Food and Other Follies

When I was at a baby shower recently, one of the dishes I discovered that I liked was buffalo chicken dip. At the time I didn't know the word buffalo was included and just knew it was a chicken dish that was good. I asked for the recipe and couldn't believe she said it had a CUP of Tabasco sauce in it. I asked her a couple of times to reaffirm that. Yep! That's what she said. It also has ranch dressing, sour cream, and cream cheese in there. So I made it. Mine didn't quite turn out the way hers did.

I am a major wimp when it comes to peppers and otherwise hot food. My mother's side of the family can withstand all kinds of hotness, but not me. I was rendered speechless and breathless when I bit down on a pepper in Hunan Chicken at a restaurant one time. Everyone at the table was trying to remember what helped until someone said that sugar did, so I started ripping into the packets of sugar and pouring them in my mouth. That helped. I could eventually speak and breathe again, and the tears stopped running down my cheeks.

The buffalo chicken dip I made was that bad. My whole mouth and lips were on fire. It didn't taste (as well as I could tell) like the one I had earlier, and I even put less hot sauce in it. Tina's sons liked it when I gave it to them since they can handle the heat. So I decided to try again yesterday. I put much less Tabasco in it this time. Didn't work. Too hot again. So Tina's sons will get the last batch of this I intend to attempt.

I could handle eating more of it than before, but it kept me up all night. I took antacids, dozed on the couch, and tried to get comfortable until I finally got some sleep this morning. That's it! Not trying that again!

My son and I were talking other day about vitamins and supplements, which we agree that people don't need if they eat properly. I told him that I don't, so I take some that probably don't make up for my questionable eating habits. When he was with me, I cooked and took better care of myself. Now I tend to sit too much and eat what is expedient. A psychologist might comment on what that says about me, but the truth is that I just want to do what I want to do. Conversations with other women who worked hard all our lives confirms that I'm not alone in feeling this way. Some people think I'm busy now, but it doesn't hold a candle to the schedule I've had most of my life. I'm taking it easy now even though I am working some. While I have the opportunity and feel good enough to do it, I'm taking advantage of making some money. I have plans for it.