Birthday candles, AARP and a Colonoscopy!

On August 19, 2012August 8, 2012 By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH, THOUGHTS8 Comments

You guessed it… Today I am 50! Hard to believe, because I don’t think I act like I’m 50. Actually to say “fifty” out loud sounds so foreign to me, it actually makes me laugh, which is better than crying, ha ha… Hey, I look forward to the future, 50 is the new 30 (and all you young people reading this that just rolled your eyes… Just wait, you go from 30 to 50 in the blink of an eye, time accelerates as you get older, I’m sure you’ve heard your parents, grandparents or any random older person say that at one time or another. I’m here to say. IT’S TRUE! So be happy for every day you have on earth…)!

Yep, FIFTY birthday candles… enough to start a fire! Need a fire extinguisher nearby! Trying to think on the bright side… AARP. I can be a member now! Woohoo! Hey, I am excited about senior discounts now! If ya can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? Did you know at age 55 you can get a free coffee from Dunkin Donuts? Get outta here! At 50 you can get a discount at Banana Republic (maybe because they know very few 50 year old women can fit in their clothes?)!

And oh yeah… the biggest birthday gift that you can give yourself… a colonoscopy! Help me out, I’m trying to think positive here… A good way to lose weight? I have a “consultation” soon.. Yippeeeee… I’ve read enough about it, am a tad worried I may starve to death, and NO MILK OR CREAM the day before, oh heavy sigh…. I can handle no food, but no cream means no coffee. That my friends, isn’t going to be pretty! I guess if that’s all I have to worry about, I’m doing great!

I know it’s going to be a fabulous birthday, Fred always makes sure of that. I love my birthday present, a Nikon Coolpix p510 with a 42x zoom, can’t wait to get it to Maine! WOOHOO!

Have a happy day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!!

Recipe for Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes and Basil… You’re going to thank me!

On August 14, 2012December 17, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment

Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes and Basil

Recipe/Image from Cooking Light Magazine and www.myrecipes.com

Ok, I’m going to be a real friend to you right now… I’m going to pass on a recipe that is so good, I’m telling you that your eyes WILL roll into the back of your head when you taste it. You won’t be able to help it. You are going to thank me. Seriously, this recipe is out of this world, and for all the whining that you may do because you have to stir for 20 minutes or so… just know… IT. IS. WORTH. IT! You will be rewarded with the most scrumptious dinner ever. This is nice paired with a simple salad and maybe a baggette. The ONLY thing that I change is that I use about twice as much balsamic vinegar, mine seems to disappear after it’s reduced. And truly try to give it the time to cook until it’s a little thicker. You will not believe how sweet this is, and how much it adds to the dish! I find that when I boil the balsamic viniagrette in the beginning (as the recipe calls for) it seems to almost evaporate, so I cook it closer to the time I serve… OK folks, this recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine (see, it’s not even bad for you), I hope you enjoy as much as we do! Check out the http://www.myrecipes.com website when you get a chance, always great recipes from some of your favorite magazines (Cooking Light, Southern Living, Coastal Living, Food & Wine, Health etc.).

Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Basil

Ingredients

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped leek
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, finely diced

Preparation

Place vinegar in a small, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until slightly syrupy and reduced to 1 tablespoon (about 4 minutes). Set aside. (Barbara note: this is the step that I do closer to when the risotto is ready to serve).
Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in half-and-half, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Place about 1 cup risotto into each of 6 shallow serving bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon balsamic syrup and 1/2 teaspoon oil.

Mary Alayne Long, Vestavia Hills, Alabama, Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2007

Bon Appetit! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Farm Fresh Tomatoes, Pasta, Italian Sausage & Molly’s Basil = DELICIOUS!

On July 24, 2012December 17, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

WARNING: THIS WILL TURN YOU INTO AN ADDICT. A TOMATO-BASIL-SAUCE-ON-PASTA-WITH-ITALIAN-SAUSAGE-ADDICT. Consider yourself warned.

We have been getting THE BEST tomatoes this year. I was inspired to create something new, not the typical spaghetti sauce I usually make, but something fresh and delicious where the tomatoes were the star and I think I did it…

There is no real recipe, use whatever quantities you like. The first time I made this (photo above) I used six large tomatoes. The last time I made it, I made enough to freeze, I used at least 11 tomatoes, big juicy fresh tomatoes from Boone Hall Farms, located in Mount Pleasant, SC. Also, the first time I made it I used penne pasta, which was a good fit, because this is NOT a thick sauce, so the tomato, garlic and onion juices got all wrapped up in the penne quite nicely. The last time I made this I used white whole wheat pasta which has more fiber, and tastes just like white (Barilla is the brand I used)… this sauce is so good we both think we can use it on whole wheat pasta with no problem. So, being the adult that I am, I bought some whole wheat pasta, so next time, we will give it a whirl…

A special THANK YOU to MOLLY WEAVER for the BEST. BASIL. EVER. She grows the sweetest basil I’ve ever tasted and she’s been incredibly generous to share it with me!

TOMATO BASIL SAUCE with GRILLED ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Ingredients:

Fresh tomatoes, at least 6-8 large tomatoes, or as many as you like!

Onion, chopped

Garlic, chopped (or I use a microplane, it’s much faster!)

Fresh Basil, chopped

Olive Oil

Pasta of your choice (my favorite so far was the Barilla white wheat mini penne)

Italian Sausage (I use Al Fresco, Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, no nitrates!)

