Product Review: Costco's Kirkland Organic Mixed Vegetables

 

Costco's Kirkland Organic Mixed Vegetables, (Pictured above with country fried steak and mashed potatoes & gravy), are a cut above the other mixed vegetable options on the market. I have no complaints about this product at all. 

It's a well-balanced mix of green beans, green peas, corn, and carrots. It's good as a side dish, but you can also use it in other dishes like soups or homemade pot pies.

I was never a big fan of mixed vegetables in the past. Costco changed my mind, but now I only want to use their veggie mix. I just can't buy any other brand now. 

Costco: Don't change a thing with these, please! 

My favorite way to make these is to cook them longer than recommended on the package, then drain completely and add a tiny bit of butter plus S&P to your taste. Delicious! 

Defend Your Vegetables!

 

Vegetable Vexation?

I'm here to defend my vegetables, because one day I watched a video that popped up on Facebook.  The topic was: "Why don't the vegetables you prepare at home taste as good as vegetables from a restaurant?" 

Huh? I was perplexed. I have always encountered the exact opposite. Well, with rare exceptions. The vegetables from restaurants are usually sub par -- overcooked, treated as an afterthought, etc. Unless you are dining at a "high end" restaurant or an independent "farm to table" type of establishment, that's just the way it is - (and sometimes those are questionable as well, because paying more money does not necessarily equal good food).

Anyway, this guy reveals the "big secret." Get ready....it's...BUTTER! Restaurants use more BUTTER! Vegetables are practically swimming in it. That's why it tastes better, according to the dude. 

Well, that's just ridiculous. In the first place, most restaurants don't cook vegetables to order. They either blanch & then "refresh" them per order by sautéing, or giving them a quick dip in boiling water, or they simply hold them "as is" on a steam table (and hopefully they adhere to the time limit and change them out before they turn to mush if they aren't being consumed in a timely manner). There are some restaurants that used canned veggies as well. 

Not that there is anything wrong with cooking ahead of time & "refreshing," or using a steam table. These are lifesavers for busy restaurants, and if they keep up with them, then no problemo. BUT...the veggies prepared this way are in no way superior to veggies you can prepare at home. Quite the opposite. 

So I have to call BS on that dude. I wish I could remember his name but it escapes me. Maybe he just has trouble with vegetables himself, so he assumes that it is a problem for everyone else too. No. No. No. Not at all. And you DO NOT need a pound of butter to make veggies taste good. Some don't need any at all. The simplest preparation yields the best flavor for fresh vegetables. For frozen or canned, a little more "decoration" might be necessary. 😄

As an example, see the veggies below. Fresh spinach, green beans, and Brussel's Sprouts. (There were also fresh potatoes with this meal, just peeking out up there on top.) All of these were from Costco. The green beans, unfortunately, were a mixed bag, as you can see. Different shades of green. Some of the beans were not as fresh as the others. You don't see that when you pick them fresh from your own garden, but this was earlier in the year before Spring, so Costco filled the veggie bill.  

Fresh spinach: Use a large frying pan, medium heat. Add 1-2 tsps. of light oil (avocado or extra virgin olive oil). Spread the oil around so it coats the bottom of the pan. Add 1/3 of the spinach, let it wilt a bit. Repeat 2 more times. Make a small well in the center & add one clove of minced garlic (optional). Stir the garlic a bit & let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes, then mix it into the spinach. Add S&P to your taste.

 This is a short-cut method & it is very tasty. The moisture in the spinach will steam it. No need to add extra water or boil it first before sautéing. This was one of the giant containers from Costco. 16 oz., if I recall correctly. So the recipe fits for that, but it doesn't need much adjusting if you have a smaller amount. Of course, with spinach, you want to have as much as possible since it shrinks so much.  

Fresh green beans: Bring salted water to a boil & add green beans. Cook to your specifications. I like mine al dente. That part is up to the cook. Just fish one out for a test after 8-10 minutes. 

