I have no problem admitting I like bacon and eggs. And I have a two-burner cast-iron griddle that brings out extra deliciousness when I use it to fry my bacon. A lot of times I will make my eggs on the griddle after the bacon is done, and a lot of grease gets into the eggs, but it's bacon-flavored, and I like it.
However, I recently discovered another use for the grease. Twice now I've made my own kettle chips, and they are fantastic. Here's what I do. I wash, and sometimes peel, a few potatoes, then slice them thin. Fry up the bacon, and keep the grease. I put the slices on the griddle where the grease is the deepest (whether it's the burners or the stove itself, the grease always pools on one side of the griddle). I leave the slices in the grease for a while, then flip them and let them simmer for a little longer. Usually they don't get too brown during this stage. Then I move the slices to an area of the griddle where the grease is shallower or even not there. Here is where you have to watch a little more closely. Fry the slices for a while (I don't have exact times), then lift them up to see if they are brown and crispy looking. If not, let them fry some more. If so, flip them over so that both sides end up looking similar. When they look crispy, remove them from the griddle and put them on a plate lined with paper towels. I figured that trick out this morning. It removes the excess grease and gives the potatoes a chance to crisp up further. Add some salt or other seasoning as you see fit (I've been thinking about garlic salt...), then consume at your leisure. I haven't made a big enough batch for leftovers, so I can't speak to how well they will keep or how best to store them. They make for an interesting alternative to hash browns for breakfast.
If you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle like I am, I don't recommend this sort of meal as an every day, or even every week, affair. Once or twice a month is probably a good number to shoot for, and it's a tasty treat. Some of the things I've read is that one of the biggest things people do to sabotage their healthy lifestyle choices is to completely ban the fun stuff. In my experience, that works for a while, sometimes a few weeks, before temptation kicks in and I overdo whatever it is I've been trying to avoid. Soda is one of the biggest areas I struggle with when it comes to being healthy, and sometimes I'll go for months without drinking one. Then I get the urge to have some, and I sometimes hit it hard, drinking upwards of two bottles daily, like I'm making up for lost time or something. I'm still working out a system for myself to keep my consumption under control, like only getting a soda if I'm out to eat (which isn't very often), or only having one if we grill out. That way my craving is satisfied and I'm not overdoing it.
No gym yesterday due to some errands that needed to be run and no gym today because we had an overnight guest and I ate a bigger than normal breakfast with him and don't want to get sick. Tomorrow, though, I plan to be at the gym sometime to get a little treadmill time in.
How are you today?
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