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advice

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    Ask Umbra on sparkling water

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dearest Umbra, We and our colleagues use sparkling water as our substitute for cokes, coffee, beer, etc. We have heard some really bad things about bottled water, and are of course aware of the fact that it is up to 10,000 times more expensive than tap water. But oh […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture

  • Can we be ‘green’ and eat tropical products, too?

    In Checkout Line, Lou Bendrick cooks up answers to reader questions about how to green their food choices and other diet-related quandaries. Lettuce know what food worries keep you up at night. ———————- Is your green cred slipping? Dear Checkout Line,We try to buy local food whenever we can. Some things just seem doomed to […]

    Lou Bendrick Culture

  • I find my thrill in blueberry preserves–and so can you

    As we approach the summer solstice, long, hot days spur a growth frenzy in the garden. That explosion of fertility produces the excesses that I live for. I love being swamped by 100 pounds of the fragile soft fruits of summer. It is a race against time. I must work quickly in order to get […]

    April McGreger Culture

  • Ask Umbra on rinse aids

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dearest Umbra, While pleased as pie to have a new super-efficient dishwasher, I remain curious as to the chemical composition of the required rinse aid. This dishwasher relies on a hot water rinse and its stainless steel tub to somehow dry the dishes — there is no energy-sucking, plastic-melting […]

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  • A tasting of seven organic ice cream flavors

    This is part one of a two-part series on organic ice cream; look for our review of select non-dairy brands later this month. In my four-plus decades on this planet, I’ve gone through many transformations. One constant has been a devotion to ice cream. Tastes like heaven.Somewhere, there exists a photo of three-year-old me with […]

    Tom Philpott Culture

  • Ask Umbra on food disposal

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I’ve been trying to convince a friend to compost her food waste, now that she has a back yard. She claims that she plans to do so, but in the meantime, she’s sending all her food through the garbage disposal and says that it’s just as good, […]

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  • From grass to grill, a Midwestern farm struts its stuff — and dishes up delicious lamb chops

    The chefs of “Lambstravaganza.”The best part about my work with Slow Food USA is getting to experience new people, places, and especially great foods. Such was the case this past weekend as I traveled to join the members of Slow Food St. Louis for their fourth annual “Lambstravaganza” at Prairie Grass Farms just outside of […]

    Kurt Michael Friese Culture

  • Ask Umbra on ungreen roommates

    Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I would like to reduce the amount of energy that my household uses as much as possible. But I have a problem with my roommate. She refuses to use CFLs. She gets upset when I turn off phantom loads, like the power supply for her laptop computer, […]

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  • Ask Umbra on license plates

    Q. Dear Umbra, Today I obtained a Wisconsin driver’s license and plates, after nearly a year of denying my residency in America’s Dairyland due to my pride in my home state (which has produced gems such as Rod Blagojevich, and his hair). But instead of accepting my olive branch, the DMV issued me license plates […]

    Ask Umbra® Culture