Fried chicken is one of my weaknesses. Not only was KFC one of the few fast foods we were allowed to have as kids, but also, even the week before my mother died, just the mention that there was a piece of KFC in the house brought happiness to her eyes. So this summer, on […]
Maria Recommends
Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Gift Guide: Top 10 Online Sources
Here’s the sad truth: By the time you read this, I’m only just starting my holiday shopping. Most of it will be done online, with a few visits to my favorite local downtowns for some in-person holiday spirit. If you’re in a similar boat, here is my top-10 list of online stores for great gifts: […]
Maria’s Second Annual Top Ten Farm-to-Table Restaurant Recommendations
As with last year’s recommendations, this is not a scientific list by any means. But I’ve eaten at every one of these restaurants and highly recommend them all. 1. Proof on Main, Louisville, Kentucky. Who knew such excellence, delicious food, and astounding design could be found in the middle of America?! The whole experience there […]
The End of Farmer’s Market Season…Waaaaaaah!
November is here, and the last farmer’s market of the season in Emmaus is on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This week things are already winding down. The vendors are thinning out, and the crowds are filled with hard-core regulars rather than the summertime occasional shoppers. In the few short years that this market has been […]
10 Reasons Why I love My Prius
Pretty soon we’ll start seeing the fall new car promotions, and the ensuing news reports about the financial and environmental costs and benefits of buying a hybrid or not. The truth is, a lot of people buy cars for emotional reasons rather than rational ones. Anyone who buys a Mustang, a BMW, a Cadillac Escalade, […]
Come on Down to Our Organic Apple Festival!
On Saturday, September 12, the Rodale Institute will be holding its first annual Organic Apple Festival at the farm in Maxatawny, Pennsylvania. We have beautiful orchards of organic apples just waiting to be picked by you! Admission is free. Rain date is the next day. The fun starts at 10 am and goes till 5 […]
Top 5 Greatest Mysteries of Housework, Plus Top 5 Records to Clean By
You may disapprove, but I take a big deep breath of relief the minute my husband gets in the car with the kids to go to church on Sundays. Finally, I can assess the week’s damage, and gather my forces to bring order to the house. If, God forbid, he misses church for a week […]
Top 10 Tips for Sober Entertaining
I haven’t had an alcoholic drink in over 10 years, and I don’t miss it one bit (except maybe once in a while, after a hard day in the office). But it does make entertaining different, and slightly challenging. You don’t quite realize just how much entertaining revolves around alcohol, until you stop revolving around […]
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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