Wash, core and chop the tomatoes. Put in a big bowl so they’re ready to go…

Chop the onion (as small or large as you like), grate or mince the garlic (the smaller it is the healthier it is for you).

In a large stainless pan (I use a heavy pan, less likely for the garlic and onion to burn), drizzle some olive oil. Enough to keep onions and garlic from sticking to pan.

Once oil is warm, toss in the onion, once they begin to get translucent, make a little well in the center and toss in the garlic (make sure you still have olive oil, if not add some), cook for ONE MINUTE or until fragrant (on medium heat).

Now toss in the tomatoes… and stir it all around, get the onions and garlic mixed in with those tomatoes and wait until you start to see some bubbling. Then you can turn the flame down to low/med low and put a lid on the pan. (I do not leave the kitchen during this step in case they start to boil over). Let them cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and it will look like you have tomato soup! Take a handheld potato masher and slowly and carefully mash the tomatoes into the juice (you can omit this step if you prefer). Now let it cook with the lid off until it reduces at least an inch… right when it’s about there add the fresh basil, salt and pepper.

Cook your pasta according to package directions… about the same time, throw your Italian Sausage on the grill (I use chicken Italian sausage, oh is it ever delicious!) until done. Then slice thinly. (Note: if you don’t want to mess with the grill you could use scissors and cut the pasta and saute it, but I think the grill adds a nice crispiness to it that goes so nicely with this sauce.)

Scoop out some pasta, add some sauce, top with the Italian sausage and some parmesan cheese.

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT. TRUST ME.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

UPDATE: I’ve made this again since I wrote the original post. I used Barilla Whole Grain pasta (51% wheat), and it was delicious! Thought I bought whole wheat because it was so dark, but noticed when I got home it was whole grain… NEXT time will try whole wheat!

Also… since tomato season is winding down, I’ve been making this and freezing it in batches. I don’t have a lot of freezer space, so this is how I do it.

Chill the sauce in the refrigerator. Then scoop enough (for the two of us I use 3-4 ladles) for one dinner into a labeled quart freezer bag. Put the bags on a cookie sheet and make sure they’re nice and flat. Once frozen, remove cookie sheet. You can store them standing up (like a file) or store flat. When it comes time to defrost, I just set out on the counter OR run under cold water for a few minutes. Because it’s not thick it defrosts quickly. Snip off one of the bottom ends of the ziplock and squeeze contents into a pan to heat. Toss the bag. Easy, right?

All About Avocado’s and… How To Make A Simple Guacamole!

On July 17, 2012December 12, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

A sample dish of Guacamole, oh la la!

We used to go crazy over the guacamole at Whole Foods. Then one weekend they were out of stock… we checked back the next day, still none… what?! OK… so I looked at how to make guac and let me just say, you won’t ever want to buy it again! It’s like making a good cocktail sauce for your shrimp, once you discover that it takes about a minute to make and is much better than ANYTHING you could possibly buy, you’ll never go back. That recipe will be coming soon!

Guacamole is a simple and easy recipe. It can involve as few as TWO (Yes! Two!) ingredients. Keep in mind that you want to choose an avocado that is somewhat soft. A hard avocado won’t taste the same. Keep it out on the counter until it ripens. Read on… this is how I make it…

GUACAMOLE for 2

1 Avocado

1 wedge of lime

Little bit of minced red onion (however much you like OR none at all)

Scoop avocado out of shell (toss the seed). Add lime and onion. Mix well. Serve with tortilla chips.

It really doesn’t need salt because you have tortilla chips, however, if you have unsalted tortilla chips you may want a little bit of kosher or sea salt.

Additions: Some people add garlic, tomatoes, cumin, cayenne, cilantro. Really it’s hard to go wrong (I only did once, too much lime was the culprit).

Squeezing in the lime… hmmm, someone needs Botox on their thumbs!

Adding in any additional ingredients, this time it was red onion only… but could be tomato, garlic, spices, salt, etc.

Here’s a little blip about avocado’s from WEB MD:

Avocado Nutrition

Avocados are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C,K, folate, and B6. Half an avocado has 160 calories, 15 grams of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and only 2 grams saturated fat. One globe contains more than one-third daily value of vitamin C, and more than half the day’s requirements of vitamin K.

We use avocado’s (without the lime) as a spread for sandwiches. It’s great on the sprouted 7 grain english muffins with a slice of tomato and pepper jack cheese under the broiler until the cheese melts. Oh my!

Here’s a link to a great video on How To Cut An Avocado. It’s not difficult, but it helps to see it once… just beware when you remove the seed with a knife there’s a chance the knife can slip and uh, lets just say, be careful… wonder how I know this? You can use a spoon to remove. I still use a knife but I’m much more careful now! OH! And if you’re only using half an avocado, leave it in the skin and sprinkle (and I also rub) the lemon/lime wedge on the avocado and then cover it tightly with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is TOUCHING the avocado (like another skin). Works for a while… Guacamole will still turn brownish after a bit of time, nothing you can do about it, except… EAT IT!

Now go whip up some guacamole and surprise a friend! It’s delicious AND healthy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Recipe for fabulous Mediterranean Bowtie Pasta Salad – Perfect for hot weather!

On July 10, 2012August 18, 2021 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment

Ahhh, another cold salad that is to-die-for-good and is perfect for this oh-so-hot-weather we’re all having! (What’s with me and all the hyphens I wonder?) This is something you can whip up in the morning and have in the fridge for dinner later in the day. You can customize it to what you’ve got or what sounds good to you. Same with the quantities. Since there are just two of us I only used a half of a box of pasta, but if you have a gaggle at home for dinner, then by all means, double the recipe, no worries!

