Rustic Country Breakfast

Snow days call for an extra special breakfast. With more than 12 inches on the ground, I'm in for a good bit of shoveling this morning and needed something hearty. My favorite breakfast, which I'm pretty sure I've inherited from my father, is eggs, bacon and toast, with a glass of black coffee and orange juice. Unlike my father though, I add veggies and cheese to the meal.

This morning I toasted 2 pieces of homemade bread, scrambled eggs 1 egg and 2 egg whites with peppers, spinach and tomatoes, and baked bacon. 

Yep, BAKED BACON! AMAZING! This is probably the whole reason I'm writing this post... to share my discovery of baked bacon. I've seen it all over Pinterest, heard about it via the Food Network, but never tried it. Well, I'm here to say I should have tried it sooner because it is beyond incredible!

It melts in your mouth, crumbles beautifully and tastes delicious, plus it has no fatty pieces to throw away. And it's super simple. Heat the oven to 400˙, put the bacon on an edged cookie sheet or in a casserole dish, bake for 20 minutes (or until done). I like to empty the grease out of the pan then continue to bake it for another 5 minutes. Place it on a paper towel to absorb any extra grease. It's that simple! You can of course replace the bacon with turkey bacon, however I have not tested the baking bacon with turkey bacon. If you do, let me know how it turns out. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Tortilla Chili

Sixty degree weather doesn't usually call for chili, but today I was in the mood for comfort food. My mother had posted a chili recipe on my Facebook page the other day (yes, my mom has Facebook and we are friends!) and it looked like a great recipe to try. A One-Pot One-der, all you need is a crock-pot (and some time)! Prep for this is super easy and quick, and the outcome will make your company think you spent hours in the kitchen! I added a few extra ingredients, but use what you have.

Black Bean, Corn Salsa (Southwest Salsa)

Happy 2012! To bring in the New Year, my friend Cheryl and her husband hosted a fun little get together. I helped in providing food to munch on while we played Wii Just Dance, Apples to Apples and watching the Time Square events take place. Among the many delicious finger foods we put together, I quickly threw together this super easy, super delicious salsa that will please almost everyone!

Mix together:
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 can of corn (or the equivalent frozen/fresh), drained
3-4 tomatoes, diced small (you can you canned, but I like the taste of fresh tomatoes so much more)
1/4 white or red onion
1 avocado, diced
Cilantro, handful or so chopped
Lime juice from 1 lime (fresh is best, but from the container is fine, just use less)
3 Tablespoons of EVOO (but not needed)
salt and pepper to taste (however, I leave them out because the chips usually contain enough)

Have a blessed and happy new year! Happy Eating!

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