There are few things in life that smell quite as wonderful as a loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread. That slightly tangy aroma, chewy crust, and soft, airy center make it pretty easy to understand why sourdough has gone from an old-fashioned baking tradition to one of the trendiest breads around. But sourdough isn’t just having a moment because it looks pretty on Instagram. There is something different happening inside that loaf. Unlike conventional bread, sourdough is made using a fermentation process involving wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. That fermentation changes the dough before it ever reaches the oven,…
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Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is one of those places where you can have a completely different dining experience depending on which direction you turn. One minute you’re sitting down to a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch meal, and the next you’re eating handmade pasta, international cuisine, a gourmet burger, or something you definitely didn’t expect to find in Amish Country. And that’s one of the things I love about Lancaster. Yes, you absolutely should try the Pennsylvania Dutch food. You should probably have a whoopie pie somewhere along the way, too. But Lancaster’s restaurant scene has grown into something much bigger than smorgasbords and…
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When you’re hungry, busy, and staring at a fast-food menu, making a healthy choice can feel like a pop quiz you didn’t study for. You want something filling, you want it to taste good, and you’d really rather not spend the next hour wondering why you thought a handful of fries counted as lunch. Fortunately, eating on the go doesn’t mean you have to abandon your healthy eating goals. There are plenty of healthy fast food meals that can give you a satisfying combination of protein, vegetables, whole grains, fruit, and other nutritious ingredients without requiring you to spend your…
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There are some songs that can transport me straight back to another time in my life. I can hear the first few notes and suddenly I’m back in the car, at church, on vacation, or standing in the kitchen making dinner ten years ago. Music has a funny way of doing that. It can change my mood in a matter of minutes, calm me down when I’m overwhelmed, or give me the little boost I need when my energy is running low. There is actually quite a bit of science behind the way music interacts with the brain. Researchers have…
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There is something about vacation that makes us want to walk everywhere. We stroll through charming downtowns, explore boardwalks, wander through museums, shop until our feet hurt, and somehow decide that a “quick walk” to dinner is a great idea even though our hotel is a mile away. I love exploring a new place on foot, but there is one thing that can quickly put a damper on a vacation: unhappy feet. Blisters, sore heels, swollen feet, sweaty socks, and shoes that seemed perfectly comfortable at home can suddenly become the biggest problem of the entire trip. And when your…












