Author: Barbara Stroud

I started the ArtFoodHome.com daily (now 4 times/week) blog 1/1/11 (easy to remember, right?) and have kept it going since then. Come back each day - I share with you: ART: featured artists, art events, workshops, etc. FOOD: recipes, restaurants, and good finds along the way HOME: house plans, home design, places here in Charleston... On year 14 of artfoodhome.com - share this site with anyone who you think might enjoy it!

Foods that should never cross your lips… #1

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment
Image: Prevention.com
Image: Prevention.com
Once again, a wonderful article from Prevention magazine! The article is entitled “7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips”. It provides wonderful insight as to WHY you shouldn’t eat these foods… and they’re COMMON foods. Ugh. Here we go for this weeks food to avoid:

Canned Tomatoes 

Fredrick Vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A, gives us the scoop:

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

IMAGE: Prevention.com

This is excellent information. I have already found the Pomi tomatoes (wonderful) at a local grocery store in town, so I’ve made the  switch to those… also Trader Joe’s just recently opened, so I will check out their tomatoes as well! See if you can find these tomatoes where you live, if not maybe ask the grocery store if they can order?? Hey, if I got more than one stinking tomato off my tomato plant (the size of a plum yet!) I would love to can them, what could be better than that??!
WOOHOO mom!! This is your LAST chemo treatment (woohoo, can you believe it??)!! Oooowieeee am i ever thankful for that! I love you! me
Catch you back here tomorrow… check out my PHOTO BLOG if you get a minute!

Life is good when you’re chillin’ chewing on something tough and stinky… and your name is Charlie…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
 
Image: Amazon.com

These tough chewy things are out of this world good… well, I specifically wouldn’t know, but Charlie our Jack Russell knows his treats, and these things can’t be beat. This brand is by Redbarn and they’re called Bully Springs. We were told they’re like steak to a dog… Hmmm, the little beast has a nightly ritual, he sits by ‘his drawer’ waiting for his ‘bully bully’ which he has the biggest time with and then gets up and goes and eats his dinner… followed by a ring of the bells at the back door and few laps around the house at about 50MPH then crashes into a deep sleep… all I know is that we cannot run out of these things. OR. ELSE. We’ll have to give up food before we give up bully’s. Ha… we’re hoping he grows out of it, yeah, right!

Enjoy your tough chewy treat! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… Dee Beard Dean!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments
Image: KarenHagen.com

What a wonderful painting of King Street in Charleston, SC. You can feel the hustle and bustle. If you haven’t heard of Dee Beard Dean I urge you to check out her WEBSITE. She’s a magnificent artist with a great website (oh so important)! She’s in many galleries, the image above is from the Hagen Fine Art Gallery and Studio located at 27 1/2 State Street in Charleston.  She offers workshops all over the country… check her out!

I’ll catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog!

Quick and easy macaroni salad, perfect for a warm summer day!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Ahhh, who doesn’t love macaroni salad on a warm summer day? It’s so refreshing… and goes well with anything or all by itself. You can change this recipe to add more (or less) vegetables, add what you’ve got, I never make it exactly the same… Fresh dill (or whatever spice you like) always kicks it up a notch, makes it taste fresher… Made a note to pick up some fresh dill… I only had dried dill weed, but that worked just fine, you just have to use a lot of it!

SUMMERTIME MACARONI SALAD

Cook 2 cups macaroni (or similar shape) noodles as directed on package, then drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.

Radishes, Orange Pepper, Celery and Hard Boiled Eggs

While the water is on, chop your veggies, whatever sounds good to you at the time… I used 2 stalks of celery, about a quarter of an orange pepper, about 8-9 radishes and three hard boiled eggs. Chop and set aside.

Dressing for Macaroni Salad

Get the dressing mixed up. I used three big oversize spoonfuls of Hellman’s Canola Mayonnaise. If it’s not enough you can always plop in a little extra. To the mayo I add a quick pour of apple cider vinegar, add more if you like vinegar, less if you don’t, a tiny squirt of mustard, salt, pepper and dill. Stir until creamy and mixed.

Stir macaroni into dressing and season with dill...

Now stir the macaroni that was set aside hangin’ out into the bowl with the dressing, stir it around good making sure to coat everything with the dressing, you don’t want any dried pieces of noodle. Blaaaah. Season with copious amounts of dill . Cover and refrigerate (unless you can’t wait… I couldn’t)… Now for the best part…

Summertime Macaroni Salad

Pour yourself a nice cold drink, scoop out a little dish of macaroni salad and enjoy! It will put a smile on your face AND if you make it earlier in the day it keeps the kitchen nice a cool, no stove… yipeee!