This is what I had in my pasta salad, remember, there are no rules! I only used a little red onion because I didn’t want it to be too strong. I happened to have 3/4 of a banana pepper left and let me tell you it was tasty in this pasta salad!

This is what I had in the dressing… I’ve also made it with just olive oil, and with olive oil/balsamic vinegar… I have to say I like today’s recipe the best!

This is what the tomatoes should like like when you’re done roasting. Just until one starts to burst or get wrinkly. At this point they’ve achieved the sweetness that you oh so desire (trust me, you do!).

M E D I T E R R A N E A N P A S T A S A L A D

1 container grape tomatoes (or tomatoes of your choice)

Pasta of your choice, I used the mini bowtie pasta. I used 1/2 box. If you use a full box, double the recipe for the olive

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Pepper

Vegetables to add to salad – anything goes! Whatever quantity you like.

I used 3/4 of a banana pepper and about 1/4 cup (or less) minced red onion

Feta cheese 2-4 oz.

Basil (fresh or dry), washed, chopped, I used a few sprigs (maybe 15 leaves).

Olives! (Forgot those in the photos) – I used Kalamata, the big dark black olives, you can use a teaspoon or two of juice as well.

Preheat oven to 400 F

Boil water for the pasta. While the water is boiling wash and dry the grape tomatoes. (Yep, dry em… wash them well, then gently place on a clean towel, roll them around and they will be dry!)

BIG NOTE: Often times I SKIP ROASTING THE TOMATOES (especially when it’s hot outside) and simply slice, and place in the large bowl with olive oil/vinegar/mustard – then dump the hot pasta on top and let it sit a few minutes before stirring to incorporate. But it IS delish, so if you want to roast, here are the directions: Toss the grape tomatoes into a bowl with about a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Using your hands stir them around so that they’re all coated with the olive oil. Now using your olive oil hand, grease the cookie sheet (I use one with a lip so that they don’t go rolling off into your oven!), if you need a wee bit more olive oil go ahead and get some, but you only want to LIGHTLY oil the cookie sheet, otherwise you will have stinky deep fried smelling tomatoes and who wants that? Once tomatoes are coated slide them onto the cookie sheet.

By now your pasta water should be boiling, toss in the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain in a colander once pasta is cooked.

Check your tomatoes, you just want them to start to get crinkly. It’s not horrible if they totally fall apart, but then you’ll have little tomato pieces instead of more sturdy pieces. Roasting the tomato gives it sweetness you cannot begin to fathom. Seriously! When they’re done, cut them in half. You don’t have to but sometimes they can be kind of big in a salad.

Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk and then pour over cooked pasta that you have placed in a large bowl. Stir it until pasta is coated well.

Now for the fun part… I added banana pepper and red onion. Add what you like, as much or as little as you like! Add it to the pasta, stir it in.

Add 4 oz. of feta and mix it in. Remember you can always add it on top, so don’t add too much. Been there. Done that.

Add fresh chopped (or in my case snipped with scissors) basil and thyme (again, stripped from the stalk).

Chill (but go ahead and try some now… try to leave some for everyone else. It’s that good, yep! – Yield approximately 4 servings.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Should you be worried about Genetically Modified Foods (GMO) especially when they’re in 80% of processed foods…

On April 24, 2012January 8, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH2 Comments

Just go ahead and try to keep up with what we should or shouldn’t eat. It’s a full time job… I’m here to tell you I read all the articles, listen to Dr. Oz, The Doctors, friends and neighbors and I feel like I’m swirling around in a circle. I know how to eat healthy… but with the advent of GMO (genetic modified organisms), and with the FDA not requiring any type of labeling so that YOU, the consumer can choose whether or not you want to eat GMO. It’s frustrating. We all need to stand up and let them know we need to know WHAT’S IN OUR FOOD as well as if it has been altered IN ANY WAY. Fair is fair. If we start dropping like flies but we knew the consequences, then so be it. However, to make us think we’re consuming something healthy (in a few cases) only to have it NOT be healthy, is WRONG.

I’ve read a lot about GMO over the past year or two. I have signed a petition to require labeling on those products, currently is not mandatory. HEAVY sigh… There is a fabulous article by PREVENTION MAGAZINE that helps to explain what this is all about. I urge you to read it. As always Prevention is chock full of great health information you can trust. The article was in the April 2012 issue of Prevention “As Nature Made Them”. Click the link to read the story… (Thank you Prevention for the article and for the above image)!

Let’s start with WHAT IS A GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM. First of all, organism, ewwww. I don’t like that word used in describing food I’m buying. But here are some excerpts from the magazine article, again, I urge you to read it in it’s entirety:

They’re called genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and they’re in 80% of the processed food on grocery store shelves—and a handful of whole foods as well, with perhaps more on the way soon.

A genetically modified food is one that has had lab-replicated genes from other plants, animals, and even viruses added to it in order to give it new characteristics—a resistance to insects, say, or to extreme heat and drought–that provide it an advantage in terms of hardy growth. Today, 91% of soy produced in the United States is genetically modified, as is 85% of corn and 88% of cottonseed, to name a few examples. Most GM crops are grown on large industrial farms and then processed into hundreds of other ingredients that show up in our food as corn syrup, soy lecithin, canola oil, cottonseed oil, or the sweeteners used in soups, spreads, and sauces–even infant formula. So ubiquitous have GMOs become, in fact, that unless a packaged food is certified organic or specifically labeled non-GMO, chances are it contains modified ingredients.

