Candied Bacon

 

There has recently been a sad and scary circumstance happening within my extended family that has me rattled a bit, while at the same time has made me appreciate and cherish my physical and mental health so much.  I won’t go into the details, but it's gotten me to thinking about how strange it is that life hands us “wake-up calls” from time to time, as if to say, “I’m just making sure you're paying attention.”  When these "calls" happen, it’s the little things in life that start to come into focus, that seem brighter and bolder. 

Like an unhurried and peaceful Sunday morning with my boys.  No plans ahead for the day, except to catch a nap, and maybe hit the pool if we are feeling motivated to lay on our backs and float in the cool water.  It’s so easy to take these moments for granted, but since I have had the recent “wake-up call”, I decided last weekend that I would make a little treat for breakfast.  Something we could all enjoy, while listening to some music, and starting our morning.  What would be better than french toast with strawberry compote alongside sweet and smoky candied bacon? 

The hubs and I used to often have breakfasts like this before Noah came along, and we still try to have a nice breakfast most weekends, but it’s no longer done in the leisurely fashion that it used to be, over languid cups of hot coffee and hours of quiet conversation.

I don’t mind the change in lifestyle a bit though really.  It’s fun to have a third person to converse with in the morning.  Even though Noah doesn’t really talk much yet, everything he says is riveting to me, not to mention adorable.  I love to watch him shove strawberries and small bits of bacon into his mouth, half of which somehow end up in his beautifully blonde hair made even blonder by the summertime pool antics.  There’s nothing like this time in our lives, these very moments, when we can all be together, eating Sunday breakfast.

 

Ingredients & Instructions;

3/4 Lb. Thick Cut Bacon
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Black Pepper
½ tsp. Cayenne
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

Preheat oven to 380 degrees.

Make a rub by mixing brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Dredge bacon strips in the rub to ensure full coverage and lay the bacon on a cooling rack inside of a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, turn the bacon, and bake for another 10 minutes.  Watch the bacon as it will burn quickly near the end of the baking time.  Allow bacon to sit for a few minutes on the cooling rack before eating.