Catch you back here tomorrow!
Photo blog HERE…

Good movie to rent… a thriller…

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Image: IMDB.com

I like to let people know when we rent a DVD that’s worth watching… I’m picky and I didn’t have high hopes for this movie but reviews showed otherwise and boy were they ever right. This movie is a thriller right from the very beginning. It’s not gory creepy thrilling, it’s more edge of your seat WHAT’S GOING ON thrilling… Lets just say if you’re a nailbiter you may want to put some of that horrible tasting stuff on your nails otherwise THEY WILL BE GONE! Great movie, kept our attention until the very end. Here’s a snippet from the IMDB.com site:

A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, (not even his wife), believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Click HERE to get to the IMDB site where you can view the trailer and read any reviews, etc. If you haven’t seen it and you like a good thriller, check it out…!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Hootie and the Blowfish… Concert – Family Circle Cup Stadium

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
Image: FamilyCircleCup.com

That’s right… Hootie and the Blowfish this weekend at the Family Circle Cup Stadium on Daniel Island… We’re very fortunate to have such awesome local talent!

Here’s info from the Family Circle Cup website:

Hootie and the Blowfish Homegrown Weekend
Marking their ninth anniversary at Family Circle Stadium, Hootie & The Blowfish will come together for a two-night musical engagement kicking off Friday, August 12th with opening act Toad the Wet Sprocket.  The weekend continues with a daytime festival on Saturday, August 13 beginning at 1:30 pm featuring Ken Block & Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel as well as other national and regional acts (TBD).  Hootie and the Blowfish will wrap up the festival with a performance Saturday night at Family Circle Stadium starting at 7 pm. 

Catch you back here tomorrow!


Artist to watch… Andrea Peters!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Image: GleasonFineArt.com

Now this is an artist that makes a statement! You can recognize her paintings quickly… no guessing if it’s Andrea Peters or not! Andrea has her work at Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. If you’re in the area, stop by, say hello and check out her work… while there also check out Kevin Beers, I’ve mentioned him before, but he’s worth mentioning again!

Here’s a blip from Gleason’s website…

With her bold, brushy landscapes, Andrea Peters is one of Gleason Fine Arts most recognizable artists. She is a keen observer of the landscape around her. From her cove in East Boothbay, Maine, she paints the views surrounding her home in each season: her flower garden, the shores edge, waterfalls, and blueberry fields. Her paintings are composed for maximum expression. “I push beyond the obvious,” Peters says, and in doing so she creates a seismic shift in the way we see the landscape. The result is a visual extravaganza. To see more, click HERE.

Stop by my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – catch you back here tomorrow!

Cancer Prevention Tip #12 – soy, tofu, miso and tempeh

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment
Image: FoodServiceDirect.com

 Today’s cancer tip is from a great magazine article “Edible Healing: Food Cures for Cancer” by Prevention Magazine! Now I realize these tips aren’t for everyone, you have to do what’s right for you. For instance I am sensitive to soy. I went through months of hives and severe allergic reactions yet test negative in every way. It’s a frustrating thing to be allergic to since it’s added to almost everything from BBQ sauce to tuna. The choice is yours, I wish I could go back to it, I loved my decaf soy latte on occasion… and my smoothie’s made with vanilla soy milk… ahhhh (frozen fruit in a blender with soy milk and some plain or vanilla yogurt. Heavens… tasty and refreshing! But now a no-no for me…

Well today was supposed to be the last chemo treatment… but there was a week (and thank God there was only one!) where my moms white blood count was too low… so she couldn’t get chemo that week… so it tacked on a week. That’s OK… it’s over NEXT WEEK! WOOHOO! On to the cancer prevention tip…

Compounds called isoflavones (including genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) prevent tumor growth and block the stimulation of cancer cells by sex hormones (such as estrogens and testosterone). There are significantly fewer breast cancer cases among Asian women who have eaten soy since adolescence, and when they do have breast cancer, their tumors are usually less aggressive with higher survival rates. Isoflavone supplements (in pill form) have been associated with an  of certain breast cancers, but whole soy, eaten as food, has not.

How to Eat It: Replace conventional milk products with soy milk or soy yogurts for breakfast. Also, use tofu, tempeh, and miso in soups and stir-fries.

