perhaps that’s why candles have become such a popular decor element over the course of the pandemic.
CASA GRANDE — I hired on with the Dispatch in the summer of 2010. My job was to write feature stories. I preferred face-to-face interviews.
Looking to brighten things up or take it down a few notches? Replacing a traditional light switch with a lighting dimmer switch can set the ambiance for a romantic dinner, a meditation space, TV watching, a party, or whatever activity you want to set the mood for.
TUCSON -- The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting many aspects of our lives, including our romantic relationships. Some couples may be feeling the strain of living and working in the same space day after day. Other people may be feeling especially lonely this year as the pandemic disrupts traditi…
NEW YORK — Michelle Obama is launching a Netflix children’s food show with a pair of puppets “to bring a bit of light and laughter to homes around the world.”
CASA GRANDE — Girl Scouts throughout the area began their annual cookie sales on Jan. 16 and are working toward their goals.
CASA GRANDE -- Whether it’s called a Swiss roll, jelly roll or the more proper “roulade,” rolled cakes are easy to make and a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, especially when the cake is pink and filled with bright red strawberry jelly.
Interior designers probably didn’t predict that 2020 would play a significant role in the design trends for 2021. The amount of time we spent at home cooped up with loved ones, created a need for privacy, comfort, and nostalgia.
CASA GRANDE — Good oral health in young children plays a critical role in their overall wellbeing and education. Yet, tooth decay is the most common chronic disease faced by young children and is also 100% preventable.
CASA GRANDE -- Would you eat macaroni and cheese if it’s candy-colored pink? How about on Valentine’s Day?
I’ve settled on my pandemic wardrobe. It’s not new, actually. It’s pretty much the same wardrobe I selected for retirement.
Remember the great toilet paper famine of 2020? What if another stay-at-home order happens or another event that requires you and your family to stay home for a lengthy period? Will you have everything you need to get by? Do you know what you need to get by? And do you want to just get by or…
CASA GRANDE -- With the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season fully in swing, it’s a great time to try a few recipes that feature the annual sweet treats as a main ingredient.
If you can’t find a place to store a new purse, shirt, golf accessories, kitchen gadgets, or whatever item you have too many of, it’s time to declutter and organize. When you can’t find two shoes that match, it’s time to declutter and organize.
CASA GRANDE -- Thanks to the internet, I recently learned that for my entire life, I’ve been folding burritos and wraps all wrong.
Getting organized ranks No. 9 on Parade Magazine’s top 55 New Year’s resolutions for 2021. This month the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals will promote the benefits of working with an organizing or productivity professional.
CASA GRANDE — Everyone appreciates simple and convenient cooking techniques. When it comes to easy kitchen tasks, does anything get any easier than making a hard-boiled egg?
CASA GRANDE — Here’s a fun fact: Over 80% of the New Year’s resolutions people make will fail by February (cue the “Debbie Downer” music).
If you just woke up from a yearlong coma, you might ask: What’s with all the masks?
We asked our contractors what regular maintenance they recommend for homeowners. Preventative maintenance will go a long way in extending the life of the systems and products you have invested in. Too often we coast along until something breaks. That can lead to large and unexpected repair a…
CASA GRANDE — As one year closes and another one begins, our family celebrates the new beginning with heaping bowls of traditional Haitian pumpkin soup, also known as soup joumou.
Not long ago, we told you about plants that are tough to grow in Arizona. But there are also plants that seem to love Arizona, grow easily and maybe grow too well. Then, when you decide to get rid of them, it’s hard to make them go away.
CASA GRANDE — The holiday season is the perfect time to teach young children an important life lesson about gratitude that will last throughout the year.
CASA GRANDE — A workshop offered from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays from Jan. 26 to March 30 offers attendees the opportunity to join a group of fellow family caregivers to discuss how to regain hope and build resilience when dealing with the complexities of ongoing loss associated with car…
CASA GRANDE -- Tis the season for holiday baking and eating.
We haven’t had a real Christmas tree for some years. By real, I mean the fir trees you pick up in a repurposed lot.
CASA GRANDE -- A beverage that dates back to medieval times is a favorite celebratory Christmas beverage among Arizona adults.
In most households that celebrate Christmas, the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of the festivities. As beautiful as they are and fun to decorate, it is paramount that safety measures be taken. The lights you enjoy this holiday season should be on the on the tree and not on the top of a fi…
Do you have a filing cabinet drawer or two, or three or even a few three-ring binders full of receipts for appliances, big purchases, and work done on your home?
DEAR DR. BLONZ: I have been grinding my flaxseed and storing it in the refrigerator for use on my breakfast cereal. I typically grind enough to last a month or so. However, a recent article about how the omega fats in flaxseed can oxidize suggested I should not continue this routine. Is this…
PHOENIX — Producers of the Arizona Department of Transportation blog are sharing recipes for road trips inspired by Arizona’s six interstate highways.
CASA GRANDE — Few things in life are as delicious as freshly baked homemade bread. And few aromas stimulate the senses like baking bread.
If you can’t see clearly from your windows, it may not be your eyesight. It could be the glass. Not your eyeglasses, but the actual window pane itself. Or if you notice the windows are unable to keep heat or cold out of your home the way it once did, it may be time to consider repairing or r…
CASA GRANDE -- While apple pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert that winds up on many holiday tables, apple cake is a yummy alternative.
PHOENIX — It’s going to cost a bit more to feed the brood around the table this year for Thanksgiving — assuming there is a big family gathering what with the risks of COVID-19.
If you find that you can’t find the tops to containers, the smallest saucepan, a tiny bottle of spices, or the last roll of toilet paper, it may be time to add slide-out shelves to your kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. You can make them yourself, buy pre-fab sets, or hire a contractor to make…
FLORENCE — Pinal County Environmental Health this year is offering advice and safety tips to area residents as they celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.
CASA GRANDE -- Spaghetti sushi is a new twist on boring pasta and meatballs.
In days of old, we had the traditional Thanksgiving dinners. Mom cooking, Dad orchestrating and kids eating.
Most homes in Arizona do not have a basement or full attic. Many ranch-style homes have very shallow attics which are generally accessed from the ceiling in the garage or carport and the master bedroom.
CASA GRANDE — It’s been a minute since I’ve written my column and that’s because, well, I didn’t have anything to say. Cue the laughter from everyone who knows me personally! But, it’s true. I’ve been doing a lot of observing these last few months and been on a bit of an emotional roller coa…
CASA GRANDE — With a proven lifestyle change program, a workshop offered by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension program of Pinal County will help people learn healthy behaviors.
CASA GRANDE -- The holiday season is upon us. People are decorating their homes and planning for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
CASA GRANDE -- I went on a hike last Tuesday. That was a week before Election Day, which — if this column lands in its usual spot — is today.
CASA GRANDE -- Halloween pumpkins are not just for carving.
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