Bacon

30 Cookout, Grilling, and Party Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

September 2, 2016 by rachelle 10 Comments

30 Cookout, Grilling, and Party Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

We are headed to Hilton Head this weekend for one last beach trip before summer ends – not to worry – the house won’t be vacant. We have a pet sitter coming so the dogs won’t be running amuck and doing water ballet in our living room like in those Farmers Insurance commercials. Hilarious if not in your own house. I thought I’d leave you with a recipe roundup to cover all your cookout, grilling, and party needs for the long weekend. Party on!

APPETIZERS

Stuffed Mushrooms – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Texas Caviar – The Beach House Kitchen

Smoked Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon, Apple, and Brie – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

Baba Ganoush – Cook With Manali

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon + Honey Crostini – Feast and West

Bacon-Wrapped Brats – Spiced Blog (pictured above & photo credit)

SIDES AND SALADS

Bourbon & Brown Sugar Baked Beans with Candied Bacon – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Lime Seasoned Salt -Ciao Chow Bambina

Peach & Chickpea Salad – Girl Heart Food

Quinoa Spinach Salad with Pesto – Family Food on the Table

Smoked Gouda Mac ‘n Cheese – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Parmesan and Pea Pasta Salad – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Potato Salad with Everything Bagel Seasoning and 7 Minute Eggs – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Easy Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Easy 7 Layer Salad – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

MEAT DISHES

Sundried Tomato and Gorgonzola Burgers – Spiced Blog (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Country Style Pork Shoulder Ribs with Blueberry Peach Salsa – Cooking LSL

Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon – Kevin is Cooking

Roasted Vegetable Grilled Pizza with Garlic Herb Oil – Ciao Chow Bambina

Honey Balsamic Chicken Skewers with Strawberry Kiwi Salsa – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

DESSERTS

Banana Pudding in Jars – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

S’mores in Jars – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Butterscotch Blondies – Just About Baked

Grilled Pound Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Blueberries – Pumpkin ‘n Spice

Marshmallow Fruity Pebble Bars – Baked by an Introvert

Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Brownies – Beaming Baker

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Ok. Yes, I know that lawyers can’t do math, but I’m well aware that there are actually 31 recipes in this post of 30 recipes for Labor Day. I just felt like the booze wasn’t well represented, so I had to add that last popsicle.

Y’all have a safe and fantastic Labor Day Weekend! Fingers crossed that we all stay dry on the east coast and this hurricane spins back out to sea!

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki + Giveaway

March 14, 2016 by rachelle 29 Comments

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki

Happy Monday, friends! Did y’all have a fantastic weekend? We had some beautiful weather here in the Carolinas and we happily took advantage of it. We got out our bikes and went for an 8 mile ride on one of our local greenways. Y’all will totally be relieved to know that I made it through the whole ride without crashing. You may remember that I have some issues with balance and riding bikes.

Enough about my embarrassing bike crashes and let me tell you how absolutely gorgeous the greenway was – keeping in mind that I missed a lot of wildlife and flora due to the fact that I cannot take my eyes off the trail for more than a few seconds or I’ll end up in the bushes, pond, on a porcupine, etc. Anyhoo, there were yellow wildflowers blooming everywhere, ducks were swimming in the water, and turtles were chillin’ on rocks in the sunshine. It was a great day and I hope it’s safe to say that spring has sprung!

Since it’s Monday and we’ve established that Mondays blow, we’re going to ease into this week like an easy Sunday morning – even though I have to suit up and go to work. Womp Womp. On the positive side of things we’re still continuing this month-long celebration of all my favorite things for my birthday and I guess we can include some St. Pat’s celebrating too. I’ll share.

The theme today is pub food. I mean, seriously. Who doesn’t love a burger? We (and I don’t know why I say we when it’s really just me) have stuffed some ground lamb with crispy bacon and feta cheese and topped it with some super easy tzatziki. Toss this on an onion roll and throw in some fries and all is right with the world.

Oh! And guess what? Since we’re celebrating my St. Patrick’s Day birthday pretty much all month long, I have a present for you! A giveaway! I’ve teamed up with a bunch of really hip bloggers to giveaway $500 worth of HelloFresh Meals! The winner has total freedom of choice to put together a preferred choice of veggie boxes, classic boxes, and family boxes! While we love our friends in other countries, this giveaway is only available for United States residents. Scroll below the recipe to enter the giveaway and be sure to check out the other very cool participants’ websites for some fantastic recipes!

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Here are my really cool friends with links to their websites!

Win $500 Worth of Delicious HelloFresh Meals!

Giveaway Courtesy of HelloFresh and Arousing Appetites

Lazy Bird Brown Ale Coq au Vin

February 22, 2016 by rachelle 36 Comments

I know! I know! Coq au Vin is made with wine, but if I had called this dish Coq au Lazy Bird Brown Ale it wouldn’t have made any sense to anyone! Jimminy, that doesn’t even make any sense to me!

More on that ~~craziness~~ inspiration later. More importantly, how was your weekend? Did you get some time to relax? Did you do anything fun?

We stayed in most of the weekend, but did venture out Saturday for a bit to get some groceries and run some errands. Not all that exciting, but we had a quiet Sunday at home and as always, y’all will be relieved to know that I’m finally caught up on General Hospital. BTW – have you seen Making a Murderer? Or listened to the Serial podcast? Jeeze. #imsodisturbed. No spoilers here.

Anyhoo – this chicken. It was actually Chris’s idea. Birdsong Brewing here in Charlotte had a cookbook/recipe competition back in the fall (I think?) and Chris suggested making a Coq au Vin style dish only using their Lazy Bird (get it? hehe) Brown Ale instead of wine. Done. And Done.

Only I totally forgot about the competition and missed the deadline, so you won’t be seeing this recipe in Birdsong’s cookbook. Ooops.

Caq au Vin is a dish that takes some time. We spent last week focusing on easy weeknight meals, but now we’re back to cooking with beer and dishes that take a while are important too. Besides, it’s Monday. Let’s start this week out right with some beer!

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Note: We served this over mashed potatoes

Smoked Gouda, Fontina, American Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Coco Loco Caramelized Onions

January 28, 2016 by rachelle 16 Comments

Hi friends! How is your week going so far? Are you still digging your way out of the snow? Are you over snow and cold weather and ready for some comfort food?

I know I am. And I’ve got the cure for what ails ya. I’m not sure that there is a better comfort food than a big, melty, bacon-y, buter-y, grilled cheese. This one is a bit over the top with a combination of smoked gouda, fontina, and american cheeses. We also felt the need to throw in some bacon.

BTW – I have zero idea why in tarnation I have decided that I am a we. Just roll with it. And don’t judge me.

Oh. And remember Crostini? The Coco Loco Caramelized Onions make the perfect finishing touch to this over the top grilled cheese.

I joke you not. I think we had these grilled cheese sammies at least 3 times in one week. And now that the Super Bowl is right around the corner, we’re all thinking about some football appetizers and finger food. #KeepPounding #PanthersNation

You could totally quarter these into triangles or smaller square pieces and your friends can grab one with one hand to keep the other free to Dab with Cam, Luke, Greg, and the boys with all the touchdowns we hope to make!

Until next time friends!

And just because we are super excited here in the Sweet Carolinas

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P.S. Make some tomato soup the way your mama taught ya. If you need some ideas here is one and another one

Eggs Benedict Crostini with Roasted Asparagus, Bacon, and Easy Hollandaise

January 21, 2016 by rachelle 23 Comments

Happy almost weekend, y’all! It’s early for these winter weather shenanigans in the Carolinas, but believe it or not, it snowed! Again! I know! I know! My northern friends are laughing at me right now because we get a few flurries and a little dusting and we call it snow. I’m serious as a train wreck when I tell you that when we get exactly 2.5487 flurries of snow in Charlotte everyone loses their mind and forgets how to drive. A similar situation happens when it rains.

Now, I have no idea what in tarnation makes people freak out and decide they need to clear the Harris Teeter and Publix shelves of all things bread and milk. That makes zero sense to me. Who need bread and milk when there is one half of a flake of snow left floating in the air. And I gotta be honest, when we are expecting serious weather, you know, the kind that brings 2.4783 inches of snow that lands on 54 degree ground and lasts for exactly 4.286 hours before melting? I don’t know about you, but man, I stock up on beer and wine. Who needs bread and milk?

Oh! And vodka. And Bloody Mary mix. These are essentials for a snow day. Or a Sunday. Or a Saturday. Don’t judge me. I’m just keeping things real around here.

Regardless of whether you have your Bloody Mary on a snow day, Sunday, or Sunday. Or jeeze! If it blows your dress up, have it on Monday. There are no judgments here. This is a safe zone. My point is that if you are having a Bloody Mary, (at least at my house) you might be having breakfast or if you’re more civilized it would probably be brunch. Either way, you should totally try these Eggs Benedict Crostini with Asparagus, Bacon, and Easy Hollandaise. They’re the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch.

I sincerely hope you (and I) get a snow day, but you don’t have to wait for one to try some delicious breakfast crostini. If you do, don’t forget to pick up the vodka.And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Eggs Benedict Crostini with Roasted Asparagus, Bacon, and Easy Hollandaise

Ingredients

12 -16 asparagus spears tough ends discarded
splash of olive oil
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
6 pieces of cooked and crispy bacon
6 slices of baguette about 1/2 inch thick
6 eggs
chopped parsley for garnish optional

For the Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried sage
8 tablespoons 1 stick/1/2 cup butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
In a bowl, toss together asparagus, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and roast for 5-7 minutes (depending on size - mine were skinny), set aside
Change oven setting to broil
Arrange baguette slices on another parchment lined baking sheet and broil 5 minutes, or until toasted
In a blender,combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and sage then blend a couple of seconds to combine
Melt butter in microwave or on the stove in a pan
With the blender running, slowly stream butter into the egg yolks and blend until combined and kind of fluffy
Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer
Crack an egg into a small container
Slowly dip the container with the egg into the water and let the water go into the container with the egg for a couple of seconds then slowly let the egg slide out into the water
Let the egg cook about 2 minutes in the simmering water
Remove egg with a slotted spoon and drain with the egg still in the spoon onto a paper towel lined plate
Repeat with remaining eggs
To assemble, start with the toast, add one slice of bacon, 2-3 asparagus pieces, carefully top with poached egg, spoon a generous amount of hollandaise sauce over the whole thing, garnish with parsley, if using
Serve immediately

Hollandaise Sauce adapted slightly from Giada De Laurentiis

Note: I didn’t add salt to the hollandaise sauce because there is bacon and I accidentally bought salted butter (which I NEVER do) so if you’re using unsalted butter you may want to adjust the seasonings.

Hearty Holiday Breakfast Frittata

November 16, 2015 by rachelle 30 Comments

Good Morning, Sunshine!

No joke. I mean that in the most literal way. While I adore each and every one of you and y’all are totally my sunshine, it got pretty dang gloomy around here. I don’t know what in tarnation happened, but thank goodness the sun has been returned after another two weeks of rain, darkness, and really bad hair days.

The sun is back and has been in full force for a solid 4 days now and believe you me we are happy here in NC.

Those dark days were a buzzkill to my motivation, but since I’m a glass half full kind of girl I’ve been busy focusing on the the bright side of my laziness.

You are no doubt relieved to know that I am once again up to date on General Hospital and DWTS. And oh my are things heating up and getting interesting in Port Charles! Oh – and that last elimination (no spoilers) was a total disappointment to me. I didn’t see that one coming.

Even though I sometimes need indulgent GH binge marathons when work is stressful or the weather is the pits, there is no rest for the wicked these days. We’re full on in holiday mode over here!

We’ve had some sides and desserts lately, but what about breakfast? I don’t know how you do things, but in our family we never have Thanksgiving dinner before 2:00 and it’s usually closer too 3:00 or 4;00 before we sit down at the table. We need a heavy breakfast or brunch then some appetizers in the early afternoon to hold us for the big event or we are all just going to pass out from starvation and ~~intoxication~~ anticipation.

A frittata is a perfect solution. You can clean out your fridge, throw anything in, and make it ahead of time for an easy to reheat holiday morning breakfast or brunch. After all, we don’t want to have Aunt Gloria ~~passing out from too many cocktails~~ falling out from lack of sustenance while waiting for her Turkey Day dinner!

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! (CLOSED)

Hearty Frittata

Ingredients

2 pieces thick cut applewood smoked bacon
2 small red potatoes sliced thinly
5 small precooked sausage links crumbled (thawed if packaged frozen)
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1 cup kale roughly chopped
1 cup rainbow chard
8 eggs
1 cup plus 1/4 coup shredded extra sharp cheddar
1 jalapeno sliced - optional

Instructions

Cook bacon in cast iron or nonstick skillet until crispy, drain on paper towel lined plate, crumble
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and discard the rest
Heat reserved bacon drippings over medium, add potato slices in a medium layer, cook about 2 minutes or until browned on one side, the flip to brown the other side
Add mushrooms and cook about another 2 minutes
Stir potatoes and mushrooms
Add kale and rainbow chard
Stir and cook until greens are mostly wilted, 3-4 minutes
While greens are wilting, whisk eggs together in a bowl
Add 1 cup of the cheddar to the eggs and whisk to combine
Stir the vegetables to be sure they are evenly distributed
Pour eggs over the vegetables, add bacon and sausage, stir to combine
Layer jalapeno (if using) over the top
Cook 7-9 minutes or until sides are set
Turn on oven broiler
Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top
Transfer skillet to oven and broil until top is set and fluffy and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 4-6 minutes
Remove from oven and let sit for 3-4 minutes
Cut and serve

Note: We all know that I do not like the jalapeno, but Chris loves them, so I only added them to half of the frittata.

Note: Because of the bacon and sausage going on in here, I chose not to add any salt, but feel free to add salt and pepper to your taste.

Bacon and Gorgonzola Brussels Sprouts

November 9, 2015 by rachelle 32 Comments

I know that we’ve been talking about some unsexy veggies, but dudes, we are into the second week of November and we need to be riding the side dish train. Thanksgiving’s a coming! I don’t know about y’all, but Thanksgiving for me is not so much about the turkey – although it’s good on the smoker! I’m all about the sides. OMG! #Stuffing!

I have to confess. I could make the whole meal out of stuffing and Brussels sprouts. Oh. And I can’t forget my one true love – potatoes. Mashed. With butter, roasted garlic, and gravy. I would’t turn down some goat cheese either. I digress. And confess. I have not been a lover of the Brussels for very long. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t be a Brussels hater. If they’re done right you’ll love them.

Now that I love the sprout, we have this little veggie a lot. We don’t hide it in the closet until the holidays. It’s always a hit at dinner parties, so we usually bust out the bacon, gorgonzola, and Brussels for both regular dinners and special occasions. It’s that good and that flexible. It fits in anywhere with those events that are appropriate for either old blue jeans or the LBD.

I first fell in love with the Brussels at a restaurant in Hickory, NC about a year ago. We went to Hickory for a beer judging event and had dinner at The Station. These Bacon Gorgonzola Brussels were on the sides menu. I did my best to recreate them. We love them. So when I was thinking about what I want on my TG table and what sides I can share with you, these BS were at the top of the list.

I shared them about a year ago right after I discovered that I actually like the Brussels when made right, but the pics were lost when I relaunched my website. So we are doing this thing again. I also saw the error of my ways and changed the recipe to one skillet and cooking them up in some of the bacon grease.

Give BS a chance with bacon and gorgonzola or try some others:

Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Chestnuts and Cider Vinaigrette by Beer Girl Cooks

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter Drizzle by Ciao Chow Bambina

Brussels Sprouts and Pearl Onion Gratin by No Spoon Necessary

Roasted Brussels Sprout, Apple, and Quinoa Salad by Veganosity

Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Pecans, and Balsamic Drizzle by The Local Vegan

Creamy Roasted Brussels Sprout and Quinoa Gratin by Cookie and Kate

Miso Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries by Life Made Sweeter

Here’s a roundup by Cooking LSL

Shaved Broccoli Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad with Truffle Parmesan Dressing by Blogging Over Thyme

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish Honey-Mustard Glaze by The Beach House Kitchen

Bacon and Gorgonzola Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

3 pieces of thick cut applewood smoked bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces
16 ounces Brussels sprouts cleaned, trimmed, tough outer leaves removed, and cut in half lengthwise
1 - 2 tablespoons gorgonzola crumbles

Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add bacon, and cook until crispy, 3-5 minutes
Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain
Discard all the bacon grease except 2 tablespoons - leave in pan
Heat the bacon grease up to medium high and add Brussels sprouts, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until softened, but still with texture, not soggy, stirring every few minutes
Add gorgonzola and bacon pieces, cover and cook another couple of minutes until cheese is melted
Stir and serve

Stuffed and Bacon Wrapped Figs

July 15, 2015 by rachelle 40 Comments

Jennifer is making me come clean. Peer pressure. Maybe I’ve been bullied? Either way – I have a confession to make.

Jennifer is a pain in my ass.

That isn’t my confession, but it needed to be said.

I can’t button my pants. Seriously. It’s a problem. We talked about how I blew the button off my pants. Thank goodness I have found my safe place on the internet and can share this without being judged or anyone knowing that I said this.

So I have put myself on strict instructions to not eat any animal products during the week. Yes. Basically, I just confessed to being a weekday vegan while showing you pictures of bacon and cheese. Welcome to my world of contrary contradiction crazy town. I don’t know about y’all, but whenever I need to lose some lubs, the vegan way is the way for me. I wish I had the will power to do it all the time because it’s totally healthy. But seriously, I LOVE cheese. It’s my jam. And my downfall. And the reason my pants don’t fit. But Gaaahhhhh it’s so delicious!

I digress. And I sincerely hope that my vegan friends don’t judge me for hijacking the vegan way for a weight loss plan. I do love animals.

I’m fairly certain that I’ve never told you that I spent several years as a vegan and then some outside of that as a vegetarian. No worries. This is not s public service announcement. It’s just me blabbing. I just have no will power to do it all the time. We talked about my cheese downfall. And then there was law school. Yeah. The macaroni and cheese was my undoing. I have no shame. I would mow down my own granny for some mac and cheese. Throw in some law school stress? I just couldn’t hold my head up.

Don’t judge me.

So here we are. In pants that don’t button. With my friends wanting to go to lunch and me brown bagging some animal free lunches.

And please don’t think that I make light of the vegan way or animal rights. I respect you. I just can only hold myself back 5 days a week at the moment. I am weak. I love animals and have 4 rescue dogs and no will power.

And this post is not intended to offend my vegan and vegetarian friends by including meat and cheese here. Although I love them both, I am trying to cut them out as much as possible during the week. On the weekend? I look forward to bacon and cheese – in moderation. At least until my pants fit again

I really and sincerely hope that happens soon!

Stuffed and Bacon Wrapped Figs

Ingredients

8 or more figs
1/2 piece of uncooked bacon per fig
1/8 ish? teaspoon of gorgonzola, goat, or cheese of choice per fig

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425
Slice off top step of figs and cut an x across the top - careful not to cut all the way through
Stuff approximately 1/8 teaspoon (more or less according to taste) into opening of each fig
Wrap bacon around outside of the fig and secure with a study toothpick
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
Transfer the bacon wrapped stuffed figs to baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, until bacon is on the crispy side and cheese is melted

Note: I really like the gorgonzola in here, but Chris was on the fence. He thought it was too earthy. The second time I made it we used goat cheese. That was good too and Lisa approved. I also think smoked gouda would be delicious!

Fig Peach Bourbon Bacon Jam

July 9, 2015 by rachelle 30 Comments

Yo! This business is totally my jam!

Bourbon, peaches, figs, and bacon? Um….. YES PLEASE!

I’ve missed my old friends of a party of peaches, bacon, figs, and bourbon. Where have you been my lovelies? You know how it is when you get together with a friend you think about a lot and missed for a while? We did that. Me and Lauren. We totally went out for drinks and had a bunch of catching up to do.

Lauren has absolutely nothing to do with baccon, peaches, or bacon jam – but maybe something to do with bourbon or booze….

But like these old friends, girl, I heart you!

P.S. I’m so glad we sort of got everything up to speed. I’ll forgive you for leaving me so lonely because you totally had a baby, but I missed you and I’m glad you’re back in my life!

Fig Peach Bourbon Bacon Jam

Ingredients

22 ounces bacon cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces
2 shallots thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves minced
6 figs cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 peaches pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Instructions

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add half the bacon and cook until brown, remove and drain on paper towel
Carefully drain the grease out of the pan
Repeat with the rest of the bacon but reserve at least 2 tablespoons of bacon grease
Add shallots, garlic, figs, and peaches to the bacon grease pan and cook until onions are translucent - about 5 minutes
Add chili powder, ginger, and mustard and cook another 1-2 minutes
Add bourbon and maple syrup and increase the heat to medium high, scrape up any brown bits and bring to a boil
Add vinegar and brown sugar and bring to a boil again
Add reserved bacon back to the pan
Reduce heat to low and cook until liquid looks like a thick glaze - about 10-15 minutes
Remove from heat, cool until warm, and transfer to a food processor
Pulse mixture several times until it resembles a chunky jam or reaches a texture according to personal preferences

Adapted from Martha

Brown Ale Bread Stuffed with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Figs

May 18, 2015 by rachelle 41 Comments

I crashed my bike. Twice. On. The. Same. Day. No joke. I mean I totally crashed and fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and landed under my bike. All I can say is – thank goodness I was wearing a helmet or we might not be having this little chat.

