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Snacks

Million Dollar Bacon

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million dollar baconLast night was a difficult one for me because Little Buddy woke up every two hours to eat, so I’m exhausted. Wonderful Mr. Handsome came to my rescue to write a blog post. It’s a recipe that he absolutely loves, as do all the people we have made it for. Here is his post and recipe…

If you’re looking for a treat that is easy to prepare but will make you look sophisticated and hip to your friends, look no further than Million Dollar Bacon. It’s all the rage in San Francisco among millennials. People pay seven dollars for two pieces! I can personally vouch for the fact that if you bring this in to your office, your co-workers will love you. It is unique, so you can take it to any party without having to worry about someone else bringing the same thing. This recipe even passes the mother-in-law test (my mother-in-law likes it).

So what is Million Dollar Bacon? It’s basically candied bacon with a kick. When you think of eating bacon with brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper you wouldn’t think it sounds like a good idea. But once you take a bite, you’ll understand what all the hype is about. The best part is that it’s very easy to make. And while it tastes like a million bucks, the ingredients don’t cost nearly that much.

5 from 1 vote
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Million Dollar Bacon

Ingredients

  • Thick cut bacon
  • Brown sugar
  • Maple syrup
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Paprika

Instructions

  1. Line a cookie sheet (one with a lip around the edges) with aluminum foil. This is to catch the bacon grease as it cooks. A completely flat cookie sheet will not work unless you enjoy cleaning bacon grease off the bottom of your oven.

  2. Place the bacon on a cookie drying rack, and place the drying rack on top of the lined cookie sheet.

  3. Sprinkle cayenne pepper and paprika on the bacon, to taste. If you want spicy bacon, use a lot. If not, use just a little.

  4. Rub brown sugar on the bacon.

  5. Flip the bacon and again add cayenne pepper, paprika, and brown sugar.

  6. Place the bacon in the oven and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes (until the majority of the fat has melted away and the bacon is browned). Flip the bacon halfway through to make sure both sides cook evenly.

  7. Remove the bacon and let cool for 10 minutes. Then place on wax paper to let it fully cool.

  8. The bacon can be eaten hot or cold and is delicious either way. It must be refrigerated and will last for up to a week.

  9. Before you serve it, drizzle a little maple syrup on top.

Recipe Notes

Most bacon that says thick cut is really not. You want bacon that is about ¼ inch thick. If you can find a meat store that cuts fresh bacon, you could even ask them to make it 1/2 inch thick. I use thick bacon from Walmart (Great Value Naturally Hickory Smoked Original Bacon, 48 ounce package) although I am sure there are much better quality places you could get bacon that is nitrate-free.

Soft Pretzels

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homemade soft pretzels recipeHave you ever tried Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels? Mr. Handsome is a huge fan. They have different flavors, but his favorites are the plain pretzels dipped in cheese sauce and the cinnamon sugar pretzels. With Super Bowl coming up in just a few days, I know that folks will be looking for tasty snacks to serve at their Super Bowl parties. If you’re searching for something delicious and unique that isn’t loaded with sugar, give these soft pretzels a try. Mr. Handsome thinks they taste similar to Auntie Anne’s. Below are my recipes for pretzels and cheese sauce.

I also want to announce that I now have an Instagram page! Follow me @NashvilleWife.com.

5 from 10 votes
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Soft Pretzels


Course Snack
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes
Servings 12 pretzels

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar, not packed
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour I use King Arthur's
  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1.5 tsp regular table salt
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 Tbsp baking soda
  • coarse salt

Instructions

  1. In a heat-proof bowl, warm milk in microwave until approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius). I use my instant read digital meat thermometer to check the temperature.

  2. Evenly sprinkle yeast over hot milk. Let stand 5 minutes, and add sugar and 2 cups flour. Mix in melted butter.

  3. Stir in salt and 2.5 cups flour. Knead dough by hand or use an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Kneading is done when dough feels slightly sticky but no longer sticks to the bowl. Add additional flour if necessary.

