Bacon Turtles

These are too funny!
Bacon Burger Turtles 

Bourbon Chex Mix

BOURBON CHEX MIX

1 bag (15 oz) Chex Mix® traditional snack mix

1 cup pecan halves

1/2 lb bacon (6 to 8 slices), crisply cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons bourbon

3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Heat oven to 300°F. Line two 15x10x1-inch pans with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix snack mix, pecans and bacon. Set aside.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Cool 2 minutes. Carefully stir in bourbon and chipotle chili powder. Pour over snack mixture; toss until evenly coated.

Spread snack mixture on pans. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, to caramelize mixture. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Break into pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.

Chili's Monterey Chicken

1 boneless skinless Chicken Breast
2 tsp. Barbeque sauce

2 slices of well crisped Bacon

1/4 cup mixture of Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Pound chicken breast until it is somewhat flattened, and season with salt and pepper. Spray Pam in a nonstick skillet, and cook chicken breast until it is done. Transfer to a serving plate. Top chicken breast with Barbeque sauce, bacon, and cheese. Broil chicken breast in the oven, or melt the cheese in a microwave. Sprinkle with a small amount of cold chopped tomatoes and chives.

Trieste-Style Sauerkraut and Bean Soup (Jota)

Another Great one from Huffington Post

This hearty soup, whose name is also spelled jote, iota, and yota, is enormously popular in and around Trieste. In restaurants, the meat that has been simmered in the soup is usually lifted out before the soup is served and offered later as a separate course. At home, it's more typically removed from the bone and mixed into the soup. Suban, which makes jota with pancetta in place of other cuts of pork, also leaves the meat in the soup. We adapted this recipe from La Cucina di Lidia (Doubleday, 1990) by Lidia Bastianich and Jay Jacobs.


1/2 lb. dried borlotti beans or kidney beans

2 smoked ham hocks

1 lb. pork ribs

2 bay leaves

1/4 lb. (4 strips) bacon, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 lbs. sauerkraut, drained

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put beans into a large heavy-bottomed pot, cover with cold water by at least 3", and set aside to soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain beans in a colander, then rinse and drain again. Return beans to pot, add ham hocks, pork ribs, bay leaves, and 12 cups cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.

2. Meanwhile, mince bacon and garlic together with a sharp kitchen knife until they form a smooth paste, then add to pot with beans. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until beans are just soft, about 1 hour.

3. Rinse sauerkraut thoroughly in a large bowl of cold water, then drain in a colander and rinse again. Drain sauerkraut and add to pot with beans. Add potatoes to pot and continue simmering, partially covered, until potatoes are soft when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a large bowl and coarsely mash with back of spoon. Return mashed potatoes to pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Partially cover pot and continue simmering soup, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20–30 minutes more. Pick meat off bones, discarding skin and bones, and add meat to soup, if you like. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Fresh Broccoli Salad

2 heads fresh broccoli - washed, cut into bite sized pieces
1 red onion - chopped to desired size
1/2 pound bacon – fried crisp, cooled and crumbled
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds or your favorite nuts (walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.)

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar


Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.

Hot Bacon Spread

1 (1 pound) loaf unsliced round Italian bread
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped onion
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 garlic clove, minced

Cut top fourth off loaf of bread; carefully hollow out bottom, leaving 1-in. walls. Cube removed bread and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients; spoon into bread bowl. Replace top. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until heated through. Serve with reserved bread cubes.

Bacon Bacon Spread

1 pound sliced bacon
3 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
4 large green onions, sliced (optional)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels, let cool and crumble.

Mix together the crumbled bacon, Cheddar cheese, green onions, and mayonnaise. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Perfect on breads such as pumpernickel, rye, sourdough, or on various flavors and types of crackers.

Adapting Standard Recipe's to a Crock Pot

Here are some suggestions for best results when taking a standard recipe and using it in a crock pot.

• Remember that liquids do not cook away like they would if on the cook top. Use half the amount of liquids called for in the standard recipe. Also, add liquids last, after meat or vegetables have been placed in the cooker.
• It is not necessary to brown larger pieces of meat unless you need to cook off some of the grease before adding the remaining ingredients. For example, browning ground beef, sausage or bacon first and draining the fat is recommended.
• Milk, cream and sour cream should be added during the last hour of cooking to prevent curdling.
• Do not remove the lid except to add ingredients. It takes up to 20 minutes for the heat to build back up to the proper temperature.
• Spices intensify during long cooking times so use half the amount and add during the last hour of cooking.
• To thicken sauces after cooking the meat, you can add quick-cooking tapioca or a paste made of flour or cornstarch and water and cook on HIGH an additional uncovered 10 minutes.
• Most vegetables should be thinly sliced or placed near the sides or bottom of the cooker. They cook slower than meats.
• Cut whole chickens and any meats in half that are over 2 lbs to be sure they cook thoroughly.
• For safety, always cook meat and poultry dishes on HIGH the first hour to speed up the time it gets to get to a safe cooking temperature for meats. Then reduce to LOW for the remainder of the cooking time.

The Original Devonshire Sandwich

Cream Sauce:
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
1 pint chicken broth
1 pint hot milk
1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in deep pan and add flour, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and then hot milk, stirring all the while. Add cheese and salt. Bring to boil, then cook slowly for 20 minutes, still stirring. Cool to lukewarm. Beat with wire whip until smooth before using. This makes enough sauce for 6 Devonshire sandwiches.

For each sandwich:
1 slice toast, crusts trimmed off
3 slices crisp bacon
5 thin slices cooked turkey breast

Cream Sauce, recipe above

Melted butter
Parmesan cheese and paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In each flat, individual oven-proof casserole dish, place 1 slice of toast and top with 3 slices bacon. Add 5 thin slices of cooked turkey breast. Cover completely with cream sauce. Sprinkle with a little melted butter, then with the combined Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Wrap It Up!

Gotta love soft tortilla shells for wrapping up a quick snack or meal.

You can pretty much wrap anything in these versitile shells. They come in 8" and approximatly 10" sizes.

Once you have placed your filling on the center, fold up one side about 1/8 of the way, this is the 'bottom', then roll from the side and voila! You have a wrap.

Some ideas of what to wrap:

~ Hot white chicken breast (cooked), drizzle ranch dressing and grated
cheese, 2-3 slices crispy bacon and wrap.

~ Any favorite chicken or tuna salad normally in a sandwich, spread on the
tortilla, fold and roll.

~ Peanut butter and Jelly for the kids!

~ Pizza wrap - 3 T pizza sauce, small handful of grated cheese, 6 pepperoni
slices. Fold end and roll. Microwave for 20 seconds or until hot. Do not over
heat as the edges will dry out.

~ Sprinkle grated cheese on the tortilla, spread on hot freshly scrambled
eggs, add chopped ham or crumbled cooked bacon and fold and roll.

~ Smores Wrap - Spread a thin layer of chocolate syrup or sauce on the
center, about 2" from the edges, sprinkle mini marshmallows and 1/8 cup crushed
graham crackers, fold and roll.

See what I mean? There are endless possibilities with a flour tortilla
shell! Let your imagination go wild!

If you have any other idea's for wraps please leave me comments with your ideas!