Bacon Wrapped Dates or Figs

As promised, I did indeed make bacon wrapped dates (I thought they were figs originally...oops!) for Christmas and again a few nights later. Caution-these are addicting!

Dried dates or figs

pecan halves

bacon

1. Stuff each date with a pecan. (Depending on the size I sometimes had to cut the pecan in half to fit it in.)

2. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date. This is where is gets a little tricky. I used some kitchen shears to cut the bacon. There should be plenty of overlap when wrapping the bacon around the date, otherwise when you bake them the bacon will come undone.

3. Bake at 350 until bacon is crispy. Be sure to turn the pieces throughout the cooking time to make sure the bacon cooks evenly.

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

So we've been on a bacon kick lately (can you blame us?) and Rory had bacon wrapped sweet potato fries at a friends place. Super easy and super delicious. I'm going to attempt some bacon wrapped figs for Christmas.

Sweet potatoes

bacon

1. Cut sweet potatoes into thick fries.

2. Slice bacon in half length-wise.

3. Wrap a piece of bacon around a fry.

4. Bake at 350 until bacon crisps (turn the fries a few times to allow bacon to evenly cook).

Pumpkin Custard

The sun finally came out today and there's nothing quite like warm sun combined with brisk air. I was really in the mood for something fall-like so I whipped this custard up for dessert tonight.

2 eggs

1 can coconut milk

1/2 can pumpkin

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp vanilla

3 tbsp honey

1 tbsp molasses

1. Set a pot of water to boil.

2. Whisk eggs and milk together.

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Pour custard into 6 ramekins and place into a baking dish.

5. Pour water into baking dish so it comes half way up the ramekin.

6. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

7. Chill and serve.

Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Apples

We hosted a fabulous dinner for some of the local CF athletes (see picture in last post) and this was one of the sides. It went over well and I know both Rory and ROBO loved it. Gotta get our greens!

1-1.5lbs brussel sprouts

1 small apple, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp honey

oil

salt to taste

1. Cut sprouts in half then into 1/8 inch sections.

2. In a large skillet, cover bottom with a thin layer of oil.

3. When pan in hot, add sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until you start to see some golden pieces.

4. Add apple, garlic, honey and salt. Continue to cook until spouts are done to your liking. (We like ours soft, but not mushy).

This makes a lovely side dish and I love adding color to our meals. I imagine adding some toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts) would be tasty.

Anvil Guys

Nothing like a big group of hungry men sitting around our table! Exciting things in the works for this group of guys... can't wait to see what happens!

MDA recipes

I've been tinkering around with some of the Mark's Daily Apple recipes lately. There are some really great recipes on there... I do get a little frustrated sometimes with some of them because of the odd ingredients that I can't find around here. As you may know about me, I tend to do A LOT of improvising based on what I have in my kitchen. I'm not a 'plan out my weekly menu' type of person- when inspiration hits, I go for it or look online for something to inspire me.

Anyways, I HIGHLY recommend the following two recipes.

1. No-atmeal: This is now a staple in our household. The beautiful thing about it, Rory was the first one to make it so now he has no excuses for not being able to whip up a batch! :)

2. Primal Breakfast Casserole (I added two extra eggs and 8 pieces of bacon and only used 2 turnips.)

I also tried the cauliflower and mushroom stuffing. It was alright, not quite to my taste, but my mind has already come up with a few ways to improve it.

Nut Butter Blondies

Things have been busy in the Hanlin household. Two little girls=one very busy mom! But none-the-less, I still find time to do some cooking and baking... I have to spoil my family! Aubrey loves anything with chocolate and I try and keep gluten free, paleo-friendly snacks around the house for her (lucky for Rory!). I whipped these up today and got thumbs up from Rory, my Mom, and most importantly, Aubrey Rose!

Nut Butter Blondies

1 cup almond butter

1 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup agave

1 tbsp vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

handful of dark chocolate chunks

1. In a mixer, blend all ingredients, except chocolate, until well combined.

2. Spoon into a greased 9x13 inch pan.

3. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and gently pat into the batter.

4. Bake at 325 for ~30 minutes.