Thursday’s New York Times story will have a profusion of contractors and granite dealers crying the blues, not to mention homeowners who have already coughed up the cash for their granite countertops.

The article, titled “What’s Lurking in Your Countertop” has sent a frenzy of worry across the nation, leaving people to contemplate whether they should be buying new napkin rings or a sledgehammer.

Writer Kate Murphy reports on the excessive amount of radon being found in granite countertops. She said that the E.P.A. recommends taking action if radon gas levels in a home exceeds 4 picocuries per liter of air - about the same risk for cancer as smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day.

To put this in perspective, Murphy said, airline passengers get 3 millirem of cosmic radiation on a flight from New York to Los Angeles.On the flip side, a new study released by the Marble Institute of America insists that granite counters are safe. The research and report was done by the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Akon.

Now if you’re in the market for a new counter for whatever reason, and choose to opt out of granite, there are many other options available, said Mariette Barsoum, founder ...Read More

A few of you DIYer’s out there have been clamoring for a kombucha recipe, but I’m merely a connoisseur and haven’t been making this living tea myself. As it happens, I live in an eclectic little community, and wouldn't you know my neighbor Dillon has been making the stuff for years. She swears it’s easy and low maintenance. ...Read More

My daughter used to eat so many bananas I thought she might be part monkey. Of course, the big ears and tail didn't help, either. I was heartened to learn her banana habit is a good thing. The tropical fruit is not only an ideal finger food for kids but tremendously beneficial for us grownups, too.
 
Maybe that's why ...Read More

We all know to order broiled instead of fried and ask for the dressing on the side, but here are a few tips to take along the next time you’re heading out to a restaurant serving international fare, where the territory may not be as familiar to you.

The ...Read More

 New research from Virginia ...Read More

I have a friend who swears that dark cherry juice with cacao powder will enhance your mood, and though I can’t vouch for the L-tryptohan (a serotonin producer) he claims this combo contains, I can tell you it’s a blend that just ...Read More

A lot of things are called “nature’s candy", but the date really is. Sweet, luscious, just a bit gooey – could it get any better than that? Actually, it does. With calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, plus a range of vitamins and amino acids, ...Read More

Tomato season is just beginning and you're probably pretty happy to eat them raw in salads or simply drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. But come August or September, you might be glad you tucked this recipe away in your bookmarks folder. (Especially if your neighbor dumps a heaping sack of squash on your doorstep).

Easy to ...Read More

My treasured, vintage wooden picnic basket will be packed with a  conscience on Friday as my family heads to our annual Fourth of July celebration in downtown Sonoma. Instead of the ubiquitous plastic ware and paper plates that end up in landfills, we're opting for reusable picnic ware and some great vegan recipes, including a refreshing ...Read More

A truly modern city is one that's overgrown.

I love cities. In Rome last month, I was fascinated by how Italians utilized every corner of their balconies and gardens (more so in the Republic of Georgia) - admittedly as much for rusting motorbike/moped parts as for greenery. That's ...Read More