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Petit Jean Meats Bacon-Wrapped Dates & Giveaway

 

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One of our long-standing friends and supporters of #AWBU is Petit Jean Meats, an Arkansas-based company.  Today’s Foodie Friday post is a quick and tasty appetizer that will be served by K-Mac Catering of Rogers during our Friday evening event and features delicious hickory-smoked bacon from Petit Jean Meats. Feast your eyes on these delicious Petit Jean Meats Bacon-Wrapped Dates.

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Quick and easy @PetitJeanMeats Bacon-Wrapped Dates. #giveaway #baconbowl #ARWB #AWBU2014

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Petit Jean Meats Bacon Wrapped Dates
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Ingredients
  1. 12 dates, pitted
  2. 6 slices of Petit Jean Hickory Smoked Bacon
  3. 3 ounces cream cheese
  4. 1/8 cup crushed almonds
  5. 12 skewers or toothpicks
Instructions
  1. Set cream cheese aside to soften.
  2. Place almonds in a plastic bag; crush almonds with a rolling pin.
  3. Mix almonds and soften cream cheese.'
  4. Fill a pastry bag with the cream cheese mixture. Cut an opening in the tip of the bag. Squeeze mixture into each date with approximately ¼ ounce of cream cheese or whatever the date will accommodate.
  5. Cut each piece of bacon into 2 pieces.
  6. Wrap a ½ slice of bacon around the date and pierce with a skewer or toothpick. When piercing the bacon through the seam to ensure it stays wrapped during the cooking process.
  7. The dates can then be cooked on the grill until bacon is lightly charred and cream cheese is softened and warm.
  8. Or warm them in the oven at 400 degrees until bacon is crisp, approximately 10 minutes.
  9. Remove from grill or oven when ready; serve and enjoy!
Notes
  1. Bacon Wrapped Dates (or “Cheap Dates” as we call them) are a favorite of our clients. They can’t get enough of K-Mac Catering’s delectable dates, wrapped in smoked bacon, stuffed with almonds and cream cheese – perfection!
  2. K-Mac Catering shares the secret to getting this popular appetizer just right so you can be the hit of your own party. But, if you’d rather leave it to K-Mac Catering, our team is also available to come to you!
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

GIVEAWAY

Winner of 2 ticket from our Wordless Wednesday Giveaway that are provided by Petit Jean Meats to 2nd Annual Bacon Bowl:  Sarah S. You will be contacted by Petit Jean Meats.

Here’s another opportunity! Petit Jean Meats is giving away another  2 tickets to the 2nd Annual Bacon Bowl to one of our lucky readers.  To enter, in the comments tell us your favorite Petit Jean Meats product.  Each non-repeat entry earns you an additional opportunity.  Previous winner are not eligible.  The winner will be announced on August 29.

Win tickets to #BaconBowl. #giveaway #ARWB @PetitJeanMeats

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#AWBU 2014 Celebrating Local Flavor with Taste Arkansas

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Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Taste Arkansas blog is an effort to connect those interested in food preparation with the farmers and ranchers who provide us with an abundance of Arkansas agricultural products. Since March of 2014,  Arkansas Women Bloggers  have provided all recipes and content for this site.

Taste Arkansas is excited to be the sponsor again this year of the Arkansas Women Bloggers University (#AWBU) Foodie Friday event, September 5, in Rogers, AR.

It’s a Great Day for Angel Food with Great Day Farms

By Great Day Farms Brand Ambassador Heather Disarro of Heather’s Dish 

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 Angel food cake is one of those things that’s rarely made but often enjoyed in our house. Fluffy and flavorful with basically zero calories (fine, the calorie part is false…) it’s a cake that is sure to please almost any palate. You can dress it up with whipped frosting and chocolate, dress it down with a scoop of ice cream, or meet it right in the middle, in my favorite way, with a simple creme anglaise and fresh berries. 

