Everything is better with bacon.

A favorite local restaurant of our makes bacon pepper jelly that I just can’t get enough and that began my search for how to make it at home. This recipe isn’t the same as the restaurant, but I love it just the same.

Bacon Jam

adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1lb uncooked bacon
• 2 medium yellow onions diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 jalapeno diced
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 6 4oz. jam jars with lids

First we need to cook the bacon. I prefer doing it in the oven, but if you prefer the skillet then do what works for you.

Let the bacon cool and reserve 2 tablespoons of the grease that cooked off.

In a skillet, pour in the bacon grease and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook until the onion start to become translucent in about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.

Next add the sugar, syrup, coffee and vinegar. Bring your concoction up to boil. Chop up your cooled, cooked bacon into 1 in. bites. Add the bacon.

You can leave the mixture in your skillet on medium low or put into a slow cooker uncovered for 4 hours. For both methods, the jam should cook at least 4 hours and can cook as long as 6 hours. Stir occasionally.

The jam is still going to seem very thin or watery even after the 4 hours are up, but don’t worry it will firm up when it cools down. After 4 hours, turn off the heat and let the jam cool for 15 minutes.

Once the jam has cooled some, pour into a food processor and pulse 5 – 8 times.

We are not going to officially can the jam, but the jars and lids should be sterile so be sure you boil them in hot water for at least 10 minutes before you spoon in the jam. Having the jars hot will also prevent the jars from breaking when you pour in your jam.

When your jars are ready, spoon in the jam leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Close the lids and let the jam cool for another 30 minutes before you store them in the refrigerator.

Jam should last 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

My first cross stitch attempt is an homage to one of my favorite television shows from the U.K., The I.T. Crowd.

Pattern from Pixy Stitches

Take a look at this clip on YouTube to see this in context:

Pattern from Subversive Cross Stitch

I guess I watch too much television, because my next cross stitch is also in honor of another television show, Portlandia.

My next step is to mount these and find the right frames for them.

If you’ve resisted cross stitch like I have, let me give you some inspiration to try it because there are some really great patterns out there. Check out the following patterns:

Pixy Stitches

Subversive Cross Stitch

Wee Little Stitches

ElfStitch

Pickle Lady Farm

Once you’ve found a pattern you love, this is a great video I used to get me started:

Happy Stitching!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

(adapted from In Jennie’s Kitchen blog)
Serves 10 to 12
Crust:
9 ounces chocolate animal crackers
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Chocolate Layer:
4 ounces finely chopped milk chocolate
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Ganache:
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in a scoop of the whipped cream into the filling mixture and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Put in the refrigerator to cool for one hour.

Chop of semisweet chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Warm ½ cup cream in a saucepan on medium heat until small bubbles start to form. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about two minutes. Stir the chocolate until it is smooth and melted. Pour over your pie to cover the top. Place the pie back in the refrigerator and let it set overnight.

When you are ready to present, whip the last one cup of cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Place the whipped cream on top of the pie and garnish with more chopped peanuts if desired.

You can also drizzle the plate with melted peanut butter and chocolate to decorate. It’s best to let the drizzle harden in the refrigerator before placing the pie on top or serving.

The craftsmanship and the creativity of the quilts on exhibit is just amazing. I have so much respect for the entries and all of the work that went into each one. Here are a few of my favorites from the show:

Be sure to look at the other winners as well.

Spicy Pumpkin Seed Brittle

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter (plus more for coating a cookie sheet)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda sifted
• 2 cups roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Special Equipment: Candy thermometer

In a 3-quart, nonstick, heavy saucepan clip on your candy thermometer and then combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and water and stir occasionally until melted and it reaches 275 degrees. This will take some time to get that hot, so in the meantime, take out your cookie sheet and coat it liberally with butter and place it on a heat resistant surface so you’ll be ready when the candy is done.

When the sugar mixture reaches 275 degrees, add in the pumpkin seeds. The temperature should drop when the seeds are added and stir them in well. Keep stirring occasionally until the thermometer reaches 295 degrees. At that point, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will start to foam and you should work quickly, plus be very careful. You’ve got hot lava here! Pour the candy onto your coated cookie sheet and let cool for 1 to 2 hours.

Once the candy is cool and solid, break up the pieces carefully (the edges are sharp!) The brittle should be stored in an air-tight container and should last about a week.

What You’ll Need:

• Wool-Ease Yarn from Lion Brand or a Super Bulky weight yarn in your favorite Halloween colors (I only used 1/2 skein of black and orange and just a little of the cream)
• Styrofoam wreath form
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Pins

This really couldn’t be easier, you just start putting a little glue on the wreath to get the yarn started and then you just start wrapping. Be sure you covering up the white of the Styrofoam. You can measure out your wreath to be sure you get equal stripes if you want, but I just eyeballed it.

Once the wreath is done, you can start on the rosettes. These are just made by wrapping the yarn around itself. On a flat surface start wrapping the yarn with one hand while you hold the center down flat with the other. Make some different sizes to make it look interesting. Once I had the rosettes the right size, I use pins to hold the yarn in place and then used the glue gun to make a flower shape that would catch yarn. Let is dry for 10 – 30 minutes and then remove the pins.

When your rosettes are done, start arranging them on your wreath!

 Spooky spooky!

Adobo Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe:

• 4lbs pork shoulder (sometimes called Boston Butt or Pork Butt)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 12 oz. bottle root beer (I used St. Arnold’s Root Beer)
• 7.5oz can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• Black pepper

Start your oven at 275 degrees.

In a dutch oven over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is heated, add the onion and  shallot and let cook until it begins to become translucent, usually 5 – 10 minutes. Next step is to add your spices, the oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, a few grinds of black pepper and the garlic. Let that cook for about 2 minutes to give the garlic a chance to start smelling good. Add the root beer and let it cook for another 7 – 10 minutes to let it concentrate, but do not boil.

Meanwhile, get out your pork shoulder and give it a good massage with salt and pepper.  Once the root beer has had its chance to cook down, add the pork and top it with the whole can of chipotle peppers. Be sure to get all the sauce you can out of the can, it is priceless.

Put the cover on your dutch oven and place it in the oven for 4 hours to cook. After the first hour, turn the pork over once.

At the four hour mark, start checking your pork for doneness. Mine usually is done 4 1/2 hours in, but it depends on your oven and the size of your pork. The pork should be easily pulled apart using a fork.

When it is ready, remove from the oven a let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes to cool down some. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside to shred.

Skim off the fat that has risen to the top of your sauce in the pot. When that is done, strain the sauce through a sieve to catch the onions and peppers, squeezing out all the sauce you can. Return the sauce back to the pot and start cooking it on medium heat on the stove to concentrate the sauce a bit more.

Using two forks, start pulling apart your pork being sure to weed out any bones or pieces of fat. When all your meat is shredded, add it back tot he pot and let it reunite with the sauce. This is the place where you will want to sing “O Happy Day”.

This is great served with corn tortillas or onion buns or even just on its own. It is so good!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 teaspoon  sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups 2% milk (you can use whole milk for a richer ice cream)
• 3 large eggs
• An ice cream maker