Spice Girl

While making dinner last night, I decided I suddenly wanted to add a little spice to my life. And by life I mean dinner.

This is not normal. I am not sure what came over me. But I liked it.

I started being spicy by mincing the fresh jalapeños Alson bought at the farmer's marker. Do you have a chopper like this?
It is AMAZING. I have very poor knife skills, so this is a lifesaver. I then minced some onion (also in my handy dandy chopper) and sauteed the mix until the meat was brown. I added Manwich sloppy joe sauce (barbecue flavored instead of original...it was on sale) and decided it still smelled a little too ordinary.

We don't have a spice rack (lack of space) so we line our spices up on top of the stove. This probably isn't a good idea because the plastic may melt, but this way they stare me in the face while I cook, daring me to get innovative. So as I stood there contemplating what I was about to do to my mouth, I decided to go for it because I knew the spiciness would make my husband happy.

I then proceeded to add about a teaspoon of chili powder (why we even have this spice is a mystery to me...I certainly didn't buy it) and not one, not two, but three pinches of red pepper flakes (which also suddenly appeared in my kitchen). I instantly had spice adder's remorse. I was convinced I ruined the bison and that it would be too spicy for even the spiciest of individuals.

BTW, every time I type spicy or some derivative of the word, I say it in my head with such sass it makes me want to click my imaginary finger symbols and do the cha cha. Wow, did I really just admit that? Back to dinner....

I finished cooking the meal, sat down, served myself a sloppy joe and started eating. It was like I had forgotten that I had just made the spiciest meal of my life. No hesitation, just eating. And, surprise (although not really) I really liked it. Sure, it had a serious kick to it, but it was really delicious and I enjoyed the fire that ensued in my mouth.

As I have been saying over and over, I think my picky eating is due to the fact that I don't like to try anything. I'm scared, I like safe meal choices, I don't like change, etc., etc., etc. But, once I try something I usually like it. It's just the process of getting it in my mouth that is difficult. Last night I took the initiative, had only one moment of uncertainty, and ultimately ended up really enjoying our dinner. As did Alson.

As for the bison....I couldn't tell that it was any different than ordinary ground beef, and although it is pricier, it is also healthier!