Pure Perfection:From Farm to Table Los Olivos Cafe Dishes it Up
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
The french may think they know it all or even have...
Antibiotics and Food Production: Are we Feeding a Health Crisis and Squandering the Cure?
Author of Family Dinner and Producer of Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David shares her concern about antibiotics in food production and what that means for the overall health concerns.
By Laurie David, Author, Producer and LuxEco Advocate
Originally posted on Huffington Post
I worry. A lot. My worry gene works overtime. A doctor once told me it's called an "overactive checker" (or as I like to think of it, my OC). As far as afflictions go, it's not terrible. OC's are good to have around. They see danger from miles away. They pay close attention.
Motherhood can be particularly tough on OC's. We know too well that there's no such thing as "out of sight out of mind." But over the years I have come to terms with my checker, and now consider it a trusted friend. It was my checker that helped me raise my kids with a minimum of cuts and scratches, rear three dogs from eight-week-old puppies, and eventually opened my eyes to the looming dangers of global warming. It's the same trusted checker that is screaming, "Wake up! Wake up!" on the issue of antibiotic resistance.
Green Business Networking: Fifth Annual Event!
Green Business Networking Proudly Celebrates Fifth Year, With... You?
It's hard to believe, but tomorrow's mixer will also be our FIFTH anniversary! Time flies...
Former McDonald’s Execs Building Healthy Fast Food Chain
By Jessica Borges, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Imagine walking into a fast-food restaurant with a menu sans greasy cheeseburgers, replaced by roasted chicken wraps and pork-and-sweet potato...
Healthy Recipes For The Fourth Of July
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
What says Fourth of July better than friends, fireworks, and good food? For a traditional celebration, not one of those three can be sacrificed. However, you can make healthier food choices without sacrificing flavor. Believe it or not, there are healthy alternatives to the yearly cheeseburgers and hotdogs dripping with grease, and that fattening potato salad. CBS News has shared with us some great recipes that will leave you and your friends satisfied and guilt-free to enjoy the fireworks.
Understanding Labeling for Certified Organic Wine
Organic grape farmers feel they are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to the current labeling of organic wines.
By Brooke Rewa, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Organic shopping can be confusing. Organic wine shopping, even more so. Many of us don't have time to stop and read every ingredient on the products we are looking to purchase at the grocery store. This is why we look for known "stamps of approval." The biggest stamp we look for when shopping organic is that of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA sets very high standards for what can be labeled certified organic; which is why we as consumers trust them. They have taken these standards to new levels in the wine industry and it could be doing more harm than good for the world of organics.
When perusing your local grocer for an organic wine you will find two different labels; one clearly labeled certified organic and one labeled "made with organic grapes". This is where things get confusing and where organic grape farmers get upset. In order to be labeled certified organic by the USDA wine must be made from 100% organic grapes and contain no added sulfites. Sulfites occur naturally when grapes are fermented to make wine, it is impossible for any wine to be completely sulfite-free. Wine makers have been adding sulfites for centuries. Sulfur protects wine from oxidizing, allows for a longer shelf life and prevents unwanted organisms from growing in th
A Taste of Yosemite: Best Culinary Experience California Gold
The Taste of Yosemite offers more than just gourmet delights
The Knightsbridge Hotel London: LuxEcoLiving’s Best Pick Close To Harrods
Kit Kemp's masterfully designed Knightsbridge London is one of a kind. She pays extra attention to detail in bringing joy to every experience.
Restaurant Review: Get Your Locally Grown Kicks at Root 246
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEco Living and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Having just returned from Burgundy, France as...
Trainspotting in Paris at Le Train Bleu: Buffet at de la Gare Lyon before...
Le Train Bleu is a best kept secret. Even most parisien's won't share.
Dine surrounded by beautiful Belle Epoque artistry, savor the food and wine...
Travels with Journey: The Carmel Country Inn by the Sea is Pet Perfect
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Carmel by the Sea at The Carmel Country Inn
Like the candy, Carmel...
Travels with Journey to the Montage: Dogue in Vogue 90210 Style
By Nancy Chuda and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and co-founders of Healthy Child Healthy World
Experience ultimate green luxury, fine dining, the spa...
