Food

It's that time again! As much as we all don't want to say sayonara to summer the school season is upon us. Back to school time brings a myriad of emotions - excitement, anxiety, relief (helloooo, parents) and for the childless worker bees among us - a bit of nostalgia. Beyond the new clothes, fresh notebooks and binders - parents and students have to think about what to pack for lunch each school day. Of course, most schools offer cafeteria options, but let's face it they can be pretty nasty and more expensive than bagged lunches. Click through for some ideas to make lunches a little greener.

Food is a precious resource that shouldn't be wasted - but what about those blemished produce typically discarded by farmers? A local company is helping families in need and saving space in landfills with a creative new product. Campbell's Soup created a recipe of (Find out how Campbell's is helping local families and farmers, after the jump!)

Recently, I found myself in a heated discussion about food preferences (and choices) with a kickball teammate on a Friday evening after a few glasses of whiskey. 45 minutes later, we were able to agree about why vegetarianism, going local & eating choices impact the environment. It was definitely an interesting (and good-natured) convo. However, this infographic would have came in handy (and probably cut the length of convo)... Enjoy! (See the infographic after the jump!)

I recently received an invite to attend an evening sold as a "conversation" about the local food movement. (Disclaimer #1: Specifics withheld:My intention is not to embarrass any individuals, but to discuss my frustration from this experience.) Since I've been screaming 'GO LOCAL" on GPB for the past few months, I felt like I wanted to rejuvenate my feelings on the topic and get some new insight. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The format of the discussion was pretty straight forward: Young woman "expert" wrote a thesis, presented a PowerPoint with a few short clips (including Food Inc. & Freakanomics), followed by discussion. The most frustrating part of the evening was the presenter's arguments against the local food movement. (Disclaimer #2: I've read a book pro-locavore and anti-locavore.) Although I love a good debate, I felt that many of her anti-locavore arguments weren't well explained. Therefore, I've analyzed a few of the "Going local isn't all it's cracked up to be" arguments:

My CSA has officially started... and it has made me one happy woman. I picked up my friend's CSA share last summer and loved the experience. Yet after making my weekly trek to the farmer's market, I decided to bite the bullet and officially enroll for a share. After researching many local CSAs (Or Community Shared (or Supported) Agriculture), (find out more about why you should join a CSA after the jump!)

When I first moved to Philly, I enjoyed a nice evening at the Plough & the Stars, Olde City Restaurants & some of the other top 25 douchiest bars of Philly. Luckily, the evolution of Philadelphia's food scene has evolved with my taste buds. Philly's finest restaurants & bars continues to focus on innovative vegan, local & sustainable options for diners!  Here are some of the hottest spots to satisfy your sustainable conscious:

Damn. Philly has a LOT of choices for CSAs. Which means you can support local farmers AND get fresh produce straight from a farm TO your table. I loved my CSA excursion last year and can't wait to subscribe to one this year! We gave you a few CSA choices in Philadelphia last week.  Here's a few more for you to mull over:

Confession: When I chose to "go local" for 40 days, I didn't really prepare. My first email from a friend addressed the biggest hurdle:  "Sounds quite intense my friend... What if you wanna go out and get a drink? you're going to 40 days of local brews. "   (But to calm your beer belly fears, there's typically at least 1 or 2 varieties of local wine in Philly liquor stores.) Since I've started my challenge, I'm determined to find products produced within a 75- mile radius. Some may fear there's not a lot of brand choices locally produced,(find out if the fear is a legit one, after the jump!)

Spring is almost here and it's time to consider where you'll get your local spring and summer produce. Community supported agriculture groups (CSAs) are one of the best ways! CSAs are an efficient means to get your produce directly from a local farm and cut out the middle man (grocers.) I love implementing the farm to table concept in my own kitchen, and have discovered lots of new veggies and fruit via CSA programs (rhubarb, swiss chard, and purple peppers to name a few!) Discover local CSA options after the jump.