Rip says he and I are kindred spirits, and I couldn't agree more. I adore Rip (and his entire family!). 

When I was visiting him in Austin last year, he spilled the beans on his new book, My Beef with Meat. I was practically jumping around in his kitchen I was so excited. I even wrote a few recipes for the book!

Anyway, a few months ago, Rip emailed me an early copy of his new book (that he …

For most of my adult life (read: since I moved out of my parent's house), I've found myself doing a weekend-long household cleaning every couple of months. 

Work, school, life — I was busy! I tried to keep my place tidy and I'd do little cleanings like wiping down the kitchen counter, but I couldn't clean — really clean — my home that often. It was a lot of work and took a great deal of time to vacuum, scrub …

Cinco De Mayo is coming up soon and now is the time to start planning the snacks and food. Below are some healthy, oil-free, guilt-free snacks to have on hand!

• Aztec Corn Salad
• Mexican Chowder (pg. 112, EHH)
• Black Bean & Salsa Soup (pg. 100, EHH)
• Loaded Nachos (pg. 245, HHC)
• Lentil Taco "Meat" (p. 43, HHA)
• Mexican Dip (pg. 230, HHC)

• Low-Fat Guacamole
• Fiesta Bake (pg. 158, EHH)
• Skillet Frijoles Negros (pg. 176, EHH)
• Smokey Black Bean Enchiladas (pg. …

You have questions...

Q: Do you have an opinion about hair color and covering gray? You likely are not old enough to worry about this yet (!), but I have been coloring my hair for years, and I just hate it. Even "natural" hair color seems to hard to maintain. When you start seeing gray hair, will you just let it happen?

A: Except for a brief "rebellion" when I was younger and had blue streaks in my hair, I've …

When Scott & I were living in Lake Tahoe this past winter, the closest Trader Joe's was about 45 minutes away in Nevada so we only went once a month, if that. 

We could get pretty much everything we needed at the local supermarket chain and health food store in town, but there were a few items that Trader Joe's had I couldn't find elsewhere — or TJ's prices were much more reasonable, so we'd make the trek and …