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I think bacon and macaroni and cheese were meant for each other and I can't believe this is the first time I have put them together.  These little bacon macaroni and cheese cupcakes are amazing!  They are basically little handheld mac and cheese casseroles.  So much delicious flavor in such a cute little package.  

Delicious and easy to eat!  Talk about kid-friendly.  I am thinking these will go well at kid's birthday parties.  I may even try making bacon mac and cheese bites in my mini muffin pan for my 6 year old's birthday this summer which would be even smaller and easier for little hands.  

These savory little mac and cheese cupcakes are perfect for backyard BBQ's, graduation parties, and even bridal showers when you want something simple yet unique.  

You know what else?  These yummy morsels are made with one of my favorite ingredients which I always keep on hand, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  It is made by pressing without heat or chemicals and is the freshest and purest olive oil available.   

Did you know the greatest impact on taste is the type of olive tree (cultivar), region (which affects climate and soil) and time of harvest?  Olives harvested early in the season, late August (varies by region), are under-ripe and produce oils that are greener, more bitter and pungent.  Olives harvested at the end of the season, late November into December, are over-ripe and tend to be mild and buttery. Spanish oil is usually golden yellow with a fruity, nutty flavor.  Italian olive oil is often dark green and has an herbal aroma and a grassy flavor.  Greek olive oil is strong in flavor and aroma and usually green.  French oil is typically pale in color and  mild in flavor.  So many delicious varieties for all of your culinary needs.  

I love using olive oil and cook with it frequently.  It has a high smoke point (400° F), so it can handle anything from a light sauté to a deep fry.  Have you ever deep fried anything in olive oil?  I have not, but will have to try it.  If you have, what are your favorite foods to fry in olive oil?  You can also bake with olive oil.  I love to use it in muffins and cakes.  

Store your olive oil someplace dark and cool (around 57° F, if possible), not on a counter or near a stove, and never in the refrigerator.  Keep it sealed tight and use your oil within 6 months of opening and within 18 months of purchasing.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes
Serves 12

Cupcake liners
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
​8 strips bacon
8 oz. elbow macaroni
2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1 C. milk
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
Seasoned bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2.  Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners.  Brush each liner with some of the EVOO or spray with some olive oil spray.  
3.  Cook the bacon in a large frying pan or a microwave bacon pan.  Drain cooked bacon and cool. When cool, rough chop the bacon and set aside.
4.  Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Drain the cooked pasta, then return it to the saucepan.  Add the cheese, chopped bacon and 1 Tbsp. of the EVOO.  Gently stir together until the cheese begins to melt.  
5.  Mix the eggs and the milk together.  Pour into the macaroni mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.
6.  Scoop mixture into the cupcake liners and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  
7.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.  When done, take out of the liners, place on a platter, and drizzle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil.  Some liners will pull away from the sides of the cupcakes on their own and will look pretty to serve the cupcakes in.  (pictured, If You Care cupcake liners which do not stick)

Zucchi is an Italian Olive Oil Company producing traceable and sustainable products that you can trust.  Look for Zucchi at Big Y, HEB, King Kullen and Shaw’s.

The Flavor Your Life campaign's goal is to educate North American consumers about authentic extra virgin olive oil from Europe. With funding from the European Union, the Italian government, and a consortium of European Extra Virgin Olive Oil producers, Flavor Your Life is debunking misconceptions while empowering consumers. 

I love a hot breakfast and since I am home with a little one, we enjoy our favorite veggie breakfast bowl several times a week.  (My 17 month old likes to share with me.)  I should probably start making this for the big boys, but they leave for school so early that it hasn't happened yet.  Sometimes I scramble some eggs and add sauteed veggies, maybe sprinkle on some cheese, but this has been my favorite.  I have decided I like more veggies and less egg so this works perfectly...lots of sauteed veggies and one fried egg on top.  Plus, oooooooooh that delicious avocado toast.  It is my new fave! The baby loves it too.  

I start with a little coconut oil or bacon grease if I have it and saute some sliced onions, mushrooms, and peppers until tender.  I add some grape tomatoes about half-way through cooking the vegetables and spinach towards the end.  l salt and pepper while I am cooking.  I use specialty salts like Alaea salt (my husband brought some back from a work trip to Hawaii) or Himalayan pink salt.  Use anything you like to add flavor.  Then I move the veggies to a bowl and cook an egg in the same skillet.  I usually just fry the egg in a little coconut oil, but you can cook it however you like.  Then add the egg to the vegetable bowl for a delicious and healthy breakfast or lunch or even dinner if you like.  