And it’s not just processed foods. Hawaiian papaya, certain varieties of summer squash, and, as recently as last December, drought-resistant corn on the cob have also joined the list of crops that the Food and Drug Administration has reviewed for genetic modification in the United States. Pushing the envelope even further, the agency is now considering green-lighting genetically altered salmon, which would be bred with DNA that makes it grow to full size twice as fast as wild salmon.

The controversy over GM food safety has swirled since the first altered foods were introduced in the early 1990s. Many scientists insist there’s no proof that genetically modified food can harm human health; their opponents counter that such claims cannot be responsibly made because there simply hasn’t been enough research conducted—and there ought to be before consumers can buy them. Such arguments have persuaded 30 countries—including Japan, Australia, and the entire European Union—to ban or severely restrict GM crops. But the United States hasn’t been persuaded.

Obligatory labeling that indicates the presence of GMOs by food manufacturers strikes many as a prudent first step. Last fall, a coalition that now includes more than 480 groups—including Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Ocean Conservancy—launched the Just Label It campaign, asking the federal government to require labeling of GM foods. The FDA has until mid-April to respond to the petition, which has so far amassed 560,000 signatures. In a separate effort, California is working to collect enough signatures to put the question of GM food labeling on its ballot in November.

And some final great thoughts from Prevention…

How To Avoid GM Foods:

Stay Away From The Top 8
The eight GM food crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, and some zucchini and yellow squash.

Go Organic
Certified organic food cannot intentionally include GM ingredients.

Look For The “Non-GMO Project” Seal
This means the products have been independently tested and verified by the Non-GMO Project.

Use The Non-GMO Shopping Guide
This easy-to-use online guide and free phone app takes the guesswork out of grocery shopping.

Shop With GM-Free Retailers
Two large chains, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s, have banned GM ingredients from their house brands.

One note… locally, EarthFare can be added to the list of no GMO foods… thankfully!

Well, whaddyathink about that? Exhausting, eh? To keep up with things you can join the NON GMO PROJECT Facebook page…

If you would like to see food labeled so that you know if it’s GMO, sign the petition, this one is going to the White House…

Let me know what YOU think. Google GMO. There is so much to read…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to make dog cookies for Fido – couldn’t be easier!

On April 17, 2012December 17, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH, HOME8 Comments

I’ve been wanting to bake something. BUT, if I bake it I eat it… Oh, dilemma… I love to bake… then a **brilliant idea** happened upon me… Make CHARLIE cookies! Woot woot! No temptation to eat the dough OR the cookies! AND they’re so good for him. These cookies are a treat your dogs will love. The beauty of it is that you can make them as big/small as you like, so they fit your dog’s appetite. I found a recipe online and then I added some things and changed quantities on others. Also, I didn’t want to roll the dough out and use a cookie cutter, so I made them like human peanut butter cookies, rolling the dough into a ball and then using a fork dipped in a little water to press down on the cookie. They are adorable, and according to CHARLIE they are out of this world delicious! His little lips curled up into a smile after he ate it, I swear!

These are quick and easy, you will never buy treats again! Another plus, after I made the dough I cut it in half, shaped it into a disk, wrapped in plastic wrap and then put it in a freezer bag. I put that in the fridge until it got nice and cold and then plopped it into the freezer. Don’t forget to label it!

So here’s the recipe, like I said E A S Y !

Oatmeal, Pumpkin, Peanut Butter Dog Cookies

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cups oatmeal (Old Fashioned Oats if possible)

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

With a whisk or mixer beat the pumpkin and eggs until combined. Add the cinnamon and peanut butter. Mix. Then add the flour and oats and mix until dough forms a ball. If it’s dry you can add another tablespoon or two of pumpkin and see if that whirls it into a ball, if not add a tablespoon (or two) of water. Remove from bowl and place on clean counter that’s been dusted with whole wheat flour. [If you want to save 1/2 the dough to bake at a later date now is the time to split it in half].

Pinch off about teaspoonful (small spoon) of dough, and roll into a ball, place on ungreased cookie sheet. (About the amount of dough as if you were making a small peanut butter cookie, make it bigger for bigger dogs and smaller for smaller dogs and adjust baking time accordingly). My cookies were about the size of a large malted milk ball… to give you a reference… doesn’t matter how big/small you make them, just keep an eye on them.

This is what they looked like before they got popped into the oven…

Once on the cookie sheet, dip a fork in water and make a fork mark, (just like you would as if you were making human peanut butter cookies) just don’t press too hard, leave them kind of thick.

Bake 30 minutes, check them occasionally, the bottoms shouldn’t get dark. You want them to bake for a good amount of time so that they harden. I baked for 30 minutes and then I turned off the oven and let them sit for another hour or so.

I also tried the roll-out-the-dough method and cut with a bone shaped cookie cutter… I rolled them thinner, so I kept my eye on them, just adjust the time, if you take them out and they’re still soft (try to break a piece off) put them back in, if they’re brown but not hard then put them in and turn off the oven, leave them for an hour or until oven cools… I had to do this, and at first I just cracked open the oven door for a few minutes so they wouldn’t brown anymore… they turned out adorable. Bottom line… it doesn’t matter to Charlie which way he gets them, and I think they’re cute as little peanut butter cookies!

