Care Packages

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Whether you are sending a care package to a family friend or a college student, they are always appreciated. Food was always a good choice when choosing what to put in a care package. Apartment Therapy has some great recipes for you to remember when planning you next shipment.



It's been a while since I was in college, but when it comes to care packages, I'm quite sure things haven't changed very much.

A few favorite store-bought things are always nice, but the very best things will always be freshly made snacks and treats. They're a nice reminder of home and help fuel late-night study sessions and tough exams.

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1. Smoked Almond Snack Bars

This recipe for nutty, KIND-inspired snack bars is for those of you who prefer savory over sweet when the afternoon doldrums have you yawning.
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2. Muesli Snacking Cookies

These baked gems are a play on classic oatmeal cookies. A few fun ingredient swaps make them healthier and even more delicious.
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3. Birthday Cake Popcorn

You don't need a birthday to celebrate with this festive treat! It's sweet, salty, and covered with sprinkles — you can't go wrong!
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4. Sweet and Savory Roasted Cashews

Take your pick: sweet or salty. Neither recipe takes more than a few minutes to bring together, and they're both perfect study snacks.
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5. Peanut Butter & Chocolate Energy Bars

These bars slip into that magical niche of snacks that seem — and taste — like candy but are still, at least ostensibly, healthy. They are made without refined sugar, require zero cooking, and can last in a backpack all day.
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6. Banana Bread

Whether your favorite college student eats this as breakfast or an afternoon snack, one thing is certain: it's gonna go fast.
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7. Cherry Pistachio Granola Clusters

This right here is "snacking granola." We're talking about big, chunky clusters of lightly sweet granola studded with pistachios and dried cherries.
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8. Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

Classic chocolate chip cookies are timeless — and they just might be the very best thing you could find when you open a care package.
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9. Hazelnut & Cherry Whole-Grain Crackers

These homemade hazelnut and cherry crackers are such a great on-the-go snack. Plus, they're easy to make and stay fresh for weeks.
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10. Pumpkin-Spiced Caramel Corn

If you just can't resist the pumpkin spice craze, this lightly spiced caramel corn will be right up your alley.

Fall In Pittsburgh

Image from Pixabay

Fall is here and that means it is time to bundle up and enjoy the city. There are plenty of fantastic fall art exhibits around the city this time of year. Keep reading to learn about what events are coming throughout October and November. You can learn more at the Post Gazette. 


CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART: “She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World” continues through Sept. 28; “Jacqueline Humphries” through Oct. 5; and “CMOA Collects Edward Hopper” through Oct. 26. “HACLab Pittsburgh: Imagining the Modern” opens Sept. 12 and “Hot Metal Modern,” Sept. 26. Look for the big Christmas trees and the Neapolitan Presepio in December. (412-622-3131)

THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM: “Warhol By the Book,” Andy’s book works, opens Oct. 10 and continues through Jan. 10 with accompanying programs including food historian Susan Rossi-Wilcox (Nov. 7), art historian Lucy Mulroney (Nov. 14) and author nephew Jamie Warhola (Dec. 5). (412-238-8300)

THE FRICK ART MUSEUM: “Forbidden Fruit: Chris Antemann at Meissen®,” work by the internationally known ceramist and Johnstown native created in residence at the German artCAMPUS of famed porcelain house Meissen. Opens Oct. 2, continuing through Jan. 10. (412-371-0600)

MATTRESS FACTORY: Part II of “Factory Installed” opens Sept. 18 and will stay, with already installed Part I, through May 31. The ongoing house-sized installation “Chiharu Shiota: Trace of Memory” marks its second year this month. (412-231-3169)

PITTSBURGH FILMMAKERS: ‘In the Air: Visualizing what we breathe,” photographers Brian Cohen, Scott Goldsmith, Lynn Johnson and Annie O’Neill look at air quality in Western Pennsylvania through the people and places effected, opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 (through Feb. 26). (412-681-5449)

PITTSBURGH CENTER FOR THE ARTS: “2015 Artist of the Year: Dennis Marsico;” “2015 Emerging Artist of the Year: Seth Clark;” “Printmaking 2015,” a group show juried by Kim Beck; and “Precarious Balance” by Talia Greene and “TIME TRAVEL” by Myung Gyun You, both from the Center for Visual Artists in Philadelphia. All exhibitions through Nov. 1. (412-361-0873)

SOCIETY FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT: “Mindful: Exploring Mental Health Through Art” brings together the resources of an art exhibition, programming and community partnerships to debunk stereotypes and explore creativity’s healing power. The opening weekend includes a reception Sept. 18; dialogue with the artists and the Pittsburgh premiere of the Depressed Cake Shop Sept. 19 (through March 12). (412-261-7003)

WOOD STREET GALLERIES: Exhibitions of work by videographer, photographer, sculptor and performer Hetain Patel and photographer Nandini Valli Muthiah open Sept. 25 during the quarterly Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Gallery Crawl and continue through Dec. The exhibitions are part of the Trust’s “India in Focus” programming, as are those at the following three venues. (412-471-5605)

SPACE: Four artists use contemporary technology and methods of art production while embracing aspects of traditional Indian visual culture, Sept. 25 - Nov. 22.

