Even though my boutique bean obsession reminds me a little of a Portlandia sketch, I still think we should take a moment with these sexy Anasazis.
Quicker cooking than traditional pintos and less gassy too, Anasazis add protein and nutrients to soups, Mexican dishes, and more. 
Soak overnight and drain off the water. Add fresh water, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer until tender. Expect Anasazis to plump and pink when cooked. 
Some of you actually look forward to that can-shaped glob? This year, go fresh with the cranberries. Here are a few good reasons to work the delicious piquant berry into the daily mix, Thanksgiving or not. 
Raw cranberries are a source of antioxidants and goodness thought to benefit the cardiovascular and immune systems, in addition to possessing anti-cancer properties. 
What they say about cranberry juice (no sugar!) and urinary tract infections isn’t just an old wives’ tale. Cranberries have anti-clotting properties believed responsible for crippling E. coli in the urinary tract. Scientists are exploring whether cranberries can be helpful in managing naughty bacteria in other parts of the body as well, like the proliferating invader that causes stomach ulcers. Dietary consumption of cranberry has also been shown to reduce the risk of chronic inflammation in the stomach and colon.
Cranberry season is short, but they freeze beautifully, and make an unexpected and colorful addition to autumn dishes. 
So I’m certainly not suggesting you hand out raisins or anything, but at least consider going vegan when selecting treats to pass out this year. Here are a few animal-friendly options for the ungrateful brats.
Swedish Fish
Airheads
Jolly Ranchers
Lemonheads
Sour Patch Kids
Rotten with sugar? Don’t forget another seasonal favorite, roasted pumpkin seeds. Give the candy away and enjoy this nutritious yummy snack instead.
Even us schadenfreuders hoped Oprah’s OWN might serve up a programming highlight or two, but we’ve generously given Ms. Winfrey more than a month to win us over, and she’s already squandered most of our patience and good will. If Oprah’s foray into OWN proves nothing else, it illustrates that there is a huge difference between running a successful talk show and overseeing an entire network.
The first of many problems with OWN is lack of original programming. In the age of streaming, old movies ain’t gonna cut it, and reruns of Dr. Phil definitely ain’t gonna cut it. She’d be better off showing reruns of her own show if the network needs filler. Oprah’s so technologically out of touch she quaintly believes that we’re all going to sit down and watch an edited version of Postcards From the Edge during primetime? Up against Jersey Shore, is she bananas?
Let’s discuss the original programming that has aired so far. Basically, it generates hostility. The Gayle King Show is some seriously amateur shit. King’s sloppiness only serves to highlight the rather obvious coattail-riding nepotism which landed her the position in the first place. Next, tune into Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes and watch the production team shield Oprah from any backstage complication while simultaneously anticipating and meeting her every high-maintenance whim. Even if you liked Oprah before, you won’t after you watch this. Her staff gives new meaning to the term sycophant.
OWN’s self-proclaimed mission is to “entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives,” but is this really the best Oprah can do?
Oprah has approximately six months or less to turn things around at OWN before becoming a cautionary tale. Some have already dubbed the venture a failure, and the ratings continue to drop, but don’t count Ms. Winfrey out just yet.
Oprah, first things first, you need some appointment television, and no, your reality show definitely doesn’t count. OWN needs an unmissable water cooler show. Try bankrolling forward-thinking, risky artistic projects that more conservative networks reject – find OWN’s version of Mad Men, Sex and the City, or Sons of Anarchy.
Despite rumors of upcoming Tatum O’Neal and Shania Twain reality shows, Oprah has yet to bring an interesting celeb-reality entry into the programming mix. If she knew anything, she’d give Nicki Minaj her own show.
OWN’s definitely squandered an opportunity on cornering the healthy lifestyle angle. How about a vegetarian cooking show? We all know you have Kathy Freston on speed dial. What about giving Michael Pollan a camera and letting him explore where our food comes from?
Most importantly, where the fuck is the fashion, beauty, and interior design?
Come on Oprah, we all expect more of you. Time is running out for you to salvage this disaster. Start by cutting Gayle a severance package.
Just in time for the most tragic day of the year for our feathered friends, presenting the top pathogens likely to be chilling in your turkey this year.
Campylobacter jejuni lives in the gut of poultry and is commonly found in turkey poop. When you catch this nasty bug, look forward to it incubating in your intestinal track before surprising you with a debilitating stomach flu and bloody diarrhea 2-5 days after exposure.
Clostridium perfringens can grow without oxygen and can create spores that are resistant to cooking temperatures. The bacteria grows in poultry that has lingered too long before cooking or in meat that is improperly reheated. This bug causes gas gangrene. Uh huh, it is responsible for the bloating in decomposing corpses.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli) inhabits the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, but due to unsafe food handling practices, it pops up in turkey too. This particular strand causes enterhemorrhaging, which is a fancy way of saying internal intestinal bleeding or bloody butt.
Listeria monocytogenes is found in water, soil and sewage. This nasty bug causes listeriosis, which can manifest in a mononucleosis-like infection or meningitis. 20-30% of clinical infections result in death, making it the most deadly of all the food borne pathogens. Added bonus: it can cause spontaneous abortion. By the way, there was a recall on Listeria-contaminated turkey just last week.
Zoonotic, Salmonella can be passed from your pets to you and back again. Bitch doesn’t discriminate and will incubate where it can. Hearty Salmonella is not destroyed by freezing and lives easily outside its host for years. For the healthy, a nasty case of diarrhea ensues, but for the immune-compromised the consequences could be much more serious.
Shigellosis isn’t the latest dance craze; it is the delicious form of dysentery brought to you by Shigella. This crazy bacteria uses a biological syringe to inject healthy cells with a protein which triggers invasion. Turkey or sides are contaminated by hand mixing and by subsequent incomplete cooking.
Highly contagious Staphylococcus aureus can grow in a variety of foods and can produce a heat-resistant poison that causes skin infections, digestive disasters, and sometimes death. Because the toxin is difficult to destroy, you must prevent it from forming. This one is both sneaky and common.
Have a super holiday.
Ask yourself, do you skip or compromise breakfast because integrating cooking into your morning routine is just way too much? Discover the beauty of waking up every morning with a ready-made, delicious bowl of warm goodness without having to operate your stove, toaster, or microwave.
Here’s what’s up: crock pot steel cut oats cooked in apple juice and water. Add the oats, juice, and water and cook on the lowest setting overnight (ideally, invest in an inexpensive unit with a “warm” setting). Overcompensate for the extended cooking time by adding slightly more liquid than the recipe calls for. The ratio is roughly one cup of oats to three or four cups of liquid depending on temperature and altitude. Don’t go overboard with the juice; it adds depth of flavor, but also calories and fructose.
In the morning time, add berries, cinnamon, whatever you like. Warm your belly on chilly mornings with nourishing homemade (vegan) oatmeal and see what good comes of it.
According to the USDA, there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness each year. Much of that illness traces back to poop in your food. This July 4th, avoid the risk with a yummy veggie burger or soy dog.
The cows and piggies thank you.
Expertly written and well-researched, The China Study, a comprehensive study analyzed by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, examines every major disease decimating the Western world and persuasively links it to the consumption of animal protein. 
The China Study flips the modern nutrition discourse upside down and draws meaningful connections between diet and long term health. This is not an animal rights book; however it provides compelling health reasons to consider reducing animal protein in your diet. This is a dense read, but it contains profoundly ground-breaking information.
In the event that you are already vegan or vegetarian, this book provides all the ammunition you need to intellectually defend your position against all those antagonizing carnivores.
