It decided to rain today and ruin my image of sunny southern California...also stressed me out a tad bit as I am supposed to drive to Carlsbad this afternoon and run a half marathon tomorrow. And this wind and rain just isn't my idea of a fun run. So I decided to bake to try and relieve some stress and get me psyched for another big run...little concerned about this one as I haven't been training...we shall see how it goes.

As many of you know I always have a collection of recipes in the back of my mind that I want to try. You just never know when you may need a recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies, right? I decided today would be the perfect day to try these...figure they will either be really really good or really really bad...just figure there is no middle ground for something like this.



So the recipe starts by combining the dry ingredients and there are a few ingredients that are a little out of the ordinary. With the flour, baking powder and baking soda you also combine cinnamon, ancho chile powder and kosher salt....hmmm ok. Then you cook the bacon and as you all know I love bacon...made the house smell so good!! Then mix the butter and 2T of bacon fat together...oh yes did I mention how low fat these cookies are....uh yeah no. Then add peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and egg to the butter mixture. Add the flour and then mix in the accoutrements-honey roasted peanuts, chocolate chips and bacon.

One of the things that I liked about these cookies is that they don't spread in the oven. I always question whether or not I am making my cookies too big but the recipe was very specific that you roll the dough into a ball and then flatten them out on the pan and they will not grow. Once the cookies have been flattened you sprinkle them with additional bacon and chocolate chips.



And let me just say these cookies are pretty much a PMS dream-salt, sugar, bacon and chocolate. Forget the Midol I am going to market peanut butter chocolate chip bacon cookies in a bottle. All joking aside these cookies have a great flavor and although it is out of the ordinary with the hint of spice from the cinnamon and chile powder, the bacon flavor and the chocolate it truly does work.

I also just read an interesting article about the shelf life of baking staples. Did you know that flour is only fresh for 6-8 months, baking powder unopened has a shelf life of 6 months and 3 months if its opened and baking soda is only good for 6 months once it has been opened. Hmmm so I am thinking the baking soda that I have had for the last 5 years might be a little old, what do you think?



And finally if you are looking for a good and easy weeknight meal try this Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe. I served it with Caesar salad and it was perfect. The sauce was a little spicy and the acidity of the marinara sauce went really well with the shrimp. I definitely recommend it.

As a side note has anyone else noticed that as you mature your "drink of choice" changes. When I first started drinking at the ripe 'ol age of 21...not before because that would be illegal...I was a tequila girl. I loved tequila because it wasn't classy, you felt it by just looking at the bottle and it was cheap. Then after a bad tequila experience I moved on...going for the sweeter drinks...the appletinis and the white russians. When I first started as a Dispatcher the white russian was my drink of choice. The group I worked with always had watch parties after our graveyard shifts and while they drank copious amounts of beer I would drink my white russian...sure that was back in the day when I had the metabolism of someone in their early 20's so the full fat cream didn't go directly to my ass like it would now. From there the guys started to teach me how to drink beer...I remember thinking initially it was the nastiest thing ever...it just tasted bitter, made me burp and was just yuck. However, they slowly wore me down starting me off slowly drinking Rolling Rock which was pretty mild and then educating me from there...I even got to a point in my late 20's when I could do Irish Car Bombs...however that phase has since passed. I still love a cold beer on a warm summer day but as many of you know I am pretty much a wine girl. I love a good class of wine with good food and good company. I love the vast amount of varieties out there, the different flavors and tastes and the discovery of new wines. Just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to all of you who have educated me in my alcohol consumption throughout the years and those of you who are continuing to enhance my knowledge. Cheers!