When the nights lengthen, a well-feathered nest brings shelter and satisfaction. May we propose a few new feathers to add to your aerie?
All of the items and details included here are brought to you by our local boutiques. Support them and the life they bring to our region’s Main Streets.
They need us: If we want those walks up and down our streets to be satisfying, we need to invest in them with our purchases and our support!
SHOPPE B
The only place to find these distinct British lampshades from Fermoie is Brenda Friday’s Shoppe B. Available in 54 colorways and 15 sizes, they’ll make a style statement in every room. Brenda Friday Design
GLASSWORKS
Juliska’s melamine and acrylic versions of its classic patterns make carefree options for picnics, tailgates, and eating with the grandkids. Shown here, Berry & Thread melamine plates and serveware, Isabella acrylic glasses, Forest Walk napkins, and always break-resistant bamboo flatware. glassworksandcheeks.com
PITTSBURGH GLASS CENTER
These vases from the Penn/Fairmount tableware line are created by hand at Pittsburgh Glass Center. Glass artist Jason Forck and his team have designed distinct silhouettes including vases, pitchers, cups, and bowls in a variety of translucent hues. (Photography by Adam Milliron) pittsburghglasscenter.org
SPLASH
Artistic Tile’s Pinnacle Fete pattern blends a classic design with colorful, sculpted marbles in a rhythmic patchwork. Carved triangular flutes expose the white-veined background marble and bring out the nuances of all the colors. Perfect for a bathroom or backsplash in search of richness and originality.splashshowrooms.com
TILE & DESIGNS
The Chelsea glazed brick collection is influenced by New York City’s eclectic, eccentric neighborhood of the same name. Chelsea comes in a variety of colors to suit any personality! tileanddesigns.com
TODAY’S HOME
Curves ahead! The rounded shapes of this contemporary sectional adapt beautifully to a broad range of home styles. Upholstered in gleaming cream or in darker, tweedy perfection, the grouping is stylish and comfortable in equal measure. todayshomeinc.com
WEISSHOUSE
A Mid-century modern icon, the classic Eames lounge chair has stood the test of time. Never out of style, it is now available at Weisshouse along with the entire Herman Miller line of products. weisshouse.com
WOODBRIDGE INTERIORS
This home-office collection blends vintage design inspiration with a unique weathered driftwood finish to create a composed and relaxed look for a room that remote work has made very important. Hardware and metal accents are finished in antique pewter for a fresh look. woodbridgeinteriors.com
The dream of most gardeners is to be dazzled all year round by color, texture and movement. That takes thought and planning, and new contributor Julie Kachniasz offers her expertise in landscape architecture, as well as her encouragement, to TABLE readers.
If you’re like me, it’s hard to choose a favorite season. I prefer a garden that celebrates each one in turn. For fall, that means embracing transformations, as well as choosing plants that capture the season’s particular beauty and abundance.
If your garden lacks late-season charmers, fall is one of the best times to plant; the soil retains warmth, and the cooler air temperatures are less likely to stress the plants and deprive them of much-needed moisture. In this, my first column for TABLE, I want to share some of my favorite plants for making autumn awesome.
Grasses—yes, grasses—are particularly wonderful at catching the angled fall light and brisk autumnal winds. Morning Light Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), for example, adds a silvery quality to the garden border with its variegated foliage. Its airy plumes emerge deep red late in the season, before turning gold to accent the winter landscape. At six-feet tall and four-feet wide, Morning Light provides a dramatic focal point.
Still tall and dramatic, but better-suited to tighter spaces, is the native switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). I’m partial to the Northwind cultivar, for its sturdy blue-green foliage that turns bright yellow in fall and remains upright through winter snow. It also sports flowery panicles and showy seed heads that add sparkle when the rest of the garden is at its most quiet. (Northwind is named for the nursery of the great plantsman, Roy Diblik, who taught me about perennials in grad school, and whose exceptional plants I frequently seek out.) For a slightly looser effect, try Shenandoah, another gorgeous cultivar with ribbon-like red foliage and a slightly shorter stature.
But say you have space to fill at the front of the garden. Look to the lower-growing, native prairie grasses. Dwarf Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis “Tara”) creates soft clumps of arching, finely-textured green leaves. Its panicles appear to float above the foliage and smell like popcorn. The amorously-named Purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) shares this airy quality, with flowers that resemble purple clouds when planted in drifts. Choose a dry location with morning sun to capture their full effect, and watch for the flowers to scatter on windy days.
Grasses are easy to care for. Give prairie grasses too much water or fertilizer, and they’ll flop. Plant them instead in a sunny spot, with enough space to do their thing, and they’ll thrive. In early spring, cut back the dry foliage to make way for new growth.
