Organic Authority is thrilled, honored and absolutely gushing to announce that we've been nominated for "Best Blog" in the first annual ALIVE health and environmental award!

Out at a restaurant this week, I enjoyed a stellar rhubarb dessert crumble and wondered, "what else can I use the stalks of this odd leafy green vegetable (dubbed a 'fruit') in?" Simultaneously a seasonal gem and totally underappreciated, give these Meatless Monday recipes from some of the most awesome foodie bloggers around (the blogosphere that is) the chance to convert you from a rhubarb renegade to an adept "pie plant" aficionado. 

We're continuing our stroll through local cheesemakers of America, but we're not quite ready to leave New York State yet! Last week, we discovered New York goat cheese, but goats are not the only animals supplying high-quality milk to cheesemakers in the Empire State: today, we're talking about cows.

In order to do any high quality, top-notch, one-of-a-kind (we could go on) work, a person needs the right tools! This rings especially true when researching and assembling tools to build an organic garden. If you’re building a new, sustainable garden from scratch, or just looking to add some snazzy new implements to your gardener’s box, do consider the following gardening tools.

Knowing the "right" thing to feed your baby is a little bit like knowing what is the "best" diet: low-fat, low-cal, low-carb, high-protein... breast milk, formula, baby food, fresh food... At the end of the day, though, both things boil down to common sense. As with feeding yourself, when feeding your baby, all-natural is best. Here are some tips on making sure your baby has everything they need.

Chef Mario Batali, along with his wife and two teenage sons, has taken the challenge to protest the pending cuts that could drastically affect families on the food stamp program. If approved by Congress, the cuts could reduce the amount of support to just $31 per person per week, less than $1.50 per meal.

The fastest growing type of household in the United States is that of the single person. Until modern times, living alone was a luxury that few could afford, but today the number of solo households is surging. Men and women alike are discovering the benefits of living alone, and despite the higher price tag that comes with a single existence, many people are choosing this lifestyle rather than cohabitating with roommates, family or lovers.

Okay, so technically there is only one way to eat an apricot (we're presuming you all use your mouths, too), but there are many delectable ways to make that suspenseful moment between uneaten and eaten intensely more satisfying. Of course, it's all about the preparation, and if you weren't already aware, apricots are culinary masters, making them a most welcome seasonal fruit to experiment with. Here are our nine favorite ways to use apricots.

You work hard to keep harmful pesticides and chemicals out of your organic garden. From preparing your garden with organic soil to choosing heirloom seeds to digging in organic fertilizer, your green thumb takes on more than one meaning: You’re good at growing plants AND you’re an eco-conscious gardener, too!

Wouldn’t it just irk you more than a bunch of weeds then to find out that the gardening products you use are dirtying up your organic garden with BPA, phthalates and lead? Unfortunately, a new study by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Ecology Center has shown just that.

In 2004, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a ban on force-feeding geese to produce foie gras and a ban on selling foie gras in California.  But the law was designed not to go into effect until July of 2012 to give California producers time to propose and implement alternative production methods. It seems procrastination ruled the day, however, and although the newly formed Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards sent a proposal off to Sacramento in April to try to stay the ban, it was too little, too late. As of July 1^st, California will be a foie gras-free zone.

Who actually wants to be all matchy-matchy anyway, right? Sometimes dishes in a set get broken or you just accumulate random plates, bowls, cups and saucers until you have a random assortment of dishes that you’re not sure what to do with. Make use of those mismatched dishes stashed in the back of your kitchen cupboards by repurposing them with these five ideas.

When toddlers reach the stage of wanting to feed themselves, it's tempting to reach for those squeeze packs of pureed fruits and veggies, or baby-friendly crackers and crisps. But you don't have to go processed to give them great finger foods. Try these healthy alternatives instead.

Chef Jamie Oliver has designated May 19^th as the first-ever 'Food Revolution Day' in order for communities to come together to share information, talent, resources—and most importantly—to bring awareness to the food issues our world faces. Events will be taking place all across the globe, and it's not too late to host your own!

Theme parties are fun opportunities to get creative, whether you’re 5 or 35. An under-the-sea theme offers a lot of ways to re-create a seascape with easy-to-find or recycled materials and some imagination. Kids can join the fun with crafts and homemade decorations inspired by their favorite marine life. Just in time for summer birthdays, here are some do-it-yourself ways to turn your living room into a mermaid’s den.

You walk outside one day and just like that, it’s summer. Doesn’t that warm air and sunshine make you feel all glowy inside? Get that same summery radiance on the outside by giving your hair fresh highlights. But, you certainly don’t need toxic salon chemicals to give your tresses a sun-kissed glow. These three homemade highlighting methods will get your mane looking beach-ready (even if you don’t live near one) the natural way.

Is your backyard tight on garden space and a bit too sunny? Try this incredibly clever and simply gorgeous solution: Build an arbor or trellis for your vine crops, and let them provide you with shade as they spread across the frame, producing flowers, grapes, cucumbers, melons, squash and gourds that hang overhead -- to stunning effect.