Candied Bacon

Yet another post about bacon. There are some peanuts in there for a little variation. I had some friends over the other weekend for dinner and my friend Joel brought candied bacon and peanuts. It was delicious. I know I've said it before but is there anything bacon can't do?

As a complete aside, I need to brag about my afternoon. I haven't had much babysitting lately so I've been feeling a little burned out on the parenting side. Nothing to worry about, it's just that I haven't been as fresh as I could be in that department. My mom took my girls and the dog out, and Jess was downtown. I had a list of chores to do but decided to first lie down on my couch and enjoy a silent house for a few minutes. I think you know where this is going...I had a nap! Holy cow it's been a long time. It was awesome!

Perhaps even better than the candied bacon.

Candied Bacon and Peanuts

When I asked Joel how he pulled off his bacon delight, this was his response. It was concise and to the point, kind of like bacon itself. Rumour has it that Joel is part man, part bacon.

Just kinda winged it.

THICK (old fashioned) bacon from Loblaws in toaster oven for about 20 minutes at 350 meanwhile melted brown sugar in a pot and added some maple syrup. Finished the bacon in the pot - just a minute. Took em out and threw a bunch of peanuts on lower heat for about 3 minutes. Chop bacon, mix and cool in fridge.

Employment

I have not been gainfully employed for some time now. I know, I know I've been doing very important work here at home. That ain't gonna buy me a new pair of shoes now is it? It's coming up to 7 years at home. What skills could I possibly have left? Well I do rock at multitasking and have excellent customer service skills. What more do I need? That should get me several high paying gigs. Oh I forgot to mention I am very good at slack-assing, dog walking, choosing fun over chores, and jumping in the car with the kids for impromptu road trips.

I wish I was one of those people who honed a skill for a decade before staying home. Then I'd at least have something to fall back on. I'll be starting from scratch. So if you know the perfect job for me, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. And if you are hiring, please replace slack-assing with ass slapping when you read above. I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me.

Lemon Rosemary Potatoes

In this gluten free world I'm living in, I am trying to find some love for the potato. I think I've found a little here.

20 new potatoes
1/4 cup of butter (or more if you love your butter)
the juice of two lemons
2 sprigs of rosemary
sea salt and fresh pepper

Boil your potatoes until tender. While potatoes are cooking, melt your butter in a pan. Add rosemary until it softens a little. This should only take a few minutes. When potatoes are cooked, drain them and toss them in a bowl with the rosemary butter. Add salt and pepper and pour on lemon juice. Toss again and serve warm.

Please Accept my Ravioli

It's been pointed out to me that I've been, well, a little absent as of late. I'm still interested, but it's complicated. It's not you, it's me. Maybe we should just be friends. Oh forget everything I've just said. I could never break up with you. I've got a long list of of perfectly good reasons why my blog has been on the back burner. If you have had a good amount of whining in your day, you may want to skip this post.

Here we go and it's not in order of importance. Jess is on a dairy, sugar, gluten and booze free diet (a.k.a. the no fun diet) that has put a dent in my love of cooking; we got a dog; the laundry keeps piling up; I had to paint my toenails; Easter; I hosted my mom's birthday; I'm always tired and I don't have Mono; I discovered Boardwalk Empire; I haven't talked to Heather in like forever; chocolate comas; I am now watching Shameless; I'm trying to start a new business; Jess was away for two weekends in a row; I still have three kids.

Really it's a wonder I get anything done. So please change your inner voice from saying "Holy cow she hasn't posted in so long" to "Gee that was worth waiting for", then we will all get along better. We don't need to break up, we can still be part time lovers. That last sentence must be read to the tune of "Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder.

Butternut and Apple Ravioli

1 butternut squash, roasted
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated
Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups of all purpose flour
5 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
juice of 2 lemons
4 - 8 slices of cooked bacon, diced
fresh basil, chopped (optional)

Put flour in a bowl, beat eggs and add to bowl along with salt. Use your hands to mix and form dough. If the dough isn't smooth enough add a little water, only a teaspoon at a time. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes and then let rest covered in the bowl for 20 minutes.
Take about a golf ball size of dough from the mound. Flatten it and roll it out with as little flour as possible. Try and roll it as thin as possible. Repeat until all your dough is rolled out. Use a cookie cutter or a water glass to cut out your pasta shapes. Place a teaspoon of squash, salt and pepper, and a dab of apple in the center of half your pasta shapes.
In a separate bowl, beat an egg. With your finger, spread a little of this egg on the outside of of each filled pasta. Place the top pasta on the filled pasta and press gently but firmly on the edge to seal the ravioli.
Sauce
Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Add lemon juice, bacon and salt and pepper.

Place ravioli in boiling water for 4-5 minutes before tossing in sauce. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Deep Fried.