Grasses also mix beautifully with perennials, and many pollinators beloved for their long-blooming summer flowers continue to dazzle through fall and winter, as long as we’re not overzealous with the pruners. The Summer Beauty ornamental onion (Alliumangulosum, another Roy Diblik introduction) is one of my favorites. It has glossy green foliage and lilac-colored round umbels that persist for months. Once the weather cools, the seeds resemble a child’s sparkler. Similarly, the spiny seed heads of coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) create dark punctuation marks in the winter landscape (though I’ve been known to strip the stems of their leaves once they become too tattered—a garden is still very much a cultivated space). Blazing star (Liatris spicata) offers long spikes of soft brown seeds after its purple flowers fade.
To best capture the shift of seasons, try adding in some perennials with foliage that celebrates the passage from summer to fall. Threadleaf bluestar (Amsonia hubrechtii) lights up the garden with extremely soft golden-yellow foliage, while the hardy Cambridge geranium (Geranium cantabrigiense) flames a brilliant red. (The spicy fragrance its leaves emit when rubbed smells like fall, too.)
Allowing plants to complete their growth cycle reminds us how nature continually renews itself. Just as summer flowers support our native bees and butterflies, the remaining seed heads provide much-needed winter food for birds. And all of those sturdy grasses? Winter shelter. Unless the cultivar is bred to be sterile (and not to spread), any seeds left behind will create new plants, ensuring that our favorites return indefinitely to the garden, even if—as is the case with coneflowers—the plants themselves are short-lived.
Fall, then, is the perfect time to slow down in the garden. Savor these seasonal changes, and resist the urge to be overly tidy. As foliage decomposes, it feeds the worms and insects below, creating a richer soil for future growth. So go ahead and rake the leaves off the lawn, but try leaving them where they fall in the perennial beds. They’ll nourish the soil through the winter and protect any new perennials from the harsh cold. Come spring, it’s immensely satisfying to clear away last-season’s foliage and reveal new growth below.
This Back to School Green Eggs recipe is a fun way to start the day!
Dr. Suess intrigued several generations of kids with the possibilities of green eggs. Whip these up at home and leave a copy of Green Eggs and Ham on the breakfast table. Magic will happen.
GREEN EGGS RECIPE
Makes 8
Ingredients
8 medium eggs
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp salt
2 cups baby spinach, packed
½ cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
1. Blend eggs, spices, and spinach.
2. Pour into a parchment-lined 8 x 8 baking pan and add the shredded cheddar.
3. Bake at 325 degrees until set and lightly browned on top.
4. Cool and slice into 8 triangles.
RECIPE AND STYLING BY SELENA ORKWIS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA PETRILLA
Here’s a sumptuous treat to celebrate a great test grade or a victory on the soccer field. It’s so good that it will become part of your “good job” traditions!
SUNBUTTER® BLONDIES RECIPE
Makes 9-12 bars
Ingredients
1 stick melted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup SunButter®
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 ½ oz dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine melted butter with brown sugar.
3. Add eggs, stirring until combined.
4. Add SunButter® and vanilla extract.
5. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder and add to the wet mixture.
6. Gently stir in chocolate and seeds.
7. Spread into an 8 x 8 baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan. Slice into desired sizes.
RECIPE AND STYLING BY SELENA ORKWIS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA PETRILLA
At the Pittsburgh-South Side office, students created oil pastels while learning how to make seasonal artwork with color theory and the basics of shading and tinting.
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PA Cyber is a public charter school that offers students in grades K-12 an alternative to traditional education. One of PA Cyber’s many unique offerings is its in-person ArtReach program, which provides students with hands-on arts experiences in a supportive classroom environment. ArtReach classes enrich students’ creative knowledge and skills while giving them an opportunity to socialize and express themselves.
Each semester, the school offers about 100 art classes across Pennsylvania. Students attend ArtReach classes at the PA Cyber office closest to them. Classes take place one day per week for twelve weeks each semester and are typically 1 hour and 15 minutes in length. Classes are available for all age groups and are free of charge.
PA Cyber’s ten regional offices host numerous arts classes and activities onsite.
ArtReach aims to broaden and deepen students’ knowledge of diverse art forms and cultivate their artistic talents. Class options include visual arts, graphic arts, music, theater, dance, and home arts, such as cooking and sewing. PA Cyber has teamed up with the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center—a leading provider of arts and education programming in Pennsylvania—to design ArtReach curriculum. ArtReach teachers are skilled professionals in their fields of expertise.
Doreen Dembinski said her son Tyler, a fourth grader at PA Cyber, has become more well- rounded because of his participation in these classes. He attends every semester. This past summer, Tyler also attended an ArtReach camp at the Erie office, where participants met four times per week for two weeks. Students experimented with different musical instruments and even made their own instruments by the end of the camp. “It gives Tyler more opportunities to socialize with other kids, and he enjoys it,” Doreen said.
