Living

Patio decor inspired by sites around the globe

The third week of May means it is time to fill your garden with color. Gardeners all over the world bask in the beauty of natural color. Take a cue from global inspiration to design a patio or deck that will inspire joy all summer long. Here are winning color combinations.

Food find: Old-world bread at local European markets

Carbavores in search of old-world bread — have I got a bakery for you. A reader tipped me to a newer bakery and grocery store in Fife that makes the kind of bread that is densely textured and rich in flavor. It’s sturdy enough to hold up on a panini press and hearty enough to sop up the richest stew.

Campfire treat goes gourmet

Three simple ingredients: a marshmallow, a piece of chocolate and two graham crackers. The symbol of summer and campfire snacking.

Crunchy, tasty chicken without the guilt

Barbecue chicken is one of my favorite summertime dishes that’s relatively healthful. It wears that lean protein halo.

Gaga over Greek yogurt

It is amazing people still get excited about yogurt considering it has been around since 6000 B.C. Neolithic herdsmen discovered that storing milk in animal skin containers curdled the liquid, thickening it and giving it tart flavor. But judging from the supermarket shelf space and commercial airtime devoted to the latest iteration — thick and creamy Greek-style yogurt — interest in this ancient dairy product has never been stronger. Analysts estimate that one in three Americans eats yogurt regularly.

The return of Canoe Ridge Vineyard

Canoe Ridge Vineyard is back, thanks to a Seattle company that rescued the longtime Walla Walla winery.

Veggies come into their own

Not so long ago, there was a certain image associated with being vegetarian. It usually involved Birkenstocks, lentil loaf and an agenda.

Become your own florist

gardening book For years the neighborhood florist was the go-to place for special-occasion arrangements and the occasional pick-me-up of cut flowers. Now as grocery stores, farmers markets — even hardware stores — have made fresh flowers so readily available, designers Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of the San Francisco firm Studio Choo have another suggestion: Be your own florist.

Tiny little boxes

BALTIMORE — Greg Cantori plans to downsize when he retires. Really, really downsize.

Hiking the Wonderland Trail: Fueling up for the long haul

By our fifth day on the trail, I thought I’d grown accustomed to the exotic eating habits of Matt Misterek. But as I peeled the wrapper off of a protein bar, the same lunch I’d had the previous four days, I couldn’t help but laugh.