707 PENN GALLERY: “Birth Series,” photographs by Gauri Gill, through Nov. 29.

709 PENN GALLERY: “A Million Marks of Home,” installation by Sarika Goulatia, through Nov. 29.

SILVER EYE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY: “Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculine Identity” opens from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 18 with a curator’s talk at 6:30 p.m. (412-431-1810)

THE PITTSBURGH GLASS CENTER: “Indagare,” an exhibition and installation created by seminal contemporary glass artist Therman Statom while in residency this summer, opens from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 2, continuing through Jan. 19. (412-365-2145)

MILLER GALLERY AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY: “Aftersound: Frequency, Attack, Return,” sound as a medium of contemporary art, through Nov. 22 with a performance and reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 25. (412-268-3618)

HUNT INSTITUTE FOR BOTANICAL DOCUMENTATION: “The Mysterious Nature of Fungi” opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 including brief curators’ talk (through Dec. 17). (At CMU, 412-268-2434)

WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART: The Grand Reopening Celebration includes VIP and Dance Parties Oct. 24, and a free Community Day Oct. 25. In addition to reinstallation of the collection in the new galleries, exhibitions opening are “A Collector’s Passion: Selections from the Richard M. Scaife Collection Bequest,” through Feb. 14; and “All About Color and Geometry: Selections from the Diana and Peter Jannetta Gift of Art” and “Making The Westmoreland Museum of American Art,” both through April 17. (724-837-1500)

SAINT VINCENT GALLERY: “Monk­-Artists of Saint Vincent” runs through Oct. 5. Artist Roman Verostko will give the Threshold Lecture, “From Art by Hand to Art by Code,” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, followed by a reception for his exhibition “Algorithmic Transformations” (through Nov. 23). “Striking Images: Lifetime Work of [photographer] Terry Deglau” opens with a 6 to 8 p.m. reception Dec. 4. (At Saint Vincent College, Latrobe; 724-805-2107)

SOUTHERN ALLEGHENIES MUSEUM OF ART: Highlights of exhibitions at the four SAMA branches are:

Large solo shows by regional art stars Kevin Kutz (through Oct. 10) and Kathleen Cochran Zimbicki (through Dec. 5) continue at Loretto, where a “Bubbles and Brie” artists reception will be held Sept. 17 ($25, reserve by Sept. 14). Arriving Oct. 23 are Mohawk Nation artist Will Espey and feminist pioneer Cynthia Nixon, and the late Adolf Dehn’s Pennsylvania scenes, Dec. 11. (1-814-472-3920). The 7th Paint Out will be held Sept. 18-20 concluding with an exhibition and sale at Ligonier Valley; the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts 20th annual juried exhibition of regional art opens with a Nov. 21 reception (through Feb. 7). (724-238-6015). Leonard Baskin prints from the permanent collection are at Altoona through Jan. 16, and the Annual Juried Exhibition of regional artists arrives Sept. 25 through Jan. 9. (1-814-946-4464) The Allied Artists of Johnstown 83rd Annual is at Johnstown through Dec. 11 (1-814-269-7234).

BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART: California artist Gisela Colon will attend a 1 to 3 p.m. artist reception Sunday sept. 13 to open an exhibition of her Glo-Pod series, large color and light filled wall sculptures made of molded and layered acrylic (through Dec. 31). “California Impressionism” arrives Oct. 4, though Nov. 29. (Youngstown, Ohio, 330-743-1107).
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Mythbusters: Home Edition

Image From Pixabay

We all have the myths that we believe about apartment living. However, many of these myths are false. Living in an apartment has some great benefits and with a little creativity you can do everything in an apartment that you can do in a house. Apartment Therapy is here to bust those apartment myths that you have always believed.

Myth: You can't share a small space

Think you have to live solo if you're calling a studio or small space home? Not so! Plenty of couples, housemates and families have created the room they need in a small home. The trick seems to be customized storage, regular decluttering, good communication and a way to mentally "get away" from the person or persons you're sharing your small space with when you need some alone time. Not convinced? Check out real-life examples of multiple people making it work in small homes:


→ Inspiration for Livin' Large In Small Family Homes
Myth: You can't entertain in a small space

We're not saying it's super easy to entertain when you have a super small space, but it's not impossible. You can always rearrange your home to fit a dining table (or temporary table) in the living room (using the sofa for one side of eating and chairs from around the house on the other sides). Or you can just feature a bunch of plates and trays of snack food sprinkled around your small space as guests mingle around.