Saturday was gorgeous here in Charlotte, so we decided to ride our bikes to the park up the street and check out the trails. Now, I’m not the most coordinated person on the planet. In fact, I’m quite clumsy and highly accident prone. But there’s probably a reason for the phrase “just like riding a bike.” Am I right?

I mean, seriously – little kids do it every single day!

The first face plant was on the corner of a busy intersection. You know that feeling when you know you’re going down, you can see it happening kind of in slow motion, and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it? Yeah. That happened. I’m not sure which is worse – the fall, the landing, the multitude of witnesses, or the fact that I was almost at a complete stop and somehow managed to crash my bike. People were probably wondering what in tarnation that crazy woman was doing. Fortunately, I think it happened fast enough that it isn’t likely anyone was able to take a video, so I don’t anticipate it going viral on YouTube or appearing on America’s Funniest Videos.

One crash wasn’t enough, so the second time we were on a bike trail in the woods. I crashed and landed in the bushes. At least only the wildlife saw that ridiculousness. Chris was ahead of me so he didn’t see it either. He came back when he heard all the foul language coming from the bushes.

I finally made it home in one piece and immediately drowned my humiliation and celebrated the fact that I was alive with an appropriate choice of beer – Ballast Point Victory at Sea.

Speaking of beer (I didn’t have any before the bike ride) I’ve been putting it in everything lately. This bread was made with Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron Brown Ale. I really wanted a honey brown, but we didn’t have any and this was the best option at Publix. I just added honey to the recipe.

This recipe makes two loaves, so I left one a simple brown ale bread and stuffed the heck out of the other one with bacon, gorgonzola, and figs. I drizzled the top of the plain one with honey to make him feel a little more special.

While I was lying on the ground in a pool of humiliation, Chris said, “Damn chick, didn’t you ride a bike when you were a kid?”

“Yeah, that’s how I got that scar on my knee.”

Update: Chris said this is me: Top Gear

Brown Ale Bread Stuffed with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Figs

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter plus another 1-2 tablespoons for coating the bowl and pans
1/2 cup warm water
2 packets rapid rise active dry yeast
1 cup brown ale or honey brown ale
3 tablespoons honey 1-2 more if you want to drizzle it on top prior to baking
1 tablespoon salt
7-8 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
2-3 pieces of cooked and crumbled bacon
3-4 dried figs diced

Instructions

In a saucepan, heat milk and butter on low until butter is melted, remove from heat and let cool until warm to touch but not hot.
Slowly stir yeast into warm water and set aside for about 5 minutes
Combine brown ale and honey, heat in microwave until warm, 45 to 60 seconds - you don't want it hot, just warm
Pour beer/honey mixture, butter/milk mixture, salt and yeast/water into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook
Set mixer on medium speed and add flour 1 cup at a time until dough is formed and it isn't super sticky - you can turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a bit to finish
Grease a large bowl with butter, add the dough ball, flip it to get butter on both sides, clover with a clean linen kitchen towel and set it in a warm spot to rise for about 1 hour and doubled in size
Punch down an turn onto a lightly floured counter
Divide dough in half
Knead one while continuously adding bacon, figs, and gorgonzola alternately - about 5-7 minutes until all the air bubbles pop
Knead the plain loaf about 5-7 minutes, until you feel all the air bubbles pop
Grease two round cake pans with butter, add one dough ball to each pan flip it to coat both sides, cover with the kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size - about 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 375
Drizzle plain loaf with honey if desired
Garnish the stuffed loaf with gorgonzola, figs, and bacon pieces, if desired
Bake 45 - 55 minutes, until golden brown and crusty
Cool on a wire rack

Adapted from About.com

Inspired by The Beeroness

Bacon

Eggs Benedict Crostini with Roasted Asparagus, Bacon, and Easy Hollandaise

Ingredients

For the Hollandaise Sauce

Instructions

Hearty Frittata

Ingredients

Instructions

Bacon and Gorgonzola Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

Instructions

Stuffed and Bacon Wrapped Figs

Ingredients

Instructions

Fig Peach Bourbon Bacon Jam

Ingredients

Instructions

Brown Ale Bread Stuffed with Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Figs

Ingredients

Instructions

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