Bring On the Bacon

I've heard the rumors, they say bacon has been played out. Wanna know what I say to those haters? I say NEVER! Bacon will never been played out. NEVER! With that being said, here are some yummy bacon jalapeno poppers that will have all the bacon haters saying, "What? What?"

Ingredients:
Bacon (cut slices in half)
jalapenos
Softened cream cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese (I used a half of a cup, but you can certainly add more)
salt and pepper

How to:
Combine cream cheese and shredded cheese in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. I add a few more spices for taste (it's a secret recipe-you will have to find your own)
Cut jalapenos in half and scrape out the guts and seeds. Make sure you wear gloves for this. The seeds and juice are extremely hot and can burn your eyes or any other orifice if you scratch it with hands that have seeds and guts on it.
Spoon your cream cheese mixture into the hollowed out pepper. You can certainly pile it as high as you like
Take your slice of bacon and wrap it around the pepper. Don't wrap it too tight. If you need to, secure it with a toothpick
Cook for 45 minutes at 300 degrees.  Now, here's the secret...cook it on a cooling rack, with the rack on a baking sheet. This will cook the bacon on all sides and keep the drippings away from your popper. If you don't do this, the bottom of your bacon will be undercooked and greasy.
Serve up for yummy bacon cheesy poppy goodness!

Feel Good Friday!

Can I just tell you how challenging my week has been? In one day alone I had a sick puppy at 3:30am, a fiasco at the grocery store, spilled coffee all over me, ripped my skirt and got to work late. Yeah....not fun at all. The pup is better, I got another coffee and I will sew up my skirt this weekend. Anyhoo, I am determined to have a good Friday and an awesome weekend.

My friend AlwaysInspired made this wonderful, amazing and super duper cute cowboy quilt. Look close and the little boot and hat. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

I absolutely love cooking and baking blogs. Cupcake and Cookies definitely provides me with yummy baked goods and great recipes.

My garden is slowly taking shape. I know once the farmette is ready for some pickin' I will need one of these aprons. Sew in Stitches can stitch up an apron like nobody's business.  I like that I could also stick a naughty small dog in there (just kidding....kind of)

Speaking of naughty puppies. Someone needs to stage an intervention. I can't resist the Jujube.

Ahhh, yes....laid back and relaxed. I've got some stitching to do, some chocolate to eat and an OMP to kiss. Life couldn't get any better.

Tie One On Tuesday

When I was a little kid, one of my mom's favorite cakes was a wine cake. There was one little catch about the cake-she made us eat the ones that she messed up. So,  as a kid , the thought of eating cake, even ones that weren't quite perfect, sounds like heaven. In reality, I had way too many stomach aches and I'm sure a few hangovers. In honor of my mother and my hangovers, I give you the wine cake

Ingredients
1 package moist white cake mix
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white wine (I think my mom used a cup to 2 cups)
4 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 10 inch bundt pan.
In medium bowl combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, nutmeg, vegetable oil, white wine, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool on rack in pan for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan to rack. Let cake cool completely before slicing. Garnish sliced cake with a dollop of whipped cream or dust with confectioners' sugar and sliced strawberries.

There ya go! The original wine cake or as we like to call it in our family, mommy's little helper. 

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

Happy Easter from the Pedersen Pups! We hope your day is filled with bunnies,peeps and some sort of ham dish...AND we hope that it gets dropped on the floor.

Feel Good Friday

Yahoo! The sun is shining and it's warming up and (this is a big one), IT'S FRIDAY! Oh yeah, get funky, shake yer money maker! Whoot! Whoot!
 


While most of the world is giggling over a baby penguin getting tickled (Lola LOVES that video, by the way) I decided to pull out an oldie but a goodie. Everyone needs puppies to brighten their day.

I love The Trouble with Crafting. She has the best stitchy tutorials! I swear, this girl can do anything and do it fast! She can multitask like no one's business!

I think OMP needs this tie for Easter. Get it...Easter...Ha! I crack myself up. What? I'm funny!

Whew! I started this post earlier in the day and got caught up in the sunshine. OOPS! I'm sure you understand. Mama needs her vitamin D and play time with OMP and the pups. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of sunshine and smiles.

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.
-Katharine Hepburn

So Frustrated

I think I've hit a road block. Everything I am making is turning out horrible. I have a crafty block! I've lost my mojo! AGGGGGGGGHHHH! Has this every happen to you? I was so frustrated the other night that I threw my stitching into the fire. OMP told me I was having a hissy fit, but slowly backed off when I told him he was going into the fire next.

I've decided to take a little break from stitching and concentrate on other crafts, baking and gardening. Never fear, I will be back at it in a week or so-probably sooner cause I can't stay away for more than a day or two.


Have you lost your crafting mojo before? What do you do to get it back?

On Hold....

Apparently the DMV can hold a 22 year old grudge if you paid a parking ticket  two days late. Let's just say I know this first hand and leave it at that. So, in honor of the wonderful DMV and their workers, to whom I wonder when they lost their passion for their job, I am featuring other driving scofflaws. While you are on hold for the next available customer service representative, enjoy these great movies.

I love Robert Mitchum. He was an outlaw during a time period when straight and narrow was the way to be. In Thunder Road he plays a bootlegger trying to outrun the revenuers. Not only does Mitchum have to contend with the revenuers but also with the mob. It's just another typical day in the southern hills (again, I wouldn't know much about that).

Oh goodness me, I'm gonna have to do it. Another Burt Reynolds movie. Now, you know I love Smokey and the Bandit but Cannonball Run is right up there. Roger Moore, Dean Martin and Dom DeLuise-how can you go wrong? Quit laughing! It's a great movie! The storyline is very simple. A bunch of people race across country for a large sum of money and yes, it is very illegal. The only thing better than Cannonball Run is Cannonball Run II. I said, quit laughing!

Finally, one of OMP's all time favorite movies. The Blues Brother. OMP can quote every line from this movie and expects me to know the comback line for his quote. I am not kidding one bit. EVERY LINE! Anyhoo, Jake and Elwood decide to go on a mission from god and put the band back together. Car chases and incredible music ensue (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway) and the brothers are up for the adventure.

Well, my wonderful friends, it looks like we are still on hold. I suggest filing your taxes, getting a root canal and popping in another movie while we wait. It will only be a few more minutes.