Bakin' Bacon, the secret to cooking large quantities of bacon

We've had many guests ask us about our bacon and they are usually surprised when we say that we bake our bacon. I thought I'd tell you why we do it and how we do it.

First, I have to tell you that I wanted to call this article "425 degrees from Kevin Bacon". I thought about it for a little while and decided that probably no one would know what I was referring to because I guess it doesn't make a lot of sense. So, Bakin' Bacon won.

Cooking bacon on the stove top takes up burner space and creates a lot of splatter from the grease. It also takes up time because cooking upwards of 50 pieces of bacon means you'd be cooking in batches.

The solution is to use sheet pans so all the bacon cooks at the same time with minimal time and effort required.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line the sheet pan with foil and spread the bacon out on the pan. If there's room, just line them up next to each other. If you have lots of bacon you can twist the bacon which allows you to put more bacon in the pan. It's alright to have them touching each other.

As for cooking times, it depends. Depends on the thickness and whether you have twisted the bacon or not. We use thick cut bacon and it takes about 30 minutes to cook a sheet pan full of bacon which are not twisted. Twisted bacon can take a little longer to cook, especially if the sheet pan is packed full. We also turn the bacon once after about 15 minutes. As an FYI, once in a while we don't have time to turn the bacon and it still comes out just fine. If you use thin cut bacon watch very closely because it cooks fast.

If you have any questions about baking bacon just let us know.

P.S. I'm sure 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast could be linked to Kevin Bacon within 425 degrees. (Does anyone remember the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game?).

Richard
5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR

When the blues make you happy!

We're experiencing the blues and couldn't be happier. Why, because it's the time of year when, assuming Mother Nature has been good to us, fresh blueberries are ripe for picking in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Every year we visit Ashley's Blueberry Farm where Ashley grows organic blueberries. We pick up anywhere from 15 to 20 gallons of fresh, right off the vine blueberries. They are the plumpest, best tasting blueberries we have tasted. We've tried some from other states in our recipes, and these have always tasted better.

If you have a chance, pickup some fresh blueberries from the store. Lay them out in a layer on a pan and freeze them. Once frozen, put them in a Ziplock bag getting out as much air as possible. When you want to use some blueberries, take what you need out of the bag and seal it back up. Rinse the blueberries well and use them in a recipe like our Blueberries and Cream (see below). We've found that blueberries keep well for about 1 year.

5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast
Blueberries and cream
(Serves 1)

1/2 banana; sliced
1/8 cup half and half
1 teaspoon Sugar
vanilla; (to taste)
seasonal fruits
3 tablespoons blueberries

This recipe is for one serving of Blueberries and Cream. For more servings,
scale the recipe accordingly.

Cut the banana into pieces and put into serving cup.

Mix the half and half, sugar and vanilla (the amount depends on how much of
a vanilla taste you want; experiment until it is to your liking. We use
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon). Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Cut the seasonal fruit into appropriate pieces and arrange on the plate
where you have placed the serving cup.

Just before serving, add the blueberries to the serving cup. More or less
blueberries can be used, depending on your taste. (Adding the blueberries
to far ahead of serving will cause the liquid to take on a bluish tinge).

Enjoy.....Richard and Jan

A Foodies Path to Heaven

What started out as a welcome home trip to a restaurant, ended up taking this foodie to a heavenly place.

Jan returned from her week long trip after visiting our granddaughter and I wanted to get out so we could talk about all the cute things Emma did. Ok, maybe a 5 day old baby can't really do much but eat, sleep and take care of business (I'm sure you know what I mean). Anyway, it was a good excuse to get out and sample what the tourists do in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and oh what a meal we had.

We headed to Casa Colina because I knew they were having a Spare Rib dinner with a Mexican Barbecue sauce and it just sounded like something I'd like to try. We started with a Guacamole appetizer with pineapple salsa that was finished with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. While Jan loves guacamole I can take it or leave it, but the combination of the pineapple and raspberry was a very interesting and tasty twist on this appetizer and we went through two baskets of tortilla chips scooping the appetizer off of the plate.

The main entry came and it looked delectable. There was a pile of spare ribs with a Mexican barbecue sauce, fresh roasted corn on the cob and black beans topped with a little cheese. My stomach started to growl not so silently. I started with the corn which was roasted to perfection and seasoned with lime juice and just a touch of red pepper. It was perhaps the best corn I've ever tasted. The tartness of the lime against the sweetness of the corn gave the corn a very satisfying flavor.

The spare ribs were tender and the sauce had just enough spiciness to it to make it interesting but not overwhelming. They were too good to save for lunch, so I ate them all right then and there.

I've always liked black beans over the re-fried beans you normally get at most Mexican restaurants and these worked well with the spare ribs.

After the meal Joe, who owns the restaurant with his wife Dani, asked if we'd mind trying a Mojito he was thinking of serving at the restaurant. "Sure, why not", we said. Neither of us had every tried a Mojito and found that the lime, mint and rum drink that Joe served tasted like limeade, well, except with a little more kick. The drink was refreshing although we thought the mint leaves shouldn't be blended with the drink because they get caught in the straw.

Casa Colina is one of the restaurants we include in our packages offered at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast. It's well worth a try.

...Richard

Grandkids Rock!!

Had to forget about business today so I could tell everyone about the newest and bestest (I know it's not a word, but it felt right) addition to our lives. Our first grand-daughter, Emma Claire, was born last Saturday. Grandma Jan had her bags packed and traveling shoes on so fast you would have thought she was training for the 100 yard dash.

Once she arrived in Maryland she was so excited she took the wrong turn (two different times) and added an extra hour onto her drive. That's Jan, my directionally challenged bride. Her comment when she called, "I guess it's time to get a GPS??". Remember, when you're staying at our place (5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs, AR), verify directions with Richard (LOL).



Isn't she cute??

...Richard