The formula is foolproof. Collect organic waste in a pile, let it decompose over time with the help of friendly bacteria, and the result is compost. The best fertilizer and soil conditioner money needn't buy. Compost makes itself, for free.

"But won't it smell?" some gardeners ask, and it's not a dumb question. Rotting matter such as kitchen garbage would certainly smell if left to decompose in the kitchen. But that's not how a compost pile works.

As reported in the Washington Post - READ MORE

There are plenty of Parks and Recreation fans here at The Daily Meal, so learning that Amy Poehler might play a lunch lady in film about superhero lunch ladies is right up our alley.

The rumor, which started several years ago, has resurfaced thanks to a Boston Globe story about Jarrett Krosoczka, a children's book author who wrote a series of graphic novels about a — you guessed it — lunch lady who fought crime with kitchen gadgets and spatulas.

As reported on the Daily Meal website - READ MORE

Outburst, Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, 619 South Main Street, show will run May 3-May 19. Shows will start at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with a Sunday matinee at 2:00 p.m. The story of a high school teacher in Wichita KS that accidentally "outs" himself as gay while discussing the Holocaust with his class, setting off a tumultuous round of homophobia in this hub of fundamentalism, as the teach and his partner and other associates vacillate between fighting to retain his job, or accept in his dismissal.

Alley Cats, Free Fridays Concert Series, Bo Diddley Community Plaza, Friday, 8-10:00 p.m. The Alley Cats perform a set of favorites and standards including songs by Tom Petty, Journey, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Miracles, Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.

Melrose Art Walk, Melrose, Friday, 6-9:00 p.m. four art galleries all be having events at the same time including a a double-header show with two artists showing; Patrick Rausch, a newcomer to the Melrose art scene, and John Rutan, who had his premier

Natacha Monnalisa, Artist of the Month Reception, High Springs Art Coop. 115 N. Main, High Springs. A local coop of fifteen area artists whose work is shown in various mediums (from sculpture, to pottery, photography, oil, acrylic, watercolor, jewelry and stained glass.

Hogtown Craft Beer Festival, Kanapaha Gardens, Saturday, May 4, 9- 7:00 p.m. sample beers from various local, regional, and national breweries. Plus, this year, food pairings are included in the ticket price! Click for more information.

Gaineville Annual Jazz Festival, Tioga Town Center, Saturday, 6-11:00 p.m. Gainesville Friends of Jazz hosts its 11th annual Gainesville Jazz Festival with Festivities at Tioga Town Center including performances by Little Jake and the Soul Searchers, Gruv Therapy, Ben Champion Quartet, Zac Chester Quartet and Hot Club de Ville.

Robin Hood, Hippodrome Theater, Downtown Gainesville, May 3-5. Robin Hood bursts from the stage with fast action and comedic hi-jinks as the Prince of Thieves and his Merry Men do all the wrong things for all the right reasons.

Suwannee River Jam, Spirit of Suwanee Music Park, Live Oak Florida, May 2-4, More than 30 musical acts perform in this four day event highlighted by Sheryl Crow performing Saturday. Click this link for more information.

'Tonight, I think I'm gonna go downtown'

By Ron Cunningham, GLOB Correspondent

EDITOR's NOTE: Ron Cunningham is a Gainesville cyclist, Journalist, and  Executive Director of Bike Florida.  Ron is in search of interesting, chain-link connected stories and he is taking Joe Ely's advice about heading downtown.

Once, in response to a question about the difficulty of finding a downtown parking space, a city planner looked at me quizzically, smiled and replied "isn't that a good problem to have?"

Her point being that if nobody wanted to come downtown, there would be plenty of parking.

As it happened that conversation took place in Stuart, Florida, but the planner's comment jumped back into my head last Friday evening as my wife, Jill, and I rolled into downtown Gainesville.

We weren't driving a car, so no parking hassles there. We were cycling.

And not for the first time it occurred to me that it's not easy finding a place to lock your bike to in downtown Gainesville. At times it seems that every bike rack, every street light pole, every decorative lattice and every hand-rail has a bike chained to it.

This is a good problem to have. It means that people want to be downtown, and they don't necessarily want to drive there.

We're approaching the dreaded Gainesville summer, when the oppressive heat supposedly makes everyone want to stay inside. But summer also brings longer days, later sunsets and fewer cars on the local roads. This is the time of year when Jill and I frequently enjoy biking downtown to attend one of the City's free concerts in the Bo Diddley Plaza, tour the once-a-month Artwalk, have dinner and a drink and maybe see a play or film at the Hipp.

Take this past Friday, for example.

We managed to squeeze our bikes in with several others outside the Sun Center and strolled into the Hippodrome, where dancer Ani Collier had her collection of surrealistic photographs - several of them recently taken in Cuba - on display. People were filing in to await the next showing of "Robin Hood." Two tall young women in formal gowns wore featureless face masks and stood silently in the exhibition hall. Performance art? I didn't ask. The Hipp is getting ready for its 40th birthday bash, and there was complimentary wine and snacks and a festive air.