Brussel's Sprouts: Nice big bags of these at Costco, already removed from the stalk. Most of the time rinsing is all you need to do, but sometimes the bottoms need to be trimmed off a little. If they are pretty big, cut them in halves or quarters. Then place in a stainless steel bowl, drizzle with olive or avocado oil, toss in some S&P, then mix until they are coated. Roast in the oven until tender, checking them a couple of times and stirring (actually, I usually flip each one with tongs). They are spectacular with a little caramelization. I could eat the whole bag. 

The thing to remember with these is not to crowd them or you will have steamed Brussel's instead of roasted. I usually roast at 350 for 15-20 minutes. You can go higher if you are in a hurry, just keep an eye on them. 

Taters: For waxy, thin-skinned potatoes (red or yellow), no need to peel. Scrub well & place in a saucepan. Water to cover, add salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium & cook 8-10 minutes. Test with a knife, it's the best way. Then drain, add a couple of pats of butter & some black pepper, and mix. You don't need a pound to get good flavor. Sometimes I add just one pat of butter & then drizzle a little olive oil in before tossing. Yum to the max! 

(One day I will set up a camera and film some of these methods. It's a lot easier than trying to explain it in text.) 

There you have it. Four veggies, all simple prep, no pounds of butter needed. I would send this to that dude, if I could remember who he was. 😄

Defend your veggies! What have been your experiences with restaurant veggies? Share your story in the comments if you have time. We all want to know where the good restaurant veggies are! 😄

Product Review: Costco's Kirkland Raspberry Crumble Cookies

Ah, there it is...the famous Raspberry Crumble Cookie from Costco's bakery. I have read the rave reviews about this cookie that are frequently expressed in a Costco Facebook group. We finally picked some up to try them out. $11.99 for one dozen at our usual Costco. They're a pretty good size, maybe 3" diameter or so. 

These cookies have a shortbread base and are topped with raspberry jam/preserves and posipka (a.k.a. streusel or crumble topping). The finishing touch is a dusting of powdered sugar. 

They are very good. It would be easy to eat 3 or 4 in a sitting. They are approximately 340 calories each though, so exercise some restraint! 

There's not a lot to complain about here. Well, the price could be a little lower. As far as flavor, as I mentioned above, they are very good. But...there's a slight aftertaste that isn't pleasant. It's not strong enough to deter me from eating them, but it's there. It might be because of the palm oil. To me the aftertaste is reminiscent of cookies I've eaten in the past where lard was used in the recipe. But it was probably the palm oil. Maybe it is not a common occurrence. It might have been limited to the batch we had. 

As far as the palm oil goes, we normally avoid products that use palm oil as much as possible. Thankfully, Costco is a member of RSPO - (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil). Click on the link for more info. 

The only other thing that I would add would be more raspberry filling! The cookies would definitely be better with a bit more of that! 

Just FYI: I've seen some people suggest heating the cookie for a few minutes in oven or microwave. "They're even better that way!" - Costco fans have claimed. We have exactly one cookie left, so I might have to try that tip out. 

Below are two more photos, just to show you what the cookie is like inside.

Costco Product Review: Mission Hill Bistro's Smoked Beef Brisket Burnt Ends

 

Mission Hill Bistro Smoked Beef Brisket Burnt Ends

It was inevitable. The brisket burnt ends were going to end up in the shopping cart at Costco sooner or later. They made it in during the last trip. 

Here's a shot of the back of the package...

 Burnt Ends Blues

First I have to address what's on the package. Take note of the label on the bottom left. $9.59 a pound, 1.52 pounds in this package. The total price is $14.58. 

Okay, so this is something that gave me pause right away, because there is sauce included in this package, but it is not weighed separately. There are 4 servings in this package, according to the line under "Nutrition Facts." 4 servings at 1 cup each. 