Yes, that's me. It was Saturday night and we had just finished a delicious dinner at our friend's house. Then out came the deep fried Snicker's bars. They were good. It was hard to deny that fact. I hear they were all the rage in the States a few years ago. That doesn't surprise me. Americans aren't known for their highly nutritious diets.

Jess has been negotiating with me for years to get a deep fryer. Although we'd be able to produce tasty nuggets of greasy goodness for our friends, in my heart of hearts, I know we are not the type that should own such an appliance. Oh sure, we'd promise to to treat him right but it would just be empty words. We would feed him all the right foods, clean him regularly and make him feel as worthy as our other appliances. He'd even feel as good as our self righteous juicer. He would stand proud next to our toaster over and hand blender, convinced that his job was as important as theirs. He would be like our adoptive son that never knew he had another set of parents out in the world.

The abuse would begin slowly. At first it would be just small bits of food that we'd experiment with, just to see how they would sizzle. Maybe move up to frying a whole carrot. Then we'd start stealing the kid's candy from Halloween to fry up for a treat. You all know how this is going to end. Let's say it together. "Deep Fried Turkey For Christmas". I can't live like this.

But for now we are safe. But the weather is warming and and you know what that means. Jess will start asking for an ice cream maker.

Deep Fried Snicker's Bars

8 Snicker's bars
8-12 cups of vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp of white vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Place Snicker's bars in freezer for at least two hours or until frozen solid. Heat oil in heavy saucepan until it is 3 inches deep over medium high heat. Use an oil thermometer to ensure the oil reaches a temperature of 375.
Place 1/2 cup of flour aside. In a bowl combine the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients. Combine both bowls to make the batter.
Once Snicker's bars are frozen dredge in flour and then immerse in batter. Gently place bar in heated oil. Once it has reached a golden brown colour, remove with slotted spoon and place on a plate with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Let them cool slightly before serving.

Moderation

Moderation is not my strong point. I'm a true believer that if you buy pint of ice cream, you should eat that pint. Why delay the inevitable? It's all going to the same place. You are simply being more efficient if you eat it all now. Am I right here or what?

I remember listening to Howard Stern one morning talking about how much he loves almonds. Each day he would count out 12 almonds to eat for that day. He never ate more that than. How can a man so lacking in boundaries be able to tame his love of almonds everyday? I'll telling you, the world is a baffling place.

My weekend consisted of not enough moderation. This seems to seep into my daily life as well. I feel the need to curb some of my indulgences. I know I'm worth it, but I'm not sure my body and mind are thanking me for my lack of discipline. Perhaps April is my month to restrict such loves as cheese, chocolate and dare I say, wine. I need more sleep, so maybe less outings and more early bedtimes. I also need more exercise. April sure is starting to sound like a drag.

I recently got introduced to a very tasty kale salad. I'm not claiming that this is exciting news, it's simply a fact. I have no problem eating kale in moderation. Why is that? April is my month to change such discrepancies, and I'm starting with the recipe below.

Kale Salad with Pecorino Cheese and Lemon

1 large bunch of kale, washed and trimmed of stems
4 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated
2 lemons juiced
Handful of tamari almonds, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Slice deveined kale into thin ribbons. Toss the shaved kale with teh cheese in large bowl.
Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together and pour over salad. Season with salt and pepper. Let salad sit at room temperature for an hour before serving. Sprinkle with almonds before eating.

Unpretentious

Jesse and I found ourselves without plans last Saturday night. I was suppose to be away at a resort in Ontario. Every winter my friend and I book a place and take off for the week with the kids. It's usually affordable and it allows us to have a week away from the grind and some good friend time. It is also lovely to have a destination that doesn't make us feel left behind by all those who are flying South for some sunshine.

This vacation didn't work out so well. Within the first 3 days three of us had thrown up. The flu was upon us and I hightailed it out of there before my kids were bedridden with the worst.

So we found ourselves with a free Saturday night. We were all in good health so it only made sense that we should entertain. Jess had one stipulation. He would cook and it wouldn't be anything fancy. I tend to get excited at the prospect of cooking something interesting for friends and sometimes I go a little overboard. Luckily Jess is a good cook so I let him take over. Phone calls were made and guests arrived. It was meatloaf and mash potatoes for everyone and we all loved it. I didn't even get a chance to take a proper photograph before it was all gone.

There is something to be said about a simple meal. There is more to be said about sharing it with friends. It's one of my favorite things to do and I plan to do it with more simplicity in the future. Unless I'm feeling a little fancy.

Jesse has gone gluten free so most of our recipes are modified to accommodate this. This one is more moist than the breadcrumb version and is now our new standard. I hope you like it.

Gluten Free Meatloaf

2 lbs ground steak or lean ground beef
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cooked rice
2 tsp salt
2 onions, finely chopped and sauteed
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer and press into a loaf pan. Bake at 400 C for 30 minutes.