Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

It’s football season here in Colorado. I think the Broncos are doing well, but I don’t really know because I haven’t watched a football game in 10 years or so. But the news is full of Tebows and Mannings it is hard to avoid it completely.

Speaking of Manning….did you know that he signed a contract for 18 million dollars to play this year? 18 MILLION DOLLARS! Did you know that I, as a school teacher make…let’s just say…considerably less than 18 million dollars? Where are our priorities people? A pituitary case throws a ball and gets compensated in large sums, and a teacher that devotes her time and energy to shaping the minds of our youth gets a water-bottle that says “You make a difference!”

Dear Payton Manning, (who happens to be the same age as I am) if you are reading this I encourage you to fund 80 Colorado teachers at $100,000 a year, this would still give you 10 MILLION dollars to spend on things like…oh I don’t know…your own trained dancing bear in a tutu. It makes me discouraged that as a nation we have such messed up priorities.

Ok, but I am a minority in my disdain for everything sports related. So I present to you the perfect sports snack. Everyone will love them, and you as a PCOS gal will not have to worry about the carbs. I don’t have time to make these, and I have never once been invited over to watch a game…so I am linking you to a different site. But I can tell you these are always a favorite and they are just so easy!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients

 

10 to 15 jalapenos

8 oz of cream cheese

1/2 lb bacon

 

Instructions

 

1. Soak toothpicks in water for 15 minutes. Cut the jalapenos in half length-wise and scrape out the seeds and membranes (this is the source of the heat, so if you want them spicy leave them in, if you want them mild make sure you scrape really well).

2. Put a chunk of cream cheese in the hollow body of the jalapeno

3. Cut a slice of bacon in half width-wise and wrap all the way around the jalapeno pinning it with a toothpick

4. Place filling side up on cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or parchment paper. Put in oven at 375 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bacon is cooked.

Happy Snacking!

 

 

Frittata with Red Pepper, Onions, Bacon and Goat Cheese

We have our milk delivered to our house by a local dairy. A milk man comes to our house in the middle of the night, and when you wake up there are beautiful glass bottles of milk. In addition to the milk, the dairy will also deliver cheese, butter, and eggs. For the past year or so I have been ordering eggs  bi-weekly from the dairy and last week was no different. Do you catch the irony? Now that we have a chicken that is laying an egg a day, I really have no need for a dozen eggs. Face to Palm.

So what do you do with a dozen eggs you can’t possibly eat in addition to the fresh eggs from the backyard? When life hands you too many eggs, make Frittatas. Now if you read my past post, you know I am not a fan of eggs but figured that if I loaded it with enough things that I did like I might not notice the dozen eggs.

Frittata with Red Pepper, Onions, Bacon and Goat Cheese

• 12 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, sliced thinly
• 3 ounces of bacon cut into small pieces
• half a red pepper
• 4 ounces goat cheese , crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element; heat broiler. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Set eggs aside.
2. Render bacon until crisp. Add onions, red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; reduce heat to low and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir half of goat cheese into eggs; add egg mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form and spatula begins to leave wake but eggs are still very wet, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.
3. Distribute remaining goat cheese evenly over frittata. Slide skillet under broiler and broil until frittata has risen and surface is puffed and spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes; when cut into with paring knife, eggs should be slightly wet and runny. Remove skillet from oven and let stand 5 minutes to finish cooking; using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto platter or cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

 

 And  you know what? I enjoyed it very much. And that is saying a lot from a girl that doesn’t eat eggs.

For anyone out there struggling with Metformin and the side effects: This morning I had another blood sugar crash at school. I decided to start documenting how I am feeling and the things I do to try and alleviate the symptoms.  I felt very very tired and lethargic, unable to concentrate. I felt nauseous, my stomach was upset and my back ached. I found a loose piece of hard candy, a mint to be exact, ate it and went for a very brisk walk.  I moved my arms and got the blood flowing and you know what? I was fine after that. I will try it again next time and see if the same  thing works and will let you know!

Zucchini and Bacon Frittata

Am I the only one that doesn’t like eggs? I swear I must be the only person on this planet that just can’t support a plate of eggs. I used to like them when I was small. There was a funny story of how I really wanted to eat something and I knew what I wanted  but I couldn’t remember the name of it. So my little three year old self tried to explain what it was… “ok, it’s white and then it is still white.” My wonderful grandmother finally figured out my toddler riddle: Hard Boiled Egg, because the shell is white and then when you peel it , it is still white. Around the age of 5 I made the decision that I did NOT like eggs, much to the chagrin of my bewildered parents, who probably figured I would grow out of it. But I didn’t.

My husband does like eggs, he likes them so much that we have backyard chickens. So far we have had 9 chickens in the span of a year and no eggs. I repeat, 9 chickens no eggs. Our first experience with the chicken world almost (I am convinced) killed us, I believe the chicken rangler we bought them from might be a serial killer. But it turned out he cheated us and purposely sold us two roosters, and one died. Then one of my students asked if we would help raise chicks, on the week that we were most likely to receive our first egg, Ms. Matilda Ann Justice (dog) killed both of them. So now we have 4 new chickens braving the winter and not producing any eggs.  Sounds a lot like me! Get it? Lame PCOS joke! I always joke that maybe this spot in the world is a black hole for fertility.

So what do I eat for breakfast if I don’t eat carbs and I don’t eat eggs. Long story short…nothing. I don’t have time on weekdays to eat breakfast, but on the weekends I usually put together a healthy snack to tide me till a regular meal. But being that someday soon I will be swimming in about 4 eggs a day… and that everyone in the world seems to like eggs……

Zucchini and Bacon Frittata

• 1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
• Salt
• 4-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ¼ lb. smoked Canadian bacon or ham, diced
• 6 eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Cheddar

Directions

Combine the zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and toss well. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or ovenproof nonstick skillet. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, flipping and stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Remove the onions and return the skillet to the stove.

Transfer the zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Add the zucchini and Canadian bacon to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat, until the zucchini is just tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the zucchini and Canadian bacon with a slotted spoon. Keep the skillet over the heat.

4. Beat the eggs and pepper to taste in a medium bowl until well blended. Fold in the potatoes, zucchini and Canadian bacon, and cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil to the skillet as needed to lightly coat the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook without stirring until the bottom is set, about 10 minutes.

6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is set, 5 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes.

Place a serving plate on top of the skillet and carefull invert. The frittata should fall out of the pan. Cut into wedges and serve.