Children

I was in the grocery store a few weeks ago and a little girl looked at my cart and declared in amazement "Mommy, that lady has a LOT of yoghurt." Her mother looked a little embarrassed--well, it wasn't like they were bottles of bourbon (different aisle), so why the reaction? It made me think about all of the times I tried to stifle my children's opinions, at least in public. While it is true that children can say the darndest (and most mortifying) things, it is usually the truth, and nothing more.

And if actions speak louder than words, children are the living proof. Bored? They will let you know. Wanting your undivided attention? They have their little ways. So as a parent, taking children out in public is always fraught with danger. We don't necessarily want those truths let loose willy nilly. Lately though, I am finding it delightful to be around other people's children, at the grocery store, in their party clothes running rampant at weddings, or simply finding new uses for the flower-girl basket.

Lighten up parents--at least until one of your cherubs crawls under my table at a restaurant, double-dips at the buffet with a finger, or makes a loud and truthful comment about my person. I have my limits.

Chili

I was feeling inspired last night, so I cooked two batches of chili: one for my mother-in-law and one for us. Here are the ingredients for the one we ate. Some of the ingredients are very local, but substitutions are always possible.

Brown:

3 lbs ground chuck
1 onion

Add:

2 large cloves garlic mashed with sea salt
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 fire-roasted red peppers, chopped
2 serranos, seeded and minced
Medium chili powder from Penzey's
ground chipotle peppers
Adobo seasoning
Chicago steak seasoning (Penzey's again)
dried epazote

Stir a bit and add:

1 large can Rotel (tomatoes and green chilis)
1 large can hominy, drained
a Tupperware container of red beans with liquid, cooked Salvadoran style by daughter Emily

Cook until it looks like a whole rather than the sum of the parts.

Serve with grated cheese and steamed zucchini.