The Blue Ribbon Bacon festival will be held next Saturday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Am I attending? No. Tickets for that event go like hotcakes...and bacon. They're sold out in scant minutes. Only people who truly love bacon deserve to attend. Not me.
But (strike up the Wayback machine) I do have my own Bacon Memories. Breakfast at the Bullock house as the little Bullfrogs grew up held a great deal of variety. Some of it included bacon, especially when Dad was home on weekends. He liked cereal too though - puffed rice. Ick. I don't know anyone else who ever liked that stuff. Bets and I preferred Capn' Crunch and Count Chocula. Sugar!
We had interesting breakfast apparatuses at our house - special little cups with stems for soft-boiled eggs. Dad liked those eggs a lot. Mom mostly ate toast and smoked, whilst doing the NYT Crossword puzzle. We also had spoons for sectioning grapefruit - wedge-shaped.
Mom probably fried bacon in a pan originally, but I remember her trying oven frying. Then she got the microwave and that was the next big deal. Mom liked bacon crispy - so that didn't last. And just like with any food, Mom could make that bacon crunch lustily.
My next bacon memories are from college - ski trips. Guys gotta have their bacon. The year we mashed 20+ into the Breckenridge condo, Paul, Mike Huston and Fred Behr had a contest to see who could eat the most French Toast. Guys were in charge of cooking breakfast. They each ate over 10 pieces plus bacon of course. For the first couple ski runs, when on the lifts, Fred leaned out over the side when he coughed in case anything solid decided to come out...
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| Paul with Joyce Huston - lots of coffee went with bacon in Ridgeland |
Camping always makes food smell and taste better. Why is that? We camped at Mike Huston's folk's place for the first 10+ years after college over the 4th of July to tube the Apple River. Clark and Joyce Huston worked for Oscar Mayer - Bingo! Pile on the bacon. Boy was that good. There was no running water there so we'd heat up the wash water on the fire afterwards - penance for the meaty bliss.
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| I'm not sure where Amy was in this pic. |
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| Headwaters of the Mississippi |
In 1991, Behrs, Wilts and Goldsmiths decided to lease a cabin "up north" in Bemidji, MN in June. We beat the season prices that way. It was a rustic cabin - the walls didn't go to the ceiling - even for the bedrooms. Of course the Behr kids were morning sleepers. Jaime Wilt was a wee one. Our children. Not so much. Little Juddy was 2 1/2 years old. He needed his own dome of silence. (Amy must have slept in). He created my most vivid bacon memory that week.
Of course Jud woke up bright and early - as the rest of us tried to sleep in. Paul offered to get up with him, but it was chilly out. So they couldn't go outside. Paul decided to start cooking breakfast - bacon. Jud marched around the kitchen chanting loudly, "Bacon Dad, Bacon" over and over. Paul tried to quiet him to no avail.
Needless to say, it was an early bacon morning for everyone. Good thing they were all good sports (right Vic?). Ever since that day, the word bacon brings that chant back to me. Later, through his teen years Jud claimed not to like bacon. Today he's back on the stuff though - no chanting.
I like thick bacon - a bit chewy. Dream BLT - great toasted bread, summer tomato, meaty bacon with good mayo or similar tasty sauce. Paul and I discovered Des Moines Bacon Company at the Farmer's Market. Hmm no website. Looks like they need AEG Design Company to help them do a website.
I don't like bacon on everything - like most sandwiches. It overpowers the other flavors. And bacon beer is just icky! Where do you stand on bacon? (insert Oscar Mayer whistle sound)
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