If the gardening bug has bitten you hard, it can be difficult to let your garden go fallow over the winter. On the other hand, in colder climates, it can be difficult to motivate yourself into heading out into the frosty air. But as it happens, there are a ton of low-maintenance shrubs that become particularly beautiful in the winter. With the right plants, your garden can be colorful year-round.

With the gluttony of over processed foods and drinks on the market (that frankly aren't fit for human consumption in my book), I'm always on the lookout for delicious new products in the organic market place that make my life and yours, just that much easier. I've found one, and it is delicious!

If there was any doubt that organic tastes better, here's even more evidence! At the recent American Cheese Society Competition in Seattle, an organic cheese called Extra Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese Company, located in Dodgeville, Wisconsin beat out 1,462 artisanal cheeses from around the country to take home the Best in Show award. This is the third time for this unique cheese, having previously taken home the prize in 2001 and 2005. As a cherry on top (or maybe a black olive on top would taste better), the cheese is the only one to win both the American Cheese Society Competition and the US Championship (which it won in 2003.)

When it comes to transforming your natural – albeit drab – locks into unnatural – albeit gorgeous – shades of rich flowing color, be wary of companies that advertise "natural" on their boxes, for the process is anything but.

In the United States, we'll deep-fry anything. Go to any state fair, and you'll see all sorts of fried monstrosities, from deep-fried Oreos and Snickers to French fries fried in lard or fatback. Ugh, I can feel my chest tightening.

And we love French fries, especially with fast food, even though until recently many French fries were cooked up in trans-fat - not exactly healthy. But there's an even darker side to frying, believe it or not, certain fry oils actually threaten the environment.

Is your dog getting bugged by creepy crawling insects? Chances are if you’re getting bit, so is your pooch. Keep him bug-free and smelling great with Oliver Bentley’s new Botanical Bath & Bug Bar ($8.25/4.25 ounces).

The recall of half a billion eggs for possible salmonella infection has a lot of us understandably whipped up with worry.

Cocktail geeks are fearful, too, that bartenders will start cracking down (okay, even I’m cringing at these puns) on the use of eggs in drinks.

There are few things classier than a wine-tasting party. Your guests sip on a nice Napa Valley red wine and comment on its particular bouquet. In between tastings, they nibble on fancy cheeses and fine breads and discuss the latest news in arts or politics. It’s sounds delightful!

Did you know the average supermarket stocks more than 40,000 items on their shelves? It's mind-boggling. Labels are confusing enough before you get to the side panel to read the ingredients and nutrition profile.  If you're new to buying organic, you may find yourself even more confused. Organic food has come a long way from wheat germ and alfalfa sprouts. You can find an organic version of almost every conventional food, but what does it all mean, really?

Labor Day 2010 has come and gone, marking the end of summer of many people. But for the home gardener, there is still plenty of planting and circulating to be done, whether it's starting your first winter squashes or rotating out one herb for another. To help you find supplies, native plants and plenty of advice, here are 12 of the best garden centres and plant nurseries in cities across the US – and by "best," of course, we mean our favorites!