The Lima Bean

Max has gone through some tremendous changes this month. He's gone from high chair to booster seat, which he and we are very proud of. He's also gone from being able to sign no words to about a lot of words like, table, chair, play, eat, bed, baby (his favorite) thank you, cat, dog, sleep, cereal and shit. Oh wait... he doesn't sign shit he says shit. And finally Max has added The Lima Bean to his diet.

I've always been a big fan of this vegetable and it would appear that Max gets his taste buds from me because he likes all the crap that I like, especially french fries and Mac-n-Cheese. He also likes Watermelon, banana, cinnamon raisin bread, cereal and chicken, but most of his taste for that stuff comes by way of his mother's taste buds.

Both Allyson and I are very happy that Max is willing to eat a green vegetable that he enjoys. I only buy Del Monte brand of Lima Beans. A couple of weeks ago I bought the Foodtown brand and not only did it taste like shit but the beans that are supposed to be green were brown so it looked like shit as well.

Lima Beans are pretty expensive for a can of vegetables (1.50) compared to a can of peas or corn for example, which are still probably under a dollar or right around a dollar. Of course when I got home I looked it up because I had an uncontrollable need to know why. Sometimes I find myself fondly remembering the days when I would just make up a reason for something that I didn't know and it would suit me just fine...

As it turns out the majority of Lima Beans that we've come to know and love are grown in Peru and Guatemala. They are also known as Chad Beans in some places. Since I'm one of the few people that eat and enjoy them around here sometimes in my house they are called Keith Beans.

I also learned through my extensive search that, "Lima beans contain cyanide compounds" and as a result, " They must be cooked thoroughly to allow the hydrogen cyanide gas produced to be driven off." It's a good thing I never picked one off a vine while walking barefoot through the country.

So if you or your child are having trouble finding a vegetable that you like might I suggest that you try a nice bowl of Keith Beans? They are simple to prepare: 1. Open can with either an electric or hand held can opener. 2. Poor into medium to small sauce pan. 3. Add a little butter. 4. Turn on flame and cook. A couple of minutes later depending on how soft or hard you want your Keith Beans to be you're good to go. Enjoy and don't forget to tell all of your friends about Keith Beans!