The Great Bacon Workout (Bacon and Tomato Cups)

I told my husband that I was going to go work out.  I changed into my yoga attire and here I sit.  Procrastinating.  I really do need to add a little cardio in today, to offset the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (...I devoured only like 2 hours ago, and still could totally eat another one...) I had.  Eating the bacon and talking about the bacon are always more fun than working off the bacon.

You may have heard that Bacon is great at fueling the body for a high intensity workout, but did you know that it was not so good for you after a workout?  Mens Fitness did a article on what to not eat after a workout, and our porky protein was regarded as a no-no.  Check out the full article here.

 Want to hear the nerd view on all that is bacon?  Check out the The Definitive Guide to Bacon

I whipped this week's recipe up after work, on my way to dinner at a friend's house.  They were super easy and for the most part, everyone loved them.  I'll be making them again in the future!

Bacon and Tomato Cups
Ingredients
(Recipe makes 30 mini muffins)
8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/5 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl; add chopped tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese and basil.
  
Separate biscuits into halves horizontally, and then half again, so you have 4 per biscuit.  Roll each piece into a ball, and then flatten into a small circle. Place each circle into prepared mini muffin pan. Fill each biscuit tin with the bacon mixture.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy.

Bacon Flip Flops (Bacon and Cream Chees Stiffed Mushrooms)

Coming off of Vacation mode is hard.  I'm thankful for the time I had off (mainly doing things around the house) and for all the extra time I got to spend with bacon, uh, I mean my family!  I spent the time off experimenting.  Delicious experiments!

While perusing the webs today I found not one,not two, not five, but over a dozen different bacon-themed flip flops.  Why shouldn't your little piggies be sporting piggies themselves?  Here's my top five favorites:

 

 With epic snack making abilities, comes epic responsibilities.  Like always making sure you have awesomely fresh ingredients on hand.  This recipe is simple and quick.  And delicious!  And it used 3 ingredients.  Seriously, can this get any easier?

Bacon and Cream Cheese Suffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
1/2 lb bacon
15-20 large mushrooms (I used button mushrooms)
8 oz cream cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook bacon in a pan or in the oven and remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Cool and crumble.

Remove stems from mushrooms and mince.

Mix bacon, mushroom stems, and cream cheese.

Place mushrooms caps on baking pan covered with aluminum foil and fill with cream cheese mixture. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Beer Bacon Boob Festival (Mississippi Sin Dip)

 Looking for a bacon gift? Here's 9 new products you might not know about...check it out.

Looking for something to do on August 2, 2014?  Are you in the Buffalo/Rochester area?  This is what I'll be up to this year...The Third Annual Beer Bacon Boobs Festival.  Tasting of local microbreweries, and food truck upon food truck offering bacon delicacies!

I really love this time of year.   With the exception of the heat and humidity, the long summer days are the best.  And the food...anything grilled is preferred.  What isn't preferred is a cold.  In the middle of summer.  It's just wrong.  On every level.  After a week of being under the weather I can finally get on and post about this awesomely devoured dip I made for a fourth of July party I had.  It's call Mississippi Sin Dip, and even cold, it was being eaten.  There weren't any leftovers...now that's a recipe!

Mississippi Sin Dip
Ingredients
16oz sour cream

8oz cream cheese, softened

2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt

pepper

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.  Place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Place bacon on cooling rack.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Once completely cooled, chop the bacon and set aside.  

 

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until well blended.  Spoon mixture into a pie pan or small casserole dish, cover in foil.

Bake dip at 350° degrees for 1 hour. Serve with bread cubes, crackers, or chips.