Bacon Hasselback Potatoes

Well this recipe had me at Potatoes, bacon and garlic! These Bacon Hasselback Potatoes were so good, everyone loved them! My husband said that they would serve something like this in a fancy restaurant.

I was looking through my latest issue of the Food Network magazine, when I came across this recipe. I changed it up just slightly, I used Russet potatoes instead of Yukon Gold, and I only made 6 instead of 12. Which gave my potatoes more bacon and garlic butter topping per potato. I’m going to give you the recipe like it was written in the magazine but just know that it is versatile.

The ingredients are:

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, each cut crosswise into 9 pieces
• Kosher salt
• 12 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 stick unsalted butter (I used regular salted butter)
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (I didn’t have, so I didn’t use)
• 1 clove garlic. finely chopped

1. Lay the bacon pieces on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Using a sharp knife, make crosswise cuts in each potato, about 1/8 inch apart, stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom.
3. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and carefully transfer to a baking sheet (I used a round stoneware baking dish); let cool slightly. Pat the potatoes dry, then insert 3 pieces of the frozen bacon into the cuts of each potato, spacing the bacon evenly and letting it poke out of the top. Melt 5 tablespoons butter and brush generously over the potatoes and in the cuts. Reserve any excess butter for basting. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the potatoes to the oven and bake until the outsides are browned and crisp, about 2 hours, basting halfway through with the reserved melted butter.
5. When the potatoes are almost done, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and mix with the scallions, parsley and garlic. Spoon over the potatoes and roast 5 more minutes. Transfer to a platter and season with salt and pepper (if needed).

Total time needed to make this is 3 hours so plan ahead!

 

Walk to Cure Childhood Diabetes

Today is a very special day…. Today is the walk to cure Juvenile Diabetes! My best friends little girl was diagnosed 6 years ago at the age of 5 with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. My family along with my best friend and her family (and many many others) have supported the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) ever since. We walk to raise money for research, we walk to raise awareness of Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes, but most of all we walk to show our support. Support for my best friend because I know that being a parent of a child with Type 1 Diabetes is not an easy task. Never ending worries of highs and lows, sleepless nights testing blood sugar levels. Support for her precious daughter who lives with this life threatening disease and support to all of the children and their families who are battling this disease…….My heart is so emotionally tied to this cause! Rain or shine we will be walking this morning (It’s raining now). So……..

Let the walking begin!!!

Daily Household Challenges Thursday 11-10-11

Hello all! Another day of household challenges awaits us. The kids are off from school today and tomorrow so I don’t want to spend too much time cleaning. I want to spend quality time with them! So I woke up early this morning to get a head start on the day, that way I can actually enjoy the extra time with my kids.

My best friend once told me that when she was growing up her mom was a clean freak. Her house was spotless all of the time, never a thing out-of-place. Which looked great for company coming in to admire, but to keep up her spotless house her mother was cleaning all of the time. What my friend really wanted and needed the most was her mom to spend some time with her! So lets remember what is most important in life Moms and Dads! Having a clean house is nice but it’s OK for a few things to be out-of-place if that means spending time with our families.

Todays challenges are:

• 20 minute clean up. Set a timer for 20 minutes, clean until the timer goes off. (Wherever needs it the most)
• Tidy up the bathrooms
• Do a load of laundry

Have a great day! You can do it!

Family Drive Mt. Laguna

We got snow in our Mountains! I know that is not very exciting for some, but when you live in Southern California it is. Especially this early in the season. We heard that the mountains got some snow, so we went thinking there might be some patches that the kids could play in….. The mountains were covered and we ended up not being completely prepared. We didn’t even bring a sled! It was still a beautiful drive and the kids had a blast playing in the snow. We had a few snow ball fights, my son made an igloo, and we even got to witness a coyote catching a mouse from the side of the road. We ended the drive in Julian where we got apple pie, hot chocolate, and fresh picked apples from a local farm stand.

We all had a wonderful day and made great memories together!!!

Daily Challenges for Sunday 10-30-11

No chores today, today is family day! It’s the day before Halloween, so today we need to make sure we are ready…. Costumes are ready to go and candy is bought. Let’s do our best to make it a fun and special day.

• Today we will be carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds.
• Later I will make the kids hot dog mummys (will post that recipe later) and if we have time I would like to bake something (something with pumpkin).
• Break out some Halloween books or a Halloween movie.

Have fun! You can do it!

Deals at Target today

I wanted to share with you a couple of good deals I got at Target today. While I was there getting a birthday gift I grabbed a couple of things that were to good of a deal to pass up. The first thing was 2 bags of bagels. Go on to targetcoupons.com and print the coupon for $1.00 off two Market Pantry breakfast items. The bagels are regularly $1.24 so after the $1.00 off 2 coupon they end up costing only $0.74 each (must buy 2). While you are on the Target website also print the coupon for the $1.00 off of 2 packs of Extra gum. If you combine that coupon with the $1.00 off 2 packs of Extra Gum manufacturers coupon (found in the smartsource coupon insert in your Sunday paper on 9/25)  you will get both packs of gum for free! So for $1.48 you can get 2 bags of bagels and 2 packs of gum! Not Bad!

