Tag Archive: breakfast

How to microwave bacon

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Tue. November 2, 2010

Bacon is one of those tough things to deal with if you’re single. I’m not talking about the act of eating it. No, the trouble lies in the act of storing and cooking it. Unless you plan on eating huge amounts of the stuff in one or two sessions, it sits there in the fridge waiting to turn bad if left alone for a long period. Storing it in an airtight container helps it keep for longer, but there’s still some dedication needed to eat it before it just no longer tastes right. Freezing it is out of the question unless you separate the strips ahead of time. I used to do that. It was great pulling out packets whenever I wanted them, but seriously it was just too much work ahead of time. Without separation you end up with a frozen block of pork, which may not be bad, but is a ridiculous amount of bacon for a single person. Yeah, on top of that there’s the issue of cleaning up after cooking it. So much bacon grease can be generated that there’s the question of how to store or dispose of it. So much trouble! Still, that shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying the stuff, no?

I bought a pack of bacon last weekend. I kept in the fridge waiting for a time when I’d want to cut it open, knowing that once I do so I’m in for several days of bacon-eating. I started on Monday. I’ve been eating a few strips with the rest of my breakfast prior to leaving for work. Sound like a lot of trouble? Actually, no, because I’ve been using the microwave to cook the bacon. Heck, I’ve had zero issues in terms of splatter or clean up. How do I do it? It’s all in the technique.

So, take a plate and lay a sheet of paper towel on it. Put a few strips of bacon on top of the paper. Take another sheet of paper towel and put it on top of the bacon. Take a spray bottle or some other implement to moisten the top sheet of paper. It shouldn’t be soaking wet, but just slightly damp. Microwave the whole thing for about 5:30 – 6 minutes. The result should be nice, flat, crispy bacon. In terms of grease, the paper towels soak everything up. Clean up just means tossing/composting the paper towels and washing the plate. Easy! Give it a shot.

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Nutella and condensed milk crepes

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Wed. February 24, 2010

Over the past few days, with time off I’ve been taking the time to cook some interesting breakfasts. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping in a really long while so I was starting to run out of supplies. When I looked in the cupboard I found that I still had a box of pancake mix. I wasn’t in the mood to do pancakes so I decided to mod the ratios to makes some crepes. I upped the milk and eggs to make for a thinner and runnier batter. I was trying to figure out what I wanted for some filler. I checked the fridge and found that I had a few teaspoons blackberry jam left over in a jar. I decided to dump that in a pan, add some water, and reduce it a little bit to make a syrup of sorts. So, I cooked up the crepes, spread some blackberry syrup in top and folded them twice. The result was very tasty. At that point I decided to redo it for the next morning.

Today, I made the batter even runnier and added a little bit of vegetable oil. When I looked in the cupboard, I saw a jar of nutella and a can of condensed milk. I warmed the nutella in the microwave, and opened up the condensed milk. I cooked up the crepes, spread a little nutella and condensed milk inside, and folded them once. After cooking three, I plated them nicely, then drizzled the nutella and condensed milk on top. This was the result:

Yes, they were certainly tasty. Perhaps the only quibble is that they were a little bit on the sweet side. Someone on Twitter suggested that I use semi-sweet chocolate instead. That would have been ideal, right? However, warming up some nutella was just convenient. I’m really proud of piecing this one together. I have some leftover condensed milk crepes in the fridge. I plan on eating them in a few days. Two days of crepes in a row is slightly excessive; three is just decadent.

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Mundane socialization

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Mon. February 15, 2010

Last night, given that today would be Family Day I decided to sleep over at my parents place just so that we could all have breakfast together. I didn’t really sleep all that well in my old bed. I think my body’s just used to the firmness of the new mattress. I didn’t let it sour my mood too much because breakfast was nice and relaxed. I got to catch up on the various bits of family-related news and the exciting plans and projects on the horizon.

In all of the excitement that came with becoming independent and leaving the nest, there’s one thing that I didn’t realize I’d miss: I really miss having family around. When I was living with them, it was just so easy to take for granted the fact that they were around. At the very least, they were people that I could talk to without effort.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love being on my own. This is my sanctuary. Still, mundane socialization now takes a little bit of effort. For someone like me that’s problematic. I’m not really the type of person that doesn’t seem to actively reach out unless it’s through some readily available means. One interesting side result is that my interactions at work with my colleagues suddenly become more important. Man, how messed up is that?

(Now now, my colleagues are awesome. Just sayin’)

I guess, all I’m saying is that there’s still a lot about this living on my own thing that I have yet to figure out. I suppose I’m fortunate that I tend to do well enough on my own. There are a lot of people out there that just need to have people around at all times. There are also other that need to be in a relationship in order to function. I’m managing just fine, thank you very much. I just have to remember that my social needs require a bit of attention now and then. If I don’t cater to that need I might just snap all of a sudden without warning. That would not be a good thing.

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On tableware and breakfast

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Fri. August 14, 2009

I’d posted this picture on Twitter yesterday. This was my breakfast yesterday morning.

Good breakfast

Overall, I’ve gotten good compliments over the presentation as well as the dinnerware and cutlery in the picture. I got both the plates and cutlery from Wal-mart. The brands are Corelle and Oneida. I went in looking for square plates just to be different. Maybe it’s in my mind, but it seems like a trend to have such plates, no? So, I eventually settled on this design with curved lines. To me, it looks pretty cool. Though it may not look like it, even the mug is kind of square. After selecting those I was on the hunt for flatware. Immediately I saw a set with angular handles and curved lines as part of the design. I thought it was a great match, so that’s what I ended up getting. It’s not pictured here, but the set of glasses that I picked out are also square. They’re smoky and a little bit dark. Overall, even though the pieces are from different brand names it looks like everything forms a cohesive set.

As for breakfast, one of the big benefits I’ve experienced by not having to commute to the train station is that I now have enough time to fix myself a proper breakfast. It’s great! Empty stomachs are unhappy stomachs, right? Pictured here are buttermilk pancakes, gala apples, black grapes, and vanilla black tea. People are always stressing the importance of having a good breakfast, so I’m trying to get into the habit of making myself proper meals in the morning; I want each one to count. Still, as a backup I have a box of Pop Tarts in the cupboard. Seems though that I’m eating those for dessert at night more than anything else. Heh.

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