In the 21st century, living in France isn't really all that different from living in America. You can track down most of your favorite foods in the grocery stores here, McDonald's are ubiquitous, and American sitcoms grace the French channels every night. But there are a handful of French traditions that leave me simultaneously giggling and wondering how I can get involved when I hear about them; foraging for mushrooms is one of them.

Whether you’re like an Iron Chef in the kitchen or could use a few more hours in a Home Economics class, there are some kitchen utensils that are invaluable.

The more time you spend in the kitchen, the more you come to rely on certain utensils. Sometimes you can make due (like using a travel mug as a rolling pin), but often, there are items you just can’t cook without. Whether you are a cooking fiend or more of a water-boiling beginner in the kitchen, here are several of OA’s essential kitchen utensils to help you along.

Empathy is a key component to being human—we see someone else experiencing something and our empathy mirror neurons kick in and, as far as the brain is concerned, we're experiencing the same thing, too. And it's even more amplified if the situation is recreated for us, like say, being an orangutan? Singapore chef Andre Chiang wants to make you feel like one of the endangered gentle creatures by eating their dinner so that you'll understand the serious plight they face.

With recent studies suggesting that half of all food produced is wasted on the planet—as in uneaten despite the 1.2 billion hungry people struggling with little or no food—getting creative in how we break that wasteful cycle is a significant consideration. A Swedish farmers cooperative, Lantmännen, may have one clever answer: A dating website that pairs singles based on their leftovers.

Don't fret if you missed Organic Authority's Green-is-the-new-Black-Friday deals! We know you're going to love our latest Conscious Gift Guide recommendations for everyone on your holiday list. Whether shopping for someone else or for yourself, there's something for everyone to stay healthy and happy well into the New Year while decreasing your impact on the planet, too.

Monsanto's marketing efforts pull imagery of an idyllic world of cooperation, support... downright hippy-esque harmony between the largest seed and pesticide company in the world and millions of struggling farmers. But the controversial manufacturer known for the toxic glyphosate-based Roundup and widespread genetically modified and hybrid seeds, paints a much different picture than what's really going on in the fields.

We all look forward to the holidays—but overeating can get the best of us making us a little bit uncomfortable in our favorite reindeer sweaters. But you don't have to sacrifice health this season. Don't wait for the New Year to work off the season's weight—start now by preventing it from getting you in the first place! We've got just the thing: A chance to win one of five 1.5 pound boxes of the protein building organic whey. Read on for the details.

If you’ve ever been confused by the shiny labels decorating the front of every package in the supermarket aisle, you’re not alone. Phrases like “all natural,” “grass fed” and “organic” catch our eye, but without proper research, we may not realize that those words may not actually mean what our eyes are telling our brains and stomachs they mean. Crafty wordplay and loose legislation have allowed words like “natural” to mean “well, kind of real, but with some preservatives and chemical ingredients,” while “free range” could very well translate as “locked up in a warehouse with one door leading to ten feet of grass that I never use.”

Fair Trade USA (formerly Transfair USA) incited a controversy with its decision to exit from the Fair Trade Labelling Organization earlier this year. Probably the most widely recognized symbol on products labeled as Fair Trade in the U.S. market, the organization also announced that it would now be including products sourced from factories and plantations in its definition of Fair Trade. The impact on small farmers and producers around the world by the inclusion of large-scale operations jeopardizes the equitable distribution of benefits and the livelihood of thousands of emergent communities. And it sheds light on a bigger question: Do our purchasing habits really make a difference?

When it comes to holiday gifts, few things go down better than a box of homemade truffles. They're infinitely more thoughtful than storebought gifts -- ironic, because you can make a huge batch to take care of your entire list in one day.

My all-time favorite truffle recipe is this dark ginger-spiced ganache with a white chocolate coating and a topping of crystallized ginger. This recipe makes about two dozen creamy, chocolatey, spicy morsels. Make sure you have a candy thermometer and a fine strainer on hand.