BACON!!!

Okay, so who is with me!?  I HATE frying bacon!  I don't use that word very often, but on very few occassions I use that word quite honestly!  Frying bacon has NEVER been a fun thing for me.  I can't stand the MESS it makes when fried up in a pan on the stove, and how it cooks so unevenly in the pan.  Keeping the temperature a right level in the frying pan is something I never did learn the science of.  Microwave was the next best thing, but even then it was hot to handle the dish in which you had to remove from the microwave, the MESS it created in my microwave from the grease splattering as it popped even under the paper towel, draining the hot grease, etc.  You get my point!  This task in my kitchen got so frustrating I completely skipped making any bacon at all!  I boycotted it with all I had! :) 

Fast forward, my dear hubby LOVES bacon!  I couldn't continue to be a cruel wife, so when I figured out how to FINALLY cook bacon, it's a REGULAR thing in our home now! :)  And everyone is happy!  My kids will eat and eat and eat and EAT bacon now! :)

Here's the trick! Your problems have now been solved and you won't BELIEVE what a difference this makes! Take a cookie sheet jelly roll WITH SIDES. Put a piece of foil on the bottom of that cookie sheet. Take your pound of bacon and lay each piece flat one right next to each other. They can be touching just a little. Put your pan in a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, less or more depending upon your bacon crispiness likings. Take out of the oven, and let sit for a few minutes. I then take a plate and put paper towels on it and take the bacon and let it "degrease." Flipping on each side.

Not only does your bacon LOOK appealing with not such an ugly deformation, but it's PERFECT for things like bacon to top on your hamburger to make your bacon cheesebureger OR bacon for your BLT's in the summer!  OH MY! 

Alright, so there you have it! :)  THAT EASY & THAT SIMPLE!  Now...........off to eat some bacon in  my fresh egg omelet from our chickens! :)  Top of the day to you! ;)

Asiago Cheese Bagels

Any Panera lovers!? :)  I used to be until I moved out to the southwest where they have NO PANERA!!!!!  I've come up with my own solution when I get that REALLY BAD CRAVING (which it's been most recent cause a friend of mine came out here to stay a few months and facebooked that she missed Panera, and was SHOCKED there wasn't one here. :))  You have already seen a few other posts about my Panera addiction and this is just another! :)  Enjoy!

Balls of dough before hole is poked in the center!

Holes have been made.  This is a tedious process with LOTS of stretching needed!

 Water almost ready to start boiling the bagels! You'll notice the holes in the center are almost closed!

 Boiling!

Topped with cheese after they've been boiled!

 Baked!

PERFECT MATCH!  Asiago Cheese bagel WARM & a Breve!

It can't get much better than this! :)

4 c flour
2 pkgs yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
3 Tsugar
1 Tsalt
1 T sugar
1 c shredded Asiago Cheese

Put yeast into your warm water and stir.  Let sit for a few minutes, it will start to foam.  Meanwhile, mix together your flour, sugar (3T) and salt.  Pour yeast mixture into your bowl and mix until everything is well blended and a dough ball forms.  I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook, this is THE BEST way to do it if you have it.  Once you've mixed the dough and nothing is sticking to the sides (add little bits of flour if still sticking to the sides of bowl until it doesn't any longer), drop it onto the counter and hand knead for another 5 or so minutes.  Then let rest on the counter with a damp dish towel over the top.  Let it sit for about 20 minutes.  Take and divide the dough into 8 even sections.  Once that is divided take each ball of dough and knead so that the creases are in the bottom of the bagel when put onto a GREASED pan for their second raising.  Once all have been formed into smooth circles, stick your finger into the center of each piece of dough and stretch as much as possible.  This dough is stiff and will spring back, just keep restretching them.  Put the dish towel over the top of the pan and put into your oven with JUST THE LIGHT on.  Let them raise for another hour like that.  Remove and preheat your oven to 375.  While your oven is preheating, boil about a gallon of water with 1T sugar.  Boil bagels 7 minutes, flipping them ONCE at about 3 1/2 minutes.  Remove and let drain on a paper towel.  It will stick to the paper towel, but will also remove fairly easy.  I let them drain for only about one minute.  Top with shredded Asiago Cheese.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes.  Just WATCH CAREFULLY as every oven will vary.  Mine were definitely done at 30 minutes.  I don't care for mine super dark.  They are best eaten right out of the oven.  Just my own opinion! :)  Otherwise when through, make sure to put any leftovers (if there are any) in a Ziploc to keep them moist.  Toast the next morning and top with cream cheese! :)