After you take them out of the oven let them cool thoroughly, then… surprise your dog! I was so excited I woke mine up from a nap… he loved it! Another added bonus is all the fiber… very good for your little beast!

See, I did find a way to bake and not eat it, ha! Catch you back here tomorrow!

"WOW, this is the best cookie EVER!" - C H A R L I E

A quick and easy butter bean salad, can you say healthy?!

On March 22, 2012December 20, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

Monza’s butter bean salad with shrimp… To. Die. For. Amazing! Image: Monza

Today I made a wonderful butter bean salad reminiscent of the one that Monza serves here in Charleston. Well, it wasn’t quite butter bean salad since I used fresh Lima beans from Whole Foods, but it was darn close. I’m not sure what their recipe is, but I can tell you we devoured these beans in no time flat, didn’t even give them time to chill! Next time I make these I will make it the night before! If you make it to Monza some time soon I highly suggest their butter bean salad. You can get it with just the olive oil and lemon, or with tuna or shrimp. Tasty!

Monza-ish Butter Bean/Lima Bean Salad – this recipe serves 2-3

1 container of fresh butter or lima beans

3-5 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled but not cut

1 wedge of lemon

Salt

Wash the beans, in a medium or large heavy saucepan, add the beans and cover with water (cover with about 2″ water). Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium. Stir occasionally. Cook about 1 hour or until done. Then drain.

In small heavy saucepan, add the olive oil, turn it on medium, add a clove or two of garlic that has been peeled but not minced. Cut a few X marks to let the juices out… add to hot oil, then turn on low until fragrant. After the garlic sits a few minutes in the oil, pull it out and discard or set aside for another use.

Squeeze a wedge of lemon into the slightly cooled oil (be careful, if oil is hot then it’s going to spit), stir briskly or whisk until blended. With the beans in a separate bowl, pour the olive oil mixture over top of the beans. Sprinkle a little salt. Let cool, then pop into the refrigerator (good luck, half were gone before they got to the fridge, and I’m not kidding!).

If by chance they get dry add a little extra olive oil before serving (if you used all the garlic infused olive oil, regular is fine, and if you don’t like garlic, skip that step). I can’t tell you if they’ll get dry since we gobbled them up…

Next time I’m going to try beans in a carton (like FIG brand) if I can find them, or another non BPA brand like Eden… that will quicken this process. I’ll report back if I can find a good brand and if it tastes this incredible! This is going to be tasty with salmon and tzatziki sauce…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Healthbeat: Beat Your Sugar and Starch Addiction… Here’s how…

On March 15, 2012January 8, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH4 Comments

I have to share with you a fabulous article from Prevention Magazine. Now don’t roll your eyes… hey, every little thing we can do to preserve our health is worth it, right? These are LITTLE changes that can help you beat the sugar and starch addiction (yes, addiction… America is addicted to sugar, and I’m no different. I am struggling to stop my sweet tea (and it’s not very sweet, I make “sweet tea” with 3 tablespoons of sugar for 2 quarts)… I find I don’t want to drink it… sigh… BUT tea is good for you, so I bought a mint plant and pluck off a section and place it in the glass and smash it with a spoon to release the wonderful mint flavor… at least that adds a different flavor!). Here are a few things YOU can do… this is adapted from the Prevention Magazine article adaptation of The Sugar Blockers Diet: Eat Great, Lose Weight–A Doctor’s 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Lower Blood Sugar, and Beat Diabetes–While Eating the Carbs You Love, by Rob Thompson, MD, with the editors of Prevention (Rodale, 2012).

Have a Fatty Snack

Have a fatty snack 10 to 30 minutes before your meals. Reason: You remain fuller longer.

At the outlet of your stomach is a muscular ring, the pyloric valve. It regulates the speed at which food leaves your stomach and enters your small intestine. This valve is all that stands between the ziti in your stomach and a surge of glucose in your bloodstream. But you can send your pyloric valve a message to slow down.Fat triggers a reflex that constricts the valve and slows digestion. As little as a teaspoon of fat–easily provided by a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese–will do the trick, provided you eat it before your meal.

Start Your Meal With A Salad

Reason: It soaks up starch and sugar.

Soluble fiber from the pulp of plants–such as beans, carrots, apples, and oranges–swells like a sponge in your intestines and traps starch and sugar in the niches between its molecules. Soluble means “dissolvable”–and indeed, soluble fiber eventually dissolves, releasing glucose. However, that takes time. The glucose it absorbs seeps into your bloodstream slowly, so your body needs less insulin to handle it. A good way to ensure that you get enough soluble fiber is to have a salad–preferably before, rather than after, you eat a starch.

Eat Some Vinegar

Reason: It slows the breakdown of starch into sugar.

The high acetic acid content in vinegar deactivates amylase, the enzyme that turns starch into sugar. (It doesn’t matter what kind of vinegar you use.) Because it acts on starch only, it has no effect on the absorption of refined sugar. In other words, it will help if you eat bread, but not candy. But there’s one more benefit: Vinegar also increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin.

You should consume vinegar at the start of your meal. Put it in salad dressing or sprinkle a couple of tablespoons on meat or vegetables. Vinegar brings out the flavor of food, as salt does.

Include Protein With Your Meal

Reason: You won’t secrete as much insulin.

Here’s a paradox: You want to blunt insulin spikes–but to do that, you need to start secreting insulin sooner rather than later. It’s like a fire department responding to a fire. The quicker the alarm goes off, the fewer firefighters will be needed to put out the blaze.

