There are stores full of exquisite bedding. But fancy sheets, duvets and mattresses can sometimes fall short of our wish lists, in style, price, comfort or all three.

This year’s developments have certainly vindicated those of us who care about our health, our environment and our treatment of animals.

Though black-eyed peas have been around forever, they generally don't get a lot of attention. But I think you really ought to give them a second look.

Let's not panic. We all know that Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Wonder bread and the rest of Hostess Brands' oddly everlasting foods aren't going away any time soon, even if the food culture that created them is gasping its last.

At the risk of raising ire from fans and lovers of Hostess snacks, I have to confess: I have never been a fan of Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs, Zingers or Suzie Q’s. And I would say, outside of eating a package of powdered-sugar doughnuts on rare occasion, I haven’t touched a Twinkie or Hostess cake in more than 30 years. They were just too sweet for me, and I never liked the taste of them.

If you start roasting a 14-pound turkey at 375 F at 7 a.m. and need to feed 15 people — including three vegetarians, a vegan and two gluten intolerants — by 1 p.m., how many pounds of cranberries do you need if the stuffing is baked outside the bird and the pumpkin pie is cut into 11.75 equal wedges?

Brunchies (17 E. Boston St., Chandler [480] 899-5036). Brought to you by the folks behind Serrano’s Mexican restaurants, this downtown spot serves brunch until 2 p.m. daily. The tasty spread includes all the usual suspects — pancakes, eggs, fruit, sausage and home fries — along with a variety of soups, desserts and Mexican breakfast favorites. $

New federal guidelines aim to make school lunches more nutritious this year by requiring all students to take a fruit or vegetable with their meal. More whole grains and less saturated fat, trans fats and sodium are also part of the regulations.

For the football fan who cooks, tailgates are a beautiful thing.

Not so long ago, the admonishment to "Eat your greens!" generally focused on lettuce, maybe spinach. And that's about as adventurous as it got.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

Escape to the Red Rocks, where hiking, dining, cooler weather and pet-friendly things to do will give even your furry friends a little relief from the heat.

We’ve all gotten the finger-wagging lecture about protein from fitness trainers. Their demands for more of it leave us picturing a Henry VIII turkey leg in one hand and a dumbbell in the other. We eat meat — we’re no bunch of Birkenstock-wearing vegans (not that there’s anything wrong with that). So what the heck are they talking about?

I am a 13 year old Boy Scout from Troop 285 in Chandler. I would like everyone in the community to know about an awesome organization called Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). FMSC is a non-profit Christian organization that strives to feed hungry children around the world. FMSC originated in Minnesota and has expanded to Illinois and now Arizona. At its warehouse in Tempe, children and adults from the community can volunteer to pack meals specifically made for malnourished children. The meals contain four culturally acceptable ingredients: chicken, veggies, soy, and rice. The meals are shipped to about 70 countries around the world. I have personally volunteered there several times and have helped to raise money to pay for the food they pack. A single meal costs only 22 cents to produce, and 93 percent of all donations to FMSC go directly toward the food program.

In theory, the idea of Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Olsen playing three generations of women in the same family should be delightful, or at least well-acted.

Obesity is an issue of calorie imbalance. Trying to shift blame from personal choice to meat and dairy foods is simplistic and incorrect (“Time is now to stop eating meat, dairy to halt obesity epidemic,” May 19).

Carbs? Calories? Fat? They are so very last decade. Dieters and would-be healthy eaters know the nutrient of the moment being tallied, sought and bought is protein.

Carbs? Calories? Fat? They are so very last decade. Dieters and would-be healthy eaters know the nutrient of the moment being tallied, sought and bought is protein.

The number of Americans considered obese is expected to rise from the current 34 percent to 42 percent by the year 2030, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and discussed at Monday’s “Weight of the Nation” conference in Washington. Diabetes, kidney failure, heart disease, and other obesity-related ailments account for countless premature deaths and as much as 18 percent of the $2.6 trillion national cost of medical care.

The number of Americans considered obese is expected to rise from the current 34 percent to 42 percent by the year 2030, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and discussed at Monday’s “Weight of the Nation” conference in Washington. Diabetes, kidney failure, heart disease, and other obesity-related ailments account for countless premature deaths and as much as 18 percent of the $2.6 trillion national cost of medical care.

Nearly every woman I know judges herself by her number. I’m talking how much she weighs, whether her BMI number is acceptable, which dress size or pant size she wears and how many pounds she’s lost or how many she’s gained.

No matter how much she would appreciate it, and no matter how much you love your mom — or the mother of your children — you aren’t likely to make her croissants from scratch.