Who says gluten-free is no fun? When it’s time to entertain, Karen Morgan’s always got an easy and delicious meal up her sleeve. This one is ooey-gooey, cheesy good and ready for company, but you could keep it all to yourself. Take a look at this episode of Gluten Morgan.

Get a printable version of the recipe and get Karen’s tips on choosing a sauce when you go to the Thrive Facebook page.

What might you fill a lasagna roll with?

You know what’s sweet? Giving a Whole Foods Market gift card. You know what’s even sweeter, giving a gift card and then getting a little something special for yourself.

Here’s the deal. Right now, and until supplies last, with a Whole Foods Market gift card purchase of $100 or more (whether you purchase one $100 gift card, five $20 gift cards or any other combination), you’ll receive a free The Perfect Sip gift box to treat yourself.**

The Perfect Sip contains three thoughtfully selected bags of whole beans from Allegro® Coffee. Besides being great beans, these roasts also help coffee-growing communities thrive. Here’s how:

• Allegro® African Blend: These beans are sourced from African coffee co-ops that are recognized as Good for All by the Jane Goodall Institute. The Jane Goodall Institute seeks to contribute to the preservation of great apes and their habitats by combining conservation with sustainable livelihoods in local communities.
• Allegro® Costa Rican Dota: This coffee is grown in a high mountain valley region of Costa Rica, of which 87% is a forest preserve. Our nonprofit partner, EARTH University, is dedicated to education in the agricultural sciences and natural resources in order to contribute to sustainable development in the tropics.
• Allegro® Rainforest Blend: This coffee is grown on Rainforest Alliance-certified farms in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Rainforest Alliance farms meet standards for environmental protection, social equity and economic viability.

The Perfect Sip as well as our Snack Express gift boxes are also available to order online, so you can send a treat to your loved ones across the miles. Waking up to a really nice cup of coffee, now that’s a thoughtful Valentine’s gift and a sweet way to treat yourself.

** Receive a free The Perfect Sip gift box with every gift card purchase of $100 or more. Online, new cards only (does not apply to gift card reloads). Offer is only available in the US, while supplies last. Free gift box will be shipped to the billing address of gift card purchaser.

“Who’s playing?” It was a simple question but it caused quite a ruckus in the office the other day. Sorry! I’m just not a big sports fan. But I do like a good showdown and a good party. Which is why I usually grab a few friends and we gather around the TV for the Big Game. And if you’re like me, the question that’s more important than “who’s playing?” is “what are we eating?”

If you follow our blog you know we’ve already shared some Superb Recipes for Game Day as well as some recipes and tips to have a Healthy Game Day and even our produce expert’s “Best Ever” Guacamole. But if you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen when that great commercial (ahem) play happens, try some of these high-scoring snacks. Like all the products we sell in our stores, they bench the artificial preservatives, flavors and colors. Take a look: Read the rest of this entry »

Made by the longest operating Cheddar producers in the world, Barber’s 1833 Cheddar has quite a history. The Barber family has been farming and making cheddar just outside the village of Cheddar, England since 1833. Watch as the Barber’s share the history of their cheese and learn more about it in our blog post, Barber’s Cheddar: A Cheese with Real Culture.

When Martina put a few cucumbers in pots on her balcony in Brooklyn, New York, she had no idea where it would grow from there. A creative spirit helps her face the challenges of city gardening, such as space…and soil.

Martina Fugazzotto is a graphic artist in Brooklyn, New York, with more than a dabbling interest in gardening. Check out her blog, FarmTina and watch her story in this episode of Grow.

There are tons of great stories out there. Watch them on Thrive and let us know what you think.

What unusual containers have you used for planting?

The potential energy available from wave and tidal movement is estimated at more than seven times current global energy use. This episode of 9.3 features an inventor at California Polytechnic State University who is testing a device to utilize this untapped resource.

Phil Kithil is founder and CEO of Atmocean, Inc. in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and inventor of the Wave Energy Sequestration Technology (WEST) device being tested at California Polytechnic State University. WEST simultaneously stimulates plankton growth, the foundation of the ocean’s food chain.

There are tons of great stories out there. Watch them on Thrive and let us know what you think.

What other wave energy ideas have you run across?

When you’re in our stores, do you make it a point to visit our Whole Body department or do steer clear of all those unfamiliar lotions and potions? It’s true our supplement and body care aisles look pretty different from what you see in conventional supermarkets or drug stores but they are filled with some really cool finds that our buyers carefully select to meet our high standards.

That means the supplements in Whole Body don’t contain things like  artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives, unnecessary fillers and hydrogenated fats. Those same high standards are applied to our personal care products, as well. In fact, we encourage our vendor partners to use plant-based and naturally-derived ingredients, pure essential oil fragrances, gentle preservatives and non-petroleum ingredients. And, we do not allow any animal testing for any of our personal care products, ever.  In addition, we’ve created a set of top tier Premium Body Care® standards that raises the bar still further. Look for the products marked with our Premium Body Care seal and get a list of the Premium Body Care products your store carries on their store web page.
Read the rest of this entry »

Existing buildings account for an estimated 40% of the world’s energy use. With energy needs increasing, firms such as ZeroEnergy Design in Boston are creating homes that balance energy reduction with energy production. Learn more in this episode of 9.3.

Stephanie Horowitz, managing director of ZeroEnergy Design, applies the design excellence and technical rigor associated with commercial architecture to custom residential projects, translating green design from concept into reality. A graduate of Cornell University School of Architecture, she is a Certified Passive House consultant and Registered Architect.

There are tons of great stories out there. Watch them on Thrive and let us know what you think.

Have you seen or heard of high-efficiency homes in your area?

In this episode of Fest-a-Nation you’ll join the parade on 6^th Avenue in midtown for one of Manhattan’s liveliest street fests. Along with about 1.5 million revelers, host Emma Green checks out the ritualistic cleansing of the street, capoeira, fresh sugarcane juice and other cultural icons of Brazil.

Hit the streets, tents and pavilions with Emma as she eats, drinks and dances her way through festivals that celebrate and preserve international cultures far from home.

The self-described “Martha Stewart meets MacGyver of all things food, wine and travel,” Emma Green asks the questions you would ask if you were there and gets the answers with her ever-present smile.

There are tons of great stories out there. Watch them on Thrive and let us know what you think.

Intimate video work, glowing with fresh autumn light and hand-drawn illustrations bring a poem by Tanya Davis to life. “How to Be Alone” is a gently stark lens on the societal views and self-reflections of being alone.

Andrea Dorfman is a filmmaker and artist living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Andrea has made numerous short films; two feature films, Parsley Days and Love That Boy; a documentary, Sluts; and the animated short, Flawed.

Tanya Davis is a poet/singer/songwriter living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She performs her own poem, “How to Be Alone,” in this short.

There are tons of great stories out there. Watch them on Thrive and let us know what you think.