My Five Acres

Better for you! Fat free! Contains whole grains! Just 100 Calories! 0 Grams Trans Fat! All-Natural! Fake health foods are the carnival barkers of the grocery store, shouting at you from every aisle, promising longevity, beauty, and true happiness, if only you’ll buy their wares. The reason I despise fake health food above most other [...]

Dear Tim, As I sit here writing this on my MacBook Pro, I’m reflecting on the ways Apple has changed my life. During the last decade, barely a day has gone by when I didn’t create or communicate using an Apple product. There’s no doubt that Steve Jobs changed the world. But did he change [...]

Remember when you were like, 15, and you were a total nightmare of a teenager? Always arguing, stomping out of rooms, slamming doors, and telling your Mom you hated her? And then, along comes Mother’s Day and it’s all flowers, cards, candy, and smiling through a lovely buffet brunch. You may have even put aside [...]

This is part two of Should I Eat This? A Guide to Food in the 21st Century. In case you missed it: Should I Eat This? Part One: Fast Food What Is Junk Food? In the 70s a kid might have been treated to junk food on a few really special occasions: Halloween, birthdays, maybe [...]

I have a confession. It really bugs me when people say environmentalism is “just a religion”. I mean, it really really bugs me. The veins pop out on my neck and my teeth clench so tight my jaw hurts and I have to try really hard not to scream. So I guess it’s about time [...]

This is part one of Should I Eat This? A Guide to Food in the 21st Century. What you eat is up to you; it’s a very personal thing. But what you eat has consequences that reach across the earth, out into our atmosphere, and right back down into your own neighborhood. This series should [...]

Right now I’m working on a post about environmentalism as religion (and why it isn’t). It’s turning into a monster two-parter that I’m just not happy with yet. And next week is the first installment of Should I Eat This? A Guide To Food In The 21st Century. So this week I thought it best [...]

One of my favorite places to eat when I lived in London was Abeno Too. They specialize in okonomiyaki, a Japanese dish that lands somewhere between a pancake and an omelette, but is definitely not breakfast food. Thanks to diligent experimentation by my husband and lots of taste-testing by me, our vegan version is awesome [...]

Have you heard? There’s a new extremist faction on the loose. One so scary governments are issuing warnings, concerned citizens are cowering behind their SUVs, and business leaders quake in their real leather boots. Who are these hideous creatures who’ll stop at nothing to destroy our very way of life? Environmentalists of course. This week, [...]

Ever caught yourself staring blankly at the back of a food package, unable to tell whether eating it will fill you with goodness or kill you? Have you ever heard the jingle for a food item and suddenly started craving that food? Ever stood staring blankly in the grocery aisle, mesmerized by all the choice? [...]