Freedom from Want by Heather Shayne Blakeslee During elementary school, the bedroom that I shared with my little sister could not have been more ideal. It was light and airy, and our matching set of tiny brass beds each had wooden shelves above them that my father had made himself. In between the beds, under
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Illustration by Kailey Whitman Getting Over Being Great by Jerry Silberman Question: Can America ever be great again? The Right Question: Why would we want to? Two months ago in this column I pointed out why Donald Trump, like every president since Reagan, will be unable to reverse the decline of the United States economy
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Pipeline Granted Clean Water Certification, Environmentalists Dub it ‘Premature’The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) granted 401 Clean Water Act certification to the PennEast Pipeline project on Feb. 13, an action criticized by some environmentalists because PA DEP has not fully reviewed the regulations to determine if PennEast is entitled to the certification. The
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Potato and Pesto Perfection by Anna Herman While I like wheat and the wonderful way its protein gluten can transform into crispy bread and chewy seitan, I also like to host all comers on pizza night. Gluten-free baking skills now seem essential in one’s culinary arsenal, and with alternative ingredients now sold almost everywhere, it’s
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Stay-In Brunch Pizza by Peggy Paul Casella I developed this recipe for those mornings when I wake up craving brunch food, but the thought of getting out of my pajamas, piling on woolly layers and schlepping through the snow makes me want to hide under the covers till spring. With bubbly cheese, eggs, thick-cut bacon
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Perfect Pizza Crust at Home? by Brian Ricci Making a satisfying pizza crust can be difficult at home. For one, our ovens don’t get hot enough to bake high-hydration doughs, and if they did, most likely we would be setting our sensitive smoke detectors off whenever we tried. Let me suggest an alternative: cooking with
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Illustration by Corey Schumann 1. Be on the lookout for magnolia blooms In the middle of the month, those spectacular Southern blooms will be out for a short time. You can see a particularly large specimen in West Philadelphia’s Clark Park. 2. Prune your woody plantsNow is the time to cut back your roses and
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Illustration by Abayomi Louard-Moore The Open Mind by Laurie Zierer Last spring, a group of teenagers gathered regularly at the Philadelphia City Institute branch of the Free Library. They came from different neighborhoods and attended schools that spanned the local spectrum, from traditional public schools and magnets to charters, private schools and home-school settings. Nonetheless,
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Petal Power by Emily Kovach It’s been a long, dark winter. It’s time to freshen things up around the home and office with flora and vegetation, revive the senses with color and fragrance, and replenish the body and spirit with healing oils and herbs. These two CSA shares ensure regular deliveries of potent plants to
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The Right Stuff by Emily Kovach For many conscientious omnivores, labels or stickers touting “organic” or “grassfed” on packages of grocery store meat and dairy simply aren’t enough anymore. More than ever, savvy shoppers want to know exactly where their poultry, beef, eggs and cheese are raised or produced, with the airtight assurance that humane
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