CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

Wow - I actually made some from scratch!  And it was really good too!  Boy, it is time consuming though.  I had to let it simmer all afternoon while I did other things.  Here is how I did it:

Large dutch oven
6 cups water
Celery - 1-2 stalks cut up
Onions 1-1/2 cups cut up
Bell peppers cut up (mine were roasted)
(all of these veggies can be fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons salt
garlic to taste
pepper to taste
2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cups well chopped broccoli florets, steamed

Cook celery, onion and peppers in water until they are very soft.  Allow them to cool and lift out of cooking water - reserve water. Using a blender or food processor, puree all and put the puree through a sieve back into the cooking water.  Discard solids.  Return to low heat.  Add 1/2 stick of butter, 2 teaspoons salt, garlic to taste.  Mix 1/2 cup of flour in 1/2 cup of milk and add to soup pot, stirring constantly.  Add 1-1/2 cups milk while stirring.  Keep heat on low, stirring occasionally until soup develops body (slightly thickened).  

Much better than what comes in a can!

The Glycemic Index - My New Best Friend

(copied from World's Healthiest Foods)

What Is the Glycemic Index (GI)?

Glycemic Index (GI) is a measurement carried out on carbohydrate-containing foods and their impact on our blood sugar. GI is a relatively new way of analyzing foods. It looks at the impact of foods on our actual blood sugar. In other words, instead of counting the total amount of carbohydrates in foods in their unconsumed state, GI measures the actual impact of these foods on our blood sugar. 

Why Is GI Important?

Over the past 15 years, low-GI diets have been associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, stroke, depression, chronic kidney disease, formation of gall stones, neural tube defects, formation of uterine fibroids, and cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, and pancreas. Taking advantage of these potential health benefits can be as simple as sticking with whole, natural foods that are either low or very low in their GI value. Below is a chart (again, from World's Healthiest Foods) that makes it super easy to see what foods will make the least impact on blood sugar levels.  I am liking this!!

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Group	Very Low GI	Low GI	Medium GI	High GI
	0-7	8-55	56-69	70 or greater
Vegetables	asparagus	carrots	beets	potatoes
	avocados	eggplant	corn
	beet greens	garlic	leeks
	bell peppers	green peas	sweet potatoes
	bok choy	onions
	broccoli	sea vegetables
	Brussels sprouts	winter squash
	cabbage
	cauliflower
	celery
	collard greens
	cucumbers
	fennel (bulb)
	green beans
	kale
	mushrooms, crimini
	mustard greens
	olives
	olive oil
	Romaine and other lettuce
	spinach
	summer squash
	Swiss chard
	tomatoes
	turnip greens
Fruits		apples	apricots
		bananas	cantaloupe
		blueberries	figs
		cranberries	kiwifruit
		grapefruit	papaya
		grapes	pineapple
		lemons/limes	raisins
		oranges	watermelon
		pears
		plums
		prunes
		raspberries
		strawberries
Nuts & Seeds	flaxseeds	almonds
	sesame seeds	cashews
		peanuts
		pumpkin seeds
		sunflower seeds
		walnuts
Beans & Legumes	soybeans	black beans
	tofu	dried peas
	tempeh	garbanzo beans
		kidney beans
		lentils
		lima beans
		navy beans
		pinto beans
Seafood	cod	scallops
	salmon
	sardines
	shrimp
	tuna
Meats	beef, grass-fed
	chicken-pasture-raised
	lamb, grass-fed
	turkey, pasture-raised
Dairy		cheese, grass-fed
		eggs, pasture-raised
		cow's milk, grass-fed
		yogurt, grass-fed
Grains		barley	millet
		brown rice
		buckwheat
		oats
		quinoa
		rye
		whole wheat
World's Healthiest Spices and Herbs	black pepper
	cayenne & chili pepper
	cilantro & coriander seeds
	cinnamon
	cloves
	cumin seeds
	dill
	ginger
	mustard seeds
	oregano
	parsley
	peppermint
	rosemary
	sage
	thyme
	turmeric