Have you ever wondered how pencils are made?

Chocolate covered bacon and potato chips

I finally did it.  I took the culinary plunge and dipped bacon and potato chips into chocolate.

Yum.  Heart attack and tooth decay all in one delicious package.

Here's what I did:
(1)  I cooked bacon in the microwave until they were nice and crispy.   
(2)  I melted the semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler.
(3)  After the strips of bacon cooled, I dipped them into the chocolate.  Then, I placed the strips onto a cooling rack so that the excess chocolate would be able to drip off.
(4)  I dipped the potato chips into the chocolate and then also placed them onto the cooling rack.
(5)  I put the finished treats in the fridge to cool the chocolate.

These treats were delicious.  But I wasn't perfectly happy with the results, so there are definitely changes that I'll make next time.
(1) My bacon treats looked a bit like puny dog treats.  Next time I won't cut each strip in half. 
(2) As the treats cooled, the chocolate hardened onto the cooling rack.  Next time I'll just use parchment paper.
(3) There was a tad too much chocolate on the bacon and I didn't quite achieve that perfect salty sweet balance.  Next time I'll just drizzle chocolate over the bacon.

Hmm, what else should I dip in chocolate?

Tulip Time Pt 4

And so ends my posts on Tulip Time.  Due to rainy weather, we were only able to attend two out of the three parades.  The Kinderparade (Children's parade) was definitely my favorite.  The children looked absolutely adorable all dressed up in their Dutch best.

Tulip Time Pt 3- Quilts

I was lucky enough to visit the Holland Area Arts Council and see their quilts on display.  Each quilt was so beautifully made.  What gorgeous and vibrant colors!  What creative designs!  What intricate top stitching!  As I oohed and ahhed over each quilt, I snapped a ton of photos and Baby Chuck fell asleep.  (I don't think he's a quilt lover quite yet.)

Oh to own one of these lovely works of art.  I imagine their bright colors must bring lots of cheer on those cold and grey Michigan mornings.   Here are my five favorite quilts from the show: 

Five funny food pictures

(1)  Jelly Bean Art
Kristen Cumings recreated famous paintings like The Mona Lisa, Starry Night, and Girl with a Pearl Earring using only jelly beans.  Each tasty work of art took about 50-60 hours of work.  Even though onlookers may feel tempted to take a lick (or a bite), they really shouldn't.  Cumings used spray adhesive to stick jelly beans onto a canvas and coated the entire canvas with acrylic.  [seen on Foodiggity]



(2) "Made in America" skillets  
I love Michigan.  I also love eating.  A Michigan shaped cast iron skillet seems like a nice way to celebrate both loves.  [seen on Foodiggity]



(3) Lickable lift
Remember that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate factory where everyone gets to lick wallpaper?  Well, it's no longer a dream.  The world's first Lickable lift was installed in London about a month ago.  Its walls are covered with a little over a thousand Jaffa cookies.  Worried about germs?  Don't be.  Once a person has licked a cookie, a bell boy removes it from the wall.  [seen on Foodiggity]

 


(4) Candy Bike
I'm sure any 5-year-old... or 31-year-old girl would love this sweet ride, created by Brooklyn-based artist Britta Hope. [seen on Foodiggity]


(5) Sausage recorder
Adam Niklewicz created this Polish sausage recorder that even plays sweet music!  Can you imagine hubby playing this instrument in church?  [seen on Foodiggity]