Ahhh, legumes

I recently read The Urban Hermit, a memoir by Sam Macdonald. I really love memoirs in general, but I can't say I recommend it -- his language is so foul is just gets wearisome. Essentially, a smart man never gets past his drinking habit, and thus finds himself with no great job, no house and lots of weight and debt. He devises a master plan to lose weight and stop spending. Both these goals are ultimately reached in large part by eating tuna, cheese, and beans. Eat cheap food, just the basics.

I, too, in my past have lived for a period of time on a diet of mostly legumes. Let me tell you, they are an appetite squelcher. They are dirt cheap and taste like it. In their favor they are incredibly filling -- after all, how many bowls of lentils can one person eat in a day? Listen to me here, you don't want to eat more than two servings at a time, no matter how hungry you are. Just trust me.

None of my kids will eat any type of bean. Not in a taco. Not in a burrito. Not even Boston Baked Bean Candies packaged in that little brick red box! I am hoping with Emmeline I can train her early enough to develop a liking for them. Lentils in particular are appealing from a nutritional standpoint. And I have seen then cleverly shaped to resemble a meatloaf. Still ... they are beans, so I won't hold my breath. Of course if all six kids DO start eating beans I really will need to hold my breath!