Bre Lucero

Pretty good and that's a tall order to fill with me since I grew up in New Mexico, land of the awesome New Mexican and Mexican food! I would give it about a low to almost medium rating on the spice scale so I'd add more or less cayenne pepper to accommodate (or do the typical add salsa of whatever heat you prefer). I also used a 10oz Ro*Tel can of diced tomatoes+green chilies for half of the crushed tomatoes because I'm a green chili fanatic. For the remaining 18oz I crushed my own tomatoes. It's easy and can save you some money -- Just concassé some tomatoes if you like a slightly smoother texture to your chili (cut an X in the core and take a knife or spoon to make a circle around the X so you can connect it all and pull the core out, blanch the tomatoes in hot water into cold, and then cut in half and squeeze out seeds with your hand) or chop them into chunks with the skin still on if you prefer more chunky. Gradually heat the tomato gently to no higher than about medium heat in a pot and mash them with a wooden spoon or spatula until they're crushed (but not too mushy or else you'll get a paste). Finally I added a dash of Jack Daniel's Honey Smokehouse barbeque sauce to give it a smoky chipotle flavor and if I'm being gracious on my calorie count that day, a dallop of fat-free sour cream on top for garnish :) Could also easily add shredded cheese/green onion too. Chili is one of those things that just gets better with age as the spices continue to blend, mmmmm!

I just wanted to point out if you're in a pinch financially (like me) and need a baked goods item that yields a lot for a very small price to give as Christmas gifts, this recipe is for YOU! I made tons of it last year and bought little decorative boxes to gift them in -- The boxes were more expensive than the ingredients! I made it exactly as the recipe states and had no trouble. It is VERY rich and filling to eat. It's versatile enough that you can add more or less peppermint depending on your personal preferences. I also made half of the pan swirled with red food coloring and the other half swirled with green, looked so cute! I'm definitely going to make it again this year, and was even requested to do so!

Just a few tips for deviled eggs in general -- If you want the yolk of the egg to be positioned exactly in the center of the egg, turn all of your eggs you will be using on their side in their carton the night before in the refrigerator. This will center the yolk and when you boil them the yolk will stay there! If you want the yolk to retain it's natural yellow color instead of getting that icky green rim (although that wouldn't really apply for this recipe), have a bowl of ice cold water filled with more ice ready after you get done cooking the eggs and immediately transfer them to the cold water. The green rim occurs from a chemical reaction that happens when the yolk is exposed to oxygen. Rapidly cooling them in the water will stop the reaction from happening, yay! :)

This recipe is FANTASTIC! I did not try it with the vanilla wafers yet because I just wanted to see what the ice cream tasted like on its own first, and I omitted the pecans because I'm allergic. The only minor advice I have is watch your ginger. If you are using a less potent quality brand such as McCormick (and I'm not knocking McCormick by all means, I love their spices, but as you've probably noticed their spices are a bit "generic") the full 1 teaspoon should be fine. I, however, was using Penzeys Spices which are more potent and think the ginger *almost* overtook the flavor, so I think it could have been cut to 3/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp. Also just wanted to clearly mention that yes, your ice cream will be soup after you make the recipe so plan for a few hours to get a good re-freeze to it. Great recipe though and hard to keep your spoon out of the ice cream carton after it's done before you eat it all by yourself, hehe!