Red Hot Jalapeno Peppers

I may have told you that Richard and I have lost alot of weight lately. I've lost close to twenty pounds and Richard almost thirty. So we've learned to eat salads and lots of them.

Since we found ourselves fat AND on a budget, we compare prices on everything including vegetables. The warehouse club is cheaper for just about all the produce but it's father away so we have to include mileage. Wal-mart is cheaper when tomatoes or strawberries are on sale, and has relatively good everyday prices. The regular grocery store is much more expensive so we only go there for thing like fake cheese that isn't sold elsewhere. Fake cheese you ask? Shredded soy cheese that I love and comes in mozzarella or cheddar flavor. Mmmm.

And then there are red and yellow peppers that we both love. But boy are peppers expensive! $1.78 each even at Wal-Mart. Richard went on a little outing today to the flea market in search of a salad bargain. He felt all the produce at all the different stands until he found exactly what he wanted. Arriving back home he showed off his treasures.

"Look at the size of that red pepper." He held it up to the light. It was quite plump and very red. "One dollar. I only paid one dollar for it."
Next he held up a small elongated green pepper. "And this one was only fourteen cents."
"But it's a jalapeno pepper," I said.
"I know. I thought we'd like a little kick in our salad for a change."
"I don't want it in mine. You eat it."

Richard went about making making four salads. Two for lunch and the other two would be kept in the refrigerator until dinner. Salad making is his new pastime. It keeps him out of trouble for at least a few minutes every day. And I don't have to do it or clean up. Works for me.

Richard is busy chopping away. The next thing I see is him holding his head over the kitchen sink, with the water running directly into his mouth.

"Hot pepper?" I asked.
"Really hot. I'd better pick them out." He stuck his tongue out trying to cool it.
I examined the green plates overflowing with lettuce, spinach, broccoli shreds, green peppers. There was no way he'd find the hot peppers in there.

"How are you going to find tiny slices of a green pepper in that sea of green?"

Richard put on his glasses so he could see more clearly. He pretended to pick out a few green pieces.
"I don't know but at least your sinuses will be cleared out."
We spent fourteen cents but saved a little on the allergy pill today. That's certainly a bargain!