→ How to Entertain Big in a Small Space
Myth: Bigger is always better

There's the false notion that having more room is always the best choice. Like if you have the choice between a big home and a small home (and could afford both), why wouldn't you choose the bigger option? Take it from me and my personal experience, yeah it's luxurious to have a lot of room and extra bedrooms for guests, but it's also a lot more room to fill up with stuff and more square feet to keep clean. Nancy also shares why she's learned to love living small:


→ How Living in a Tiny Apartment Made Me Happier and Saner
Myth: All your furniture has to be small to match

It's true, you have to consider proportions and balance when you're bringing in furniture to your small home. And there are some instances where keeping the furnishings small can really help a small home feel airy and open. But it's not the law. You can totally sneak a sectional in a tiny living room or have a bedroom that's all bed if you're going for a cozy vibe.


→ Trick of the Trade: Sectional Sofas in Small Spaces
Myth: You can't fit hobbies or work in a small space

Feel like you can't do anything fun in your small space because you've got to make room for like, living? Not true! You can fit a small workspace and a little storage in even the smallest of homes to give yourself a work surface and a dedicated spot for work or hobbies. Like anything, you've just got to declutter the spot regularly so it doesn't take over the rest of your space.


→ Yes, You Can Fit A Home Office Into Your Tiny Home
→ How To Sneak a Home Office into ANY Room
Myth: You have to be a minimalist to live in a small space

Hey, the less stuff you have, the easier it is to live in just about any sized space. But you don't have to consign yourself to a minimalist lifestyle to live in a small space if it's not your thing. You've just got to get creative to customize your small space so it works for your lifestyle (and yes, maybe declutter regularly so you don't have too much stuff).

Let's Go Steelers!

Image From Wikimedia and Andy

The Steelers had a rough start against the New England Patriots. However, they are ready to take on the San Francisco 49ers this week. We are hoping to bring back a win at our first home game of the 2015-2016 season. What do you think the Steelers need to do to win this game? Learn more about the game at the Bleacher Report.

The San Francisco 49ers travel well, and the further from home they get the more profitable they've been. In fact, the Niners are 10-0 both straight up and against the spread in their last 10 regular-season games played in the Eastern Time Zone. San Francisco makes the first of four trips this season to the east when it visits Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers Sunday afternoon.

Point spread: The Steelers opened as 6.5-point favorites; the total was 45 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 25.9-23.0 Steelers

Why the 49ers can cover the spread

Reports of the Niners' demise may have been greatly exaggerated. San Francisco began the post-Harbaugh era Monday night with a 20-3 victory over Minnesota, winning outright as a two-point home dog.

The Niners outrushed the Vikings by a 230-71 margin, as Carlos Hyde—their new No. 1 ball-carrier after the departure of Frank Gore—went off for 168 yards and two scores, and the defense—hit hard by attrition over the offseason—limited Minnesota to a total of 248 yards.

San Francisco was nearly given up for dead coming into this season but looked like a team trying to prove something Monday night. The Niners have a fresh set of legs in Hyde, a still-dangerous dual-threat quarterback in Colin Kaepernick and potentially a top-10 defense, despite the personnel losses. If it can move the chains, grind some clock and put some pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, San Francisco has a shot at pulling off the upset Sunday.

Why the Steelers can cover the spread

Pittsburgh opened its season last Thursday with a 28-21 loss at defending Super Bowl champion New England. The Steelers fell down 14-0 early, got to within 21-14 in the fourth quarter, then managed a backdoor push as seven-point underdogs when Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown for an 11-yard scoring pass with just two seconds left in the game.

In the end, Pittsburgh outgained the Patriots by 100 yards andoutrushed them 134-80, as newcomer DeAngelo Williams ran for 127 on 21 carries and the Steelers won time of possession by a 32-28 margin; usually numbers like that are conducive to covers.

The Steelers are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS the last seven times they've hosted teams from west of the Mississippi River. Pittsburgh owns an elite offense, and could simply outgun San Francisco Sunday.

Smart pick

San Francisco might not be as bad as the preseason prognostications predicted. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is only 5-10 ATS the last 15 times it's been favored by six points or more. The smart money here probably resides with the 49ers, plus the points.

Betting trends

The total has gone under in the 49ers' last three games on the road.

The total has gone under in five of the 49ers' last six games on the road in September.

The Steelers are 6-1 SU in their last seven games against the NFC West.

Tailgating Tips

Image From Wikimedia

The Pirates, Panthers and Steelers seasons are all in full swing. Are you excited to tailgate this football season? We have found some great tailgating tips that you can apply to your fall pre-game fun! You can learn more at The Kitchn.

