Eat well, be well

It's a satisfying thing to make a living off of something you're passionate about. Nothing compares to the rush of selling a painting, the knowledge that someone assigns value to something I made. I'm sure my roommate feels a similar rush when she receives her cut from the shows she plays with her band, Smooth Creepin'. (Shameless plug. If you're in the Columbia area, check 'em out.) But not everyone pays top dollar for creativity. And then comes the not-so-romantic part about being a starvingartist- the starving part.

So we've gotten creative with our food. Of course there are the days when dinner is a half sleeve of Ritz crackers with peanut butter, but I simply can't abide by it on the regular. In France, it is common for a cheap meal at a truck stop to be served with house-made pate. Maybe I'm a snob, but I don't understand why food quality isn't just as high as a priority as, say, paying the electricity bill. Both are essential to support a modern lifestyle. And personally, I'd go without air conditioner in a South Carolina July before eating Ramen every night for a month.

So I present to you: Jalapeno Sloppy Joes. Inexpensive, delicious, and delightfully nostalgic.

There were your basic components: ground beef, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, onion, garlic, worcestershire. But the kicker (in more ways than one- these pack a punch) was sauteing a diced hot pepper (not sure what kind? got it at the farmer's market) and lining a buttered, toasted whole-wheat bun with pickled jalapenos. Soooo good. And less than thirty minutes to prepare from start to finish.

So you're at home, hanging out with your neighbor and her adorable chihuahua Lilly. You've recently considering selling plasma at the blood clinic, but remember that you're dreadfully afraid of needles. You're thinking about the meals you loved when your mom made them. You've got six pounds of hamburger meat in the freezer. Naturally, you should make Sloppy Joes. (At least that's how these came about in my humble kitchen.)

Homemade Joes will put Manwich to shame, and if your spicy tastebuds have matured since loving them as a kid, you really can't go wrong with the jalapenos.