(Sugar and) Spice

I love to play with spices in the kitchen. My first experiment took place when I was rather young. I was making scrambled eggs, but I wanted them to be "interesting." So I added some ingredients of my own. . .namely cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and some other things I don't remember. Needless to say, they didn't turn out so well.
Thankfully, I learned a few things and I generally have better luck now (not that "better luck" means much when the comparison is Cinnamon Scrambled Eggs). Last week, I was making chili for dinner. I had everything in the pan except the chili powder when I suddenly realized I was out of chili powder. Oops. So, I made my own.
Cookbooks don't have recipes for chili powder. At least, mine don't. Fortunately, I remembered running out half-way through the measuring process last time I made chili, and I had added a few individual spices that were listed on the bottle's ingredient list. Here's my recipe:

Alicia's Chili Powder

1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (plus a smidge)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

This goes with 1/2 pound of ground beef (cooked with onion and bell pepper), 1 can of diced tomatoes, and 1 can drained kidney beans. . .obviously, a two-person dinner. I may have thrown in some salt, too. . .but I never measure that. It seems that I may remember throwing in a spoonful of brown sugar. . .but that might very well be my imagination.
In hindsight, I recommend cutting the cumin in half. It was a little strong. Also, if you don't want spicy chili, cut the cayenne pepper. . .at least in half.
Tip: Serve hot.
Another tip: top chili with slices of fresh avocado, sour cream, and grated cheddar. This only works if those eating like avocado and sour cream, unfortunately.