An Unexpected Way to Feel Rich

Every spring when the weather warms, an army of ants begins to invade my kitchen, prompting me to clean out my food storage cupboards and make sure anything that might be enticing to an ant is safely sealed in jars or plastic bags (although plastic bags can be iffy, depending on how aggressive the army happens to be that year!).  I DO NOT LIKE THE ANTS; but if it helps motivate me to clean a neglected area, I suppose I can give thanks for that.  ;-)

 One night last week, I had taken everything out of my spice shelves; and while I was at it, I decided to organize and alphabetize my seasonings again.  If I were the only one who ever cooked in my kitchen, this isn't a project I would ever need to do because they would stay in alphabetical order!  ;-)  But Moriah, in particular, loves to pull random spices out of the cupboard when she's standing on a chair, "helping" me cook; and of course she doesn't know anything about putting spices back in alphabetical order!  But she'll learn someday.  ;-)

 When I managed to get all the jars neatly in a row, I discovered, to my genuine astonishment, that the line stretched from one end of my table to the other, and even had to curl around a bit at one end.  And I don't exactly have a short table!  I didn't realize I had so many seasonings; but there they all were -- from Allspice (ground and whole) and Alum to Turmeric and Za'atar.

 As I've studied history with my boys during the last few years, I've been reminded of how incredibly precious various spices were in different times and places.  Even salt, which is so common and so cheap now, used to be valuable enough to be used as currency.  Imagine getting paid in salt!  :)  And speaking of imagining...

Can you imagine what people from ancient times would think if they could see the contents of my spice cupboard?  Can you imagine how wealthy they would think I must be to afford such extravagant luxury?  Can you imagine how their tastebuds would pop if they could sample the food I prepare with these seasonings?  What if we took some chicken and prepared a portion of it as Chicken Korma with curry...and another part as Chicken Parmesan with plenty of garlic...and another as Sweet and Sour Chicken with fresh ginger and pineapple...and how about Chicken Enchiladas with jalapenos...and there would have to be good ol' southern BBQ Chicken, too...and my country roots would insist on some old-fashioned Chicken & Dumplings with a generous sprinkling of parsley and black pepper.  Can you even imagine?

I couldn't.  Thinking about what their reaction might be like made me feel rich--absolutely, positively, I-have-more-than-I-deserve RICH!

I'm grateful to live in a time and place in which I can have a whole shelf full of delicious spices...

...even if my bank account says I'm definitely not rich!  ;-)