Daily Challenge for Monday 10-24-11

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, I know I sure did! However It is Monday and it is time to get back into the swing of things. So our challenges for today are:

• Lets focus on our dining rooms today. Clean them up, dust, shine, sweep, and mop.
• 2 bag challenge. Get 2 grocery bags, fill one with trash and the other with items that can be given away or donated.
• Do a load of laundry.

You can do it!

Daily Challenge for Sunday 10-23-11

Today our challenge has nothing to do with cleaning the house. It is Sunday and Sunday is family day. So our challenge for today is to spend some quality time with our families. Is that a challenge? Yes, it can be! Turn off the T.V., the computer, the video games, and give the texting a rest. I know that’s not always an easy task, but try your best.

Today my little sister is getting married! So it is a very special day for me. I will have all of my family and my closest friends all together in one place! All to celebrate my sisters special day, what a blessing. We even have family from Connecticut here! So it definitely is going to be a family day for me.

If you are anywhere near the San Diego area and are not sure what to do with your family today, one of my favorite places to drive to is Julian. Pack the fam in the car and drive up to Julian! Julian is a small mountain town with restaurants and shops. Our favorite things to do once we are there is to have lunch at the Candied Apple Bakery (they have the best brussel sprout soup and maccaroon cookies), get a piece of pie at Mom’s Pies and to do a little shopping (emphasis on the little, shopping is not my husbands favorite thing). The kids like to ride in the horse-drawn buggy, and to stop at the old fashion candy store. It is even apple picking time right now! There are many orchards that allow you to walk around and pick your own apples. We have competitions to see who can find the biggest apple! Whatever you do, make special memories today! After all that is what matters most in life, the special moments we share with our loved ones.

Have a great day!

Daily Deals for 10-21-11

Today I am going to head over to Rite Aid. I have $10.00 in UP Rewards that expires tomorrow and I can’t let that happen. If you don’t already know Right Aid has a program called UP Rewards. When you buy certain products you will get a coupon on your receipt to be used on your next purchase. Every week there is different products that offer those rewards. Check in your weekly circular for the qualifying products. With some clever planning you can buy the products that offer the rewards first on one separate order. Then on a different order you can buy anything else you might have needed and use your reward coupon, or you can save it for the next time you need something at Rite Aid. Which is what I did in this case, but then you run the risk of letting them expire. I hope this wasn’t confusing! One thing I’ve learned with couponing is that you learn as you go.

Today I am looking for:

• Blistex Cold & Allergy Lip Balm 0.15oz. – The price – you pay $1.49 but you get an UP Reward for $1.49 so it’s like getting it for FREE!
• Revlon Beauty Tools 40% off – The price – You should be able to find a beauty tool for around $1.79 after the 40% off. You will get an UP Reward for $2.00 so it’s like getting it for FREE plus a $0.21 profit!
• Revlon Lip, Eye or Nail 40% off – The price – You will be paying around $1.99 after $1.00 off coupon. The coupon was found in last Sundays paper in the back of the Wal-mart flyer or you can go to riteaid.com watch the October video for Revlon and then you will get $1.00 coupon that you can print (video value coupon)
• Cover Girl Cosmetics, buy one get one 50% off – The price – You will be paying around $1.54 after the buy one get one 50% off offer, and using (2) $1.00 off manufacturers coupons. You can find those coupons in the P&G inserts in your Sunday papers on 10-16 or 10-02. (The price was estimated from a product that originally cost $3.39)

These prices are valid until 10/22

Daily Deals 10-20-11

Today I am headed to Vons. These are the deals I am looking for:

• General Mills Treats – The price $0.99 after in store coupon (found in the Vons weekly circular) and a General Mills manufacturers coupon (found in the Sunday paper on 9-11)
• Kettle Chips, 8-5-9 oz. – The price $0.98 after in ad coupon and coupon I printed from coupons.com
• Mars Snack Size Candy 11-12.5 oz. – The price $1.25 each after coupon, must buy 2. The coupon is from the October issue of All You magazine. Other coupons can be found in the Red Plum coupon insert on 9-25 or 10-9.
• C&H Sugar, 4 lb. bag – The price $1.99 after coupon. The coupon can be found in the Red Plum coupon insert on 8-28 or 10-16. I also found some in the foodie magazines that I subscribe to
• Idahoan boxed potatoes – The price Free after coupon. The coupon was in my October issue of All You magazine. It is for Au Gratin, Scalloped or Loaded Baked.

These deals are valid until 10/25