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Reading Terminal Market is the place to be. Ever since I’ve moved to Philly, I try to hit up my obsession, Reading Terminal, as often as possible. Attracting an average of 120,000 visitors per week, this fantastic market is not only filled with a plethora of local food options, but in an accessible location. The history of the market is fascinating. Did you know that the Reading Terminal Market dates back to 1680? It didn’t look the same – instead, there were a bunch of informal markets around the vortex of Market Street. It became more formal in 1693 and had a pretty good run until 1971 when Reading Company declared bankruptcy. Luckily, the revival of the market sparked during investments for seasonal foods and impromptu piano concerts in the 1980s into what we currently enjoy today. Need any more reasons to hit up this Philly favorite?

Mayor Michael Nutter signed an executive order yesterday to ban smoking in Philly's parks. According to the City of Philadelphia's official wordpress account (speaking of which, can't City of Phila afford a URL that doesn't include .wordpress?),

Biking sure has its perks: Save cash, get in a little exercise and liberation from SEPTA's inconsistent schedules. How can you look cute while biking: wear dresses, manage accessories and keep your hair from looking like you went through an urban jungle? Here's the lady's guide to look cute while biking.

Litter is causing an uproar on the Philly internets. We addressed the causes, frustrations and potential solutions for Philadelphia's litter in our blog post last week, Why is Philly so Dirty? The Litter Epidemic. Insightful reader comments sparked conversation about citizen attitude, neighborhoods with paid personnel  and plastic pollution. On April 24th, Jared Shelly, Digital Producer of Philadelphia Business Journal shared a Twitter explosion after he asked Mayor Nutter about the city's plan for litter on the streets. Mayor Michael Nutter originially responded

Happy Arbor Day! This annual day (typically the last Friday in April) celebrates planting, caring for and loving trees. Although we love trees every day, we still honor our plants on this holiday.  Plus, there ain't a better place to celebrate everything trees than in Philadelphia, where any day is an excuse to drink locally and hang out with friends. Here's 7 Ways to Celebrate Arbor Day in Philly:

Late night pizza calls, Chinese food runs, and endless burger or fries at the cafeteria are the epitome of college; eating healthy during these four years is extremely difficult. Desolate in North Philly, Temple students are especially further away from the convince of a fresh produces and healthy options. With the closest Whole Foods being two miles off campus, my fellow owls and I are stuck shopping at the pricey Fresh Grocer. Since Junk food is simply a phone calls away, what about options for different on-the go meals? For Temple students, there’s a place where you can have salads, sandwiches, fresh juices, trail mix and other sustainable snacks. Plus, it only serves food that is sourced locally within 150 miles of Philadelphia, AND functions as a zero-waste supply chain model. Sounds too good to be true, right? Find out more about Temple's newest (and hottest) co-op, after the jump.

I'm convinced that most banana muffin recipes are born as a result of a bunch of bananas sitting on the counter about to go bad. Well, at least that's the situation I find myself in every time I bake with bananas. So I had my browning bananas and I happened to be craving a good muffin.  BUT I really wanted these muffins to contain some protein. If I don't eat protein with my breakfast I'm typically hangry (angry hungry) shortly after. I also had hopes of keeping these fairly low sugar to avoid that post breakfast sugar crash that occurs with most bakery muffins. Suddenly I was inspired and these banana protein muffins were born. I was a little nervous baking with stevia for the first time, but ended up being pleaseantly surprised. These banana protein muffins are so good with a little bit of earth balance, peanut butter or even jam! (And they passed the husband test too). Click through for the recipe.

Let’s face it: our city has a notorious reputation for being dirty. Don’t believe me? Walk the streets of London for a few hours or ride the metro in DC. Return to Philly and compare. But when people talk about Philly being dirty, they’re often referring to our litter problem. Yet litter is such a large, debated topic. How do we combat litter? Do we concentrate efforts on educating people or cleanup efforts after the fact? Neighborhoods with litter tend to have higher crime rates, lower property values and less pride in the neighborhood. In order to get a more insight on Philly’s litter, I asked the City of Philadelphia, a few friends and associates about their experiences with trash in the city. Find out more about our city's litter epidemic, after the jump.

Feel guilty that you didn't have a chance to help out on Philly Spring Cleanup Day? You can clear your conscious by cleaning up West Philly's Clark Park this Saturday, April 19th. The best part? You can get free food & beer after your clean up, so you're receiving a little bonus on top of the feel-good volunteering. Check the details, after the jump!