Did I mention to you?

Our neighbour, Ed, gave Larry a tomato off his plant the other night for me. Oh my gosh it was so good! There's nothing like a tomato straight off the vine in terms of flavor. I can hardly wait to grow my own next summer. They are so good for you but they are high in sugar so I have to eat them a lot more sparingly than I would if I wasn't diabetic.

I always find changing seasons an interesting time, you have one foot in one camp and the other foot in another. That's how it feels for me right now. I am still wanting to celebrate with fresh produce, looking to boost my metabolism & increase my fiber.

Recipes for fresh salads are still appealing to me in a big way, most days. I saw this one and thought...gotta make this while the cucumbers are nice & firm. It's not exactly a strictly summer recipe but it just happened to speak to my taste buds right now.

Creamy Dill Cucumbers

1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons dill weed
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup sliced red onion, separated into rings

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the milk, mayonnaise, sour cream, dressing mix, dill, celery seed and pepper. Stir in the cucumbers and onion. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 8 servings.

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But, this bridge between seasons also has me thinking about getting fit and possibly joining the indoor walking group on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Haney Place Mall. It's only twice a week but it's better than nothing and I am likely to do it regularly when I don't have to get all soaking wet. Getting started has been difficult but I know from experience that once's it's part of the routine - I actually hate to miss it. There sure are a lot of benefits to walking...look what I found:

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At the same time as I am contemplating salads & exercise, soups, stews & chillis are starting to wiggle their way into my consciousness. The other day I saw a slow cooker Taco Soup and thought to myself, "It won't be long now!" I really believe in following what seems to be appealing. I think it's the body's way of telling us what we need to add to make it function better. I seem to be moving away from the fresh summer herbs and find warming winter spices are starting to appeal to me more. A lot of the cancer fighting spices come with heat, it's interesting isn't it?

Maybe it's the heat I am craving but the thought of a Curried Chicken Corn Chowder just sets my mouth to watering. Maybe I'll break out this recipe on the weekend:

Curried Chicken Corn Chowder

2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
5 cups frozen corn
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 2% milk
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

Directions

In a Dutch oven, saute onions and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, corn, curry, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk flour and milk until smooth. Whisk into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken and heat through. Yield: 9 servings (2-1/4 quarts).

Enjoy your day!