Baking. It's the final frontier in Kitchenland. The precision, the heaping teaspoonfuls of identical looking powders, the goopy liquids, the awkward and impossible-to-clean equipment... it's enough to scare anyone away. And for vegans, figuring out the proper substitutes for dairy and eggs can be downright frightening.

But fear not. There are so many wonderfully delicious spoils to reap from your labor, and many who conquer their Fear of the Flour even find a meditative quality in the alchemical magic that occurs when coconut crème and vanilla extract meet.

Throw a cute afternoon tea party for your mom this Mother’s Day. Putting in the effort to make her a classic high tea complete with steaming hot tea and tasty tea sandwiches, scones and petite desserts will mean so much more than a card. And it really isn’t difficult. Promise. 

Ask her to come to the party dressed to the nines. Fancy hat included. After all how often do you get all gussied up? You two can giggle at the primness of it all, while secretly enjoying it. You know you will.

Follow these simple tips to create an elegant afternoon tea party that your mother will absolutely adore. Guaranteed.

From the Italian word pesta, literally “to pound, to crush,” pesto is a sauce reflecting the deliciousness that occurs when a few simple, but well-grown, and well-combined, ingredients collide. A thick, almost smooth paste made of crushed garlic, olive oil, fresh basil and often grated cheese and pine nuts, a pesto is rustic and royal all at once, utilizing backyard ingredients from the land to make a sauce fit for a king.

You can buy or make pesto in various forms nowadays, ranging from the traditional to the dairy-free to the red (made from sun-dried tomatoes). However you get your pesto, just make sure you’re using it in the kitchen. Don’t let this precious Italian stuff go bad by sitting too long in the fridge! Need some help? Here are 10 ways to eat pesto.

Let’s face it. Guzzling down a soda, especially its diet version, does absolutely nothing beneficial for your body. The popular bubbly beverages contain a noxious concoction of carbonated water, caramel coloring, phosphoric acid, natural flavorings, high fructose corn syrup and caffeine. Not to mention studies have linked soda consumption to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. Could you pass me the water? 

I get the allure of the sugary carbonated drink. Sometimes your tongue craves something sweet and sparkling that just tastes good. But downing a soda is not the answer to your thirst quenching cravings. Instead try this natural soda alternative, delicious fizzy cucumber lemonade.

Spring has rounded the post-Easter corner, shrinking the distance between our bare toes and the summer earth just a wee bit more. Whether our feet will be dipping into sandy beaches or the tickly blades of backyard grass, make no mistake, socks; we need not see you until September! And hopefully our unfettered toes will meet our thumbs in a bountiful spring garden.

Eating lots of green foods is sure to keep all of your thumbs and toes that perfectly awesome shade of emerald, and growing your own has less of an impact on the earth, and your wallet.

So, you’re ready to embark on the exciting journey of organic beer home-brewery. Congratulations on your step towards making handcrafted beer; you’ll be rewarded with a superior beer that’s full of flavor, personality and nutrition. Yes, nutrition! A good small-batch beer contains iron, magnesium, bone-protecting silicone and heart-protective antioxidants. Choose organic ingredients for a beer that’s not only better for your body, but also for the land that the ingredients came from.

The word says it all: meatloaf. It’s a giant loaf of meat. Usually made of ground beef, but sometimes using turkey or pork, the meatloaf is a traditional American comfort food. But for those of us cutting back on our meat intake, or perhaps just trying to avoid the next mad cow beef scare, we don’t have to give up this potentially delicious dish.

There are many renditions of meatless meatloaf, and while you could purchase a name brand vegetarian loaf in the freezer aisle, it’s more fun (and certainly more wholesome) to make it yourself at home. Check out these five recipes for meatless meatloaf, including a few vegan recipes, and even one that’s totally raw.

During long family road trips I need something to munch on. Chomping on tasty trail mixes filled with different flavors helps fight off boredom and keep my hunger cravings at bay. Who knows how long it will take to reach the next stop? And nobody wants to deal with me when I’m grumpy from hunger, let alone in a confined space.

Why spend money on packaged snacks for road trips, camping excursions or even just day-to-day activities when you can make your own trail mix—and create a healthier snack than many pre-packaged foods? Rustle up this healthy trail mix recipe that you won’t be able to stop eating.

When our recipes call for fresh herbs, it’s usually just the leaves that are used. Whether cooking up rosemary pork, parsley tabbouleh, or cilantro curry sauce, the leaves go into the recipe, while the stems and sprigs don’t. Even though they’re usually the most flavorful part of the herb, they are also the woodiest and thickest—so they often get tossed in the garbage or compost bin rather than the stew pot. Rather than throw out those perfectly good herb sprigs, check out these four ways to cook with them at home. You’ll never toss out a bundle of sprigs ad stems again!