VinJean

My worst beer ever would have to be a foul concoction called Pfeiffer. Tasted like dirty carbonated water. Yuck!

There is a local salsa made here in the Twin Cities that I like called Salsa Lisa. As far as store bought salsa goes, it is probably my favorite. They keep it in the refrigerator section of the supermarkets here, and it is just incredibly fresh and tasty, with a couple of different heat levels.

I generally buy my lunch at work. My office has a very nice cafeteria with a great variety of stuff. Always a few soups to choose from, salad bar, sandwich station, and a couple of entrees. It is just too convenient, so I don't ever really need to bring anything.

I had a neighbor lady who used to babysit my brother and I, along with several other neighborhood kids. She used to offer us ice cream cones...with no ice cream! What a strange sight, a group of kids standing around, munching on dry cones!

Hello! Long time lurker, first time poster here! Thought I had better start participating on these marvelous forums! One of my foodie frustrations is along the lines of yours, Ladybug. A couple of years ago, I was in a small chili cookoff at work that was going to be judged by our co-workers. For the chili cookoff, I spent two days creating my entry, using several quality ingredients and different techniques, layering flavors, taking my time, and cooking with love. My boss, on the other hand, took ground beef, added a can of beans, chili powder, a jar of salsa, and put it in a crock pot. While I am no expert chef, I love to cook. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and I think I am a decent home cook. I have my failures as well as my successes, but I had been making chili for years. It turned out very nice, and I was pleased with my creation. The results? In a contest that was judged blindly, he took home second place. I finished in seventh...out of eight places! To each, their own...different strokes for different folks, and all...but my goodness, how humbling!