This is only a test.

Okay, long story short: I love food. It took me many years to realize that I was a so-called "foodie" and not just another future fat person of America. My biggest problem is that I'm living below the poverty line in Boulder, CO--one of the most overpriced cities in America--making $9.90/hr. So while I'm surrounded by tasty restaurants, I can't afford any of them.

My second-biggest problem has always been that while I love cooking, I can never bring myself to exert the energy to make wonderful meals for just myself, when I could make this same thing for 2-5 people in an equal amount of time. And so it was that when I split from my long-time love two months ago and found myself living alone for the first time in my life, my motivation to cook rapidly dropped off.

Then last night, in the process of ordering a pizza, I found myself thinking, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! You were craving sundried tomato and pesto chicken pinwheels and so you called PIZZA HUT?! You're pathetic, you lazy, mediocre..."

Ahem! I'll pretend I didn't hear me say that. Anyway, I decided that one of these two major problems I can fix easily, and therein lies the point of this blog. A nice little self-motivation tool that I can program into my iCal to ping at me obnoxiously whenever I'm feeling too lazy to cook, forcing me to come up with something original, Iron Chef-style, using whatever is on sale that day at the grocery store across the street. So here it goes:

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Tonight, I'm going to a BBQ (yes, I can spell it that way, I'm from Texas) and need to bring something to contribute. Sounds easy, yes? Too bad my indomitable pride won't let me bring a bag of chips. Instead, I decided to muse upon the 4th of July theme and came up with the idea of delicious bite-sized spicy red peppers stuffed with bleu cheese and white raisins. Mmmm... Depending on the size of peppadews you get, this will make 20-30 servings.

Here's what you need:
1lb Peppadew peppers (if from an olive bar, try to get unbroken ones since you'll be stuffing them)
5 oz bleu cheese
5 oz white raisins (also known as golden raisins or muscats)
1 oz pine nuts
Honey to taste (try to avoid flavored honeys or agave nectar for this one)
Cayenne pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
A blender

First, if the peppadews were stored in oil, reserve this oil before gently rinsing the peppers. Try not to break them, which may mean doing a few at a time.
In your blender, combine bleu cheese, raisins, pine nuts, and the peppadew oil. If necessary, add just enough olive oil to where the ingredients will mix down into a paste. I also add some Cayenne beacause the peppadews aren't as spicy as I like, though I love the flavor.
Spoon the paste into each pepper, careful to wipe off the outsides to maintain a crisp, clean look.
Arrange, chill 15mins (or store longer if making them in advance), garnish (I used basil leaves) and serve!