Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Confession here. I've never been much of a soup girl. I mean, not that I was ever opposed. How else can you heal a cold without Chicken Noodle? (Now it's "Chickn" noodle.) Or the occasional Grilled Cheese MUST has Tomato Soup for that gooey, dipping perfection. But beyond that? I didn't want to waste time making soup. But now that I've been getting a CSA for over 3 years and my schedule has NOT slowed down, it's nearly impossible to keep up with all of these damn veggies. But now, I can can saute a few, add water/stock and Voila! I can divide soup into mason jars, stick them in the freezer and pull out a lunch without worrying about BPA or whether it's organic. Because, duh, I made it from farm-fresh, local & organic vegetables. So soup has saved me. Find the recipe for this delicious soup, after the jump:

It's a midterm election year! That means we get to sleep in and skip the polls, eh? Wrong! Although we're not voting for a new Commander-in-Chief, there's plenty to consider in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Namely, WTF will make important decisions about taxes and funding for the keystone state?! Here's a looksy at the November 2014 Philadelphia Ballot for those teacher's pets who want to come all prepared. Let's preview the Philadelphia polls and who the environmental champions (and losers) would be.

What's the point of volunteering unless you get something out of it? (Just kidding.) But seriously, this cleanup gives back to you. Fairmount Fall Cleanup 2014 Find out how to join the Fairmount Civic Association after the jump!

Welp. It's Monday again. Hope you were able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend! We explored the Schuylkill Boardwalk for a run, as you can see from this week's featured photo. Whether you scored a free Uber-X ride pre-sting opp or are still contemplating better names than SEPTA's new Key smart card payment system, it's time to start focusing on the important stuff. Like the week ahead, and how you're going to start locally celebrating Halloween all week. Philly Events: Week of October 27 - 31st:

"Women are damn resilient." One of the first speakers for the PA Conference for Women, Jill Abramson, was referring to her recent firing as The New York Times' executive editor in May 2014. But like Jill, the resiliency and power of women continued as a theme throughout the day. Although women were the focus of the conference, men and women can both discover lessons about how to make a difference in our community, become involved, and help others. Find the Pennsylvania Conference for Women 2014 Recap, after the jump!

Still confused about what goes into the recycling bin (and what stays out)? Friends of GPB & Recycling enthusiasts Michelle Feldman & Phil Bresee shared a few resources and misconceptions over on Young Involved Philly.

Happy Friday! Don't get us wrong: we love men 'round here, but are still totally amped from yesterday's Pennsylvania's Conference For Women. From Robin Roberts reminding us we've all got something, to Candy Chang's transformation of neighborhoods with chalk & side of a building, to Diane Keaton's questioning of Billy Pitt, that poet on top of City Hall (and holllerrr - our logo figure) - it was an inspiring day to be in Philadelphia and a woman.

Looking for an all-star garden-to-table affair, complete with locavores, wine and more? PHeaSt is the place to be this Friday, October 17th from 7-10 PM at the Navy Yard in South Philly. Complete with recycled props from the Flower Show for an "industrial-chic" setting, seasonal dishes, gardening teams and the opportunity to chat with chefs, PHeaSt is perfect for foodies or locavores. Thrown by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the decor, food and drinks satisfy the senses. A few of this year's highlighted partners include:

How are Philly's buildings faring with energy use? Just like we hinted in our recap of what Philly's doing to prep for climate change, the Mayor's Office of Sustainability (MOS) released results of Philly's Energy benchmarking program yesterday. The Year Two benchmarking results are available online to download. Don't feel like reading the whole thing? Highlights of the 2014 Philly Building Energy Benchmarking Report include: