The Pioneer Woman's Salsa

I made salsa last night: The Pioneer Woman's Salsa. It was really good. We rarely eat anything out of a box, can, jar or bag at our house these days. Especially in the summer! It's fresh veggies and herbs, fresh cheese and grilled meats as often as we can get it! So, last night David marinated steak to grill and we decided to make beans and rice and guac. I'd made corn salsa just a few days before and I just wasn't up for a jarred salsa (Note to those of you in Texas scratching your heads right now: we don't have an aisle dedicated to amazing salsas and tortillas like you do. We have a small space with 5-10 jarred salsas like Pace and Newman's Own and a couple of others. So, you understand what I'm saying.)  I remembered this recipe (seems like Jayme made it??) so I stopped off at the store and ran home to make it. SO EASY! I did use three cans - can of tomato and two of Rotel, but it tasted so good! The heat level is up to you I suppose, but I played it by the book and used exactly what she recommended. I did choose one can of mild Rotel and one of regular though. The recipe called for one whole jalapeno. I chopped everything up - seeded and cleaned the jalapeno - blended and waited for the approval....David liked it! I was worried it might be too hot for him, but he's more "Texas" everyday. He eats things now that he wouldn't have eaten when I first met him. SO GOOD! It's great for a party: Really fast and easy one blender clean-up and it makes a ton (like the cilantro salsa). Plus it's cheaper than jarred.

We cleaned up and while David was finishing loading the dishwasher (best husband ever) I ran down to take a shower. I turned on the water and waited for it to heat up. I jumped in and grabbed the shampoo bottle first thing as I always do. (I get that conditioner on there and let it sit as long as it can.) I reached up and the water hit my right hand and I felt a throbbing pain in between my fingers, a burning sensation. For a second I think I'm crazy - the water is not burning the rest of me. Is it that hot? I looked down and my hand was bright pink in between the fingers and on the palm of my hand. I washed my hair one-handed (it had to be done) and got out of the shower as quickly as possible. I had inflamed what appeared to be a jalapeno burn! I never knew there was such a thing! I'd been cutting up jalapenos for years and never had this happen. Maybe a little juice in my eye or burning my nose for a second, but it was more an irritant than painful. This REALLY hurt. I got dressed and brushed my teeth (again, one-handed and yes, had to be done) and went to the office to google (what did we ever do without google??) how to treat a burn. I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew I had made it SO MUCH WORSE by being in the water all that time. First remedy I could find on-line (note here using a mouse with your left when you are a right-y is not easy) was rubbing alcohol. I didn't have any. I went upstairs and asked David if he had any in his bathroom. "Nope, but I've got hand sanitizer - same thing". I put it on and it cooled instantly, but as the alcohol evaporated, the pain would come back. No good. I went down for more googling and came back up with another idea. Milk! I poured a bowl of milk, stuck my hand in it and felt immediate relief. Took the hand out - pain. I walked back downstairs and watched Rachel Ray on the floor of the exercise room with my hand in a bowl of milk that went from cold and refreshing to hot and kinda gross. But it was helping the pain. Every time I took my hand out though, more pain. Do you ever have those "Really?" moments. The ones where you stop and take a look at your circumstance and think "Really? This is where I am right now?" There I was sitting on the basement floor in Cowboy pjs, hair in towel, hand in bowl filled with warm milk, watching Rachel Ray and Tina Fey as best I could make small talk about a movie with the handles of the elliptical machine blocking half the screen. So, I gave up, took a handful of ibuprofen and waited it out. By bedtime I couldn't feel it - or much of anything! ;) But be warned - if you attempt this recipe - you might want to think about gloves or a towel or something. It was PAINFUL! I think next I'm going to try making my own tortillas - that's gotta be less dangerous!