Spicy!

My mom says I overdo everything.  I say, go hard or go home.  The conversation started when she saw my giant family-sized container of grits.  (Rashan said the same thing.  Well, he also remarked on the craziness of that amount of grits.)  The price per ounce was so low!  But I now realize that makes no sense when you can't use the item by the use by date!  Don't worry, those grits won't go to waste.  I'm bringing them home for Christmas breakfast (menu to come)! 

Now at first when my mom used my spice rack as proof that I overdo everything, I just gave her the stone face.  She said, "How are you gonna use all those spices?  You don't cook that much."  CHALLENGE!!  To me, that was her saying I need to use every single one of those spices at least once in the next month.  LET'S GET IT!!  Now though I feel challenged, I can kind of see her point.  Don't you dare tell her or I will deny it!!  I felt almost overwhelmed looking at all of them!  But we all know I love a good challenge!

For the record, I bought all of those spices in the small tubs because they were insanely cheap at the Dekalb World Market (also known as the love of my life).  Why would I not buy curry for $.46?  Rosemary for $.33?  Cayenne pepper for $.73?  Coriander for $.56?  And some of them bought the day after the spices were packed.  Of all the spices I got from there, the most expensive was the nutmeg and that was still only $1.72.  That's a small fraction of the price I paid for those spices in the back from Publix.  So I know you're wondering, WHAT ON EARTH DOES SHE HAVE BACK THERE!?!?  (I was kind of curious myself!  Sometimes I forget!)  I will tell you, starting with the regular store products: grill seasoning, basil, oregano, cajun seasoning*, seasoning salt (which I have seriously not used in more than a year because none of my food network recipes ever call for it), cinnamon, cumin & crushed red pepper flake.

Now for the farmer's market (deep breath): whole thyme, ground sage, ground cloves, nutmeg, allspice, tarragon, ground ginger, black pepper, chili powder, herbes de provence* (only $1.08 but a good $5 at a regular store), turmeric*, fennel seed*, poultry seasoning*, curry, gumbo file, caraway seed*, whole cardamom, cayenne pepper, rosemary & coriander.  The asterisks are by all the spices I haven't cooked with before.  I bought all of them because I read recipes I wanted to try but skipped or modified if they called for those spices.  I made chicken provençal w/o the herbes de provence!  Never again!  Woohooooo!!  I can't wait to get up in my spice rack again.  And I think I'm going to take all of it with me on break.  Even if I don't use it all, I can at least use some!  Oh and here's something you probably thought wasn't possible... I still need marjoram.  LOLOL!!  My mom would say, "Don't buy another spice!!"