Bacon Makes Everything Taste Better...

...practically! Who doesn't agree? And if you don't, you're crazy!

The very words bacon jam bring two reactions. Either sheer delight or sheer disgust. Hey, don't knock it until you try it! This would be wonderful on a warm biscuit or a piece of buttered toast or even a juicy burger. The below recipe is doubled because since it takes quite a bit of time it's best to get your times worth.

Bacon Jam

Yields 5 Cup

3 pounds of slice bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (this doesn't have to be the top quality thick sliced bacon, in fact the cheaper stuff is great for this because it's usually sliced really thin)
4 medium yellow onions, diced small
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled (I use the jarred chopped garlic)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cup brewed black coffee

I used my electric frying pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned (about 20 minutes, and I had to do this in batches since I doubled the recipe. That's right...three pounds of love!). With a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Save the rest in a jar in the fridge. Bacon fat is delicious in all sorts of things!

In the skillet add the onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent (about 6 minutes). Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and black coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping all of the brown bits (about 2 minutes). Add bacon and stir to combine and slowly simmer on low (simmer setting) in the pan for 1 hour. The slow simmering intensifies the flavor. There will be quite a bit of juice leftover after simmering. Turn up heat and simmer at medium heat until the juice has reduced to a nice syrup.

Shut off heat and put mixture into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Your mixture will have a jam texture. I then put the jam back into the pan on warm setting and added 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar. After tasting the jam it was nice and sweet and the extra added cider gives it a bit of a zing.

I heated up water, sterilized my half pint jars, lids, rings, and all utensils then I brought my water bath to a boil. Putting the mixture back in the pan kept it warm. You want warm jam to put into the warm sterile jars. I filled to the threads (you need head-space) and put on the sterile lids (boiled these in a separate pan...that's what my Mom always did) and screwed on a ring until finger tight.

I put my filled jars into the water bath and brought it to a boil. Once it started boiling I timed 11 minutes. Normally at sea level the processing time is only 5 minutes, but I am 6,000 feet above and I had to add a minute processing for each 1,000 feet. It seemed to do the trick since all of my bacon jam jars sealed!

Neato! I wrote out cute labels I had with the name and ingredients. I can't wait to give these as gifts. I think I'm going to have to make another batch. I don't think that 5 jars are enough to give out. I tried some on a little bagel and it was very good and rich. A little will do, but that's all you need to savor the wonderful taste of this delectable jam! Enjoy!

Eggs In a Nest

Well, I'm back in the saddle again...back in the kitchen again and it's time for my version of Iron Chef. Since Dale is gone I really haven't been cooking for myself. I'm sorry to say that I've done a lot of dining out, eating those leftovers or fast food! Gasp! However, I am starting to get back into cooking and being creative with food.

I go through my own personal Iron Chef challenge on occasion. It's a way to clean out my pantry or freezer to make room for newer and fresher food. I don't like pushing that pack of mystery meat clear in the back only to discover it ages later like an ancient woolly Mammoth! So, the cooking begins. When Dale was getting ready to leave we really cut down buying in bulk and we called that "Operation Pantry/Freezer Clean Sweep." Now I will finish the mission.

I love eating special breakfast and I wanted eggs today. I normally eat my health friendly yogurt and Kashi Go-Lean. This mornings comestible (and it really was tasty) comprised of some leftover Potato Oles that Dale and I had when he ordered the Pack 'n Pound at the Taco Johns on Fort Carson. This meal comprised of 6 tacos and a pound of Potato Oles. We had a bunch of the potato rounds leftover. So they sat in the fridge and we didn't eat them and then I popped them in a bag and into cryogenic suspension waiting...waiting.

Give this a try. It was really good and I think kids would like it because it's fun.

Eggs In a Nest

Serves One

Hashed Brown Potatoes (I used my leftovers, and you can too)
2 Eggs
Crumbled Bacon (I used this bagged stuff I have, but you can use fresh cooked or stuff you prepped a long time ago and froze)
Butter or cooking spray

Heat your pan (I have a small one, but you can use whatever size) on medium and add butter or spray with cooking spray. I used the spray because the Potato Oles are pretty greasy due to their fast food origin. Brown your potatoes in the pan until golden, brown and delicious. When they are ready, turn down the heat a bit and push the spuds to the edges of the pan leaving a hole in the middle, or if you are using a larger pan make a bird nest size. Add a bit more butter or spritz of spray in the middle and crack your eggs in and sprinkle bacon around the edges of the egg. I basted my eggs (put in a little water around the edges and on the yolks and covered with a lid) but you can make them anyway you want. If you want over easy, take the potatoes out and make the eggs and then arrange on the plate. That goes the same for scrambled.

Voila! Slip the nest out onto a warmed plate and enjoy with a slice of buttered toast if you'd like. This is fun and scrumptious. This is a bit like my past post Toad-in-a-Hole breakfast. Although that really isn't Toad-in-a-Hole but I like to call it that.