Online Features
Food Recipes
47RB_17025702_web.jpg
Top 5 hot food trends for 2013
(BPT) - Grab your fork and knife. Amateur and professional foodies alike highly anticipate the newest food trends, and 2013 will not disappoint. Throughout the country, restaurants and home cooks are utilizing their creativity to make food that satisfies the palate and leaves a lasting impression. Indulge your passion ...
full story
3QWB_17381421_web.jpg
Simple steps to effortless entertaining
(BPT) - Whether you’re a hosting aficionado or a novice entertainer, planning a party at home can carry a certain level of stress. Sometimes, despite all the cleaning, cooking and decorating we do to prepare, it’s the easily overlooked little things that can cause the biggest unwelcome surprises. The No. 1 disaster exp...
full story
1625_17404967_web.jpg
Six tips to keep your new year's resolution to lose weight
(BPT) - It’s probably the most commonly made new year’s resolution: lose weight and get into shape. In early January, the gyms are full, the sports stores run out of equipment, and the streets are teeming with new joggers. Many of us promise ourselves to lose weight to start the new year, and usually, within a month or ...
full story
4TE6_16808952_web.jpg
Eating a nutritious breakfast is as easy as 1-2-3
(BPT) - Despite good intentions to prepare a nutritious breakfast, it’s often tempting to grab something on the run, only to fall flat when it comes to nutrition and energy. Yet making a nutritious breakfast is as easy as 1-2-3, according to Chef Devin Alexander, a health and wellness expert and best-selling author. “W...
full story
FW54_17071655_web.jpg
Seventies style is stayin' alive: tips to keep up with the trend
(BPT) - From home decor to fashion and food, the styles and trends of the 1970s have slowly been creeping back into the mainstream, and this year they’re out in full force. Don’t be alarmed when you see the vibrant colors, bold patterns and relaxed entertaining of the decade taking over in today’s world. There are many ...
full story
D39Z_17301515_web.jpg
Dining out drives U.S. job growth
(BPT) - Did you know that when you and your family dine out, you are helping your community’s economy and the economy at large? That’s because restaurants employ millions of Americans nationwide. Overall, unemployment remains high as the nation slowly makes its way out of recession. One bright spot in the jobs picture ...
full story
ESRB_17166655_web.jpg
The busy person's guide for entertaining on short notice
(BPT) - Ideally, you’ll have a few days notice to get everything in order when you’re hosting guests. But everyone knows that’s not always the case. Drop-ins happen and you can make a choice between panicking or embracing the spontaneity of a last-minute get-together with your friends and family. The key to being an unf...
full story
How to use cinnamon sticks [Infographic]
Ever wonder what to do with a cinnamon stick? You know how to use and experiment with cinnamon in powdered form - just sprinkle it into whatever needs that warm, spicy flavor we all love. Cinnamon sticks are a different story. Technically, cinnamon sticks are pieces of hardened tree bark. In fact, they’re difficult to grate or grind unless you have something really tough, like a nutmeg grinder. But within each cinnamon stick you’ll find the freshest, most intense cinnamon flavor and aroma y...
full story
'Tis the sweetest season [Infographic]
The holidays wouldn’t be complete without candy. From gifting to stocking stuffers to baking and decor – candy is a key component to celebrating the holiday season. The Hershey Company recently distributed a survey to determine just how large of a role candy plays in holiday festivities. Some quick facts: Candy is the No. 1 stocking stuffer item during the holiday season – nearly 70 percent of people will receive candy in their stocking this year. Consumers love candy dressed at its holiday...
full story
HI4G_16807352_web.jpg
Turkey is tops for easy, everyday meals
(BPT) - At this busy time of year, it’s often difficult to get a meal on the table, especially if you’re multitasking between other priorities around the home. Consider including turkey burgers in your dinner menus - it’s a great way to add protein and create a delicious and convenient meal without having to be tied to ...
full story
2FI3_17134821_web.jpg
Mrs. Claus shares tips for fun holiday activities
(BPT) - If you think you’re busy this time of year, imagine how busy the first lady of holiday cheer can be. Not only does she help the big guy get ready for Christmas, but she makes sure everyone in the North Pole has a memorable holiday season. From hosting parties to keeping the elves happy and healthy, this joyful t...
full story
5O0I_1627039_web.jpg
Saving money during the holiday season can be easier than you think
(BPT) - If you are like most Americans, you will likely spend an average of $764 on gifts alone this holiday season, according to a Gallup survey. When totaling up the cost of gifts with extra trips to the grocery store, dinners out to toast the season and travel costs to visit loved ones, you’re looking at quite a holi...
full story
national news

A tornado touches down southwest of Wichita, Kan. near the town of Viola on Sunday, May 19, 2013. The tornado was part of a line of storms that past through the central plains on Sunday. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)By Chris Francescani (Reuters) - A massive storm front swept north through the central United States on Sunday, hammering the region with fist-sized hail, blinding rain and tornadoes, including a half-mile wide twister that struck near Oklahoma City. News reports said at least one person had died. By 9:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, more than two dozen tornadoes had been spotted in parts of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports. ...


Mon May 20 09:10:23 UTC 2013

Jodi Arias cries as she listens to Steven Alexander, brother of murder victim Travis Alexander, makes his victim impact statement to the jury in PhoenixPHOENIX (Reuters) - Jodi Arias, facing the possible death penalty for the murder of an ex-boyfriend in Arizona, was due back in court on Monday for the final phase of a four-month-long trial. Arias, 32, was found guilty of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home five years ago. He had been stabbed multiple times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. The same jury that convicted Arias of murder, found last week she had acted with extreme cruelty and ruled her eligible for the death penalty. ...


Mon May 20 08:41:03 UTC 2013

A farm sits in the distance near a corn field in RedkeyBy Tom Polansek and Mark Weinraub SHERIDAN, Illinois (Reuters) - With the U.S. spring planting season off to a historically slow start, an increasing number of farmers are counting on powerful tools to catch up: Monster machines that sow 36 rows of corn at once and feature high-tech innovations like computer-guided directional equipment. The technological wizardry from companies like Deere & Co and AGCO Corp is pitted in a frantic race against time, with farmers scrambling to get seeds in the ground because a slow start depresses yields and reduces the size of their harvest. ...


Mon May 20 06:04:59 UTC 2013
Less than a week after a string of tornadoes killed six people in north Texas, a massive storm system that tore through the center of the country on Sunday spawned at least a dozen tornadoes, killed at least one person, injured a dozen others and caused extensive damage from Georgia to Minnesota. A tornado at [...]
Mon May 20 08:28:31 UTC 2013