Tag: chocolate

Buffet o’ Bacon 4

Last night I had the Buffet o’ Blog staff at my house, and I knew there had been rumors of more bacon “research”, but I wasn’t expecting much, given various circumstances.  But this turned into quite the bacon extravaganza!  We had five (5) bacon dishes to test.  Of course, I took some pictures to go with my analysis and commentary.  First up is bacon-wrapped pineapple — on a stick.

It seemed weird to mix bacon with a fruit, but it didn’t taste too bad.   The texture was weird to me.  But pineapple by itself has a somewhat weird texture.  Nonetheless, it was pretty good, but was overshadowed by some of the other bacon experiments.

Next up in our buffet of bacon was bacon-wrapped Twinkies.  How would you expect this to be?

We were skeptical about it before, but it proved to be the tastiest of them all.   The key here was cooking the bacon prior to wrapping the Twinkies.   Once wrapped, we placed them in the oven just long enough to heat the Twinkies (and we did it too much, as evidenced by the creamy overflow).  The taste was great — a pleasant mixture of bacon and sweetness, and it was not greasy at all (which was my main concern before trying it).  I would definitely eat these again… and again… 🙂

Next we made small sausage balls (of just pork / breakfast sausage), wrapped in bacon, and held together with toothpicks.  We had intended to apply the BBQ sauce before cooking, but didn’t add it until about halfway through cooking.

These were very delicious.   (Would you expect otherwise?)  You just have to make sure the sausage gets cooked thoroughly.  And be sure to cook these on a raised rack of some kind to let the bacon grease and sausage grease drain off.  Failure to do so may result in a “gut-bomb”.  (For a documented example of that, see the second comment about our initial Buffet o’ Bacon.)

Next up was a BLT — bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich, with Miracle Whip.  Nothing revolutionary, and tasted like you would expect.

Last but not least in our “research” was chocolate-covered bacon.  The bacon was cooked first, with all grease drained, then dipped in molten chocolate.   The molten chocolate was made from semi-sweet chocolate chips plus butter.

Chocolate-covered bacon may sound gross if you haven’t tried it, but it’s quite delicious.   The salty bacon goes well with the sweetness of the chocolate.   You really should try it for yourself sometime.

If you would like to read about our other Buffet o’ Bacon events, here’s a link to search the blog for “Buffet o’ Bacon“.  (It will find a few other posts which reference it, but using a search will also find future ones, too, once they’re published.)  You could also have your own bacon research parties.  It’s a really fun time (as you would imagine).  You could post your results on your blog, and be sure to link back here so we can check it out.

chocolate-covered bacon on a stick

Last night I had the Buffet o’ Blog staff over to my house, along with a classified secret guest.  Food was not specifically on the agenda, but foodstuffs were brought nonetheless.   There were chocolate chip cookies, which are always good, but the unique item we had (for which I’m writing this) was chocolate-covered bacon.  And it wasn’t just any bacon — it was Petit Jean peppered bacon.

The flavor was unique: the salty goodness of bacon, the spicy peppered seasoning of this variety, and the sweetness of chocolate.  And to make it even cooler, it was on a stick.

I didn’t get a picture this time, because it was quickly devoured.   But you can imagine.  At least this time, no one brought a “gut bomb“.  🙂

The collective conclusion was that it was awesome.  Although it probably would’ve been even better if it wasn’t peppered bacon, because adding spicy to the salty plus sugary mix was almost too much.  But I’d eat it again, either way.  🙂

the special days of July, pt 2

Now we will continue our look at the special days / holidays / observances / celebrations of July.