Students were proud to show their creations to family at a Philadelphia ArtReach showcase
Mo Severance said her son Justice loves ArtReach. “It’s one of the best things that has happened to him,” she said. “Art has always been calming for him. They’ve introduced him to all different things.” Justice is autistic with learning and development issues. Mo said PA Cyber staff provide accommodations to ensure he can participate more fully.
An eleventh grader, Justice typically enrolls in three ArtReach classes each semester. He likes fine arts, theater, music, graphic design, drawing, and animation classes.
At an ArtReach showcase in Allentown, students showed off their acting skills.
Near the end of each school year, regional offices host their own ArtReach showcases where students’ accomplishments are highlighted. There, students’ creations are displayed for other students and families to see. Mo said, “I never thought I’d see the day, but Justice sang in the showcase. I can’t believe how much he has come out of his shell. I credit that all to ArtReach and PA Cyber.”
Korey Ritchie, a parent of two PA Cyber students, said, “ArtReach will help your kids step out of their boundaries. It’ll surprise you. There’s no better feeling than seeing your kids succeed.”
If students can’t make it onsite to attend class in-person, a variety of ArtReach classes are offered virtually. Visit pacyber.org/ArtReach for more information.
Students perform a play for family and friends at the Pittsburgh-South Side office.
About PA Cyber
The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber) serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade across Pennsylvania. Approximately 11,500 students enrolled from nearly every county and school district in the state for the 2021–2022 school year. As a public school, PA Cyber does not charge tuition to students or families.
While PA Cyber is an online school, students can attend a wide variety of school-organized events in person. Enrichment events include cultural events at the theater, snow tubing, baseball games, and state parks. In addition to ArtReach classes, our ten regional offices host holiday parties, STEM activities, game nights, and school dances. PA Cyber’s offices are located in Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Midland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, State College, Warrendale, and Wilkes-Barre.
Pittsburgh is home to amazing individuals who started urban farms and community gardens in black communities that are suffering from decades of food apartheid. You have the opportunity to join forces with Farm to Table Buy Local in by contributing to their fundraising campaign.. Your dollars will support urban farm infrastructure projects such as solar power, irrigation, shade structures, washing stations, seeds, compost, and so much more. Additionally, many staff members of these urban farms and gardens are working for free on land they don’t own.
They need help to:
Acquire land / compensate staff / purchase equipment through co-operatives / capture food dollars that are spent by people living in the neighborhoods by working with WIC, SNAP, and PASS programs.
COOPERATIVE FARMS
Black Urban Gardeners of Pittsburgh Food Co-Op
Feed the Hood
MLK Community Garden
Oasis Farm & Fishery
Operation Better Block’s Jr. Green Corp
Out of the End, Incorporated
Peace & Friendship Farm
Sankofa Village Community Farm & Garden
The Peace And Friendship Farm in the Hill District was founded by Kent Bey, president of the Project LOVE Coalition. “I started this after the White House challenge to end veteran homelessness,” he says. Bey, who is a veteran, transformed a vacant corner into a thriving quarter-acre community garden filled with 80 raised beds and two greenhouses — creating a safe space for veterans and neighbors to grow their own food together.
Ebony Evans runs the Food For The Soul Community Farm in Manchester. The self-taught gardener began by teaching her own kids and neighbors how to grow their own food. Volunteers at the quarter-acre farm can take some of the harvest, neighbors get some produce, and the food is distributed weekly to high rises in the community, too. The farm produced 1,000 pounds of produce last season. Learn more about Urban Farm Fundraising Campaign
Chia Oat Parfait is a simply delicious breakfast that appeals to palates of all ages. This recipe is filled with fiber and nutrients. A bonus: sturdy jars make for easy-peasy eating in the car or on the bus.
What are Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds, hailing from the Salvia hispanica plant, are tiny nutritional powerhouses. Native to Mexico and Guatemala, these ancient seeds were a staple food for civilizations like the Aztecs and Mayans. Incredibly versatile, they can be added to a variety of dishes, from smoothies and yogurt to salads and baked goods. Packed with essential nutrients such as fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and antioxidants, chia seeds also have the unique ability to absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid, forming a gel-like substance that aids digestion and promotes satiety.
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A simple glaze makes this Cider-Glazed Pork Loin with Roasted Apples and Potatoes recipe a perfect weeknight dinner… but it’s also good enough for a special Sunday meal, too.
Do Purple Potatoes Taste Different Than Russet Potatoes?
While both are members of the solanum tuberosum species, purple potatoes contain higher levels of anthocyanins, which gives them their vibrant color. These anthocyanins also happen to contribute to a slightly nuttier, earthier, and almost slightly sweet taste in comparison to russet potatoes. Outside of the taste, the texture can vary a little as well. Purple potatoes tend to have a firmer texture which makes them great for roasting with our pork loin.
Recipe and Styling by Anna Franklin
Story by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce