This week has been a rollercoaster.
Is it really only Wednesday?
You guys know I’ve been fired up about this election fiasco. I can’t sit idly by.
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Sweet Potato & Spinach Breakfast Hash [Recipe]
Sweet or savory breakfasts?
I’m forever caught in the dilemma.
I know several people who eat the same thing every morning – oatmeal, eggs, fruit. I just can’t do it. Breakfast is my favorite time to get strange. Thank god it’s usually good, because I can get HANGRY in the morning.
Today’s Sweet Potato and Spinach Hash may not be terribly strange, other than the fact that it could be a dinner side were it not for the egg. It came together out of my usual end of the week “use all the random leftover things.”
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Cornbread Waffle Breakfast Sandwich [Recipe]
This Cornbread Waffle Sandwich uses cornbread as a healthy “bread” for a cheesy egg and bacon breakfast sandwich. The perfect customizable breakfast for a crowd!
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Asian Lentil Salad & Salmon [Recipe] + WIAW
I’m large and in charge!
Vegas is out of town – watch out.
That’s right. I’m without supervision this week. Not just because Vegas is gone though – I’m also hosting Jen’s What I Ate Wednesday!
And I made myself bacon.
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Bacon Dijon Deviled Eggs [Recipe]
These Bacon Dijon Deviled Eggs are nearly perfect thanks to 3 tips from an old elderly Southern lady. You know that has to make them good!
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Kabocha Bacon Drop Biscuits [Recipe]
Kabocha and bacon are two of my favorite things.
Vegas and chocolate are also on that list.
Speaking of Vegas, these were Vegas-approved! I always consider that an accomplishment – my pasta-loving lady gives me the side-eye if I try to get *too* healthy on her. However, She can always be won over with bacon.
These muffins were inspired by the bacon grease I had leftover from breakfast at this past weekend. I always save it for cooking; you can use it in place of butter to grease a pan. It may sound strange, but why not use bacon grease in place of butter in baked goods too? It really is good!
Dropped and ready to bake!
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Brinner of Champions
I’m a sweet and salty girl.
Literally and figuratively.
A bacon and peanut butter combo may sound strange to you, but they are are soul mates in my book. Unfortunately those two alone do not a dinner make. I came home after a beer or two with my boss in need of treat-tooth satisfaction. Bacon and peanut flour* sauce were an obvious choice, but I needed protein and carbs.
*I order my peanut flour from iHerb. It’s my favorite because there are NO additives – just de-fatted peanuts. Use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!
Brinner is the best of treats. All the sweet and savory you can eat! I put my bacon in a pan to cook up slow and crispy while I prepped the rest.
The prep was easy. I stuck my cocoa-cayenne-cinnamon kabocha under the broiler to bake while I mixed up the peanut flour sauce. Next I whisked the eggs with maple extract. Then I changed a light bulb… and by that time the bacon was done. I reserved the grease for a later TBD use and cooked the eggs in the pan with the salty bacon remnants.
Are you disgusted yet? I’m not. I layered it on a plate, crumbled my bacon like sprinkles, and topped it off with shredded coconut. There weren’t real measurements, just a pile-on of satisfaction.
It was the Brinner of Champions. I was disgusted that it had to end.
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Brinner of Champions*
- Bacon
- Cocoa Roasted Kabocha
- Peanut Flour Sauce
- Egg whites
- 1/4 tsp maple extract (can use vanilla or maple syrup)
- Coconut shreds (optional)
Cook bacon over medium heat. Be patient – the slower you cook it, the crispier it gets! Meanwhile, prep the kabocha, mix peanut sauce, and whisk eggs with maple extract.
Plate the eggs, top with kabocha, bacon, peanut sauce, and coconut flakes. Devour.
*There are no measurements to this. Make as much bacon and eggs as you’re hungry for!
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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
If you’re not a blogger, you can still share your recipes on Instagram with the #strangebutgood hashtag.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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I’m co-hosting a challenge with Heather for the month of July! Stay tuned for details next week… there are going to be some awesome prizes from a few of our favorite brands. Get excited, y’all. 😉 #movehappy
Do you like a sweet or savory brinner? I clearly like a combo.
What is your Brinner of Champions?
Strange But Good: Whiskey Bacon Brownies
Strange is the new normal.
It is with my dessert-making, anyway.
For some reason I can’t get enough whiskey and bacon in my desserts this season. If you choose a spirit laced with notes of caramel and vanilla, it perfectly compliments a sweet dish. It also is strangely good with bacon. Sweet and salty, ftw!
These brownies are of the fudgy variety. I do love a cake-like brownie, but the richness of my add-ins called for a decadent dense chocolate background.
Even if you don’t do bacon or booze, these would be an incredible dessert. The cocoa powder gives them a deep flavor, and makes them no quite as tooth-achingly sweet as morsels would. Each bite is thick, rich experience. Just how I like my dates.
Bonus: If you make extra bacon and reserve the fat when cooking, you’re well on your way to making a Whiskey-bacon Apple Pie.
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Whiskey Bacon Brownies
- 1 stick (1/2 C) salted butter
- 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
- 1 C (200g) sugar
- 1/2 C (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 C plus 2 T (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 C (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 C + 1 T good-quality whiskey (I used Balcones Baby Blue)
- 1/2 lb sliced bacon
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9 x 13” pan.
In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the sugars and apple sauce, stirring until fully incorporated. Remove the pot from the heat, then quickly whisk in the eggs (work fast so they don’t become scrambled egg brownies). Whisk in vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring just until incorporated.
Stir in 1/4 C of the whiskey then pour the batter into baking pan. Bang the pan on the counter a couple of times to release some of the air bubbles.
Bake for 20-25 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of your brownies comes out clean. Brush the top with remaining 1T of whiskey (this is optional, but really brings out the whiskey flavor).
Allow the brownies to cool slightly before cutting.
________________________________________________________________________________________
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
***
A word of advice: make these fresh and get them out of the house ASAP. I couldn’t be trusted with them alone!
Do you bake with booze? How about bacon?
What’s your favorite #strangebutgood baking add-in?
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