We had intended to make the rounds at Artwalk - from the Doris Bardon Community Cultural Center to the Civic Media Center - but really got no farther than Ellie Blair's Studio, just around the corner, where Julie Warmke-Robtaille was showing off her collection of palette-knife beach paintings and landscapes.

Here's the thing about downtown Gainesville on a Friday night: It's like what they say about Times Square in New York: Hang around long enough and chances are you'll run into pretty much everybody you know.

In this case we fell into an extended conversation with Annie Pais, director of Florida's Eden, and Cycler friends Winnie and Warren Nielson over what's wrong with the Innovation Gainesville initiative. (Long story short, there's a disconnect between the older business establishment types who put IG together and the 20-something entrepreneurs who are actually doing a lot of the really innovative stuff in Gainesville. Call it a generation gap if you will... the two sides aren't really talking each other's language at this point.)

Later we strolled toward the Plaza where a group called the Hot Club Deville was doing something billed as "Gypsy Jazz and Western Swing." On SE 1st Street, two energetic young street musicians were playing classical music for tips. Downtown was alive with people, music and art.

By the time we unlocked our bikes it was dark (Warning: If you are going to cycle at night please make sure you have the proper lights on your bike and wear light-colored clothing and a helmet).

We crossed University Avenue and rode north several blocks on NE 1st to the Fat Tuscan Cafe. Jill and I had dinner in the courtyard next to the fountain and listened to live music. From there it was a 15-minute ride home via neighborhood streets, accompanied by a cool evening breeze.

I love this town. When you can cycle to the heart of the city and have to look around for a place to lock your bike... that's a good problem for Gainesville to have.

If the Internet has taught us anything it's that people love cat videos, and it didn't take advertisers long to capitalize on our affinity for funny felines.

Advertisers have finally realized that cats are the key to commercial success. Whether they're promoting cat food or something completely non-kitty related, advertisers know that including a feline in the ad will make consumers sit up and take notice — and say "aww."

MEOWWW!!

As reported on the Mother Nature Network website with video - READ MORE

Of all the so-called superfoods — the nutrient-rich foods high in antioxidants that are thought to fight the ills of aging — few receive more accolades than the berry family.

And the attention bestowed on berries is not unfounded. In study after study, the benefits of berries are lauded. Most recently, researchers revealed that women who ate more than three servings of blueberries or strawberries a week had a 34 percent lower heart attack risk than those who ate less.

As reported on the Mother Nature Network website - READ MORE

What if there was a super simple way to tackle all of America's food-caused health problems all at once? What if we could simultaneously address the obesity crisis, heart disease, and diabetes in one fell swoop? Author Michael Pollan suggests that we can do just that in his latest book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, about his favorite subject—food.

"Time spent cooking matters—a lot," Pollan writes, in the introductory part of the book, backing it up with pretty convincing data that connects time spent cooking at home to lower obesity rates and a more healthful diet across cultures and even incomes.

As reported on the Mother Nature Network website - READ MORE

Alex Guarnaschelli of Butter restaurant in New York and Food Network fame recently stopped by F&W HQ to discuss her new (and first) cookbook Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook. One of the 100 recipes in the book is a simple method for making butter. While training at high-end French restaurants like Guy Savoy's La Butte Chaillot and New York's Daniel, Guranaschelli used to put the delicious fat, and lots of it, in almost everything. But now she has a new philosophy for butter use.

As reported on the Food & Wine website with video - READ MORE

WHAT TO EAT: Lunch

The overwhelming response to our recent recipes for variations on the lentil patty, vegetarian burger of your dreams inspired me to share an email from my dad, one of the responders. Just when I thought I knew everything about street food, I get schooled.

I mean, I knew they were delicious, and you trusted our judgment. Thank you. Assistant Contributing Editor Laila Gohar (the resident jalapeño hands and bacon marmalade girl) also posted her own recipe for mercimek köftesi, Turkish lentil and bulgur meatballs.

As reported on the Food Republic website - READ MORE

Eat the rainbow! You've likely heard this tossed about by foodies, nutritionists, and diehard vegetable fans. But what does it mean? It is really just a fancy way to say you should eat a balanced diet, and that you should buy every color fruit or vegetable available at your local market. Why?

Fruits and vegetables get their colors (and other unique characteristics like smell, texture, etc) from various phytochemicals. Each phytochemical has its own set nutrients. Since the phytochemicals that make something red are different from the phytochemicals that make something green, the nutrients, and health benfits, of those two plants are going to be different. Simply said, you can't get the same vitamins and minerals from red fruits that you can get from green vegetables. This is why you should eat the rainbow.

As reported on the Chasing Delicious website - READ MORE