Burnt ends at $9.59 per pound...not a bad deal really, since the burnt ends are one of the best parts of a brisket after you've smoked it. Right? Not something you would want to eat on a daily basis, obviously, but once in a while is okay. 

I weighed the burnt ends and the sauce packets separately to see if it was indeed a "good deal." The package of burnt ends came in at just a shade over 1 lb., 1 oz. The sauce packet weighed 8.3 oz. What?! Yes, 8.3 oz. So that's approximately $4.98 for the packet of sauce. That is ridiculous. Definitely not a good deal on the sauce. 

My first question for Mission Hill Bistro is: Why is sauce included with the burnt ends in the first place? Burnt ends never require sauce. They are eaten just as they are because they taste great. I have never had a burnt end in my life that I had to put sauce on. Of course, those were fresh from the smoker, but still...

So I have a big issue with this sauce packet. Just to be a good sport, I decided to try the sauce with the burnt ends. Okay..."hell to the no" on that! The sauce is sickeningly sweet. I suppose they thought eating it with the burnt ends might balance things out. Well...NO! It doesn't. It's still too sweet. Too bad, too, because if it wasn't so sweet, it would actually be pretty good. It has a nice "afterburn." Still not worth $4.98 though. No way. Now we are stuck with leftover sauce that is too sweet to eat. I will have to modify it for use in another recipe because I hate to waste food.  

The burnt ends themselves weren't that bad. If you crisp them up a bit, you can "fool" yourself into believing they were fresh out of the smoker. Well...almost. The kitchen certainly had that lingering odor of smokiness that occurs when you prepare a brisket at home. 

The bottom line is: The burnt ends are okay. Nothing to write home about, but certainly edible. They taste much better without the sauce, as burnt ends should. They are NOT a good deal, though, because they are packaged along with the sauce. If the packet was only 4 ounces or so, I could let that slide. But not this 8.3 ounces of sauce. No way. Too much $$$ for what's basically BBQ "syrup." 

If you have money to burn, though, go for it! I think it would be cool to get the Mission Hill Bistro Sliced Beef Brisket (read my review here), along with the burnt ends so you could have the best of both brisket worlds at the same time. Party down! It would be a good idea to make your own sauce though, (for the regular brisket, not the burnt ends, of course). 

I have to rate this one, reluctantly, three chicken legs. It would have been two, but they get a freebie just for having the gumption to offer brisket burnt ends to the public. This means they are paying attention. The sauce though? 🙄 Cost ya' two legs, Mission Hill Bistro! 

🍗🍗🍗

Now, here is a visual presentation of the burnt ends and the progression from the removal from the package to the final form before consumption: 

Opened Package...

Where's the beef? 😆

Here's that &%#@*%&$!! sauce packet. 😡

Big lump in the pan with a bit of oil.

Breaking up lumps

Breaking them up some more

Added a shot of water. Just a small shot.

Hmmm...

 Looking better...maybe?

Final Form

Costco Product Review: Safe Catch Ahi Tuna - An Encore Performance

Ahi Encore

Too bad it's not albacore tuna, then I could have titled this: "Encore for Albacore." 😆

I popped open what I thought was the last can of this lovely tuna yesterday. (Turns out there was another hidden in the food safe, so we're not out just yet.) 

I decided to make the classic "Tuna Salad" with this one. As promised in the  original Safe Catch review, I took a picture of it after I took it out of the can and before I crumbled it up: 

Not very impressive, huh? Don't let that fool you. 

It gets even better...

Look at those lovely chunks! 

And here it is, shredded and ready for the rest of the ingredients. The difference this time is: I did not drain the tuna. I was doing some reading on the Safe Catch website and there was a mention about leaving the liquid in to be absorbed after the tuna was shredded for use. Out of habit, I drained the last can and let one of the tuna loving doggies have the "tuna juice." (I had to give her a consolation prize this time.)

Tuna Salad

When I make tuna salad, I do it one of three ways depending on mood: 

1. I add mayo, a little lemon juice, and S&P (maybe just P-it depends on the tuna)

2. I add mayo, mustard, chopped pickles, a chopped hard-boiled egg, a dash of Tabasco, a little lemon juice, and S&P. 

3. I make "PMF Tuna Salad." I'm not going to translate that here because I'd like to keep the blog "Rated PG," so use your imagination or send me an email. 😄

For PMF Tuna Salad, see the pics below. I add chopped pickles, chopped egg white, and employ a special method for the rest of the ingredients. 

This is it: 

• I mash the egg yolk in a separate bowl... 
• Add 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsps. mayo, (Duke's Mayo is the current reigning champion in this house)
• Add 1/2 to 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 
• Add a couple of squeezes of lemon juice (maybe 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.) 
• Add  about 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Add a dash of Tabasco
• Add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. of shaved/pulverized onion (red, but white will do) 
• Add 1 to 1 1/2 tsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (omit this step if tuna is packed in oil)
• Add S&P

As for the onion, what I really go for is the "essence of onion." Just a few drops of onion juice -- it's not even necessary to have pieces or onion pulp. But under no circumstances should chunks of onion be allowed. If it's terrible tuna, that's one thing. But not for this tuna. We want to showcase the wonderful flavor, not kill it with too much onion. 

If you like your tuna salad to have even more of a crunchy texture (aside from the pickles), you can add a tiny bit of celery to it, but not too much. Try to add something that's a little more bland for texture, like chopped water chestnuts. Celery and I are always on shaky terms, as you can read here: "The Atrocious Fetor of Celery."

I only use one hard-boiled egg per can of tuna when I make tuna salad. (You know, if I wanted an egg salad, I'd make an egg salad.) 2 eggs per can is just too much for me. Of course, if food was scarce and the tuna salad needed to be stretched. I would use more than one egg. Absolutely. (BTDT, got the shirt.) I'm picky about certain food items and at present, I'm fortunate enough so that I can be picky about it. Hence the title of this PMF Tuna Salad. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out the rest of the words now. 😀

Stir all ingredients until well incorporated...

Then add the "PMF Dressing" to the tuna and the other elements and mix well. 

Add more mayo if that's your wish, but I always abide by the "Rule for Salad Dressings" and simply "cloak" the ingredients with the dressing, rather than drown them in it. 

That brings to mind a local eatery here that makes a delightful broccoli salad...or it would be if the vegetables weren't screaming for lifesaver rings because they're drowning. Okay, it USED to be delightful, but someone decided that it needed more dressing (it doesn't). I haven't ordered it again since that happened though. Maybe it was simply a mistake. 

So CLOAK your ingredients, Folks! Do you want to end up on the local grapevine? 

Gossip Hound #1: "She offered me a tuna sandwich, but I couldn't find the tuna!"

Gossip Hound #2: "Really? We have to warn everybody!" 

Okay. I digress. Let's carry on, shall we? 

Tuna cloaked in PMF Dressing

Grand Finale

This tuna salad called for an unobtrusive bread...not a bread with flavors that would overpower the taste of the tuna, i.e. - "a bread that's better for your health." I'll try it with healthier bread eventually, but this time I used plain ol' Wonder Bread. I use it on occasion when I want to taste the ingredients more than the bread (like with PB&J). 

Was it good? It was VERY good. Was it better the next day? Oh YES! So make it the night before you'll use it, if you can. That usually works if you're making it for a party or something, but if you're like me, when I crave a tuna sandwich, I want it immediately, so in that case...just make plenty so you have leftovers! 

PMF Tuna Salad on "Throwback" Bread
Served on a practically vintage platter

Happy Eating! 

Costco Product Review: Safe Catch Ahi Tuna

 

This tuna is outstanding! 

I'm sending a huge, "Thank you!" to Costco for making this product available. 

There is nothing in the can except tuna that was cooked in its own juices, and a little sea salt. The flavor is out of this world. This is easily the best canned tuna I have ever had thus far. 

It knocked my previous favorite, tuna in a glass jar, down to second place. Now that one was good. REALLY good, but this one is so much better! 

I will be picking up a jar though, so I can do a side-by-side comparison of these two, just to confirm. We can't get it locally, but on the next H.E.B. trip, I am making a beeline for that jar. I found out that some H.E.B.s carry the Safe Catch tuna too, so I'll be looking for that as well. 

I have some pics below. I should have taken a pic before I separated it in the bowl. It was indeed a tuna steak. It was fabulous "as is," so I didn't want to add much to it on this first go round. I just added a bit of S&P, a little lemon juice, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, and about a tablespoon of mayo. (Duke's).

I had to stop myself from eating more than one sandwich. It didn't need any accompaniments either, like tuna usually does. 

Simply excellent! 

I visited the company's website and found that they also have salmon, sardines, and mackerel, made the same way. If you order from the site, ground shipping in the U.S. is free. They also sell pouches of tuna and have a recycling program for those: Send the empty pouches in for them to recycle and they will reward you with a coupon to use for ordering from their website. 

Check the website out by clicking on the link below: 

Safe Catch

Here is a photo of the tuna: 

And a photo of the tuna after I added the few ingredients mentioned above:

The Label

They are serious about the quality of their product, and it shows. There is no BS about this product. The proof is in the taste. Get some as soon as you can and try it! 

Happy Eating! 

Costco Product Review: Mission Hill Bistro Sliced Beef Brisket

 We recently took a trip to Costco after a lengthy hiatus. While we were there we decided to buy something for the 4th of July meal. It was an "impulse buy" that happened because the sample was so tasty, (which doesn't happen often, at least not on my part). We don't buy pre-cooked food like this on a regular basis, but once in a while it is okay. 

I am usually leery of products like this because of experience with them in the past. Sometimes you hit a winner, sometimes not. As far as smoked brisket is concerned, it's usually the latter. But we were at Costco, so the line of thought was that the product would be superior to those purchased in the past. In addition to that, in wasn't a sample consumed under duress by hunger, because we'd already had lunch. Taste buds are more objective when hunger is removed from the equation, at least to a degree, (That's just my opinion though. Your mileage may vary).

Mission Hill Bistro Sliced Beef Brisket

Here is the package of the Mission Hill Bistro Sliced Beef Brisket. I should have taken a picture before I opened it, but I didn't think about writing a review until I had already mangled it. I didn't want to cadge a photo from another website, so this is what I have. You may have seen Mission Hill Bistro products elsewhere. If I remember correctly, we purchased a beef roast dinner from Costco a couple of years ago that was the Mission Hill Bistro brand. 

This brisket is good. It's not like brisket from a BBQ joint, of course, but for a pre-cooked brisket, it is very tasty. There is no odd "aftertaste" like I've experienced from pre-cooked briskets (or other pre-cooked meats) in the past. It has a smoke ring, and the slices are very thin. It was jumbled in the package, just a big clump of meat, not neatly laid out in rows. There was solidified beef fat visible in the package, but not to the extreme. It had just the right amount, instead of being totally steeped in fat. 

I was going to put the whole shebang in the oven, but I opted to follow the heating instructions, at least loosely, because it was slightly frozen after being stored in our refrigerator's bottom bin. You can heat it entirely in a microwave, or you can heat it in the microwave followed by a stovetop visit in a pan with a tiny bit of oil. I did the latter. You don't need a lot of oil, I may have used 2 or 3 tablespoons. 

This brisket is tasty even without any adornments. I had my sauce on the side. I think it would be great for brisket tacos too, among other things. There were at least two pounds of brisket in the package and the price was reasonable. 