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This summer has been, from my experience and the stories from friends, a very mild one. Just the other day my husband mentioned that we’ve been lucky the past two summers in Arkansas to have relatively mild weather; I told him he better find some wood to knock on because summer isn’t over. Truly though, this summer has been filled with days outside in the warm sunshine, long walks at dusk and sweet baby tan lines. There isn’t a more summer dessert, with the exception of ice cream, than an angel food cake with fresh seasonal berries. Light and sweet and completely satisfying, this is one dessert y’all won’t want to miss! 

Cakes

Very Vanilla Angel Food Cake
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Ingredients
  1. 12 egg whites at room temperature
  2. 1-1/2 cups superfine sugar
  3. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  4. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  5. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  6. pinch of salt
  7. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Very lightly grease ONLY the flat part of a 16-cup tube pan. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until they start to become foamy.
  4. Add the salt and cream of tartar, then whip until the whites start to get very fluffy.
  5. Increase the speed and slowly stream in 1 cup of the sugar.
  6. Continue to beat until the egg whites form soft peaks.
  7. Add the vanilla and beat until just mixed.
  8. Working in batches, gently fold in the remaining sugar and the flour, alternating, until all of the ingredients have been used up.
  9. Gently work the batter evenly into the pan.
  10. Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to release air bubbles.
  11. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until the cake springs back from being touched.
  12. Allow to cool completely upside down; some cake pans have feet to rest on, but if your pan does not then be sure to prop it up slightly on a couple of plates to allow air to circulate.
  13. Gently work a sharp knife around the edge of the cake pan to release once completely cooled.
  14. Cut with a serrated knife.
  15. Serve with creme anglaise (recipe below) and fresh fruit.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

  

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It’s always a Great day with @GreatDayFarms and @HeathersDish! #AWBU2014 #sponsor

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Basic Vanilla Creme Anglaise
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Ingredients
  1. 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
  2. 1-1/2 cups whole milk
  3. 3/4 cup sugar
  4. 4 egg yolks
  5. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  6. pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Combine the heavy cream, milk and sugar in a large stockpot.
  2. Heat very gently over medium-low heat until small bubbles start to form around the edge of the milk.
  3. Remove from the heat and scoop about 1 cup of the mixture out of the stock pot.
  4. While whisking the egg yolks, very slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper.
  5. Once all of the hot milk has been whisked into the yolks, whisk the tempered yolks into the remaining hot liquid.
  6. Cook slowly over medium low heat until the mixture has thickened enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.
  7. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
  8. Gently press plastic wrap onto the top of the creme to keep a skin from forming.
  9. Cool completely before serving with the cake.
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
 Heather Disarro_1_Lowres2

 @heathersdish
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Heather Disarro is a food-centric lifestyle blogger who is passionate about embracing the beauty that surrounds us with in our everyday lives. She is a Texan living the expat life in central Arkansas with her husband, son and two massive dogs. Heather writes her blog, Heather’s Dish, from an office filled with dust, dog fur, toys and plenty of love, grace and music.  She specializes in creating delicious and creatively nourishing recipes.  Cooking seasonally and with as many local ingredients as possible is an important component to Heather’s style of food, and she revels in the opportunity to bring the love of cooking to the world as a way to love others well! 

#AWBU 2014 Petit Jean Meats Giveaway

Petit Jean Meats is a proud sponsor of #AWBU in Rogers, AR on Sept. 5 – 7.  

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We love our Petit Jean Meats Products!
@petitjeanmeats

   

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 Photos contributed by Petit Jean Meats Brand Ambassadors:  Sarabeth Jones, Alison Chino and Rhonda Bramell  and Misty Wilbanks of Petit Jean Meats in Morrilton, all Arkansas Women Bloggers.

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Giveaway by Petit Jean Meats

The 2nd annual Bacon Bowl presented by Petit Jean Meats will take place in downtown Bentonville on Saturday, September 13, from 9:00am until 12:00pm.

 Teams consisting of chefs and amateur cooks will compete in Entrée and Dessert Divisions and test their culinary skills by creating innovative bacon creations featuring Arkansas’ own Petit Jean Meats bacon. Teams can choose to enter Entrée or Dessert divisions, or both, with Petit Jean Meats generously donating their mouth-watering bacon to all who compete.

