It sounds really fabulous. LOL at your meat story. Why does cooking have to be so complicated?

Do you grind whole spices fairly often? I ask because it's something I wind up doing a few times a month, so my cheapy coffee-grinder has been a really good investment. Probably around $20-$30 these days, and of course I use it only for spices. :) The mortar and pestle just didn't cut it, but I probably have bad technique.