by guest bloggers from the EPA’s WaterSense program As temperatures rise across the U.S., outdoor water use is spiking. In fact, the average American family can use up to 3,000 gallons of fresh water per day in the summer. That’s why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program is getting the word out about […]
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Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake
I always say I’m more of a cook than a baker. My freewheeling, improvisational style doesn’t do well with exact recipes for finicky fripperies. However, a few times a year there are things like birthdays, and so I am asked by my children to bake. They know what to expect by now. It will taste […]
The Great Thanksgiving Countdown: 5 Holiday Hosting Tips
If you are not hosting everyone at your house, consider yourself lucky. You don’t have to clean up the whole house, manage all the expectations, or think about whether or not everything can fit in your stove at the same time. I feel lucky this year because I’m going to my brother- and sister-in-laws’ house […]
What Swine Flu Feels Like
I am happy to report that my two youngest daughters and I have survived swine flu. There is great relief in that statement, because I think the worst part of the pandemic is wondering if you or your kids are going to be among the 1% who suffer serious, if not fatal, consequences of the […]
Dinner for 23—Part 2
Well, actually, it turned out to be dinner for 25 (plus one kid with swine flu quarantined in her room with Ramen noodles). The day of preparation went as planned—except that Wegmans did not have any decent organic grapes. I got the usual look, and a few comments, from people as I pushed my cart […]
Dinner for 23—Part 1
It’s my mother’s 81st birthday, and I’ve been elected to host a dinner for 23 family members at my house. Years ago, if presented with this goal, I would be totally freaking out by the day of the event. I would have been working on this night for weeks in advance, and by now have […]
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 […]
Why I Do It
By the time you read this, they will be on their way home: 8 in-laws for the weekend, dinner for 12 on Friday night, lunch for 18 on Saturday, and Easter lunch for 26 on Sunday. It all takes weeks of preparation, none of which my husband quite understands. Massive lists and multiple trips to […]
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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