Even though protein contains no glucose, it triggers a “first-phase insulin response” that occurs so fast, it keeps your blood sugar from rising as high later–and reduces the total amount of insulin you need to handle a meal. So have meatballs with your spaghetti.

Nosh on Lightly Cooked Vegetables

Reason: You digest them more slowly.

Both fruits and vegetables contain soluble fiber. As a rule, though, vegetables make better sugar blockers, because they have more fiber and less sugar.

But don’t cook your vegetables to mush. Boiling vegetables until they’re limp and soggy saturates the soluble fiber, filling it with water so it can’t absorb the sugar and starch you want it to. Also, crisp vegetables are chunkier when they reach your stomach, and larger food particles take longer to digest, so you’ll feel full longer. Another tip: Roasted vegetables like cauliflower can often serve as a delicious starch substitute.

Sip A Glass Of Wine With Dinner

Reason: Your liver won’t produce as much glucose.

Alcohol has unique sugar-blocking properties. Your liver normally converts some of the fat and protein in your blood to glucose, which adds to the glucose from the carbs you eat. But alcohol consumed with a meal temporarily halts your liver’s glucose production. A serving of any alcohol–beer, red or white wine, or a shot of hard liquor–will reduce the blood sugar load of a typical serving of starch by approximately 25%.

That doesn’t mean you should have several drinks (especially if you have diabetes, as multiple drinks can cause hypoglycemia). Not only does alcohol contain calories, but it also delays the sensation of fullness, so you tend to overeat and pile on calories. Be especially mindful about avoiding cocktails that are made with sweetened mixers–yet another source of sugar.

Save Sweets For Dessert Only

Reason: All of the above.

If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, there’s nothing to impede the sugar from racing directly into your bloodstream–no fat, no soluble fiber, no protein, no vinegar. But if you confine sweets to the end of the meal, you have all of the built-in protection the preceding rules provide. If you want to keep blood sugar on an even keel, avoid between-meal sweets at all costs–and when you do indulge, don’t eat more than you can hold in the cup of your hand. But a few bites of candy after a meal will have little effect on your blood sugar and insulin–and can be quite satisfying.

Bonus Sugar Blocker: Move Your Body

There are other ways of blunting sugar spikes, and exercise is one of the best. Your muscle cells are by far the biggest users of glucose in your body and the target of most of the insulin you make.

When you exercise, your muscles need to replenish their energy stores, so each cell that you work out begins making glucose “transporters.” These sit on the surface of the cell and allow glucose to enter.In the meantime, while cells are still making the transporters, they also open up special channels that allow glucose in, independent of insulin. So to reduce sugar spikes, try going for a walk after eating.

Here’s a quick QUIZ to see if you’re at risk for Diabetes. I know sometimes you just don’t want to know, but this is one time you need to know. If you know you can prevent things from getting worse and turn things around!

Now with all that being said, it’s not really that hard. Have a small salad with some sort of fat (cheese, avocado, etc.), and a vinaigrette (any type of vinegar and olive oil). Then for your meal have a lean protein and a lightly cooked veggie. Sip a small glass of wine if you drink wine (not a reason to start drinking if you don’t). If you’re going to eat a sweet, have it after a meal as dessert, then… take a walk! Even if it’s just around the block. Leash up Fido and make his day!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Vanilla bean infused honey… delish! Great on yogurt…

On March 8, 2012March 7, 2012 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Vanilla Bean Infused Honey

Ahhh, if you’re one of the many making changes in your diet to cut sugar for a myriad of reasons, this will help! Vanilla bean infused honey… you can drizzle a little (or a lot) in your Greek yogurt for a fabulous taste! You can use it for many things, this is just what I happen to use it for… (oh, but since I can smell the bakery and the heavenly bread I keep getting images of a nice piece of toast (with the bakery bread), ~~slathered~~ spread lightly with Kerrygold grass fed cow butter (yep, sounds healthier already doesn’t it??) and a drizzle of the vanilla bean honey… oh boy! It’s dangerous living near a bakery… ha ha… Dr. Oz would remind you that honey is still sugar, so tread lightly… let me know how YOU use it… or what else you put in your Greek plain yogurt to make it tastier??!

Here’s the how… not much to it!

4-6 oz. honey

1-2 vanilla beans

Slice the vanilla beans at each end, then scrape the “meat” out of the inner part of the vanilla bean. Once you have done that…

In a heavy small saucepan, heat the honey (on low) until it’s warm, add the vanilla bean (“meat” and discarded bean portion), stir it around. Keep it on low about 10 minutes or until fragrant. Turn off, let cool, place in glass container.

Hope you enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Indian Chicken Curry Recipe – you MUST try this!

On March 6, 2012January 30, 2025 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

If you like chicken curry, you will LOVE this recipe. I wasn’t exactly sure WHAT chicken curry tasted like, but after mastering Chana Masala, I thought I would give this a whirl, and WHOA! Enough said! This is seriously good stuff! It’s not difficult, so give it a try!

I got the original recipe “Indian Chicken Curry II” from AllRecipes.com. After reading all the reviews there were several changes. I left out several ingredients and used different quantities of other ingredients… this is how I made it…

The lineup of ingredients… I like to have them measured, chopped and ready to go!

CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil if you don’t have coconut oil)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, (I use a microplane, or you could mince)

3 (heaping) tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ginger root (I use microplane, or you can grate or mince)

Salt to taste

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste (buy it in the tube!)

