P: Pass the Peppers, Please!

Homemade Chili

When I was pregnant with my son I had three main foods that I was constantly craving: chocolate, dill pickles, and anything spicy.  I was content to sit down with a glass of chocolate milk and tacos (or other Mexican dish) with a side of pickles, regardless of the hour.  Even though I struggled with all-day morning sickness for the whole length of my pregnancy, my stomach never once protested at this type of meal.  In fact, my little boy seemed to relax and settle down as soon as I ate this strange combination.

With my daughter, I was always craving pastries and chocolate, but even with this second pregnancy, my body could handle spicy foods easier than even crackers or toast.  My doctors looked at me like I was insane when I told them this.  Looking back now, if I hadn’t been there to witness it firsthand, I would be skeptical, too.  There isn’t any logic or rhyme to why I could eat a hot pepper but a plain saltine cracker would make me gag.  No, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.

However, I know see that it was a sign of things to come.  My kids adore spicy food nearly as much as I do.  We eat something with a kick at least once a week, but it isn’t too unusual for us to have something spicy for dinner nearly every other day.  I even find my kids snacking on jarred hot peppers, salsa, or hot sauce from time to time.  A big favorite in our house is salsa scrambled eggs.  It’s never too early in the day to enjoy something spicy!

Our love of hot foods amuses me to no end because most of my relatives think we are insane.  My grandma tears up when she eats even mild salsa.  And most of my extended family watches in horror at how much hot sauce or hot peppers I love to add to my food.  Many of my relatives insist that I’m ruining my stomach with all this spicy food, but I rarely get heartburn or an upset stomach.  Maybe I have a cast-iron stomach and I’ve passed it on to my kids.  Or maybe we’ve built up tolerance to spiciness.  Either way, I love cooking spicy foods and then enjoying them with my children.  It’s one of the highlights of our week.

Do you and your kids love spicy food?  Or do you or your children prefer eating more mild foods?