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Why the PB&J remains king of the lunchbox

Lifestyles

If there is a single sandwich associated with childhood and school lunches in the U.S.A, it has to be the PB&J. Sweet and salty, inexpensive, easy to make (maybe the first sandwich many kids make for themselves?), peanut butter and jelly is as close to iconic as a sandwich can get. It’s been 125 years since the first known written recipe, and the PB&J concept is still going strong. In its simplest form, it’s a lunchbox staple, but it’s also a jumping-off point for creative takes in eateries from delis to high-end restaurants. It’s nothing if not versatile: When peanut ...

A funeral back home brings back memories

Lifestyles

It is Labor Day, so everyone is home today. We washed the laundry, and it is drying nicely on the lines. Daniel Ray is mowing. He mowed my sister Verena’s yard before he started on ours. I pulled the red beets from the garden. We didn’t get a big crop of them. Hopefully, we will have enough to make plenty of pickled beets for church lunch this winter when we host the services. It usually takes around 3 quarts each time. I made breakfast omelets for a late brunch, then I made white gravy to put on top of the omelet. I make each one with whatever they want in theirs. I had bacon, ...

Endometriosis can elude diagnosis

Lifestyles

When Zoe Armstrong got an ultrasound report showing signs of endometriosis, she called her mom and cried. After years of suffering and seeking help from doctors, she finally had an answer. “To see it on paper, I was like, ‘I’m not crazy,’” the 31-year-old recalled. “I very much ...

Hospitals are not just for medical emergencies

Lifestyles

Peer support services for patients, family members and caregivers is just one of the lesser known services available at many hospitals. Hospitals play an important role in keeping people healthy. While hospitals remain the place to go when experiencing a medical emergency, these vital facilities offer much more than emergency care. The scope of services available in many hospitals is vast and can benefit people confronting medical emergencies as well as individuals hoping to live as healthy as possible. The following rundown of offerings can shed light on how beneficial it can be ...

DEAR ANNIE: Family summer vacation turned stressful

Lifestyles

DEAR ANNIE: This past July, my husband and I rented a house near us so our two daughters, their husbands and our grandchildren could all spend time together. Since everyone lives several states apart, we thought it would be a wonderful chance to reconnect and hopefully start a yearly family tradition. We live only about 15 minutes from the rental, so during the day we planned activities in the mountains, and in the evenings everyone would come back to our house for dinner and time together. For most of the trip, things went well. But during the last couple of days, it became obvious ...

YSU series will feature pianist, composer

Ticket

Warren native Darrius Simmons, a pianist and composer, will be the guest for the next installment of Presidential Conversations at Youngstown State University. Simmons was born with a genetic condition called ectrodactyly and has three fingers on his right hand and one finger on his left. He also was diagnosed with tibial hemimelia, a rare congenital lower-limb condition, and had both legs amputated below the knee at 18 months old. At age 10, he decided to teach himself piano, practicing by ear with no formal training. Videos of his playing went viral online and caught the attention ...