1 cup plain yogurt (NOTE: most yogurt is 6 oz, not 8oz…)

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent.

Nice to toast the spices before you add… Easy! Add spices to nonstick pan (dry), turn heat on medium and roast until fragrant. Turn off. That’s it!

Stir in garlic, curry, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger and salt.

Stir 2 minutes, then add…

Chicken pieces, tomato paste and coconut milk.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 20-25 minutes. SLOWLY add yogurt. Remove bay leaf. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

You simply will not believe how good this is, and how it creates the most wonderful smells in your kitchen! A nice accompaniment to this dish is a fresh salad with avocado, rice wine vinegar and olive oil and some Naan bread… It’s good warm or cold (can wrap in foil and place in oven until warm) serve with olive oil for dipping. TASTY!

Enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!!

Coconut Oil… what’s looking to be a very healthy oil that doesn’t get stored in the body as fat!

On February 28, 2012February 27, 2012 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, HOMELeave a comment

Image: Amazon

Coconut Oil… have you heard the rave reviews about all the wonderful things it can do? From what I’ve read this past weekend it can aid in losing weight, help prevent or even help those with Alzheimer’s, moisturize skin and hair, increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease LDL (bad cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, the list goes on and on. We’ll have to wait for long term studies, but for me, I’m jumping on the bandwagon, and taking 1 tablespoon a day. It can’t hurt. Let me know if you’ve tried it. WHY are YOU taking it? HOW are you taking it? I tried eating it off the spoon (it’s like lard), that was a little difficult, so I heat it ever so slightly and swallow… a tablespoon is doable, I personally chase it with a Triple Ginger Cookie from Trader Joe’s :) some people but it on toast, in coffee, in oatmeal, in smoothie’s, use it as oil and topping when making popcorn… AND the reason I bumped into the health benefits about coconut oil was because I saw a recipe for Double Coconut Muffins on the Smittin Kitchen website… whoa, they sounded good, and I had just spoken to my mom who told me about a video that someone just told her about (click HERE to see it) about how it’s helping Alzheimer’s Disease, and also helping to prevent. I’m sure long term studies are a ways off, but if you have a family history of Alzheimer’s you know how devastating it can be. I vowed to try this, it’s worth it to me… so now, I think everyone I know is taking this for one reason or another. I just didn’t want you to be left out of the loop!

Google Coconut Oil and you will see so much information it will make your head spin. Try to read from reputable sources and realize that anyone can post anything to the Internet… From what I’ve read, you should buy VIRGIN coconut oil. Ideally Organic virgin (or extra virgin) coconut oil. UNREFINED, since they alter the makeup of the oil when it’s refined. Refined is good for using as a moisturizer for skin and hair. One more thing… you can often find it in the grocery store in the baking aisle, however, often times these are NOT the virgin organic varieties… those are mostly found in the health aisle… ask if you are unsure. Read HERE the Health Benefits of Coconut Oil by Charles Mattock, I got this from Dr. Oz’s website…

Here is a blip from Nutiva (extracted from Amazon):

A deliciously healthy cooking oil. Better than butter. USDA organic. Unrefined & no trans fats. Rich in lauric acid. A soothing body oil. The coconut oil myth. Coconut oil has been mistakenly described as not healthy. The fact is, coconut oil is cholesterol-free and rich in medium-chain good fats that doctors recommend. Why is it that baby formulas often include coconut oil? Because coconut is one of the world’s most nourishing super foods. Nutritionists suggest enjoying up to 3 tbsp of extra-virgin coconut oil each day, so help yourself to this heavenly, creamy taste of the tropics. Nutiva’s cold-pressed Coconut Oil is: Extra-virgin & pure white: not refined, deodorized or bleached! Organic: so it’s free from pesticides, GMOs and hexane. Versatile: Ideal as high-heat cooking oil (up to 350 degrees), as a nutritious substitute in baking, a better-than-butter replacement on bread, vegetables or popcorn, and as a luscious oil for skin care, hair care, and massage. America needs an oil change. While doctors suggest we consume a 4:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, the average American diet provides a ratio of 20:1 or more – contributing to heart disease, skin disorders, and arterial inflammation. So avoid out of balance soy, corn, and canola oils with their trans fats, oxidation, and GMOs. Cook with coconut oil (with only 1% Omega-6), and use olive oil (also low in Omega-6), and hemp oil (with the perfect 3:1 Omega ratio) for unheated recipes. Nature’s ideal all-purpose cooking oil. No trans or hydrogenated fat; no cholesterol or hexane. Unlike other brands, we press our coconuts within 2 hours of chopping. No refrigeration required. Solid at room temperature and melts at 76 degrees. Any coconut husk fibers at the bottom of the jar are indigenous to the processing and harmless. Coconut oil contains medium-chain good fats with 50-55% lauric acid – a healthful nutrient that supports the metabolism. Certified organic by QAI. Product of the Philippines.

A disclaimer… I in no way am trying to provide medical advice, only passing along what many others have told me. Ask your doctor if you need to know if this is OK for you…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

ADDICTED… to the Black Bean Company, Charleston, SC…

On February 23, 2012December 13, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, HOME1 Comment

Image: Black Bean Company

OK, so I’m a little late getting in the swing of things… a friend sent me an email asking if we’ve been to Black Bean Co… a neat little restaurant on James Island (and another location on Spring Street). We’ve heard of it, but had never been. Had heard it was good, but that was coming from healthy food loving people, ha ha… I was assured that the food was good and the yogurt was to die for… we went, we saw, we tasted… we fell in love… went back the next day, and the next day, and the next day… and hopefully today!! It’s FRESH, HEALTHY food that tastes out of this world good. It’s not the healthy food that you have to try to choke down, no my friends, this is pure delight… from the very first to the very last bite… when you leave you can’t help thinking about when you’ll be back, what you’ll be ordering… it’s just all so good!