  4. Grease bowl, and form dough into a ball. Place dough ball in bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm oven until doubled in size.

  5. When dough has finished rising, punch it down to remove air pockets. Use your hands to roll out 12 dough "snakes." Form into pretzels.

  6. Place warm water into a clean bowl. Stir in baking soda until dissolved.

  7. Dip pretzels one by one into baking soda water. Allow excess water to drip off before arranging pretzels on greased cookie sheets.

  8. Sprinkle coarse salt over pretzels.

  9. Bake at 450 Fahrenheit for approximately 11 minutes (until pretzels begin to turn golden brown).

 

5 from 10 votes
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Cheese Sauce

Delicious with homemade soft pretzels

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk, 2%
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add flour, and whisk for 15 seconds.

  2. Add milk, whisking constantly on low heat until smooth and starting to thicken (approximately 3 minutes).

  3. Add cheese, shredded or in small chunks. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Stir in paprika and garlic powder.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn Recipe

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Our Bible study friends make the most delicious treats! Last week, one of them brought a big bowl of cinnamon-sugar popcorn that was so wonderful I just had to ask how she made it.

The recipe is incredibly simple. In fact, it’s too short to even be called a recipe. Just make a bowl of popcorn–click here for my healthy “microwave” popcorn tutorial–and drizzle on as much melted butter as your heart desires. (I use a mixture of melted butter and melted coconut oil.)

Immediately after adding the butter, sprinkle the following three ingredients onto the popcorn:

Cinnamon
Powdered sugar
Dehydrated cane sugar (like Sucanat or Rapadura)

How much you add is entirely based on personal preference. Be sure to stir the popcorn to make sure that each piece is coated well.

Shout-out to my friend who made this recipe for our group. Mr. Handsome and I sure do appreciate all your tasty treats!

Homemade Applesauce

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The downside of being married to a dentist is that everyone wants to have their teeth cleaned on Saturday mornings, so my husband works two Saturdays a month.While cleaning the kitchen this morning, I noticed several apples that were on the verge of rotting (kind of like the teeth my husband works on.) Well, when life gives you apples, why not make applesauce? So that’s what I did! Instead of looking up a recipe online, I decided to experiment.

Now I just need some pork chops to go with my applesauce! (Any Brady Bunch fans out there?)

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Ingredients

  • 7 apples
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp cinnamon optional

Instructions

  1. Peel and chop apples, and add to microwave-proof container (ie Corningware). Add 1/2 cup of water, and microwave until apples are softened (approximately 4 minutes).

  2. Attach food grinter attachment to KitchenAid mixer. Add softened apple chunks to the grinder.

  3. When grinding is done, add 2 tsp of cinnamon to the applesauce.

Recipe Notes

For those who don’t have a stand-up mixer, be sure to sufficiently soften your apples in the microwave, and then use a potato masher to reach the desired consistency.

Healthy ‘Microwave’ Popcorn

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healthy microwave popcornPopcorn is my favorite evening snack, and I have experimented with several ways of preparing it, including popcorn makers, campfire popcorn pans, and various brands of microwave popcorn.I have even tried cooking it over the stove in a skillet, which my family coined the “Little House on the Prairie method.” Those techniques yielded edible popcorn but still left me in search of the perfect way to prepare my favorite snack.

One evening about ten years ago, my mom announced that she was going to make popcorn. When I asked how she planned to pop it, she told me that she had found a new method online. I was curious but skeptical.

The popcorn my mom made that night turned out to be the best I had ever tasted. I just have to share the recipe with you all.

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Healthy "Microwave" Popcorn

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Popcorn kernels
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut oil
  • Large glass microwave safe bowl
  • Salt and melted butter to taste

Instructions

  1. Using a spoon, mix the popcorn kernels and coconut oil in a large glass bowl that is micorwave safe until every kernel is coated in oil.

  2. Put the bowl in the microwave, cover (I use an ordinary microwave cover), and cook for 3-5 minutes (until the kernels pop about two seconds apart). Add melted butter and salt to taste.