so you wannabee a Domestik Goddess?

Originally uploaded by semarr

I can’t recall exactly how this idea of a virtual Bacon Collection got started, but it was definitely on Twitter, and probably sparked by @surfingtrucker:

“Anyone tried chocolate covered bacon yet?”

But the blame/credit for the collection getting to its current fat status can be laid squarely at the feet of my Lovely and Talented Research Assistant, Diane.

“Saw this on boingboing and thought of you,” she tweeted one day, linking to a bacon bikini top. The fashion statement was in response to Al Can’t Hang’s Bacon of the Month Competition — honestly, who could make these things up? — and you can enjoy the whole cooked-in-the-sun bacon bikini story at Loona.net.

But let’s back up a bit.

First came that chocolate-covered bacon. (Yeah, okay, guys — here’s a recipe: melted chocolate chips and a pound of bacon are the star ingredients; sprinkles are optional. Good now? Right, moving on!)

Then @LaptopForHire chipped in with chocolate chip pancakes and sausage on a stick. Not bacon, but it’s pork-related and disgusting — so kudos and 10 cholesterol points for playing!

Then @BlogWellDone claimed to have a friend who once made bacon-flavoured vodka. “The horror still makes me shudder,” he said. Um, yeah.

And @HeyDriver said something about a bacon cupcake (”well, it’s the frosting”) — and just check it out! Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Frosting, by Garrett at VanillaGarlic:

After reading a bit about bacon baklava, bacon candy, and bacon ice cream, I knew a bacon cupcake was do-able, but still I was hesitant and approached this with some trepidation. It’s an outside-of-the-box cupcake, a breakfast cupcake, a cupcake for those who eat with no fear.

Which brings us back to the Lovely and Talented Research Assistant, Diane, who attempted to justify these excesses of Americian cuisine with RypTide’s Unified Theory of Bacon — scientific proof that concludes:

Therefore all food products’ deliciousness is increased by the addition of bacon, except for cheese which in turn increases the deliciousness of bacon.

“Want me to knit you a bacon scarf?” Diane asked.

Ooh, that’s tempting…

But maybe later, for Part 2 of this porcine parade, when we’ll exam the role of bacon in Arts and Crafts.

I love the rich aubergine colour and fat rounded curves of eggplant — surely the most elegant and mysterious of vegetables.

The only problem with eggplant, as I see it, is finding a way to cook and serve it that won’t have the household running madly off to a fast-food joint.

Enter the dinner-saving low-fat Cheesy Eggplant Bake, full of vaguely Italian tomatoe-y goodness and covered with bubbly mozzarella.

All Recipes has a similar one, but the recipe I picked up during the Healthy Eating Challenge is quick and easy.

It’s also delightfully virtuous — something like 250 calories per serving, in that range.

This recipe serves four.
(Really, it does.)

Cheesy Eggplant Bake

1 large eggplant
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 jar (660ml) Bella Tavola Strained Tomatoes with Basil *
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

* I didn’t have any Bella Tavola Strained Tomatoes with Basil lying around when I felt moved to bake this tonight, so I subbed in a can of crushed tomatoes, a little minced garlic, a little dried basil (because it’s still too early to grab some from the garden), a pinch of hot pepper flakes, and a splash of fat-free Italian dressing: perfect!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray.

Slice the eggplant in half-inch slices.

Dip each slice (one at a time, using shallow bowls) in the beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs to coat.

Lay the eggplant slices on the baking sheet and bake for 25 mnutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.

Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup of your strained tomatoes into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish — I use Corningware, actually, no problem — and arrange the eggplant on top so the slices just slightly overlap.

Pour the rest of the strained tomatoes on top, and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Cover with foil and put them into the oven (still on at 375 °F) for 30 minutes; then take the foil off and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until the cheese is a lovely golden colour and everything bubbles.

Originally uploaded by sahua

In times of stress and angst, my mother always prescribed a deep calming breath and a Nice Cup of Tea.

In times of big stress and angst, however, too many of those Nice Cups of Tea can send your over-caffeinated nerves a-jangling and tank your coping skills all the more.

So, how much caffeine is in a cup of regular black tea?

In part, it depends on how strongly your tea is brewed, how many tea bags or spoonfuls of tea laves in relation to how much water, and how long you let it steep before drinking.

(My grandmother used to let tea stew on the back of the stove for half the day, adding another splash of water or handful of tea leaves from time to time so the pot never ran dry. Her tea could bring a strong man to his knees.)
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