(ARA) – Hectic schedules often make meal-related decisions a chore. And planning for a bigger family meal over the holidays just adds to the stress. Affordable and simpler shopping routines could help you start savoring family meal time again. Regardless of whether you’re planning a holiday feast, a birthday celebration, or just day-to-day meals throughout [...]

(NC)—Did you know a serving of Pad Thai from a Canadian food court restaurant chain can have as many as 1,400 calories in a single serving? That’s70 per cent of your recommended calorie intake according to the 2,000 calorie/day diet as outlined by Canada’s Food Guide. Compare that to a tuna Pad Thai dish at [...]

(ARA) – With autumn approaching, appetites will soon be craving those big, hearty flavors that warm the soul. Imagine a fireside table topped with a succulent steak and a robust red wine. Think you need to make a reservation at the swankiest steakhouse in town? Think again. With a little effort, it’s easy to recreate [...]

California’s Prop 2, also known as the Standards for Confining Farm Animals Act, recently passed with over 60 percent of the vote. The Act, which mandates an increase of confinement space for veal calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2015. Only then will these farm animals have the right to turn around, lie [...]

A while ago, in an effort to eat locally, my husband and I joined Farm Fresh To You, and we have since looked forward to each delivery with excited anticipation. Not only does it cut down on what we have to buy at the Co-Op, but also it supports local farmers and environmentally-friendly farming practices, [...]

Late summer is the perfect time to enjoy the bevvy of blueberries in stores. Wild blueberries are typically found back east from Maine to North Carolina and into Florida, and the blueberry cousin, huckleberries, are taking center stage on the West Coast. Whether you bake with them, cook them down into jams, or simply pop [...]

It’s that time of year again where I live. Time for the California State Fair. And as if the heat and the crowds aren’t enough to turn a stomach, there’s also the ability to get pretty much anything deep fried. Including frog legs. At Chicken Charlie’s food stands, fair-goers have their choice of deep-fried items [...]

When you consider the fact that half an avocado contains 4.9G fiber, 354MG potassium, 15.3MCG vitamin K, 59MCG folate, 1.5G protein and 10.7G (good) fat, what’s not to like? Creamy, buttery avocados get their taste and texture from good fats, those monounsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol. Whether it’s the base for guacamole, or diced [...]

What better way to combine two passions (environmentalism and chocolate) than through companies that make delicious chocolate treats that don’t impact the environment? First up, Endangered Species, which donates 10 percent of net profits to wildlife habitat conservation projects. Their Supreme Dark Chocolate bar has 72 percent cocoa content in 3 oz., and is gluten free [...]

There’s been a lot of talk about gluten lately, and I know that reducing gluten intake is one of the goals in this book, but with all the talk, I still don’t understand what the big gluten deal is. I know that those afflicted with celiac disease have gluten intolerance, but what does that mean exactly? [...]