Whole Foods To Ensure Organic Claims Of Non-Food Products
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
For those who spend the extra dough to shop organically, it is fair to expect that a market touting the sale of only organic goods should supply consumers with fodder and non-fodder products on an even keel. One such market, the well-known and widely shopped Whole Foods, is making sure those expectations are met. As of June 1, 2011, the organic grocery chain will require that all personal care products and cosmetics making an “organic” claim can prove it.
Losing Taste, Redefining Creative Process
Photography: Lara Kastner for Metropolis
In each of our lives, we are given a unique set of gifts, challenges and even obstacles. ...
The Fess Parker Wine Country Inn and Spa in Los Olivos California is the...
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Step into paradise. Once you enter the Fess Parker Inn...
Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin Texas is a real love story
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
"We've been asked many times, "Why a Cheese...
Nutritional Facts: Pulling Nutrients from Breakfast Cereal
Nutritional Facts can easily help shape your Figure: How to get vegetables in that breakfast Cereal.
By Brooke Rewa, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Pulfoods is bringing us a healthy breakfast that both parents and kids can get behind; Crunchfuls cereal. Made from beans and lentils this cereal is the perfect way to sneak in a full serving of vegetables first thing in the morning. With 4 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar this gluten-free, natural product is a great alternative to processed, sugary breakfast cereals.
Kimberly Jones purveys the best affordable wines from France
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder Healthy Child Healthy World
Queribus Castle and the Cru overlooking Maury France
If you had to...
WATCH: Food, Glorious Real Food
By Nancy Chuda, co-founder of LuxEcoLiving.com and Healthy Child Healthy World
A divine inspiration. A remarkable event. An outstanding evening. Jim and I were treated to one of the most memorable moments in our lives—at Coleman Farm’s annual dinner. Their mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort is a Liquid Gold LuxEcoLiving4U Destination
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Travels without Journey...well sort of...
We traveled to this beautiful haven...
WATCH: Timelessness Made by Hand in Memory of Vincensia Dilorio
By Nancy Chuda Co-founder of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
There is nothing more satisfying then the taste of a handmade ravioli. Stuffed with fresh ricotta cheese and spinach, or goat cheese smothered in a fresh sauce made from homegrown, roma or prized heirloom tomatoes.
Pasta is one of the world’s most popular foods and comes in hundreds of different shapes, varieties and with dozens of different ingredients.
[Virgensia Dioreo]
Nancy Chuda, Fouder of LuxEcoLiving.com and Vicenzia DiIorio
The tradition of making pasta is timeless throughout the world. Almost every country has identified a noodle in part of their customary culinary cuisine . But the Italians, hands down have the most varieties. Spaghetti (coming from the Italian, spago which means cord) is the most popular variety ... and is long thin noodles that come in a variety of thickness and goes well with all traditional sauces. Capellini or angel hair pasta is the thinnest pasta of all and takes barely one to two minutes to cook; goes well with very light sauces or the classic basil, olive oil and crush fresh tomatoes.
Easy Beet Hummus Recipe
Fight cancer, anemia and high blood pressure with this delicious hummus recipe.
By Brooke Rewa, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Add beets to your farmer's market list this week and pull out your food processor, we're making beet hummus. Not only is this hummus recipe simple and flavorful, it's packed with all the benefits of typical hummus plus the added punch of nutrient loaded beets.
What’s for Dinner?
It’s a question as old as campfire, and the answer is getting more and more difficult to produce: “Hey Ma (or Pa), What’s for dinner?”. The realities of mass food production in this modern age are out there, and perhaps the harshest light of all has been shed on the meat production industry in particular.
The Poilane Bakery Rises to the Top
By Emily Lynne Ion, LuxEco Advocate
A recent email from a friend boasted the discovery of the “best bread in all of Paris”. For someone who prefers a baguette for dessert over a piece of chocolate cake, I was intrigued. Most curiously, there was a link included. Yes, a link to a website for a French boulangerie. I had envisioned a corner bakery, tucked away on an old street, that my friend discovered by accident on a rainy day (this is always how cuisine stories in Europe go, do they not?). Instead what she’s discovered was The Poilane Bakery, an international brand and premier Parisian bakery.
