java, actually I don't mind the idea of them gradually fading away...I mean, what if I don't like it?

Sophia, ha! Me, I wish I could transplant the hairs on my chin to my eyebrows.

JZ, I haven't had time to read the story yet, but I'm glad it's going along well! Writing is fun.

Go, JZ!

Go JZ go!

I just cheered a friend on who ran the Chinatown Firecracker 5K. Now I'm heading home to contemplate my own lack of exercise.

I cannot understand the huge discrepancies in the ratios between chili powder and ground beef in a variety of crock pot recipes. The one I'm about to put to cook is 2lbs of meat, 1/4 of chili powder. But there are others with 1lb of meat, and 1 tbsp of chili powder (http://busycooks.about.com/od/hotsouprecipes/r/crockpotchili.htm) and I don't feel the other spices are picking up all the slack. I mean, 1/4c is pretty much one standard spice bottle's worth, I'm guessing, since I have just shy of that, but dude--am I going to burn my mouth off? I am going to put half that in for now, since my stomach is delicate.

That is fun stuff JZ!

Generally I use at least tablespoon of chili powder. But I like hot. I will say that less than a teaspoon is absurd. less than that for that much meat and you don't like chili powder. For a supertaster like you, I would use at least a teaspoon of chili powder, and add more to taste after it is done. (That is taste, when done and stir in more if you think it needs it - which according to my very-different-from-yours tastes it will.)

Suzi, hope your kid is home soon! And regarding the fading, it's different for everyone. I think because I'm so fair, the makeup tatt artist gave a light version and that's why it faded (even with the touch up a year later). The person I think I'll be going to next is going to be much more expensive. But she uses a technique where she basically tatts a gazillion single hairs (feather) instead of an entire area like I got before. I'm saving up for it.

ETA: I'd love to be able to skip the make up AND the tatts. But scarring on my left eye area/forehead from a childhood injury means my eyebrows don't grow in at all for a full half on my left side.

I like chili powder.

In fact, I have erinaceous' Guinness chocolate chili reheating on the stove right now and it's pretty fucking great. Will go well with our four inches of snow we got last night/this morning.

I am still gearing myself up to go outside and shovel the steps and thaw the birdbath. They still have seed, so I haven't been in a rush, but I probably need to do it sooner than later. Also there's packages for me in the car.

Our weekend storm turned out to be rain with periods of slush, so that's fun.

1/4 C of chili powder sounds like a lot, but it's only 4 tablespoons, so that's only double the 1T/lb recipe, which is still a significant increase but maybe not too much. Depends on the chili powder, too, some brands/sources are hotter than others. I am still using the stuff my sister brought home from South Africa 20 years ago, and even with all that passage of time it's still hotter than anything I buy at the supermarket (she brought home like a pound or something, my mom keeps the bulk of it and I refill my chili powder jar from her. Sometimes there isn't time for that and I have to make do with whatever is on the shelf).

All that said, I have no idea what proportions I use. I'm not sure I'm consistent, for one thing, and I haven't made chili in a while. And I don't think I've ever made it in the crockpot, if that makes a difference.