Recipe: Easy Potato Sausage Soup, Garlic Bean Soup, Simple Summer Salad - Dear Lauren: Your mothers' recommendation is very appropiate.

Senior citizens cannot eat too spicy food & sometimes they cannot eat too hard food (for obvious reasons). Another excellent lunch besides your mothers recommendation will be a nice simple soup with a salad or sandwich. Here are some recipes:

Easy Potato Sausage Soup
This soup is easy to prepare and extremely delicious.

2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup margarine
4 cups diced potatoes
1 (10 ounce) package frozen diced carrots
1 pound Polish sausage, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)
3 cups milk
3/4 cup dry potato flakes

Using a large saucepan, brown onion in butter. Add potatoes, carrots, green peppers, sausage, water, salt and pepper. Cook on low, for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are creamy. Add milk and cook until heated through and then add instant potato flakes. If you want a creamy potato soup add a 1/2 cup potato flakes, or if you want your soup thick like stew add 1 cup of potato flakes. Let soup sit for approximately 5 minutes in order to thicken and then serve.

Garlic Bean Soup
(Microwave, but can be done on top of the stove)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
19 oz can white beans (such as canellini) - undrained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper

OPTIONAL GARNISHES (Per cup of soup):

1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon crumbled goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon very dry sherry

Place garlic cloves and broth in a large microwavable bowl. Microwave until garlic is very soft (about 10 minutes on full power). Put all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Return to bowl. Reheat in microwave for about 5 minutes. Ladle into serving bowls and add toppings.

Simple Summer Salad

2 cups green peas
2 green peppers, chopped
2 carrots, slivered
2 young cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves

Place the peas, green pepper, carrots, cucumbers, and parsley in a bowl. Toss well with the olive oil, lemon juice & salt & pepper until the vegetables are well-coated. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. This salad can be served with the soup or with a sandwich for an easy light lunch.