You're taking big steps, maybe even some huge strides: You're shopping at local, seasonal, taking care to buy organic... maybe you've even started using homemade household cleaners. But what about your skin? Unless you were a chemistry major, about half of the ingredients on your body wash container probably make no sense to you... luckily, that's an easy thing to change.

Romantic getaways are always desirable no matter the time of year. But come February, couples retreats are in high demand. Everyone wants to hop on a plane (lots of fuel!), buy a box of chocolates (saturated fats!) and purchase a bouquet of roses (pesticides!) for their sweetie. In reality (and sarcastic parenthesis aside), couples retreats can be a tad expensive and not-so sustainable. Green options and eco hotels do exist, though. With a little research and a few Google searches, any eco-enthusiast can find some suitable destinations.

We are list-heavy this week on From Our Friends! This jam-packed installment includes information on foods you should never buy, foods to jump-start your metabolism, and foods Michael Pollan will never eat. Between those and some great posts from MightyNest and Experience Life, your Friday lunch break will go by like that! Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Fettuccine Alfredo is a guilty pleasure for anyone indulging in the traditional butter and cheese-laden pasta dish. It’s incredibly thick and creamy, oozing with comfort and warmth. In this completely dairy-free version, a butter-less roux and pumpkin puree are called upon to make an Alfredo sauce no less pleasing or comforting. This wholesome entrée is packed with leafy greens and antioxidant-rich pumpkins, with just a hint of indulgence. Try it out on a nippy night with a side of roasted veggies and a Belgian ale or a chilled fruity white wine.

We’ve all heard stories about people who live without spending money. You’re probably thinking, “Yeah. I know someone who lives without money. My mother’s friend’s son lives in her basement. I’m pretty sure he lives for free.” This isn't that type of story.

Carpe Diem gains clear meaning when tomorrow will never come. Many people believe that the calendar of the ancient Maya people predicts that The End Of The World is right around the corner, and on the eve of the apocalypse you are probably wondering how you will ever finish all the things you need to do before The End arrives.

Fear not! Whether you believe that the world will end on December 21, 2012 or not, there are certain tasks that need prioritizing so that you can greet the ending of life as we know with a smile and a shout, and celebrate as the world burns down.

As the crisis continues and our pursestrings get tighter, many Americans are moving back into the kitchen with great results. It's times like this that send us looking back to our ancestors -- in this case, my ancestors: Italians -- for inspiration on how to stretch the most basic ingredients and get creative with leftovers. Luckily, cucina povera, or Tuscan peasant cooking, does just that. Here are just a few inspirational ways to use up some of the most common kitchen staples, making sure you get the most out of everything you buy.

M.F.K. Fisher, Ruth Reichl, David Lebovitz, Anthony Bourdain… these names ring with familiarity as famous food writers. They fill our kitchens with stories, recipes and inspirations to become better cooks ourselves. But these are just the modern bigwigs, those of the last century. Before Jamie, before Rachel, yes, before even Julia, there were food personalities just as prominent in the mainstream foodie scene. They’re the food writers of yore. They wrote, they cooked, they inspired virtually anyone who’s anyone in the food world today—and they didn’t even have a blog (gasp). Read on for the who’s-who of our mothers and fathers of modern food writing, lest we forget them…

Your fridge may be stocked with kale, your pantry with quinoa -- but when it's football time, just try serving leafy greens and whole grains. No really, try it. I'm not saying you should ever, ever mess with the sacred combination of wings and beer. But you can back them up with a few tasty snacks that contain real food. Here's a selection of recipes that are just as snackworthy as chips-n-dip, but a whole lot easier on the ol' arteries.

Salty, sweet, sour and bitter have been recognized as the four pillars of taste for centuries. All other tastes were thought to come from a combination of these flavors. But what’s the word for the savory roof-of-the-mouth sensation of parmesan cheese, beefsteak tomatoes, and seaweed? Borrowed from a combination of the Japanese words umai- (delicious) and mi (taste), umami describes the protein-based flavor of glutamates.

We all know which foods we do best to avoid (right?). Despite the alluring appeal of Oreos, Mountain Dew or McAnything, processed foods provide little nutrition and a whole lot of risks. But when it comes to the good stuff—what are the best foods to put into our bodies? While experts all agree we need a variety of foods for a healthy diet, do you know which are the healthiest of the bunch? The answers may surprise and delight you.

Foraging for edible wild foods is exciting, sexy, free. And, it's big business: from hunting truffle mushrooms that sell for thousands of dollars to the waiting list for reservations at Copenhagen's Noma, which is considered the world's greatest restaurant due in part to chef René Redzepi's fixation with foraging for wild foods. They make up at least five to six menu items each night at Noma, often harvested that same day. Fresh and local = healthy and sustainable, but is it actually safe to eat wild foods?

Back in 1981, "organic wine" was a somewhat outlandish idea. Sure, some growers had committed to growing organic grapes -- but few could turn out a reliably drinkable wine without sulfites, fining agents and other chemical additives. Tony Norskog, a new graduate of UC Davis' esteemed wine program, wound up going organic by default when he decided to interplant his family's vegetable garden with his grapevines.

Today, Tony is the world's largest producer of USDA-certified organic wine.

Where I live, in France, people don't tend to take too kindly to the idea of American cheese. In fact, I know a lot of Americans who don't think much further than plasticky American singles. Their loss: Artisan cheesemakers in America are becoming more and more well-known, with local cheesemakers in nearly every region of the United States.

The Peruvian Incans relied heavily on maca, a tuber related to the radish that grows at a higher altitude than any other food on the planet. Anything that can endure the cragged peaks of the Andes is sure to be full of magic, and it's no wonder maca is often referred to as "Peruvian ginseng"—not for any botanical similarities to ginseng—but for its variety of benefits that support energy levels, hormone regulation connected to fertility and aphrodisiac-like qualities.

We know that too much sodium is linked to hypertension and heart disease, but recent studies show that for some individuals with hypertension, a salt-restricted diet alone may not lower blood pressure. So what’s the deal with salt? Does table salt have more sodium than gourmet sea salt? As a recipe developer and resolute sea salt-lover, I had to get to the bottom of it. After some serious research (and turning up many conflicting studies), I made some headway on the question: Are all salts created equal?