One of their sides is yogurt… It is a dream come true. My guess is that it’s vanilla bean infused honey added to Greek yogurt. You can definitely see the vanilla beans and you can taste honey, but the combination is to die for, then it comes with a little granola that changes each day, it’s not that overly sweet processed kind, it’s REAL granola… but SHHH! Don’t give the secret away, would hate to know they were out of stock!

We’re working our way down the menu… I only managed to get photos the second day, ha ha… but here they are, just so that you can see how delectable these wraps are. They have more… but this is out of this world!

The wrap above is the SOUTH WEST CHICKEN (Roasted chicken, black beans and jasmine rice, fresh local sweet corn, roasted tomatoes, spicy southwest chipotle sauce, shredded carrots, parmesan cheese, mixed greens) – did you read that description? Oh heavens… To. Die. For. Good. Spicy and perfect in every way!

This one is the BLACK AND BLUE (Chicken, (turkey or tofu), blue cheese, mixed greens, avocado, fig balsamic vinaigrette, black beans and jasmine rice) – oooooh!

The last one we got was the SPRING STREET (sorry no pic, was hungry!) it has chicken, turkey or tofu, hummus, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh homemade tzatziki, mixed greens and sprouts! I think this one was my favorite, but I have a great passion for tzatziki, ha ha… so that may have sealed the deal! They have many vegetarian options (almost everything can be made without meat, with tofu substituted)… and don’t forget about the yogurt, but remember, don’t tell anyone!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

I cannot wait to get back here… Monhegan Island, ME. Why do so many of us feel this way?

On February 19, 2012December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HEALTH, THOUGHTS, TRAVEL2 Comments

I cannot wait to get back to Monhegan to hike, eat, sit and be merry! WHAT IS IT about this fantastic place? It has such a pull to so many people. You can’t wait to get there and you don’t want to leave…unless you fall into the category of those looking for a mall, a hairdresser, a golf course, or perhaps if you only wear high heels… I could see that the pull just wouldn’t be there for you. However if you fall into the category of those who appreciate nature, are creative (or perhaps just like to be around creative and interesting people) this place becomes an obsession. It’s simply too good to be true. If only for a short time!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Dinner tonight… CHANA MASALA (Indian dish), out of this world and EASY too!

On February 16, 2012December 21, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe1 Comment

Dinner at our friends house…

We recently had dinner at our friends house… Chana Masala… Hmmm? What? Never heard of it… It’s a vegetarian Indian dish, the main star is chickpeas, and let me tell you… this is TASTY! I’ve since read many recipes for different versions, but I really liked that one so much I got the recipe from Alison. She said it was in the Post and Courier Newspaper years ago (5/28/03), she made a few changes and whatever she changed (their archives skip that period) was perfect… try it, it’s easy, healthy and delicious! When I was reading the Smitten Kitchen blog for her version of Chana Masala she made a good comment, she said the spices aren’t cheap, but go ahead and get them, they’re an investment. I don’t know that I would have spent so much on spices if I didn’t read that first. It made sense. You can make it many times with the number of spices we bought. Above all, it’s HEALTHY. So if you can splurge on the spices, do it! Here goes…

CHANA MASALA (recipe from the Post and Courier newspaper, Alison’s adaptation…)

Chop up one large onion and sauté it in olive oil, some recipes say to sauté until brown… I didn’t let mine get quite that far since it was still going to be cooking…

Now add 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1-2” piece grated fresh ginger, and the way to do that the quickest and easiest is to use a microplane tool, they’re awesome! Rachel Ray pointed that out, apparently the smaller garlic is chopped the better it is for you… well you can’t beat doing it this way, it’s more of a paste so you don’t get any big hunk of garlic.

Now toss in one box of Pomi chopped tomatoes and 1/3 box of Pomi tomato sauce. (If you can’t find POMI, use canned, but canned tomatoes were one of the foods I featured to never eat because of the BPA, click HERE to read the post from 10/19/11…)

Stir in 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole green cardamons, 2 whole black cardamons, 2 bay leaves, 2 cloves, salt to taste, (I only had green cardamons and I used 5, it was fantastic)

and 1 chopped jalapeño (I left just some of the seeds for a little heat, for less heat remove membrane and seeds) and 1 tsp turmeric…

Add 2 cups water (or a little more), 2 cans chickpeas (or a brand in a carton like FIG), and 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro stems.

Bring to boil and then add 2 tsp coriander powder and 2 tsp Chana masala (or Garam masala seasoning).

Cook until sauce thickens (at least an hour) and serve over basmati.

The salad we had that night went perfectly with the Chana Masala… Quick and easy…

SALAD

Baby lettuce with salt, pepper, olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Fresh avocado added right before serving. You could toss baby carrots in Madras curry powder, salt, pepper and olive oil and roasted until tender and put on top of salad.

OK… and here ya go… this is what you end up with! This photo was snapped before we all sat down to enjoy this scrumptious dinner! Guess what’s on the menu this week?? You guessed right!