Ok mom, I’m going to keep up with the health tips, cancer prevention and whatever else I read about… Keep up the good work, the end of chemo is near J – love you! me

Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

How to roast Cauliflower!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: Food Network

I like cauliflower, always have. My husband on the other hand despises cauliflower, or rather, despised it… until he had it roasted (thank you Alison & Michael!) at a friends house one night… on our way home we were talking about the CAULIFLOWER, and there were many wonderful foods eaten that night but the darn cauliflower was a real surprise. It was sweet. Seriously sweet. We made it the next night and WOOHOO it was AWESOME, my husbands words at dinner: “I like this so much I could eat it every day” – well it’s on the menu at least once or twice a week, and given the 100+ degree temps that’s saying alot! Right now Fred is grilling some chicken, I’m roasting the cauliflower, I have cucumbers in Greek yogurt with apple cider vinegar, green onions and some dill, throw that with a small salad and woohoo, this is going to be one wonderful dinner! This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse, since I had garlic in the chicken I didn’t put it in the cauliflower, I also didn’t add the parmesan, didn’t need it, but may give a shot one day, here’s the recipe! Click HERE to go directly to the Food Network website for easy printing!

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

 Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

 Give it a try, I bet you’ll love it as much as we did! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Many happy wishes!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

 Lots of wishes for the next two days… let me start with my sister… It’s Bridget’s birthday today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! You’re a great sister, we have a blast and I miss you TONS… Hope this is a wonderful birthday for you!! You certainly deserve it! You’re a great mom, wife, daughter AND sister. You certainly keep busy making everyone’s world a nicer and more happy place. God is smiling down upon you… let your pleasures be many and your worries be few, that is my birthday wish for you… (i’m a poet and don’t know it?)!

Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad! I guess it’s 53 years now?? Whoa! Congratulations to you both for doing something that is almost unheard of in this day and age! You are an inspiration! Fred and I are so fortunate that our parents are still married. You guys are the best!

 
My wish for you is continued happiness together! I pray for your health, and cannot wait until I see you guys again. Darn this living far away from each other is torture! Come to your senses and move to SC, hee hee… that will be about the time we can’t take the heat anymore and move to Maine, ha ha… but wherever we all end up it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together or at least within reasonable driving distance… Have PTSD from the last car ride… 17.5 hours in a day is about 13.5 more than I can handle. Strap me in the backseat with a DVD player, some movies, treats and if all else fails some chewable Benadryl next time… Charlie can have the front seat! Hee hee… (nothing against your driving Fred, really! Awesome job, I just have the attention span of a gnat and 17.5 hours rattled my brain beyond what is comprehensible!)… ok, I’m a drama queen…
 
Happy Birthday William!

And finally… tomorrow is Bill’s birthday… HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL! Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing birthday maybe with something tossed on the grill, some cake (real cake, please ask Bridget to make you a REAL cake) and a float down the river! ENJOY YOURSELF!!!

 
Ok y’all, I appreciate you sticking around for all my wishes this week! I wish all of YOU the happiest week ever! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Meatless Monday… Giada’s Creamy Farfalle, with Cremini, Asparagus and Walnuts!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe4 Comments
Image: FoodNetwork.co.uk

I made this a few years ago and it was outstanding! I just now remembered it while trying to come up with a meatless recipe that I know you would all love! Trust me on this, it’s a WINNER with a capital W! It’s quick, easy and the taste??? Out of this world!! Pair with a small salad and whoa, it’s friends-come-over-to-dinner worthy! This is one of the most popular Giada De Laurentiis recipes. Dang she’s good!

Below is the recipe, or click HERE for the link to the Food Network page where you can print the recipe!

 CREAMY FARFALLE WITH CREMINI, ASPARAGUS AND WALNUTS

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound farfalle pasta

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and saute until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the farfalle. Stir in the mascarpone and nutmeg and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. Stir in 1/2 cup of walnuts. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts. Serve.

Enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Another great (albeit older, 2003) movie… AWESOME!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
Image: IMDB.com

OK, if you haven’t seen this movie yet you MUST go get it! It will make you smile, it will make you laugh so hard you cry**, if you’re like me, YOU. WILL. LOVE. IT! I adore this movie for so many reasons…

One is the house. The house is absolutely amazing, and I will share a secret fact with you about the house at a later date. Well, it’s not top secret, but… ok, so anyone with access to Google may know about it, but anyway… Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton are such a good team. There is a section in this movie where you may be tempted to rewind and watch, rewind and watch several times** it’s a part with Jack Nicholson, and lack of something… but I can’t tell you any more than that. My mom and I watched it and we were laughing so hard tears were pouring down our faces. My dad walked in to see what all the hoopla was and he started laughing. I love those kinds of movies. They’re GOOD FOR YOU… it’s great to laugh that deep laugh, so trust me on this… well, unless you don’t like romantic comedies… Click HERE to get to the IMDB website with more information about this movie!
 
