Arizona shoppers are getting a bit of a financial reprieve as prices for meat took an unexpected -- and potentially unexplained -- drop during the first quarter of the year.

If your goal is to lose weight, look and feel your best and live a healthy, vibrant life, be aware of the damaging additives and synthetic chemicals in the foods you buy and eat. Seventy-five percent of the average American diet is from processed and packaged foods, which equates to approximately 10 pounds of additives eaten annually.

LOS ANGELES — A grave 12-year-old African girl, abducted from her village by vicious armed rebels and forced to wage war as a child soldier, guides the viewer through the horrors of Canadian director Kim Nguyen's engrossing Oscar-nominated drama "War Witch." Managing to be neither sentimental nor sensationalistic, the film tells its story from the heart, and from the simple, straightforward viewpoint of young heroine Komona, warmly played by the talented Rachel Mwanza in her screen debut.

From the moment chocolate was discovered it was considered a valuable, divine and decadent treat. The first chocolate candies were invented in the 1860s by Cadbury, who was also the first to market them in a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day that same decade.

Here’s a nod to St. Patrick’s Day more palatable than wearing green or tossing about mispronounced expressions meant to sound Irish (Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! Erin go bragh! A hundred thousand welcomes!): Culver’s is offering $1 Green Mint Chip short shakes on Sunday, March 17.

If the number of failed New Year’s resolutions are any indication, eating healthy in a fast-paced world still isn’t all that easy.

It seems that every culture has a probiotic food that has been made for centuries. The Koreans have Kimchi. The Japanese have Miso Soup and Kombucha. The Africans have Amasi and the list goes on and on. Our history and ancestors have fermented and preserved many types of foods. This actually benefited our health and well being. Meanwhile, in our generation we have gone away from these traditions and have added antibiotics to our bodies. These antibiotics can be found in both our medicine and our food. This has caused a great imbalance in the beneficial bacteria that belongs in our bodies. This imbalance has contributed to a wide variety of diseases. Today, we are seeing a great come back with both probiotic supplements and foods.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the No. 1 cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. The top risk factors, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes and obesity are poorly treated, often with toxic pharmaceutical drugs, and most patients never reach their goals. There are also more than 400 coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors and mediators now proven.

The head of the House Judiciary Committee wants to update Arizona's dated and sometimes anachronistic bankruptcy laws.

Trying to save money on food?

Arizona parents may soon no longer have to worry about a child coming home from a carnival with a live goldfish in a bag.

The problem with buttermilk is there isn’t a lot of “real” buttermilk around.

This summer I had the misfortune to encounter the Internet culinary sensation known as cookie dough dip.

When it comes to entertaining, I often find that the casual gatherings and impromptu parties outshine more elaborate affairs. I think it’s the combination of a relaxed atmosphere and last minute inspiration.

My family has always insisted that the centerpiece of our Christmas feast be some kind of show-stopping roast. We’re talking a standing rib roast or whole beef tenderloin. And, as if these prizes were not already rich enough in themselves, we tend to pair them with an extravagant sauce, usually bearnaise. Hey, it’s Christmas.

You can keep your decorated, stained glass, death-by-chocolate, triple-dunked biscotti bombs, or whatever this holiday season’s must-bake cookie will be.

There is no subtle way to say this. This cake screams Christmas.

Back during my days at Gourmet magazine, my many duties included teaching cooking classes. I used to tell my students — especially the cooking-impaired ones — that if they made sure to greet dinner party guests with a special homemade drink, they would always win, no matter what else happened that evening.

Everyone knows — or at least every Jew knows — the story of Hanukkah’s origins, the story of how just a tiny amount of oil miraculously burned for eight days. And they know that, in the spirit of that story, Hanukkah is celebrated in part by eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and doughnuts.

Buy a sheep, “adopt” a soldier or name a piece of rainforest.

Perhaps more than any other holiday, Thanksgiving is associated with big family gatherings. But that doesn’t mean you need a house full of in-laws, uncles and cousins to celebrate in a meaningful way.

Arizona consumers can give thanks for the fact that the grocery market in the state is so competitive.

Adding coffee to coffeecake is a simple way to take something great and make it even better.

Mountain Pointe reverted back to basics by utilizing a strong rushing attack that carried the Pride to a quarterfinal victory over Scottsdale Desert Mountain 45-14 on Friday night.