1. Research the tailgating site: Even before you get to the packing and prepping of food, make sure you know where you can park, what the facilities are like, and what the rules are. Are open flames allowed so that you can grill? Is there running water, bathroom facilities, or rules about alcohol? What time can get there, and how late can you stay?

Think about the weather and the time of day when planning — will it be hot or rainy and a tent would be useful? And make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there and set up.

2. Pack in, pack out: Unless a tailgate site explicitly says so, assume that everything you bring in comes home with you, including trash. Make sure you have plenty of heavy-duty trash bags, figure out how you'll handle recycling and packaging leftover food, and think about how you'll pack and bring home a dirty grill.
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3. Multiple coolers are a must: Two coolers are the minimum — one for food and one for drinks. If you have a third for the raw food that needs to be cooked, even better! Make sure foods are wrapped tightly to prevent leaking and cross-contamination, and pack the things you'll need immediately at the top.

Label your drink coolers and tie a bottle opener to the handle so it's convenient and never gets lost. Make sure you have enough ice for drinks and to keep everything cold until you get home.

4. Grill prep: Make sure your grill is clean and that you have the necessary grill tools, enough fuel to last through all the grilling, and a portable fire extinguisher just in case.
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5. Food choices: Have ready-to-go finger foods and snacks that you can put out immediately to keep people happy while the grill gets fired up. Keep more substantial food items simple and easy-to-serve. Bonus points if you don't even need plates to eat them off of, like kabobs and quesadillas! If you plan on tailgating after the game too, pack some different snacks and foods to grill then so that you have some variety.

6. Food prep: Do as much as you can at home, including marinating, cutting up vegetables, threading things onto skewers, or forming burger patties. Mix up big batches of drinks or cocktails so all you have to do is pour.

7. Equipment: Pack a few folding or portable chairs and tables. A tablecloth looks nice and makes for easier cleanup, and a few big stackable plastic bins can serve as trash and recycling bins. Don't forget a cutting board, sharp knife, and serving platters. Foil can help scrape down a dirty grill, keep food warm, or wrap up leftovers.

8. Water, water, water: Freeze some water bottles to both keep the coolers cold and so you'll have something icy to drink if it's a hot day. Bring along a big water container with a dispenser for handwashing too.

Easy Ways To Cook Vegetables

Image From Pixabay 

Vegetables are so important for our healthy diet. However, they can also give people trouble in the kitchen. Apartment Therapy has found a great simple way to make any vegetable for your dinner tonight. Keep reading and choose your favorite vegetables to start experimenting.





Roasting vegetables can be a game changer for people who don't like vegetables. Maybe it's the slight caramelizing, maybe it's because they get a little crispy, or maybe it's the added fat. Who knows? But I do know that one of the biggest vegetable fans I know — a man here in South Carolina who started an all-local farmers market and has been local produce's biggest supporter — did not like okra. You can't love South Carolina produce without loving okra. That's just a fact. Anyhow, I taught him my method, and his life changed. Roasted okra never makes it to the table in my house. We eat it up like French fries.


I hope my son will learn to buy what's on sale, and what he likes, without worrying about elaborate preparation. Rather than teaching him how to roast every single vegetable, I gave him a list of tips.

10 Tips for Roasting Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 425 to 450°F. The higher temperature will let the vegetables caramelize, which is part of what makes them so good.

Chop or slice your vegetables. The smaller and thinner the pieces, the quicker they'll cook.

Don't feel like chopping? Whole vegetables roast, too; it'll just take longer. (You can use the time to clean your room or call your mom.)

You can use one pan for different vegetables. Add the longer cooking vegetables first, and remove the pan to add the rest mid-roast.

Drizzle the oil, because you don't need much. For new cooks, I recommend a pour spout, because it makes it easier to drizzle just a little. Any kind of oil with a high enough smoking point will do; the smoking point is often listed on the label. If it isn't? You may use a teeny tiny bit of our data plan to 

Google it from the grocery store. Or just call me!

Shake the pan to distribute the oil. You could toss the vegetables and oil in a bowl, but that means one more dish to wash. Skip it.

Really feeling lazy? Line your pan with tinfoil before adding the vegetables. And put the foil in the recycling bin if your area allows. And just don't tell me, so I won't feel compelled to lecture you about waste. (Please don't use tinfoil. It won't kill you to scrub a pan. It'll help your tennis game, because of all that muscle!) 

Go light on the salt and pepper. You can always add more later.

Test for doneness with a fork. Or just eyeball it. Use the light in the oven to see, or just open and close quickly, because you don't want to waste energy.

Keep the leftovers. You can use them later in a salad, omelet, or burrito. Or you can toss them into pasta.