Enjoy your weekend! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Ahhh! A great movie for the weekend!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
Image: imdb.com

We haven’t had the best of luck lately when it comes to picking a movie to watch on DVD. We don’t watch alot of movies, so we tend to stick with Redbox. It’s quick, they usually have the movie and I can return it to any Redbox, which is a big plus. My husband spotted THE LINCOLN LAWYER… I thought, ugh… a lawyer that appears to work out of his car? How good can that be? Then I read the Redbox reviews… they were really impressive reviews. So we rented it…

 
IT WAS AWESOME! A great legal thriller, it’s definitely worth watching. Everyone in it was very very good… so if you need something to watch, this could be it! Click HERE to get to IMDB website for more info on movie, including trailer!
 
Enjoy your weekend! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… Cleber Stecei!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Cleber Stecei - Nice Day

Can you imagine having this much talent at such a young age?  I’m sure some of you can, but whoa… this guy is good. So many fabulous peaceful works. Check him out, he’s at Addison Art Gallery in Orleans, MA. Here’s a blip from their website.

Born in Brazil in 1976, Cleber Stecei began experimenting with abstract painting as a teenager. After arriving in the United States at the age of 19, he became inspired by the beautiful New England scenery and has since excelled in landscape painting.

Stecei’s work is done both from photographic references and on location (en plein air), allowing him to respond to the effects of natural light and atmosphere.

Stecei is a member of the Cape Cod Art Association and his work has been awarded numerous times, including a Best in Show. Since showing at the Addison Art Gallery, his work has enthralled collectors as well as judges and has been featured in respected regional and national art publications.

“A Master in the Making…represented by one of the Cape’s most prestigious galleries, Addison Art in Orleans. Cleber Stecei paints weekly with the highly regarded Cape artist Paul Schulenburg, and is encouraged by other stellar colleagues, including Rick Fleury and Joan Brancale.

Stecei’s reputation as a landscape artist has been rising like a mellow tide that is still building. His work has been noted in several national art publications and his paintings are in collections country-wide. Stecei’s talent, age, and new presence in the market have thrust him to the heady upper echelons of the art scene—all in less than 18 months.”
—Mary Grauerholz, Cape Cod Life, July 2011

 Check out his other work! I look forward to seeing his work in person one day!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

 

A cancer prevention tip that will make you smile!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment
Image: Prevention.com

Now this is a cancer prevention tip that makes me smile… it’s one that I don’t have to think about… one that I can do… one that I can OVER do, ha!

Dark chocolate (70%+) is more than a tasty morsel that you let melt in your mouth, it’s rich in so many ways…  uh, excuse me, had to jump up and grab a piece, don’t want to forget! (I heard you laugh… you’re right… like I would forget!)! Info from Prevention magazine . Click HERE for a fabulous article that has the list of foods we’ve been talking about over the past few months!

Cure It with Dessert

Enjoy antioxidant-rich dark chocolate

Chocolates containing over 70% cocoa provide a number of antioxidants, proanthocyanidins, and many polyphenols. In fact, a square of dark chocolate contains twice as many as a glass of red wine and almost as many as a cup of green tea properly steeped. These molecules slow the growth of cancer cells and limit the blood vessels that feed them.

How to Eat It: Enjoy about one-fifth of a dark chocolate bar a day guilt free. Milk chocolate isn’t a good alternative because dairy cancels out the cancer protection of the polyphenol compounds.

Next week is the last of this series…  but there will be more… I promise! Lets recap all the foods that can be fighting for our bodies to help prevent cancer, as long as we feed our bodies these nutritious warriors instead of say, those tart things you pop in the toaster (oh heavy sigh). It’s worth re-reading this list and adding as many to your day as you possibly can. Don’t ever stop!

BRUSSEL SPROUTS – BOK CHOY – CHINESE CABBAGE – BROCCOLI – CAULIFLOWER – GARLIC – ONION – LEEKS – SHALLOTS – CHIVES – WILD SALMON – ANCHOVIES – SMALL MACKEREL – SARDINES – ORANGES – TANGERINES – LEMONS – GRAPEFRUIT – STRAWBERRIES – RASPBERRIES – BLUEBERRIES – BLACKBERRIES – CRANBERRIES – DARK CHOCOLATE and next…. TOFU – MISO – TEMPEH – SOY MILK – SOY YOGURT, but that’s next week!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Ok mom! This is chemo #11, two treatments to go, WOOHOO!!

Love you lady! me