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Today is another day that I didn't know a lot about this particular food. But, there are probably a lot of you that have to stay away from bacon. I have a book called "Kitchen Wisdom" that has foods, listed from A (A La Mode) to Z (Zythum) an ancient beverage made from the malt and wheat; a kind of beer and all foods in between, alphabetically. A great book for a lot of information and tips that are helpful to know.

Today it's tips on using bacon. When a recipe calls for 1/3 c. diced bacon, how many strips do you fry? Two strips of bacon would do it or 3 strips if the bacon is very thin. Did you know that? I didn't either... but this book tells me. Good book!

Bacon will lie flat in a frying pan if you snip (with a scissor) the rind side of the strip about 2-inch spaces and about 1/4-inch into the outer edge. Works great!

This is a way to have bacon cooked and ready when you want it. Fry the slices ahead of time, but not crisp, drain, then wrap in waxed paper. Freeze in a plastic bag or other container and be sure to mark what it is and date it. When you want to use some, place in a frying pan (they will thaw quickly) and heat over medium heat until hot. Or heat in the micro on a paper or glass plate for just 10-15 seconds on 50 percent power.

I make use of this tip every time I fry bacon. Fold a couple pages of newspaper and put paper towel on top to absorb the fat from the bacon strips. Put another paper towel on top of bacon and press lightly to release more fat.

And, bacon dices easily when frozen. Put several frozen slices on top of one another and slice it the thickness you want.

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Of course it's recipes using bacon.

POTATO AND BACON CASSEROLE

5 medium white potatoes, peeled, diced, cooked until tender and drained

2 T. butter or margarine

1 medium red onion, diced, about 1 c.

2 T. flour

1/2 t. dried thyme leaves

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 c. half and half cream (If no cream add about 2 T. dry milk powder to regular milk)

1 t. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. mayo

6 slices bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled

In a saucepan, melt butter. Saute onions until soft; stir in next 4 ingredients. Gradually add cream, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Add mustard and mayo; stirring until well mixed and smooth. Stir in bacon. Put potatoes in a 1-1/2 qt. casserole dish; cover with sauce, stirring it in a bit. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Note: If you have leftovers, cook about 1/3 c. celery until tender, in about 3-inches of water; stir in leftover potato mixture and you will have a little cream of potato soup. Also, you can dice bacon first, fry and drain if you wish.

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BACON AND VEGGIE

SKILLET

6 slices of bacon (2-3 more if bacon is thin)

1 small green pepper, diced (can use sweet red, yellow or orange pepper if you wish)

3 T. diced onion

3 large potatoes, peeled, boiled, diced and cooked

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of garlic powder, or a bit more if you like garlic

1/2 c. shredded medium or sharp Cheddar cheese

6 eggs

In a large frying pan (preferably teflon) fry bacon. Drain all but 3 T. drippings. *Add green pepper, onions and potatoes. Sprinkle with seasonings. Over medium heat, cook and stir mixture until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and stir. Break eggs over potato mixture, one at a time. Cover and cook over low heat until eggs are set and cooked the way you like them. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

* If you want, drain off all of bacon fat and use butter or margarine in its place. Also, I like to add mushrooms, drained. Add with pepper mixture.

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BACON POTATO PANCAKES

5-6 medium uncooked red potatoes, peeled and shredded

5 bacon strips, fried, drained and crumbled

1/2 c. diced onion

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of nutmeg - Yes, nutmeg

Canola oil for frying

Rinse and thoroughly drain potatoes. In a bowl, combine potatoes and next 7 ingredients. In an electic or large frying plan, heat 1/8-inch of oil to 375 degrees or when a drop of water "jumps" from the oil. Drop batter by 2 heaping tablespoons into hot oil, making 4 patties. Quickly flatten to form patties. Fry until golden brown; turn and brown other side. Drain with paper towel on both sides as it says in the tip earlier in the column.

Makes 24 patties.

Note: Don't brown patties on high heat as the potatoes need time to get done. Also, mix all of the ingredients together first before shredding potatoes or they'll turn a little brown sitting. And, you can use pre-shredded hash brown potatoes...a lot quicker to make).

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BACON-SWISS TOSSED SALAD

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

6 c. torn, mixed salad greens (Spinach, Romaine and Iceberg)

1 small red onion, sliced in rings*

1-10 oz. pkg. frozen peas, thawed (or 1-1/4 c. from a bag)

9 oz. (8 slices) Swiss cheese, cut in julienne strips

1 lb. bacon, fried, drained and crumbled

In a small bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. In a large salad bowl (that will hold 9 cups of mixture), layer 1/3 of the greens and 1/3 of the mayo mixture, onion, peas and cheese. Repeat layers twice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 hours. Just before serving, fold in bacon.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Note: Use a round deeper glass bowl, if you have one.

If you're not sure how much a casserole or bowl will hold, as in "turn into a 1 qt. dish, add 4 c. of water and see how full it gets, Leaving at least an inch of mixture below edge of container.

TFD: I've learned...that I can pray for someone in need when I can't help in some other way.

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