The next time you’re at the grocery store stocking up on fruits and veggies, consider the question, paper or plastic? Shopping bags, especially the plastic ones are handed to us almost every time we buy something. We’re so used to it that we don’t even think about it any more, but we should.

A friend recently sent me a link to an eye-opening multimedia presentation on the topic of grocery bags. I’m not going to throw a mountain of data at you because when you take a moment to think about it, you already know that it takes a tremendous amount of resources to even produce that bag you take for granted at the store. We’re either cutting down trees or importing fossil fuels to make these things and that’s just the beginning. There’s a costly manufacturing and shipping process and the truth is, that most of them go from our hands directly into the landfill.

I’ve been making a gradual transition to using cloth bags. Every now and again I spend a couple of bucks on a reusable cotton bag. They’re easy to find – your grocery store probably sells them. If I’m not buying much, I ask for no bag at all (a request that has earned me many strange looks from cashiers!) or I keep my handy cotton bags in the car and bring them into the store. You also might want to use a cardboard box – they’re reusable, recyclable, and if your store doesn’t already offer the option, you probably only have to ask because they’ve got lots of them in the back of the store destined for the dumpster. So remember it’s really only a small change of habit to reduce, reuse or recycle that paper or plastic bag!

March has it going on:

• NCAA basketball tourney, aka "March Madness". By far, my FAVORITE time of the year. P-I-T-T- let's go Pitt! (Had to plug for my Panthers)
• St. Patty's day - a pretty big deal for a gal whose moniker means "Irish girl." In addition, Shamrock Shakes are available all month long at McDonald's. Amazing.
• "In like a lion, out like a lamb." Bring on Spring!

Besides all this great stuff, March is also National Nutrition Month! I confess to being a raging chocoholic, but I am aware of the importance of a healthy diet.

There is an overwhelming amount of information out there concerning healthy eating habits. The newly re-designed food pyramid suggests a diet heavy in whole grains, veggies, fruit, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

Some tricks for sneaking some extra nutrition into your daily eating habits:

• Replace soda with fruit juice or water. H₂O  too bland? Squeeze a slice of lemon for added flavor.
• Use ground turkey in favor of ground beef for cooking. Much less fat and calories and tastes just the same (I swear)!
• Substitute whole-grain breads for white bread in sandwiches.
• Try salsa in place of ketchup. The salsa has much less sugar and more lycopene than ketchup.
• Remove the yolks from your eggs for omelets - spare yourself the cholesterol and fat.

Healthy eating doesn't have to be a chore. And you can always have your favorite treats in moderation. I for one, will be enjoying a Shamrock Shake.

I couldn't make out the words from the next room, but the tone of my coworker Arlene's voice on my answering machine sounded pretty urgent. I rewound and listened:

"Girl, you HAVE to blog about this. I was in the store today and was thinking about expiration dates on food. There's the 'sell by' date. The 'use by' date. And the plain old expiration date. HOW CONFUSING!"

I'm with ya, Arlene. Apart from giving everything the sniff test before venturing a sip or a nibble, how do you know what's truly out of date and what's ok? This calls for some definitions.

Sell by/pull by date: This is the date that stores pay attention to. If an item hasn't sold by this date, they're supposed to pull it from the shelves. Don't be afraid to buy something on or right before its 'sell by' date; it'll still be good for a while if it's stored properly. How long? That depends on the item. More on that in a minute.

Best if used before/by: Until this date, your food's guaranteed to be at peak freshness if it's been properly stored. After that date, it'll still be safe to consume for a while but the quality won't be as high. So your OJ won't have that "fresh-squeezed taste" anymore. And if you've ever taken a swig of diet soda after the 'best by' date stamped on the bottle, you're familiar with the unmistakable taste of decomposing artificial sweetener. Yum.

Expiration date: This is your food's last hurrah. If you haven't consumed it by this date, toss it. It could make you sick if you try eating or drinking it.

Ok, now how long can you safely keep eating those foods beyond their 'sell by' and 'best by' dates? Got a couple charts for you:

The Cold Storage chart covers eggs and meat and the Foods Purchased Refrigerated chart covers juice, milk-based dairy products, fish and canned goods. Since most food dating is optional—only baby food and formula are required by federal regulations to have "use by" dates—consider printing out those charts and keeping them handy in your kitchen or pantry.

I did a quick tour of my fridge using the charts, and came across a carton of yogurt that I should have eaten last fall. Oops! What's the oldiest-moldiest thing you've ever found in your fridge at home or at work?

When I was talking to some neighbors the other night, one of them mentioned that she composts and a light went off in my head. It sounded like a perfect solution for all our yard waste, banana peels, potato skins, apple cores and more. Composting will also give us the perfect fertilizer to put on our lawn, flowerbeds and garden in addition to reducing waste we put into the local landfill.

Composting is basically a way to turn yard and kitchen waste into a nutrient rich, organic material you can use to improve your soil.

How to get started:

1. Choose a location for a compost pile or bin.  If you choose to build or buy a bin be sure to install it 2 feet from any structure.
2. Start adding “brown and green” materials by beginning with 4 – 6 inches of brown materials like chopped up twigs or other coarse waste.  Then, add a green layer of scraps, lawn clippings, and leaves.  Alternate layers every 4 – 6 inches.  Remember that smaller pieces of material break down faster.
3. Now, its time for the bacteria and fungi to get to work.  Wait a week, and then turn your compost pile with a pitch fork or shovel.  As it breaks down the compost should have an earthy smell.  If your compost pile gets stinky something is probably off balance.  
   
4. Use your compost to fertilize flower beds, sprinkle it on your lawn or use compost “tea” to water house plants.

Materials you CAN compost (examples):

• Coffee grounds and filters
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Eggshells
• Fruits and vegetables
• Grass clippings and leaves
• Shredded newspaper
• Tea bags
• Yard trimmings

• Dairy products (e.g., butter, egg yolks, milk, sour cream, yogurt)
• Fats, grease, lard, or oils
• Meat or fish bones and scraps
• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)
• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides

Millions of Americans will travel to someone else’s home to celebrate Christmas or New Years this year. Good luck if you’re the one expecting all those visitors, they’re probably going to be very hungry when they arrive! Here are some tips on cooking for large groups of people, food safety, and great recipes to help you out.

The most important thing when cooking for large groups is to make sure you’re aware of 4 basic food safety principles:

1. Clean hands, cutting boards and other kitchen surfaces regularly.
2. Separate raw meat, seafood and poultry (and their juices) from ready-to-eat foods and produce.
3. Cook foods to their recommended temperatures – use a food thermometer to verify the temperature.
4. Chill refrigerated foods properly to below 40 degrees fahrenheit and put leftovers away within 2 hours. Always thaw foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

You’d hate to have a houseful of sick guests because you forgot to use your meat thermometer on the turkey, turducken, rib roast or ham, right?

Also, be sure to take extra care preparing holiday goodies that call for eggs by ensuring they’re fully cooked before you partake. No licking the spoon for the cookie dough, folks! And be careful with the egg nog – alcohol doesn’t kill the bacteria in the eggs!

Remember that foods might require a little extra prep if any of your guests are members of at risk groups including expectant moms (like me!), children and seniors.  It will make your guests feel good to know you’ve taken the time to prepare food that they can enjoy safely.

I’d love to hear about any of your favorite holiday traditions or recipes – you can leave them in the comments.