Way back in high school, I was either a junior or senior.

I made chili for supper one evening during the school year.

My family was big on chili and making sure we all knew how to cook.

We always made a big pot of chili. We were a family of six and my two brothers and I were teenagers and eating everything in the house.

I kept adding chili powder and other things to it. I added chili powder to taste.

After it simmers awhile the degree of oomph to it increases.

It was good and we all ate a couple bowls.

Later that night my brother, Robert, woke up in pain and ended up in the hospital.

It was discovered that he had an ulcer.

Robert blames the ulcer on me.

I told him that I saved his life because my chili irritated it before it got bad so it could be taken care of before it got bad.

Robert didn’t see it that way.

Robert said, “You nearly killed me with that nuclear chili.”

The term stuck, even my Mom refereed to it that way.

Ah well.

I have only made that style of chili a half dozen or so times since then. The first few times I made it, I was still married and didn’t make it that spicy. I think my reputation is worse than reality. I mention nuclear chili and the boys are like, “Oh Yeah!”, and my ex was, “Don’t you dare.”

Kind of like Jimmy Stewart in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” See the movie to avoid spoilers.

I’m trying to think of another example. In D&D if you have someone who is feared for some legendary feat, but it didn’t quite happen that way, that’s what I mean.

There is no exact recipe. I just brown some hamburger, use some canned beans and some chili beans, then add a chopped onion or two depending on size, and add other spiced or other tings that are good in chili. It is season to taste. If I can’t eat it, I’m not wasting money. I got canned beans to make it quicker. For the beans and other ingredients and a few other groceries, I spent over $60 to get ready to make it for Sunday, when my son, David, and his girlfriend, Cassandra come over to play.  Dang is food getting expensive.

I can remember when bread was four loaves for a dollar and when it went up to three loaves for a dollar, it was a big deal. Especially for a family with growing boys.

I also make homemade corn bread to go with it. YUM!

Chili will fit right in, there are in the midst of a battle with some Kobolds and they have a scroll with several Stinking Cloud spells….  :/