Try Horman’s Best for the Holiest Pickles in a Jar
Think Fresh Horman's Best Pickles for Mother's Day
April Showers Bring May Flowers, Summer Drought and Seedlings Sprout!
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Granted, there is an abundance of vegetation that only thrives during the rainy season or in mild warmth....
Makini Howell: Vegan Queen
By Rachel Sarnoff, Writer and Founder of EcoStiletto.com and MommyGreenest.com and LuxEco Advocate
Who can get Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Liv Tyler, Jenny McCarthy, Daryl...
In The Spice Cabinet: Benefits of Cinnamon
It's a safe bet to say that there aren't too many people in the world who haven't experienced the warm soothing smell of cinnamon as it slowly bakes into your grandmother's extra syrupy sweet potatoes, or as it blends with the apples and buttery crust from your mom's apple pie. What most of us, particularly in the Western World, fail to realize is that we are victims of a very cruel irony.
Seasonal Cooking with Kerin: Roasted Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese
By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin
Perfect for autumnal cooking, try your hand at Roasted Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese (and don't forget to buy your ingredients local and organic!)
First, to roast the butternut squash you'll need:
one hot oven
1 butternut squash (medium sized), peeled and cubed (about 1/2" x 1/2")
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp sage
salt and pepper
olive oil
Chemicals May Be Sabotaging Your Diet
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
The old diet and exercise routine just doesn’t seem to be working anymore. You eat your fruits and veggies, avoid carbohydrates (well, you try to), and are physically active at least 3 times per week. Yet, when you step on the scale it won’t budge past your old plop-down-on-the-couch-with-a-bag-of-chips weight. What is it going to take to drop the next 10 to 15 pounds? Scientists have discovered that it’s not your diet or exercise routine to blame, it’s a little endocrine-disrupting chemical known as EDC’s or “obesogens” making it impossible to shed the extra fat.
What to Eat for Spring: My Top 3 Quinoa Recipes
Are you wondering what to eat this spring so you can be bikini ready by summer? Try these light quinoa recipes to stay healthy and trim down.
By: Lauren O'Neill, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
With summer quickly approaching, the thought of baring it all and playing beach volleyball in a bikini can quickly become daunting. However, by learning what to eat this spring to shed the pounds and get fit, there will be no reason to feel mortified in your bathing suit. Quinoa is my absolute favorite ingredient to cook with and a staple in my daily diet. It is versatile, delicious, and loaded with nutrients that will keep you healthy, happy, and slim. Not only is it a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, but it is also gluten-free and easy to digest. From improving cardiovascular health to reducing migraines, quinoa has a number of health benefits. It's incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet. When cooked, its light and fluffy texture makes it the perfect healthy substitute for rice or couscous. Below, I have shared my top three personal quinoa recipes that will make you feel great.
Simple and Tangy Avocado Grapefruit Salad for Spring
By Hannah Canvasser LuxEco Editorial Assistant
This light and tangy salad will get your taste buds in shape for spring. Grab a few simple and healthy ingredients from your local farmers market and enjoy a lunch that will leave you full, but won't weigh you down.
Anna Getty Gives Tips For Enjoying A Green Christmas
The Christmas season is upon us, and people everywhere are gearing up for the holiday. In her book, I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas; Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More, author and LuxEco Advocate, Anna Getty shares with us her ideas on how to create memorable traditions while taking small steps to reduce our carbon footprints, minimize waste, and creatively use what we already have.
Heirloom Lettuce Salad with Strawberries, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese
Organic Produce and Sustainable Farms are Celebrated at by Myra Goodman at Earthbound Farms
Excerpted from The Earthbound Cook
Sweet-tart and succulent, strawberries are a true joy of spring and summer. This light and delicious salad uses whole heirloom lettuce leaves as a beautiful and flavorful base for the delightful blending of sweet strawberries, creamy goat cheese, and toasted walnuts. The flavors are melded perfectly by a quick-to-make balsamic vinaigrette that features toasted walnut oil.
Meet the Finger Lime, That Strange Fruit That Looks Like Caviar
Finger limes, or caviar limes, as they are often called, have appeared on the menus of innovative chefs and mixologists slowly but surely over the past few years. The finger lime plant, native to Australia and only recently commercially available in the U.S., produces small oval fruits about the size of a finger.














