In light of the latest major egg recall, many people are considering getting their own flock of chickens. Farmers have been raising backyard fowl for over 3,000 years but in the last five years, it’s become accessible for even the beginner farmer like you and me. With 380 million eggs recalled, raising chickens at home never sounded so reassuring. You’ll be able to raise them organically, free of hormones and antibiotics, and let them run around your yard versus being cooped up in a cage. You’ll get around 300 eggs per hen per year but the benefits don’t stop there. Here are 7 more reasons to convince you.

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Iowa-based Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms—the two producers responsible for the recall of 500,000 eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella—should be put out of business.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, last week said these companies were “not operating with the standards of practice that we consider responsible,” according to the New York Times.

Now we know some of the specifics: These factory farms, whose eggs have sickened roughly 1,500 consumers, were overrun with rodents, maggots and flies, and chicken manure heaps. Henhouses were filthy and broken down, with rusted holes, structural damage, unsanitary employees and seeping manure.

For those of us without outdoor space, it might seem like having your own garden is an impossible notion. But while it's true that most vegetable plants can only thrive outside, there are actually a number of veggies that are perfectly happy growing inside – and some of them are pretty surprising.

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Admit it - you love carbohydrates. The intoxicating smell is impossible to resist: crusty bread rolls, toasted bagels, sugary donuts - mmmmmm. The only thing stopping you from slipping on your shoes and heading out to the bakeshop right now is knowing that those foods will go straight to your thighs and hips as soon as they pass your lips. However, not all carbs are created equally - each works differently in our bodies. Choosing carbs that have a low glycemic index won’t pack on pounds to your weight, and can even reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

 

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The day has had her way with you: the seemingly endless parade of rubbernecking, power tripping, inconsiderate and needy people to have crossed your path has left you feeling cold, stiff, negative and wound up like a toy soldier. Well, I've done the research personally, as have many before me, and nothing soothes the soul like a warm, nurturing bath. Pampering yourself with one of these homemade, DIY bath recipes will remind you; one very important person loves and cares for you, ultimately the only one who matters.

 

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School is almost in session, so it’s time to “think outside the loaf,” according to registered dietitian Elizabeth Somer.

“Kids do get tired of the same old sandwiches,” says the visiting professor of exercise science at Willamette University in Salem, OR. She’s also the author of numerous books, including Age-Proof Your Body: Your Complete Guide to Looking and Feeling Younger.

A tortilla wrap is a great way to experiment with a variety of healthy ingredients, Somer says, and tortillas are a good choice for budget-conscious families.

All the fast food has rotted our brains. Ladies and gentlemen that is what we now consider food! And it's a contestant for the 2010 Big Tex Choice Award at this year's State Fair of Texas. They say it's a fried salad - sort of.

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If you’re like us, a meal’s not a meal without a piece of organic, grass-fed meat. Hey, it’s how we were raised. But, in an effort to be more animal and planet friendly, we’re weaning ourselves off of it … slowly.

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Cover enough salmonella or E. coli outbreaks, and you become intimately familiar with the “T” word: traceback.

The term refers to the process federal inspectors use to determine exactly where contamination occurred in the food supply chain.

Recent recalls highlight the critical need for an effective product tracing system, according to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a Chicago-based organization that represents food scientists and related professionals.

About 8,500 pounds of ground beef have been recalled by Wyalusing, PA-based Cargill Meat Solutions Corp.

This is an E. coli-related Class I recall, which designates “a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

This isn’t Cargill’s first time at the recall rodeo. As I reported in November, the company was forced to recall 5,522 pounds of beef tongues because workers neglected to remove tonsils—a violation of both USDA regulations and my personal “ick” meter.