Bacon Bowl attendees of all ages will vote for their favorite dishes in both divisions as well as the overall People’s Champion.  Local and nationally-known bacon enthusiasts, food writers and bloggers will determine who will represent the Bacon Bowl in the Bacon Division at the 2014 World Food Championships in Las Vegas where they’ll have the opportunity to win up to $60,000.

Check out this Only In Arkansas article on the Bacon Bowl….

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Teams are traveling from throughout Arkansas and the region to compete in the Bacon Bowl with the goal of winning the grand prize trip to compete in the 2014 World Food Championships in Las Vegas.  “We couldn’t be more excited to be part of the thriving culinary scene in Bentonville,” said event coordinator John McClure. “In addition to the Bacon Bowl, the nationally recognized Bentonville Farmers Market and world famous World Championship Squirrel Cook-off will be going on in downtown Bentonville that same day. We’re all working together to create a Saturday morning that people won’t soon forget.”

There will be live music, Petit Jean Meats sampling, other foods and beverages and much more.  Tickets are $10 at the gate; advance tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the Bentonville Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Please visit BaconBowl.net and the Bacon Bowl Facebook page for more details.  Teams or individuals interested in competing should visit BaconBowl.net. Team registration is open until Friday, September 5. Space is limited.

For a chance to win 2 tickets to the Bacon Bowl, tell us your favorite way to use Petit Jean Meats Bacon.  Each different comment (no repeats) earns one opportunity to win.  The winner will be announced on the Foodie Friday Aug. 5 post.  Tickets supplied by Petit Jean Meats.

For a chance to win 2 tickets to the Bacon Bowl, tell us your favorite way to use Petit Jean Meats…

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Have You Met Herb? Basil-Infused Lemondade {Foodie Friday}

 By Sarah E. White

There’s really no excuse not to grow herbs. Even if you don’t have a back yard big enough for a garden (or any backyard at all), herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme and mint are easy to grow in pots in a sunny window or on a balcony ledge. The only problem – if you want to think of it like that – with growing herbs is that you tend to get a lot all at once, and it can sometimes be difficult to come up with something to do with them. Take basil, for instance. It’s actually better for the plant if you harvest regularly, and all those leaves can add up quickly. I happen to love pesto (here’s my recipe), but I’d rather do other things with some of the bounty as well. All credit for this idea goes to my husband, who is enamored of the basil gimlets served at Theo’s in Fayetteville. We learned that it’s really easy to make a basil infused simple syrup, and of course you could do this with any other herb you’ve got a lot of that would be tasty in drinks (mint, anyone?).

basil-sugar

 Basil Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a basic recipe of equal parts sugar and water. Start with one cup of each, but if you have a lot of basil or another herb, or are making enough for a party, you can easily double or triple up. Add the water and sugar to a saucepan along with a handful (maybe half a cup if you were the measuring sort) of washed basil leaves. It’s fine if they’re not looking totally pretty. Bring to a slow simmer on medium heat, stirring to melt the sugar. Let it bubble gently for 5 or 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool with the basil inside. Strain and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.syrup-lemon

Uses for Infused Syrups

You can use yours like my husband does, in a basil gimlet (equal parts vodka and syrup, or cut back on the syrup a bit if you don’t like it too sweet, along with a generous application of lime juice), or like I do, in lemonade. You can just add a shot to storebought lemonade if you like, or make your own. Start by squeezing a lemon (or a lime, if you’d rather) into a pint glass, add a quarter cup of syrup and fill the rest of the glass with ice and water. This makes a concoction that’s not too sweet or too sour, so you can add more lemon if you like it tart or syrup if you like it sweet. 

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Lemonade for a Crowd

  • Two cups of basil infused syrup
  • One gallon water
  • Two cups of fresh lemon juice

Combine all and serve over ice. Garnish with lemon and basil if you’re feeling fancy

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Sarah E. White is a knitter, crafter, mom and writer based in Fayetteville. She writes at Our Daily Craft about crafting with and for kids and creating the life you’ve always wanted, as well as writing the knitting websites for About.com and Craft Gossip. She’s just about finished writing her third book on knitting and getting ready to celebrate her daughter’s fifth birthday.