I was curious about the source of the beef, so I conducted a search on the company. Mission Hill Bistro is a trademark of Stampede Meat, which was founded in 1995. According to their website, they are "an innovative protein solutions company," and they have 5 facilities in the U.S. Four are in the Chicago area, and one is in New Mexico, where they converted a plant that used to belong to Tyson Foods. The New Mexico plant had its grand opening in 2018. 

Last year, the company filed a lawsuit in federal court after it was ordered to close the New Mexico facility for two weeks in November of 2020 because of the number of COVID-19 cases reported there. The lawsuit was settled in March of this year. You can read more about that here: Las Cruces Sun News. 

Stampede Meat has a blog on their website, and there's a post there from September of 2020 that is of interest. The company received an "infectious disease prevention certification" in Illinois. They were taking the proper steps to protect their employees, so I don't believe that the lawsuit they filed in New Mexico was a simple matter of greed. That is my opinion. One of the other reasons they fought against closure was the millions of pounds meat that would have to be destroyed if they closed for those two weeks, according to their pleadings in the lawsuit. I do recall reading about other companies throwing food away last year when facilities had to be closed. 

But everything "on paper" looks pretty good as far as Stampede Meat is concerned. They donated food to frontline workers, implemented a home delivery system for consumers to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and they had onsite COVID-19 vaccinations in both New Mexico and Illinois. They are taking the pandemic seriously. Kudos to them for that. 

I looked for employee reviews that were on other sites to get an idea about working conditions. The average for the company is about 3 out of 5 stars. Long hours, too cold, not enough breaks, and the need for better compensation were some of the complaints. Other former employees said there is room for advancement at the company, and there are benefits available. 

The company is also very concerned about food safety and has a program that exceeds USDA Food Safety standards. All of this inspires me to purchase their products again in the future.

As far as company sources for unprocessed products, well, they do use sources here in the U.S., and I can definitively say that they have imported beef products from Canada, Australia, and Mexico, according to the bills of lading available for view on import databases. I think we can assume they use imports from other countries as well, since the U.S. is ranked as one of the top importers in the world, and one of the main suppliers of meat in the U.S. is Stampede Meat, according to the Garay Company. If you have any insight about any of the info I posted here, feel free to share it and I'll happily add it and/or make corrections. 

Verdict: Mission Hill Bistro Sliced Beef Brisket is a good product that you can feel safe about consuming, thanks to the stringent standards of Stampede Beef, and the product has no "off-putting" aftertaste.

Mission Hill brisket, homemade potato salad, 
homemade sauce, chili beans

 

 

You Did WHAT With The Bacon???!!!

Do I have a rant for you? Do I ever! 

I was reading a comment section regarding bacon from Costco and I found myself flabbergasted because...because...someone actually threw useable bacon in the trash! What the...???!!! 

Image Courtesy of: Barry Langdon-Lassagne, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

It went something like this: 

Poster 1: "Oh yeah, I just throw it out. We only use it for bacon and eggs and it was just too thin." 

Poster 2: "Yeah, I usually end up throwing at least one of the packages in the trash." 

Me: "Wait...people actually throw bacon in the trash? Doesn't anyone eat baked potatoes with all the trimmings? WTF???!!!" 

Believe me, I exercised great restraint when commenting about their bacon disposal habits. It took me a few minutes to calm down and pick my jaw up off the floor before I could even post any kind of reply. 

I was completely floored to hear this, especially after the food shortages & delivery disruptions experienced in 2020, which really haven't completely ended yet. We are still having supply chain issues. 

I was under the mistaken impression that most people had learned to be careful and less wasteful regarding food. You know, just because and item is on the shelves today, well, that doesn't mean it will be there tomorrow. I don't shop every day, but when I do shop, I notice that temporary shortages are still occurring with different items. Bacon is one of them. Eggs, various dairy items, chicken, canned goods, etc. It is still happening. (As an aside: There are sites that list what shortages to expect and you can hop on a search engine to check them out.)

