Separates the men from the boys

Boy, have I done it again. Remember a few hundred blog posts back when I talked about a Shepherd's Pie memory? I added a bit too much salt that time.

Well, tonight I signed up to feed the church missionaries serving in my area. I planned to take dinner over to their apartment at 5:00.

This past week, I have walked around my house with "Jessie Eyes" because I just visited her and she is very organized. I've been tossing stuff and categorizing stuff, including small parts of my pantry. I found two cans of diced green chiles way back behind some bowls. I didn't even look at them, but happily "Jessie-ized" them by putting them with the other cans of diced green chiles.

Can you guess why they would be hidden behind bowls and in the back of the shelves?

Fast forward to me making dinner. I made a Sour Cream Enchiladas recipe that is to die for, in fact I'll paste it right here (it is the best I've ever had, comes from an NFL players favorite recipes compilation):

So, the key of this recipe for my family is NOT to use Fire roasted diced green chiles. And, you guessed it - that is what I did tonight. I dumped in the can that I was so proud of myself for "Jessie-izing" in my pantry. I thought the chiles looked a bit dark, then I looked at the can.

DANG

They were hidden for a reason and I should have never, ever kept those around (I told my husband later that I planned to donate those cans to a food bank).

Anyway, I did try to pull out some of the dark chiles, as many as I could easily get. But lots stayed in and the missionaries were waiting . .

So, I dumped in a regular can and plopped it all in the oven. I delivered it to the missionaries then prepared my own family members plates. After we all sat down, my youngest took the first bite. If only I had my camera. Picture a three year old with eyes popping, and a mouth completely full of food and wide, gaping open. She was crying out as though she had been poisoned.

I am so sorry!

Really. OK, I told the kids, "If you can muscle this down, there will be a BIG reward. This is the kind of food that separates the men from the boys."

And wouldn't you believe it, all three children ate their food. I am not kidding.

Some of their comments:

"Mom, if you eat the peaches right after the spicy stuff, it really takes the burn away."

"Ah, oh, ah, ah, better take a drink"

So, now you are wondering about the reward? Well, I just happend to have oreos and just happend to have ice cream. So, I made them oreo shakes and we finished the Monopoly game I talked about yesterday (I lost worse than I think I have ever lost a game, 8 yr old conquered). He said, "Tonight has been such a fun night." I just wonder if the missionaries are thinking the same thing.