Kids, After some recent comments about pepper prices, I thought I'd tell you about my local Kroger. They generally ask $3.99/lb for "hot" peppers. Sometimes the red and yellow bells are the same price, sometimes they're more expensive. A few weeks ago they dropped to $1.99, and I was buying. Now they're back to $2.99. Strange, like the way they price mushrooms. The price hops up and down by a dollar at the whim of the manager. Oh well, the retailer has to make money somehow. But it pays to shop around... Speaking of which, I couldn't resist another Odd Lots scouting trip. Besides some Old El Paso sauces, there wasn't much except for some battered cans of Old Sonora green chiles (27 oz/$.99). I got two, and used one for last night's dinner: Combine in food processor 1 can of green chiles 1/2 onion 5 cloves garlic pinch of Mexican oregano simmer 4 split chicken breasts with other stock ingredients cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups water dice 5 or 6 canned chipotles, combine with rice shred meat off the bone by hand, combine with rice, return bones to stock pot (from here the chicken soup is a separate project) fill 8 large flour tortillas with the chicken/rice mix arrange in a casserole, spoon green sauce over sprinkle with grated cheese bake at 425 until cheese browns On another note, I visited with CaJohn here in town and learned more details about a festival coming up here in May. I left with my jacket pockets sagging with sauces, some of which I already sampled on last night's dinner. Alex Silbajoris 72163.1352@compuserve.com spatula pilot