Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 69

National Bacon Lovers Day

Annually, on August 20th, we celebrate National Bacon Lovers Day. If you are a fan… and you know who you are… this day invites us to indulge in all things bacon.

 

 

 

Perhaps you’ll add a peppery slice to your Bloody Mary cocktail. (Adding a lobster tail or jumbo shrimp is nice, too!)

 

 

 

Or cook up a sandwich-sized bacon weave to fully top your next burger or BLT. Serve up your eggs with bacon. Add crumbled bacon to your macaroni & cheese, salad, chili, or any other dish. I love bacon. Every time I cook bacon, I tend to prep 3-4 pounds at a time. There are ALWAYS great uses! And it freezes great, so I get a lot of bacon but only make the mess once.

Lately, a favorite request when we attend events, is to bring my Sassified Bacon Jam Dip, served over BBQ Roasted Cream Cheese. (The jam freezes well, but I do not prefer the texture of frozen/thawed cream cheese. However, I have never had any leftovers to consider!)

1 lb bacon, fried, but not crisp (drained on paper towels); drippings reserved; bacon chopped
8-oz block cream cheese
Your favorite dry BBQ seasoning
2 lg sweet onions, thinly sliced
¼ – 1/3 c golden monkfruit (or brown sugar)
3 T balsamic vinegar
½ c favorite bottled sweet Thai chili sauce

Open foil wrap around cream cheese and brush top and sides with bacon drippings; sprinkle heavily with BBQ seasoning. Then flip, top-side-down into oven- or grill-safe pan. Score top ½“ deep into ½ – ¾“ diamonds. Then brush with bacon drippings and sprinkle with BBQ seasonings. Bake in 275°F oven (or closed grill) for 45 min. Meanwhile, in some of remaining bacon drippings, cook onions over med-low heat to med heat for 10-12 min, stirring several times. Stir in sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce. Then stir in bacon. Mound over the hot, roasted cheese block and drizzle with more sauce, if desired. Serve hot with buttery crackers or scoop-style chips.

KISS Tips: No time to roast the cheese? No problem. Simply serve the bacon jam as a dip surrounded by buttery crackers, like Ritz. Or try stirring softened cheese and jam together, warm in microwave, stirring a couple of times so it all melts together. Make Go for Cheesier Bacon Jam Dip by creaming together ½ c mayonnaise, softened 8-oz cream cheese, and stir in 2 c shredded cheddar cheese and 2 thinly sliced green onions. Then stir in bacon and caramelized onions. Pack into a baking dish & drizzle with additional sauce and a sprinkling of crumbled Ritz crackers before baking 15 minutes at 350°.

Clouds in Your Coffee?

August 19th is World Photography Day. 2023’s theme is Understanding Clouds. Well, that could fill volumes… er, uh… voluminous.

 

 

 

Whether they bring screeching sunsets, welcome shade, various shapes for cloud gazing, storms, or delightful whisps, I love taking photos of clouds from the ground, air, or water. Share yours, too!

 

 

#World Photography Day, #Clouds

Morality Matters

” If your morals make you dreary, depend on it, they are wrong.”

— Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 – 1894)
Scottish novelist

Live Your Best Life

 

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” 

— Mae West (1893 – 1980)
American actress

Celebrate National Roller Coaster Day

Wheeeeee!

Popular in the US since the 1920s, we all likely recall our first roller coaster rides. That slow climb up the first large hill led to the crazy exhilaration of flying through the remaining loopity-loops to the final slide back home.

The first roller coaster was made of wood and icy ramps in Russia in the 1500s. By the 1700s, the Russians had added wheels on carts. The 1900s brought on the Golden Age of roller coasters until they fell out of popularity in the Great Depression. Disneyland brought back their soaring popularity with its Matterhorn ride shortly after the California park opened.

Today’s thrill seekers will find all sorts of new technological craziness. Not your thing? Well, you can always try a never-leave-the-ground virtual reality roller coaster, offering all the thrill with total safety.

August Is Happiness Happens Month

What makes you happy may or may not be quite different from what makes me happy. All good. Choose happy, even when it’s not guaranteed. Let something happy happen for you… and let it be contagious.

#happy

You’ve GOT This!

“This is your Monday morning reminder that you can handle whatever this week throws at you.”

— Unknown

August 13th

On this day in history…

1961… Construction began on the Berlin Wall

1960… First 2-way telephonic conversation took place via satellite

1918… First woman enlisted in the Marines

Birthdays today?

1926 Fidel Castro

1899 Alfred Hitchcock

Stuck in the Middle with You

August 12 is National Middle Child Day. Middle children may not get as much attention as first-borns or as the youngest babies of a brood. But we usually try harder!

Prayers Please

Please include everyone in Hawaii in your prayers.

“We can’t heal the world today, but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, and an act of kindness.”

— Mary Davis (1954 – )

CEO, Special Olympics