Bananacon (Bacon-Wrapped Banana Poppers)

The summer is a wonderful time, folks.  Full of long days and cool drinks, relaxation and busy travel.  It's that unique time of the year when you feel like your wildest dreams could be realized.  ...Even if those wildest dreams involve checking a few long-overdue home improvement projects off your to-do list. *ahem*

Since anything is possible, why not put bananas and bacon together for a sweet and savory appetizer or treat?

I can't claim credit for this idea.  A computer game that Kyle sometimes likes to play, called Starbound, has a feature where you can make food in-game.  One of the things you can make is called... you guessed it, bananacon!  Get it?  Like, banana + bacon =... BananaCon?  A convention for bananas?  Wait.  That's not quite right.

 

Source: http://starbound.wikia.com/wiki/Bananacon

Anyway, I decided to recreate them, à la Gourmet Gaming.  And let me tell you, these are even more delicious than they sound.  So kick back, enjoy your summer and this little treat.  You've earned it.

Catch Up With Kale Chips

As the title of this post suggests, I'm playing "catch up" now that I have a leeeettle bit more free time.  As of right now, there is only a very small amount of work left to do on my grad school applications before I just sit, wait, and relax.

I say "relax," but it's actually quite nerve-wracking to have absolutely no idea where you're going to be in six months, and how things are going to play out during that time.  When will I move?  To where?  When will I start school?  How much financial aid will I get?  What will the area be like?  How will I get to visit someplace far away like Texas or Indiana?

These are the kinds of things that are always picking at my head like an angry bird.  No, not the kind on your cell phone.  Maybe more like an annoying bird.

But in the mean time, I'm still cooking, trying to save money and eat healthy at the same time, which is a large feat in and of itself.  Most days I'm not doing either particularly well!  But I try.  And I exercise!  Zumba is so. much. fun.  It gets me home late, which is the only reason why it's hard to make myself go, but once I get there, I have a blast!  There's no way the chicks on the ellipticals look forward to working out as much as I do.

Without further ado, I made kale chips a while ago now.  They came out a little oily, and very fragile, but for the price of 1 bunch of kale, I made the equivalent of like, 10 of those $5 bags of kale chips you see at health food stores.  AND Kyle and Jim, who are normally averse to eating healthy food, like them too.  Whoo!