Who says the pantry has to be a catch-all black hole for prolonging that shelf life? That’s what high school lockers are for!

It’s time to take stock in our most commonly used household storage nook, and make it as inviting as a vintage general store (with a modern green twist, of course).

Open pantries offer easy access for the organic gardener and cook, but also should look tidy since they are exposed to your visitors. Mine is en route to the powder room. Yep, that’s country life.

I find it’s easy to arrange …

Tags: apartments , baskets , bins , boxes , bulk food , decor , eco , food , green , home , homes , jars , pantry , preservation , small living spaces , space planning , storage , sustainability , tea

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Everyone’s dishing about how the concept of food trucks has been overhauled. They’re not just parked at job sites to feed hungry laborers anymore, but are taking the high road and giving restaurants a run for their money.

I got a taste of the trend at the posh 50th birthday party of a friend in San Francisco where a taco mobile was stationed at the entrance to the upscale house, titillating guests who lined up to order bean burritos and cheese quesadillas while nursing lemon drop …

Tags: bio-diesel , biodegradable , brunch , commercial leases , crepes , cupcakes , eco , environment , food , green , health codes , hot dogs , Korean BBQ , Los Angeles food , mobile cafes , recession , restaurants , roadside cafes , solar , Trucks , vegan , vegetable oil

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You gonna eat that? New research says genetically modified crops planted in the wild can change native neighbors’ DNA. So in the future, food activists worry, you might not have a dietary choice. Join the GMO debate.

Tags: agriculture , Automotive High School , crops , environment , farming , food , foodie , GMO , modified , organics , slow food , sustainable

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Wanna be happy and kick Prozac to the curb? Start eating your fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans, fish and olive oil. We’ve long known that a Mediterranean diet is good for the heart, but it turns out it’s also good for the mood.

In a study published earlier this month, Spanish researchers looked at the diets of 10,000 people and found those who mainly ate a Mediterranean diet had lower depression rates than those who did not. The study compiled data from Spanish people who reported their …

Tags: depression , fighting depression with food , fighting depression without medication , food , food and depression , healthy foods , healthy whole grains , Mediterranean diet , mood , natural remedies for depression

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Gourmet Magazine, an American classic, found a slump in add sales spelled the recipe for disaster.

That’s why Conde Nast Publications is closing the oldest food magazine in the US along with Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, and the parent magazine Cookie, which I have to admit I’ve only glanced at in the doctor’s office waiting room.

While the bride magazines are used as sources to stimulate ideas for women planning their big events, Gourmet has long been the bible of American epicureans, fond of cutting …

Tags: ads , Brad Pitt , circulation , cocktails , Conde Nast , cooking , food , Gourmet , Magazines , Modern Bride , organic , paper , print , recession , recipes , vodka

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We already know that we should eat less meat for the sake of the planet – the United Nations has said reduced meat consumption would help curb greenhouse emissions. While many ardent environmentalists are vegetarian, initiatives like Meatless Monday are trying to encourage all of us to do our part, as well.

So meat production helps cause global warming. But did you know that climate change might also affect the quality of meat? According to New Scientist: “Pork chops will become …

Tags: climate , climate change , food , food production and global warming , global warming effects , meat , meat eating , vegetarian

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At first, it seems extremely eco-friendly, the biannual Compost Giveaway Events every fall and spring in San Francisco hosted by the city’s Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

Residents are offered free compost to produce soil for community and school gardens and local backyards. It’s the green and organic thing to do.

The problem is the mulch isn’t made of food scraps and manure but a combination of toxic sewage sludge from waste water treatment, green waste, yard waste and wood chips.

What’s in sewage sludge? Stuff that’s foul and harmful to people and …

Tags: agriculture , biosolids , compost , eco , fertilizer , food , garden , giveaways , green , heavy metals , Mayor Gavin Newsom , mulch , organic , pathogens , PCB , pharmaceuticals , pollutants , Public Utilities Commission , San Francisco , sewage sludge , soil , toxic

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Every time I go to the grocery store, I’m shocked to see how much the prices keep climbing. In a moment of penny-pinching madness, it’s tempting to live off 65-cent frozen burritos. That is, until you look at the nutrition information. So, I’ve done some research to find the healthiest foods that even the strictest recessionista budgets can afford – if you’ve got a dollar, you can get at least one serving (and often several) of the following foods.

Yogurt

Rich …

Tags: budget , cheap eco friendly groceries , cheap food , food , guide , healthy , saving money

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A for Apple, B is for Beluga, C is for Chullo.

Parents on planet Hollywood and elsewhere are headed in that fruity, foamy and woolly direction in declaring devotion to Mama Earth via naming their young.

In the roaring Nineties, when real estate and dot comers were soaring, we saw a return to the Old Testament with the names  Sarah, Jacob, Rachel and Eli in vogue.

“Eve and Adam, please leave the great room until Mommy is finished closing her Genentech deal.”

Now that resources are scarcer than ever, green …

Tags: babies , Deepak Chopra , earth , eco , endangered , food , garden , Gore , green , hybrid , Laurie David , names , naming , organic , parenting

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