  • 4 Independence Day — The Fourth of July, the day we celebrate the independence of the United States of America.  This is truly a great country to live in! And to celebrate, we get a day off work, and we grill burgers and hot dogs, and shoot / watch fireworks.  That’s fitting, I think, because the celebration of a great nation should be a great time, and this is one of the best holidays.
  • 4 National Country Music Day — YEE-HAW!  Just kidding.  I don’t have much to say about this, except for a quote about country music by Bob Newhart: I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do.  And for the people who like country music, denigrate means “put down”.
  • 4 Sidewalk Egg Frying Day — I’ve got better things to do on July 4th than this.  But here in the South, it’s usually hot enough at this time to do that.
  • 5 Work-a-holics Day — Why would this be after a nationally recognized holiday?  Besides, I reckon a lot of people are taking this day off to create a longer weekend.  Also, there shouldn’t even be a day for this.
  • 6 National Fried Chicken Day — This is a good holiday!  I’m all about some fried yardbird.  And do you know what goes great with it?  Mashed taters, biscuits and gravy, and sweet tea.  You just can’t top that.
  • 6 Build A Scarecrow Day — This “holiday” is always first Sunday in July.  I’m fairly certain I’ll pass on this day, because I don’t have a garden, nor do I have any desire in building a scarecrow.  So why am I even mentioning this day?  So I can include this picture.  🙂
  • 7 Macaroni Day — Who doesn’t like macaroni & cheese?  It’s not just for kids.  Even as an adult, I can still make a meal out of just chicken strips and macaroni & cheese.  Mmm…
  • 7 Chocolate Day — There are just so many options for this day!  Chocolate comes in many forms, and they’re almost all good.  So just let your imagination (and appetite) run wild on this day.  Remember that diets don’t apply on holidays!
  • 7 National Strawberry Sundae Day — I’m all about the food holidays, and I’m not complaining about this particular one at all, but why are there three food holidays on the same day?  I think these should be spread out a little more.
  • 8 Video Games Day — Here is proof that it’s an official holiday!  I think all gamers should take this day off work to play video games all day.  Since this is a day to celebrate video games, we should take note of the benefits they provide to society: improved hand-eye coordination, improved reflexes, exercising your brain (much more than just watching TV, for sure), an escape from the stress of reality, and a lot of fun.  Now go rescue Princess Peach from Bowser, or save the world, or conquer the world, or whatever game it is you like to play.  If you don’t have a game, try this tower defense game — it’s easy and fun yet requires strategy to master.
  • 9 National Sugar Cookie Day — I remember being dared in Kindergarten to eat a sugar cookie with mustard on it.  It totally ruined the cookie, because mustard is horrible tasting (not to mention evil).  Fortunately I made a full recovery from that potentially tragic moment in my early years.
  • 10 Don’t Step on a Bee Day — Is this really a holiday?  What makes this special?  I don’t ever step on bees.  I find it’s generally best to leave stinging insects alone (unless they’re trespassing and you kill them).
  • 10 Teddy Bear Picnic Day — The name says it all, but I checked online just to confirm that this is actually listed as a holiday.  It is.  Check out what one site said about it: “Spend the lunch hour on a blanket under a shade tree with your Teddy Bear.”  I will have to pass on this one…  I have been informed that there is a song that kinda goes along with this: “This is the day the teddy bears have their picnic.”
  • 11 Swimming Pool Day — This would be great, if I had a swimming pool.
  • 11 Cheer up the Lonely Day — If you know someone who is lonely, then you should cheer them up, regardless of whether it’s this day or not.  People need to be happy and to laugh more.  If you can’t be there enough, print out this blog and take it to them.  🙂
  • 11 World Population Day — I reckon this holiday includes everyone in the world, regardless of your ethnic, religious, social, or financial background.  So this should be World Partying Day, where everyone in the world gets off work.  Sounds good to me!
  • 11 Cow Appreciation Day — Some lists have this day on the 15th, but Chick-fil-A is putting it on the 11th, so I’ll include it on both.  Chick-fil-A is offering free food if you dress up like a cow and visit a participating store.  For those of you without a cow costume, they have a few ideas on their website for how you can make do with what you already have.
  • 12 Pecan Pie Day — It seems like this should be in the fall, when you’re more likely to see pecan pies.  But I won’t gripe.  I could eat one any time.
  • 12 Paper Bag Day — Seriously, who approves these holidays?  Is this official?  It’s this day because this is when the paper bag manufacturing machine was patented.  But really, who cares?
  • 13 Barn Day — So if you have a barn, are you supposed to throw a party?  Who comes up with this stuff?
  • 13 Go West Day — Go West, young man!  This meant a lot more when the Old West in the U.S. was mostly undiscovered and unclaimed, and people would go in search of gold.  (There’s gold in them there hills!)
  • 13 National French Fries Day — Finally, a holiday I can support.  That is, the fries part.  I refuse to celebrate the French, given what they stand for (or don’t stand for) these days.  But fries are good.
  • 13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day — How many of you out there have even heard of Barbershop Music, as in a quartet singing in that style (usually a cappella)?  I had a college roommate who sang in one of those groups, and so I’ve heard a number of CDs in that genre.  Check some out online.  Go ahead, broaden your mind.
  • 13 Embrace Your Geekness Day — I reckon this means I should go hang out in Best Buy for a few hours, then go to a video game arcade-type place.  🙂  Really, though, folks should be themselves every day — that’s the epitome of being cool.
  • 13 Fool’s Paradise Day — Ah, a philosophical dilemma!  If fools are there, is it really paradise?
  • 13 International Puzzle Day — I asked a friend about what to put here, and he suggested this day be devoted to solving the world’s most puzzling issues, like how to understand women.  I’m thinking more than a day should be allocated for that challenge.

This is getting long, so I’m gonna split it up again.   Click here to search for the other entries for July.

viewer mail, issue #11

It’s been a while since I’ve answered viewer mail, so here goes.  Like always, these are actual search terms used to find this site, followed by commentary and analysis.  There wasn’t any questions to answer this week, but if you have any, use the “Contact Us” link to send it to us.

  • flavor of poop — I haven’t ever researched this (for good reason), so I’m going to resort to a third-party on this one.  I have read of someone who actually ate some, and he said it tasted about like what you would expect.  I wish I could find the reference to it, because I’d give him a few seconds of additional fame for his feat.
  • i would like 17 super powers please — Doesn’t that seem kinda greedy?  Of course it would be great to have more superpowers than you know what to do with, but then some would get wasted.  Besides, can you think of any superheroes that have 17 super powers?  That would offset the balance on both sides, and it would be really bad if you decided to use your powers for evil.  So, sorry, on this request you’ll have to be DENIED.
  • coworker is an aliencoworker is an alien — If this is true, then you need to be very careful!  An alien is not going to come to Earth just to sit in a cubicle and do work; he obviously has some ulterior motives.  He could be here for research, spying, infiltration, or kidnapping.   But regardless of that, there’s another aspect of this to consider.  Do you have any idea how much fame and fortune you could get by discovering an alien?!?  People have tried to prove the existence of UFOs for decades, and if you could, you’d be so famous.  So document all your encounters with him/her/it, and keep your proof in a safe place.  Write a book with an accompanying DVD, then hit the talk show circuit.  You’ll easily make millions!
  • words like discombobulator — That word makes me feel discombobulated…
  • why do pickles explode — BECAUSE THEY’RE EVIL!!!  Actually, I didn’t know they explode on their own, but I do know for a fact that they’re evil.  Does anyone have any evidence or explanation of them exploding?  My plan of shooting all pickles into the sun would cause them to explode, but if there’s any natural exploding of pickles, I’d like to know about it.
  • unbreakable stuff — That’s just a myth.  Nothing is unbreakable.  I’ve worked with people who were naturals at breaking anything.
  • why should i eat chocolate — This one is really easy — because it tastes great!  What other reasons do you need?  But if someone is trying to convince you that it’s not healthy, that’s just because they want the chocolate for themselves.  Chocolate actually does have nutritional properties to it.  It has antioxidants, which nobody understands, but they say your body needs them.  And chocolate is a great source of sugar.  I know, sugar gets a bad reputation these days, but did you know your brain runs on sugar?  It’s true, look it up.  Of course, your body can create sugar from foods like fruits and vegetables, but why not save the time and effort by eating chocolate, which has your daily sugar needs in highly concentrated form (plus it tastes much better).
  • how safe is buffet eating? — I’ve never had any problems with it.  But, since you brought it up, I should research this.  I think this calls for a trip to Larry’s Pizza!  WOOHOO!  Would anyone like to join me to offer a second opinion?  Before you quickly volunteer, know that this may require multiple visits to local buffets, so we can reduce the standard deviation and stuff.  🙂

That’s it for this week.  Now you know more than before.  You’re welcome.