Yum!  All my favorite vegetables in one bowl!  Almost...asparagus would be amazing too.  Add your favorites and enjoy, no savor this delicious veggie bowl!  

And then the avocado toast...where do I even begin.  It is amazing, delicious...green gold.  I like to spread butter on my toast first followed by a healthy smear of soft avocado.  I  use about 1/2 avocado per slice of toast and sprinkle with a little sea salt to finish.  

Ingredients:
Coconut oil or olive oil
Sliced mushrooms, onions, peppers 
Grape tomatoes
Fresh spinach leaves
1 egg
Salt and pepper

For toast:  bread, butter, avocado, salt

​I start with a little coconut oil or bacon grease if I have it and saute some sliced onions, mushrooms, and peppers until tender.  I add some grape tomatoes about half-way through cooking the vegetables and spinach towards the end.  l salt and pepper while I am cooking.  I use specialty salts like Alaea salt (my husband brought some back from a work trip to Hawaii) or Himalayan pink salt.  Use anything you like to add flavor.  Then I move the veggies to a bowl and cook an egg in the same skillet.  I usually just fry the egg in a little coconut oil, but you can cook it however you like.  Then add the egg to the vegetable bowl for a delicious and healthy breakfast or lunch or even dinner if you like.  ​

We get really excited about holidays at our house.  Not just the big ones like Easter and Christmas, but the little ones like Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick's Day too.  You can bet we're having corned beef and cabbage and shamrock shaped green jello next weekend.  Since we love holidays so much, I wanted to do something special for the boys for Valentine's Day, so I made a strawberry waffle cake.  

Talk about happy kids!  They loved it and it was pretty simple to make.  I actually enjoy making waffles so we eat them fairly often...well once or twice a month which is a lot in my book since I like to keep breakfast simple.  Here is the recipe I always make.  

I actually mashed up some strawberries and added them to the batter, but don't think I really tasted them in the waffles.  I doubt I will go to the trouble to do that again since it didn't change the flavor of the waffles, but it's always fun to try new things.  

I love the simplicity of this.  Waffles, whipped cream, and strawberries layered to make a beautiful cake.  I make homemade whipped cream which is super easy if you have a mixer.  I put cream and strawberries between each layer, cutting the strawberries thinner for the inner layers so they will stack easier.  You will want to serve this treat shortly after assembling to prevent the waffle layers from getting too soft, although it's still good if it has set awhile.  

Ingredients:
Waffles (my favorite recipe)
Whipped cream (homemade or store bought, honestly homemade is easy and so much better)
Strawberries, washed and sliced

Prepare all ingredients then layer as pictured for a fun sweet treat.  

Greek Skillet Supper is one of my favorite quick and easy one-skillet meals.  Start to finish you can have this on the table in 30 minutes or less.  Perfect for busy weeknights and feeding hungry kids fast. Between the boys' activities, my grad class work, and my husband's work schedule, life has been crazy busy around here, so I have been relying on easy meals like this.  I have been using my slow cooker a lot lately too which is especially convenient on nights when we don't get home until dinner time.  

Try Greek Skillet Supper and change things up a bit in your dinner rotation.  We love this hearty dish with so much delicious flavor.  

The combination of oregano, cinnamon, and garlic powder give a wonderful and unique flavor to this dish.  I just put the spinach in without thawing and it works well since it is loose in a bag of frozen spinach and not compact in a box of frozen spinach.  It thaws quickly and blends right in.  

Greek Skillet Supper

Serves 6
1 lb. lean ground beef or lamb
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 3/4 C. beef broth
1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta (I use ancient grain pasta)
1 bag frozen leaf spinach (10-16 oz.)
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided

​
1.     Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.  
2.     Add oregano, cinnamon and garlic powder, mix well.  
3.     Stir in broth, tomatoes and ketchup.
4.     Bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta.  Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 10   minutes or until pasta is nearly tender.  
5.     Stir in spinach and ½ cup of the feta cheese.  Cover.  Cook 5 minutes longer or until pasta is tender. 6.     Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup feta cheese.