Month: July 2013

because BACON! That’s why!

I’ve been curing and smoking my own bacon (insert yo mama joke here) for quite a few months and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever learned to do in the kitchen.  It’s so good that I’ve totally given up on purchasing bacon from the grocery store.  Here’s the recipe, let me know if you give it a try, I think you’ll be happy that you did.

We’ve been out of bacon for a quite a while, which I don’t mind because we don’t need to eat it everyday.  If it’s in the house it WILL be eaten so it’s best not to have it available all the time.   My people were starting to crave it.  My Mom asked why I didn’t bring any on my last visit and my youngest son has been walking around the house singing the bacon pancake song (yes, that’s a real thing) so I had to get a batch started.  It’s not difficult to make but it is time consuming.  It takes over a week but it’s well worth it.

My latest batch is finally ready and this is what we did with it:

bacon, sliced thick and ready to cook
bacon, sliced thick and ready to cook
tomatoes
tomatoes, shallots and herbs
A plate of thick bacon, ready and waiting
A plate of thick bacon, cooked, ready and waiting
BLT with two kinds of tomatoes because one is not enough
BLT with two kinds of tomatoes because one is not enough
It looks good, doesn't it?  mmmm, yeah it's so delicious
look at it. It looks good, doesn’t it? mmmm, yeah it’s so delicious
Marinated tomato salad with bacon
Marinated tomato salad with bacon

MARINATED TOMATOES

2 Cups of fresh tomatoes chopped into1 inch pieces

1 shallot thinly sliced (2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and let marinate refrigerated for about an hour

 
Bacon kettlecorn with rosemary. Oh yes I did.  A little salty sweet herbal and bacony goodness
Bacon kettle corn with rosemary. Oh yes I did. A little salty sweet herbal and bacony goodness
   

BACON AND ROSEMARY KETTLE CORN

 

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon bacon fat

½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

¼ teaspoon fine salt

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup bacon, finely chopped and cooked until crisp

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped

Use a large heavy bottomed pot with high sides and a lid.  Please be careful.

Add canola oil, bacon fat and three popcorn kernels into the pot ( these three kernels are used to test the heat of your oil), cover and heat over medium/high flame.  When the popcorn kernels start to pop your oil is ready to add the rest of the popcorn kernels, sugar and salt. Cover and shake the pot to keep the kernels from burning, carefully moving the pot off and on the heat.

 

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Food trucks and work outs

Hail Caesar truck at RRFTWeekends
Hail Caesar truck at Roswell River Food Truck Weekends

Here’s a quick photo tour of the kick off of Roswell (GA) River Food Truck Weekends at Don White park.  It was a small round up of trucks with Pressed for Time, Masala Fresh and Hail Caesar.  We ate well and got a little exercise, fun all around.  Don White park is super active with people heading to the river to go kayaking, rafting and all sorts of watery fun.  The family wants to go back next weekend for tubing…we’ll see.

Pressed For Time at Roswell River food truck Weekends
Pressed For Time at Roswell River food truck Weekends
Argentinian Brisket pressed for time
Argentinian Brisket Pressed for Time
Chorizo panini pressed for time
Chorizo panini Pressed for Time
Masala Fresh at RRFTWeekends
Masala Fresh at RRFTWeekends 
kid on a unicycle
kid on a unicycle
Exercise after dining
Exercise after dining
fun on the river
fun on the river
Standing paddle board
Standing paddle board

sand volleyball

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My trip to Tennessee…kinda

suckling pig, before
suckling pig, before

Last night my husband and I took a quick trip to Tennessee…well not really.  We to a trip to the King Plow Art Center to attend an event to promote Tennessee Tourism.  It was a lovely event with LOTS of pork (check the Instagram video), barbecue sauce, cupcakes and moonshine.  There was lots more than that but that’s what I remember.  Oh, and the music was great, check out my Instagram video for a listen.  The hospitality was wonderful and exhibits, like one of Elvis’ Jackets and a belt buckle, were great.

Our family had been contemplating a summer trip to Tennessee and after tasting Muddy’s Bake Shop’s coconut Chess Pie I’d like to go right now.  Super cute Kat Gordon and her equally cute brother Kip brought a huge variety of sweets and everything was delicious. EVERYTHING. Reminiscing about their sweets make me want to drive to Memphis tonight.

I even asked the park ranger promoting tourism of historic Civil War sites if she referred to the Civil War as the “War of Northern Aggression” she smiled and said “No, none of the rangers do”.  That made me smile.

The moonshine was strong and the pulled pork was tender, what more could you ask for?  All in all a good night, check the Pics below:

Welcome to King Plow arts center. Atlanta
Welcome to King Plow arts center. Atlanta
King Plow sculpture
King Plow sculpture
Welcome to Tennessee
Welcome to Tennessee
Wine service to start the party right
Wine service to start the party right
Bites of smoked sausage and cheese
Bites of smoked sausage and cheese
Pulled pork and ribs
Pulled pork and ribs

 

suckling pig, after
suckling pig, after
Warm bread pudding mini mason jars
Warm bread pudding mini mason jars
Kat Gordon from Muddy's Bake Shop and her beautiful dessert display
Kat Gordon from Muddy’s Bake Shop and her beautiful dessert display
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Variety, and veggies, The spice of Life

Small farmer’s markets are popping up all over and I love to drop by and browse the freshness.  I’m so happy to see the wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and other products that you may not find in large chain grocery stores.

Welcome to the Riverside Farmer's market, Roswell GA
Welcome to the Riverside Farmer’s market, Roswell GA
Beautiful bright yellow watermelon
Beautiful bright yellow watermelon
beautiful red beans from the market
beautiful red beans from the market
Chanterelle mushrooms from Dragonfly farms
Chanterelle mushrooms from Dragonfly farms
These cakes from Saint Rita's Cakes were absolutely DELICIOUS! They have a great cream cheese pound cake and the Fudgy chocolate pound cake is to DIE for http://www.stritascakes.com/
These cakes from Saint Rita’s Cakes were absolutely DELICIOUS! They have a great cream cheese pound cake and the Fudgy chocolate pound cake is to DIE for http://www.stritascakes.com/%5B/caption%5D [caption id="attachment_686" align="aligncenter" width="595"]Best bread baking co Best bread baking co
I have never seen red yard long beans before. AMAZING
I have never seen red yard long beans before. AMAZING
David's Garden Products
David’s Garden Products
Zocalo Salsas
Zocalo Salsas
Beautiful farmers market flowers
Beautiful farmers market flowers
And of course sweet Georgia peaches
And of course sweet Georgia peaches

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Waldrep's fresh country sausage
Waldrep’s fresh country sausage
Waldrep's fresh country sausage, cooked and on my plate. DELICIOUS!  Spiced just right
Waldrep’s fresh country sausage, cooked and on my plate. DELICIOUS! Spiced just right
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