L - M - N - O - P...no, wait. Only L & M!

Well, it's been an intense March and April. My mom came home from her work in Afghanistan for a visit, and during that brief visit I tried to work on repairing our relationship. I didn't realize how much I missed her until this last visit. She said some incredibly hurtful (and some horrible) things to me and my sister when Ed & I became engaged, but it hurt just as much not to have her in my life. I wanted to blog about the process of seeing her again and spending time with her, but I'd return home just drained of all emotion and physically exhausted.

My grandmother is back home from the hospital. Her health is stable, but definitely not on the "mend" so to speak. She's 95 years old and with my mom working in Afghanistan, she spends her days longing for a return to her birthland. Many times these past few weeks she has pleaded with me to send her home, because she knows her time is near. That is a decision we are wrestling with as a family right now.

While she was hospitalized, there was one "person" who missed her the most, and that was her beloved parrot. He loves to sit on her head first thing in the morning. I'm not joking. Seriously. He loves her to pieces. She puts a scarf on so he can sit on her head for a spell and nuzzle her neck. He was so excited to see her return home from the hospital. I'll have to post pics someday.
But, for now, it is time to return to A to Z Mondays! I'm posting about L and M this week, as I didn't post about L last week. I'm bending the rules this once because several of you have asked about my bean soup recipe. But first, I'll start with the letter M!

M is for MUSHROOMS....if you've tuned in to some of my recipes during this A to Z run, you already know that I use mushrooms in pretty much everything I make....chopped up in salads, skewered with kabobs on the grill.....sliced and added to soup or stews....mixed in with pasta sauces.....thrown in whole with stir fry..... you name it. We LOVE mushrooms. I love all types of mushrooms, but the ones with the "meatier" texture are my favorite, like cremini or shitake mushrooms.

M is also for MUSTARD....a condiment I much prefer to ketchup. I don't have anything against ketchup, it's delicious, but I'd take mustard over it any day, if I had to choose. I prefer mustard with my french fries and on my sandwiches instead of mayo. Ed laughs at the giant mustard jars I buy. I go through them so fast.

For the furbabies, M is for McDONALDS! I don't normally give our anipals fast food, but for special treats and occasions we have been known to bring home chicken nuggets or plain hamburgers. McDonalds has a 4 chicken nuggets for $1 deal going these days, and every few weeks, on my way home from work, I'll stop by and spend a well-deserved $3 to bring my furbabies home some nuggets. When I do, I always ask the cashier to put just ONE french fry in the bag. Just ONE. They look at me funny, but they put just that one french fry in there anyway. After all, Captain Morgan deserves a treat from McDee's every now and then as well, right? ;-)

Last week I'd planned on doing L for Loquats and Legumes. Since I didn't post it, I'm posting it now, but only because some of you emailed me about my many soup recipes.

Soooooo, L was for Loquats last week! Have you ever eaten a loquat? It is absolutely delicious! It's a fruit that originated in the far southeast of Asia, and it does very well here in southern California. It's name is Chinese in origin, similar to the kumquat, another favorite of mine. Our very good friend, Lynne, is blessed to have both of these fruit trees growing in her beautiful garden. Loquats bear fruit in March/April here in San Diego. Lynney dropped off a box full of them last week so that I could give some to my grandmother (she loves them) and for us as well.
They have the most beautiful copper colored, shiny seeds. I imagine a necklace made from the seeds would be gorgeous. The fruit is tender, and it tastes like a triple cross between an apricot, an apple, and a sweet orange...if you can imagine that. They are DELICIOUS!

Laverne thinks they're pretty tasty also...

...so much so that she tried to intercept Shirley's share of the scrumptious loquat...

...but I blocked her, and Shirley nom-nom-nomed on her yummy fruit treat.

Milo remembers loquats well. Back when we were remodeling, Achilles & Milo would stay with Lynney during the days. He'd loquats that fallen to the ground ALL DAY LONG. Then we'd find the glinting copper colored seeds in his poopey piles.

L is also for LEGUMES! A food group that is often overlooked or underappreciated. These days legumes kind of encapsulates any kind of a bean, lentil, or barley grain food, but in definition it is

fruit or seed of a bean or pea plant. Whatever it is or isn't, legumes are a staple in my home. I "L"OVE LEGUMES!!! They are healthy, nutritious, filling, and absolutely delicious. For those gastrointestinally challenged, do yourself a favor when you're cooking with raw legumes. Soak them in water for at least 2 days in the fridge. Change the water a couple of times to rinse off some of the starch and sugars...that way you won't be, ummm, you know...gas-see.

Trader Joe's 17 Bean & Barley Mix is one of my all time favorites to use for a hearty bean soup.

Look at those colors!

After they've soaked for a couple of days, I rinse them thoroughly and then immerse them in low sodium chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer for a couple of hours with a couple of bay leaves.

Then I sautee some onions and chicken sausage. A little bit of sausage goes a LOOOOONG way in flavoring a soup, stew, or sauce. Trust me. And if you use chicken sausage, you're cutting the fat and calories SIGNIFICANTLY. Chicken sausage is one of kitchen "tricks" for adding flavor to just about anything. I always have some in the freezer.

To that I add celery, "M"ushrooms!, red pepper flakes, and another one of my kitchen "tricks"....my sun-dried tomato and garlic "paste." I process a few cloves of garlic with sun-dried tomatoes and just add them to whatever I'm cooking. The complex flavor it adds can't be beaten.

I add the chicken sausage & veggie mix to the pot of "L"egumes towards the end of its simmering time. I let it simmer for about another 30 minutes, then serve it with fresh halved grape tomates and feta cheese. I wish Blogistan had smell-a-vision technology. It is not only full of beautiful aroma and taste, but this soup is really good for you. A very, very healthful and hearty meal. My mom used to make it for us all the time. It fills you up on just one bowl...but you want to go back for more! (At least I always do...)

For exact measurements, please email me. (You know who you are.:-)) Otherwise, that was M and L for A to Z Mondays!!! Please check out Jen's blog over at http://unglazed.blogspot.com to see what other wonderful folks are doing with the letter M, and not "L" since the rest of Blogistan isn't "L"ame and "L"ate like I was today!!! :-)