Frankly, I was highly offended by the blatant waste of perfectly good bacon. There are people who are struggling to get food for their families, struggling to survive, and these privileged jerks are throwing bacon in the trash! Really? On top of that, an animal unwillingly gave its life to put food on YOUR table, and you're going to show that much blatant disrespect to that (or any, really) animal's unwilling sacrifice? Really???!!! 

It brought to mind the memory of the last time we ate at an independently owned pizza joint in a town not far from here. They have an "all you can eat" buffet for pizza. It's not bad pizza, I've had better, but I've certainly had worse. It's a buffet, that is their selling point, so of course you would expect that it is not going to be stellar pizza. But it is not bad, and they have other pasta dishes there and a salad bar. 

The last time we ate there, we were so disgusted by the food waste that we haven't been back. People would load up their plates, take one bite of a piece of pizza, and discard the rest. There were literally plates left on tables that were piled up with pieces of pizza that had one bite taken out of them, or were only partially eaten. Now, not everyone was doing this, but there were far too many instances of it. It was disgusting. We haven't been back since that night, and that was several years ago. So that was one of the first thoughts I had -- these folks must be some of the ones who operate on the "I got mine, F everyone else" mantra. 

What a terrible example they are setting for their children. Teaching them how to waste food. Maybe they could start a new organization at their schools, like the FFA, but call it the FFWA instead. Future Food Wasters of America. 

A true bacon lover would never, EVER throw perfectly good bacon in the trash, thin or not. (Am I right? You know it!) I can think of many ways to use bacon that is "too thin." 

How about:

• (aforementioned use) Make bacon crumbles for baked potatoes
• Make bacon crumbles for salads 
• Wrap asparagus spears and roast in the oven
• Make stuffed jalapeños & wrap with bacon before roasting
• BLTs
• Use on bacon burgers
• Garnish for baked potato soup
• Chop it up and use it for fried rice
• Make frijoles charros
• Breakfast burritos
• Wrap a boneless chicken breast before roasting
• Use if for "barding" with any other meat
• Pancakes with bacon bits 
• Jambalaya
• Bacon wrapped shrimp
• Bacon-cheddar biscuits
• Use in place of pancetta in Spaghetti carbonara
• Make bacon jam
• Bacon & onion potatoes! 

That's just a short list. There are so many uses! 

But, you know, if you ONLY use it for bacon and eggs, well...how about just doubling up on pieces if it is too thin? Seems like that would be a "no-brainer." I guess that's too much to ask of those who have no vision. 

Food waste is a problem. We all do it. I do it. Things get lost in the refrigerator, things expire, bread gets away from you and gets moldy (especially in warmer weather), etc. Still, I try my best to minimize waste. But, I'll tell you what...Never have I EVER taken a perfectly usable food item and thrown it in the trash. 

Those bacon-tossers should hang their heads in shame. They should just stop purchasing the bacon in question & choose another brand that suits them. Hello? Oh yes, another obvious thing that goes right over their privileged heads. That's just pitiful. There is NO excuse for such wasteful behavior. 

What are some of your favorite uses for bacon? I don't eat it as often as I used to, but it does make an appearance on our family menus from time to time. Here is a pic of some fried rice I made with calabacitas, bacon, onion, bell pepper, & egg, (pictured with leftover roasted summer squash with onions & peppers).

All kinds of YUM! 

Michael Angelo's Chicken Piccata: Product Review

Yes, it's been a while but I'm still here! Please enjoy this product review and then run out and buy some for yourself....(just click the link below):

Michael Angelo's Chicken Piccata

Michael Angleo's Chicken Piccata served over fresh pasta.

 

Coleman Organic Chicken

Look at the gorgeous bird below...it's a Coleman Organic Chicken! Recently I published a product review about this beautiful chicken, which can be seen here:

Coleman Organic Chicken

Coleman Organic Chicken--Ready for Service