Counting calories isn’t the only way you can resolve to bring about positive change in your life during the new year. If you’re like many Americans, it may be a good time to start counting your way toward better financial health. The past … read more

These recipes from Chef George Duran, host of TLC’s “Ultimate Cake Off” and Food Network’s “Ham on the Street,” make it easy to elevate your cheeseboard and serve up delightfully delicate puffed pastries. Each of these dishes features Jarlsberg cheese, which was created … read more

To row single-handedly from Poulsbo to Seattle in a small rowboat requires propelling some 16 nautical miles through a major transportation waterway teeming with ferries, Alaska-bound cruise ships, container vessels and recreational boaters. It also demands navigation of the Ballard Locks, two gates … read more

The holiday season is a wonderful time for family gatherings filled with cheer, delicious treats, gift exchanges and… trash. Do your part this holiday season to get more out of the former by producing less of the latter. Here are a few tips … read more

Long, long before word processors, computers, cellphones and inkjet printers were invented, all writing was done by hand. History was recorded by hand. Official documents and books — especially religious texts — were written with handheld pens and often beautifully embellished with richly … read more

Hope is a gift on every child’s wish list, especially those in parts of the world ravaged by natural disasters and poverty. Giving hope lets these children know that the world hasn’t forgotten them. If you’re looking for a gift with a purpose, … read more

An extraordinary love for Christmas was perhaps written in the stars for local Carol Burk, better known as “Christmas Carol,” as even her own December birthday happens during the Christmas season. “Christmas Carol” is also the name of her residential and business tree-decorating … read more

It may be the most wonderful time of year, but it can also be one of the most dangerous. Along with the cooking and decorations that make the season magical, the holidays present risks for home fires and burns. An independent survey conducted … read more

Counting birds in the middle of winter may not make sense but this is a tradition that goes back over a hundred years. It is a tradition that replaced another one known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” Before the turn of the century, … read more