Am I too late for Steph? I would definitely add lime juice to the black bean soup, along with the cumin. Acid is a key factor in deliciousness.

Not too late! I'm not making it tonight, or anything. I make it once every couple of weeks, and I was just thinking about it today, trying to puzzle out the mystery of spices. And I didn't even consider lime juice -- will definitely try that!

We never have onions just hanging out in the pantry like the potatoes

I try to keep in the freezer something called "Seasoning Mix," which is a combination of frozen onions; red and green peppers; celery; and a little parsley. A couple of frozen vegetable people make it. It works great for things like you're making, Teppy. Also, no chopping.

Oh, that reminds me I recently experimented with using lime juice in place of marinade for steak. Way more tasty than using whiskey.

I am getting so much spam for Magic Jack at my work e-mail that it's making me question my position on the Inquisition.

I try to keep in the freezer something called "Seasoning Mix,"

Hand to god, Tim keeps this in the freezer and doctors up frozen pizza (plain cheese pizza) with it (also chopped broccoli). He is a fierce advocate of seasoning mix.

Steal some of his seasoning mix for the beans, then.

Seasoning Mix sounds like a good shortcut thing for us non-cooks who are trying to feed ourselves.

Brandy tastes dreadful. But it does seem to have medicinal properties. I feel a little better. Or maybe I care less that I feel bad.

I make and freeze batches of mirepoix a couple of times a year whenever I can't keep up with the amount of onion/carrot/celery coming in from the CSA. It's so useful to have in the fridge. (And freezing it helps it soften faster too, so you not only get to skip the chopping, you cut down the initial cook time by a good 5 minutes.)

Brandy tastes dreadful.

Nuh uh!

This is the best babysitting gig I've ever had - the girl has been asleep for the entire 2 and a half hours I've been here and I'm getting so much work done!!

I've set up a completely new tracking system for the coop's maintenance payments in Quicken. Oh yeah, you wish you had my life.

"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini."

I meant to comment earlier about what a good job y'all are doing raising Matilda. If you could just add "A martini without vermouth is just cold gin" and "Being put into a martini glass doesn't mean it's a martini, anymore than being born in a barn makes something a cow" to her repertory, she'll be prepared for life.

Also, can I tag?