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The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Journey to the Borderland

April 28- 29

Posted by Lindsey Whissel on 04/30 at 02:07 PM

My first few days in Ukraine!

[My Internet access is a bit unreliable, so I will probably be posting several days worth of entries at a time]

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Live Local Music

Concert Review: The Avett Brothers at PSU Movin’ On 2012

Posted by Christopher Will on 04/30 at 01:14 PM

It was 9:30 on a Friday night, and the wind bit against the crowd’s coats and faces as they waited patiently for the headliner of Penn State’s Movin’ On 2012 spring music festival.  They had been taken through the brawny, dark dance music of Keegan Tawa, the spunky ska of The Wondershop Showdown, the countrified folk of The David Mayfield Parade, the atmospheric, awe-inspiring alternative rock of Young The Giant, the bright, positive reggae-rock of Michael Franti & Spearhead, and the raucous rap of Ludacris.  Now, a gaggle of people of all shapes, sizes, and ages crowded around the barricades as the lights lit up and a half-dozen ragged-looking musicians took the stage.  Without pause, The Avett Brothers took up their instruments and launched into their folk-based-country-brushed-indie-pop-rock.

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Local Food Journey

Winner of the Mushrooms Recipe Contest

Posted by Emily Wiley on 04/30 at 09:42 AM

Congratulations to Amy Grenoble of Sandy Ridge! Her recipe for vegetarian stuffed mushrooms is the winner of our April contest, and she is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Fasta Ravioli Company.

Continue reading for all recipe submissions and stay tuned for the start of our May recipe contest.

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Local Food Journey

Roller Coaster Ride of Weather

Posted by Tony Ricci on 04/30 at 09:33 AM

Last week brought with it a roller coaster ride of weather events – one day sweating into the black plastic as we lay out the onion crop; the next day freezing in an arctic wind as we try to tack down row covers to protect tender seedlings from impending frost. 

And, of course, there was the freak snow storm that came and went like a gaff from presidential candidate. It was horrible at the time, but we were over it by the next day, having forgotten what all the fuss was about as we went on with the daily task of surviving in an uncertain world.

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Movin’ On 2012: Today 3PM - 11PM

Posted by David Porter Callanan on 04/27 at 10:51 AM

As graduation approaches, Penn State seniors filled with bittersweet emotions can distract themselves (temporarily) this today at the 38th annual Movin’ On concert funded by UPAC. Admission to the concert is free to the public and will be held on the fields behind the intramural building.

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Local Food Journey

Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Mint

Posted by Kristin Camplese on 04/27 at 07:55 AM

One of the best things about belonging to your local Community Supported Agriculture farm (CSA) is how quickly the season gears up — and how big your box of veggies gets. It starts small with bunches of asparagus, spinach, and rhubarb. And radishes, how I love the radishes — they are eaten the minute they get in the house.

You start to plan meals based on what needs to be used, rather than what you are in the mood for. But I find that it allows you to become much more creative in the kitchen — matching what you have with what sounds good. This dish is a perfect example.

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Live Local Music

Preview Movin’ On Acts: Young the Giant, David Mayfield Parade

Posted by Matt D'Ippolito on 04/26 at 11:27 AM

Who are Young the Giant and The David Mayfield Parade? If you’re not the type who constantly needs up-to-the-second updates on the music industry, you might not know what to expect from Movin’ On’s openers. Young the Giant should be a fairly familiar name by now, especially if you caught my profile of the band a few months ago. Both groups are still up-and-coming artists who’s national attention is fairly fresh. Here’s what you can expect from each of them.

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Local Food Journey

April Weather and Asparagus Salsa

Posted by Kim Tait on 04/26 at 10:21 AM

Mid-April felt more like July. We had full irrigation running on the crops in the fields since the beginning of the month, as we took turns waiting for the next available hose to water a greenhouse. It was dry, dry, dry!

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Movin On’ Act Profiled: Keegan Tawa

Posted by Christopher Will on 04/25 at 08:49 PM

If you’re a Penn State student, you might have seen Keegan Tawa around campus, walking to class or eating lunch in the HUB, dressed in his Air Force ROTC uniform or his civilian clothes.  But on Friday at 3 p.m., you’ll see him standing on the Movin’ On Stage, tearing through the air with deep, guttural, basslines and jaw-dropping dance beats.

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Local Food Journey

Green Coconut Curry with Chick Peas

Posted by Kristin Camplese on 04/25 at 12:06 PM

Curries fall into the category of totally flexible and easy and cheap weeknight meals. Lentils (or in this case, garbanzos) or Tofu are perfect for vegetarian options — but any kind of meat or seafood protein works equally well. Vegetables can be anything that you have on hand, provided that you have a nice amount of ginger and garlic. If you don’t have coconut milk and Thai curry paste (which take you in the Thai Curry direction), you can go the Indian Curry route and use a good quality Indian/Madras curry powder and garam masala with some broth or water. Serve it over rice if you like — or without rice and thick like a stew, or thinned out as a soup.

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Local Food Journey

The Great Coffee Adventure: Standing Stone Coffee Company in Huntingdon

Posted by Naomi Elle Schwartz on 04/24 at 10:02 AM

There is a “welcoming feeling” that permeates Standing Stone Coffee Company in Huntingdon. Like a bear hug you get from your big brother after being away all summer. It’s nice and warm and all-kinds-of-happy. It says “I’m glad you’re here! Sit down and stay awhile.”

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Local Food Journey

Harrison’s Seasonal Spring Menu

Posted by Emily Wiley on 04/23 at 11:31 AM

Snow may be falling today, but it is April, and Harrison’s Wine and Grill is serving its seasonal spring menu.

The globally-inspired menu includes a few new partners that attended the PASA conference in February—Vale Wood Farms and Clover Creek Cheese Cellar, with several more in the works. Harrison’s now has over 25 local growers and purveyors. See the full list here.

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Album Review: The Avett Brothers’ - I And Love And You

Posted by Christopher Will on 04/23 at 02:16 AM

Grade: A-

Never before has the world of music been introduced to an act like The Avett Brothers.  The band, fronted appropriately by Scott and Seth Avett, went from relative obscurity to national prominence practically overnight.  Though they have not quite made as substantial of a dent in popular music as fellow folk-rock musicians Mumford & Sons, their major label debut, I And Love And You, is one of the most surprisingly complex and prolific albums of the 21st century.  The album spent almost 30 weeks in the Billboard top 200 album chart, peaking at #16 back in the fall of 2009.  So yes, while I And Love And You has been around for quite some time, that doesn’t make it any less relevant or striking.

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Local Food Journey

Paper Pots Offer Cost-Effective, Environmentally Friendly Home for Seedlings

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 04/20 at 09:00 AM

In my last post I talked about planting seeds indoors. And given that we are four to six weeks away from the last frost as I write this, you should have seedlings growing somewhere in your house.

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Local Food Journey

Pink Slime

Posted by Emily Wiley on 04/19 at 01:29 PM

Americans have turned up their noses at the hamburger additive officially known as Lean Finely Textured Beef, now infamously called Pink Slime. Technically it IS beef, just not what consumers generally think of as beef. A celebrity chef’s televised expose about the amonia-treated beef scraps set off consumer outcry, prompting supermarkets nationwide to stop selling the stuff. So, what’s all the fuss about?

WPSU’s Patty Satalia begins her audio report at the meat case in the State College Wegmans.

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