Articles Written by Julie Hancher

First and foremost: Congrats to our reader Andrew as winner of our Wheeler Del Torro ticket giveaway!  It DOES pay to like us on FB! :-)  (We used random.org to select the winner based on commenter place.) Here's what else you missed this week:

My Locavore dream has come true. All things local are coming to the Philly Farm & Food Fest this Sunday, April 1st from 11 AM – 4 PM at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  The collaboration between Fair Food & PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) will

There's something in my 25% Irish & 0% Jewish heritage that loves me some Latkes. I'm also confident that Mexican is a necessary food group, so I love any new spin to create a fiesta in my mouth. These Mexican Potato Latkes are easy to make and QUITE delicious.  Here's my recipe, half-assed: Ingredientes:

Vegan Chef Wheeler Del Torro is hosting his African-Cuban street food Barrio pop-up this Saturday, March 31st at 7 PM (location: Philly, to be revealed). While many are apprehensive about his request-an-invite-only system, don't count out the event yet.  We talked with Wheeler about his crappy writing skills & veganism and can't deny his infectious passion for his cooking and his pop-ups. Find out more about Wheeler & his Barrio pop up (And discover how you and a guest can get FREE Tickets) after the jump!

Yesterday's World Water Day helped bring awareness of how much water we use daily.  Here's what else went on in the green world this week:

Did you know that globally 70% of water used is for agriculture?  Were you aware that 1 in 3 people worldwide are affected by water scarcity? Although water problems may seem foreign to us, water conservation is still essential here in our hometown.  As we pointed out on our Twitter feed, yesterday (March 22) was World Water Day, which focuses on the sustainability & importance of freshwater. Assess your household's water usage with

Oh no! Did you forget to bring a reusable container to your favorite restaurant and need to get a to-go container? Good news for you - plastic cups, plates & to-go containers can all go into your single-stream recycling bin. However, food-stained boxes, stryofoam (ugh) and pizza boxes must go in the garbage.  (I personally cut the grease-stained pizza portion off to recycle the untainted part).  **Update: Philadelphia residents can take Foam (or styrofoam) containers #6 to the Northeast Sanitation Convenience Center at State & Ashburner Streets, but can NOT go in Single-Stream recycling.   Try to avoid

When I first heard about the Hunger Games, I had my doubts. But when my ‘too cool for YA” BFF demanded that I read the series, I reconsidered. Although the book doesn’t state the exact event, major landmasses shifted and the sea level rose to unknown heights to change the Earth’s landscape we know it which develops Panem into its current state.  Does Collins use any of the Hunger Games themes or district circumstances to address our current environmental issues?  Let’s explore further, after the jump.

Do you like water? I love showing off my SIGG water bottle. It's pretty yet dented from the number of times I've dropped it.  And I keep filling it up with tap water.  But, there may be a time I can't fill it up anymore with tap. The Safe Drinking Water Act protects our precious water in Philly. Yet, fracking is a threat.  After hearing lots of questions from readers, I'll now break down why Fracking is a danger to your water supply and the latest developments: