BLT Crostini

Why am I always late posting my Eating the Alphabet post each month? 

 


































In all actuality, I'm late to most things in my life. Just ask my fiancee, and my family, and my friends, and my work (oops!). If me and my friends are set to meet at 1:00, you can bet your butt I'll be there at 1:15. If my mama says come to dinner at 5:30, that somehow translates to 6:00 in my brain.

 










































I'll just say "better late than never" applies here. Right? Right?

God I need to work on that. It also contributes to my road rage. Not flick you off and follow you to fight you kinda road rage. Just constantly annoyed by the slow drivers in front of me. If I'd just leave on time (or early even.... what does that even mean?!?!) then I wouldn't have to be so frustrated getting everywhere. 

Maybe one day I'll learn.

This month we had to choose a fruit, veggie, or legume starting with either I or J. I've been racking up some recipes using iceberg lettuce, so iceberg lettuce it would be.

These apps will be the talk of the party. A BLT in an appetizer form? How could this not be amazeballs?!?! Plus a little melted gooey cheese? Let's take a moment of silence for this masterpiece.

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Silence over. Now make them and shout it to the world how perfect these are!!!!

BLT Crostini
adapted from Sunset and Pillsbury

• 12 slices (1/4 inch thick) baguette French bread
• sliced pepper jack cheese cut into 12 small squares
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 5 slices bacon (you may have some leftover, it just means more for snacking)
• salt and pepper for seasoning

Cut bacon slices in half and cook until crisp. 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Top baguette slices with cheese slices and bake for 10 minutes or until edges of bread are golden brown and cheese is melted. 

Remove baguette slices from oven. In a small bowl, add mayo, green onions, and lettuce. Spread mixture onto each baguette slice. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Top each baguette slice with bacon pieces and a sliced tomato. 


Printable Recipe

 































Check out all of my past Eating the Alphabet posts. There's been some good ones!


And check out what everyone else brought to the table this month in the blog hop below:  

Peace, and bacon grease!

Peanut Butter Crunch Balls

Hey friends. I've been M.I.A. in June on the blog, but this week I've done a couple posts already and I think I'm back on track. For now, anyway.



































For this month's Surprise Recipe Swap, I was assigned to Krista's blog, A Handful of Everything.  

She's got some great recipes in her archive... all kinds of breads, desserts, and main dishes! It was hard to narrow it down, what with recipes like Sweetheart Strawberries and Cream Scones, Homemade Pretzel Rolls, and Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites. But her Peanut Butter Balls really screamed at me.


































I loved the sweetness of the peanut butter and chocolate. And the rice krispies added a nice crunch. These were delicious! 





























Peanut Butter Crunch Balls
adapted from A Handful of Everything

• 2 and 1/2 cups Rice Krispies (I used chocolate Rice Krispies)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 12 oz bag of chocolate candy melts (I used Wilton's)

In a large bowl, combine the Rice Krispies and powdered sugar. 

In a saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the sugar/Rice Krispies mixture.  Using a large spoon mix well until an even consistency. 

Line a baking sheet with wax paper.  Form teaspoon-size balls (mine were bigger!). The mixture will be kind of crumbly so just squeeze them a few times, roll them between your palms and into a ball shape.  After you have used up all your mixture, place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour or until firm.

Melt your chocolate in a microwavable bowl according to package directions, mixing well. Dip the chilled peanut butter balls into the chocolate.  Using a spoon, roll it around completely coating it with chocolate and then and place it back on the wax paper to set. Pop them in the freezer to help them set quicker.

Printable Recipe





































You know that little bit of goodness that stays in the pot after you've scraped out what you could? I may or may not have eaten that melted butter and peanut butter straight from the pot. What? I couldn't let that go to waste. Can you blame me?

Make these! 

Check out the full roundup here. 


Linking up here.  


Peace, and bacon grease!

Obsessions + Confessions

Ok, this is a very random post about some random things going on in my life and current things I'm obsessing over. I just may make this a regular occurrence on the blog :)

Anyone watching the new sleazy chick flick tv show Mistresses? Um, obsessed. I just love Yunjin Kim from Lost. And Alyssa Milano and Rochelle Aytes are compelling too. I usually despise all things related to cheating and mistresses, but it puts a more personal and relatable spin on such a shamed topic. This show is like my guilty pleasure. Ok, one of many guilty pleasures. 

I came across this new local cupcake business, Sweet Release Cupcakes, and am about to order so many and so often that she's gonna know me by name. French Toast Bacon, Hot Toddy, Strawberry Champagne, Butter Pecan ... can I have like 2, or 12, of each?

Sushi. My God how did I live without you? Tonight is half price sushi at Ember's. One of these days I'm going to update that review with food from more current visits. Hello california roll and kobe beef roll. Oh, and crab and shrimp stuffed avocados. They do food right.

Everyday I say I'm going to work out. Yesterday I was going to play basketball with PJ after work. We laid on the couch and slept for 4 hours instead. Fail.

What's up with these? I can't decide how I feel about them.

Cutest animal ever. I wonder if they make good pets?

Want.

Want.

And more want. 

Summer is upon us.

Potatoes can heal my tummy aches? This may be the best news of my day.

Scratch that, this is definitely the best news of my week!

I'll be here in a few weeks. It couldn't come sooner! Free hot breakfast + complimentary reception/drinks + the beach every day. Now that's my idea of a vacation.

Peace, and bacon grease!

1st Annual Food Blogger Prop Swap

Aren't I strange? Almost a month without posting and then two posts in one day. I know, I know. What can I say, I'm inconsistent. I'm trying to work on that!

But let me tell you about this fun challenge I signed up for called Food Blogger Prop Swap,  hosted by Alyssa of Everyday Maven and Faith of An Edible Mosaic, ... it's just what it sounds like. Bloggers send each other foodie props that the other may not need anymore and is willing to pass on to a better home. 

Tara from Tara's Multicultural Table was kind enough to send me some great props! I loved them all. She made me feel like the package I shipped wasn't good enough. Next year I'll have to do better, since it's an annual thing and all.


Here's what I got:

some cute napkins and napkin rings (fancy!) and a red round placemat....

some adorable leaf shaped mini bowls and two mini decorative bowls, and a Budweiser glass....


and a coffee mug, and this red square plate. I like, I like! I liked em all, really. I LOVE foodie props. My fiancee on the other hand doesn't like my growing collection. He calls me a hoarder lol. That's ok, I own it. I'm a foodie prop hoarder  :)

They're also thinking about doing a different swap as well... maybe cookies, cookbooks, spices. I'm game for any of those!


Head on over to Alyssa or Faith's blog to check out the blog hop to see what props everyone else got in the swap.


Peace, and bacon grease!

Nutella French Toast Rolls with Cinnamon Sugar

It's been way too long since I've posted a recipe on the ole blog. I've missssssssssssssed you!

Well what's the best way to get back into the blogging world? With a Secret Recipe Club post, that's what!

This month I was assigned to Louise's blog, Lick the Spoon. Louise is from Australia! So cool! Welp, I've got a new blog to follow. Love her recipes AND her photos. I had to narrow it down from 15 recipes. Yes 15. Like her Raspberry Lemonade Slice, Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Walnuts and Brown Butter Icing, and her Boston Banoffee Pie. But ultimately her Nutella French Toast Rolls won out. Cuz I love breakfast and french toast and nutella. No brainer.

Nutella French Toast Rolls with Cinnamon Sugar
from Lick That Spoon

• 10 slices of white bread (we used Private Selection Sugarhouse Maple Streusel bread - yum!)
• 10 teaspoons of nutella
• 1 large egg
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• butter, for frying

Remove the crusts from the slices of bread. Discard the crusts. Or eat them because that Maple Streusel bread is delish).

Roll each slice of bread with a rolling pin. Spread each slice of flattened bread with one teaspoon of nutella, spreading on one side of the bread to the length of the bread. Roll the bread up tightly, sealing shut with a dab of nutella.

In a bowl, whisk the egg and milk until combined. 

In a shallow dish, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Heat some butter in a skillet. Dip each roll in the egg mixture until coated, then placing in the hot skillet. Lightly fry until golden brown all over, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve immediately.


Printable Recipe

I loved this twist on the traditional french toast. Next time I'll try it with regular white bread because it was a bit hard to roll up the bread I used and they weren't so perfect and smooth like hers. But they were still tasty.

Plus I'll take any recipe that calls for nutella and sugar for breakfast!

Here's the other Secret Recipe Club posts I've written in the past, check em out.


Linking up here.  
 
Peace, and bacon grease!