Q. I keep reading about branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in my fitness magazine. Are they really worth the hype? Or are they geared more towards those competing in body building?

It’s time to submit photos for Mankato Magazine’s annual photo issue. We know you’ve got plenty.

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There are a few things I do that I know drive my husband absolutely insane.

Betsy Byers explored and closely observed bodies of water ever since childhood.

Mankato Mag seeks photo submissions

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As you contemplate your garden areas for next year, what is the most critical task? Correctly preparing the garden bed – new or old.

How exciting to think of a full-size tree locked up within each seed still clinging to the branches of sugar maples, hornbeams, oaks, sycamores and other trees at the end of summer.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has landed on the cover of the February issue of Vogue magazine, but her team says there's a problem: the shot of the country's soon-to-be No. 2 leader isn't what both sides had agreed upon, her team says.

MADRID (AP) — Holding the red cape outstretched, one boy practices making an elegant swivel as his fellow pupil slowly sweeps past with a pair of bull horns held in front.

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Already armed with empathy, a 12-year-old girl's warm heart will also be keeping local shelter residents warmer. 

Joel Iverson could look at a traditional painting — an idea brought to fruition from the hand of an artist onto a canvas — and never felt confident enough to re-create something similar.

I remember hearing Paula Deen once say, “If you use spices older than a year when you cook, you’re playing with fire.”

In May of 1999, one of the most influential and top-grossing cartoon franchises aired: “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Hey you ... yes, you! It’s time to submit photos for Mankato Magazine’s annual photo issue. We know you’ve got plenty.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities through Jan. 26:

Mankato Mag seeks photo submissions

Kids or grandkids looking for new things to do? How about you? Winter is a great time to keep your fingers in the dirt with some plant propagation.

Q. I’ve been really focusing on walking every day and sleeping for 7-8 hours every night. I’m ready to boost my nutrition and want to focus on immunity first. What are your suggestions?

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong is home to a variety of snakes — from the venomous king cobra to larger species such as the Burmese python. Whenever one of these reptiles is spotted slithering into a home or coming alarmingly close to a residential area, Ken Lee is among the snake catchers called…

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has poured cold water all over the tradition of gathering en masse to ring in the new year by taking an icy plunge, but organizers are going with the floe.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The organizers of an indoor music festival in Barcelona to test the effectiveness of same-day coronavirus screening said Wednesday that preliminary results indicate there was zero transmission inside the venue.

Mankato Mag seeks photo submissions

Our oldest son turned 30 this month, a fact that seems highly improbable to me since I am still permanently 12 in my head. How can that chunky little baby we brought home from the hospital just a few months ago now be entering his third decade?

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Hey you ... yes, you! It's time to submit photos for Mankato Magazine's annual photo issue. We know you've got plenty.

We all have that one thing we struggle with growing, well maybe more than one. Besides the failure of blueberries, there is the struggle of grapes!

My young trees are decked out in their winter finery: arboreal attire, perfumes and cosmetics that will protect them through the winter.

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Q. I want to prioritize my health in 2021, but am at a loss on where to start!

Bison Drive Road closed on Friday

Pine cones are so simple, but yet, loved so much especially this time of year. What are they exactly? How about a woody structure that protects the seeds of the pine tree!

Q. With our holiday plans changing from previous years, my family would like to try a new food tradition. We’ve always seen crab legs in the seafood department, but haven’t ever tried to make them at home. Do you have any tips or tricks?

Chris Crowell proposed to his wife, Kristin Fisher, in front of Mankato’s historic courthouse in 2016. It was clear early on in their relationship that they both had a passion for architecture and historic buildings.

Christmas is just around the corner, and honestly? It’s been difficult getting into that good old holly jolly holiday spirit.

Welcome to Round Two of staying home, aka The Introvert’s Dream Come True, Second Installment. I’m thinking this time around we’ll all be a little better prepared and hopefully much more realistic about what we might accomplish as well as what most likely is not going to happen.

At times Álvaro Jose (aka AJ) Aburto Gadea reminds his children during lunch to eat up their food — especially their veggies.

What do you do when you run out of planting areas? Create new ones, of course!

Deep in my heart I truly believe pizza is the perfect dish. Think about it. You have all food groups potentially represented, and to date I have yet to speak with someone who doesn’t like some form of pizza.

Q. This time of year I always feel a bit more melancholy. Are there any foods or nutrients that can help boost my mood?

High school for most students was an exciting new world of driver’s licenses and part-time jobs.