cook: bacon popsicles

This past weekend, I attended a bacon themed birthday party and if you follow us on Facebook, you saw a picture of my bacon popsicles as I was making them.  I call them popsicles because they are an equal parts savory and sweet and you eat your way through them in the same way you would bite a popsicle down the stick.  There are plenty of variations on these, this recipe is one of my dear friends and I’ve been using it at parties for the last five years or so, without fail, there are never any left.

Here’s what you will need:

+ 1 pound center cut bacon (get the best quality that you can afford)

+ 1 bag of prebaked breadsticks (found in the bakery department, like you would be served at an italian restaurant)

+ 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar

+ 3 T chili powder

Preheat your oven to 400° and line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper, then place a cooling rack inside of it.  Set aside.   In a bowl mix together the brown sugar and chili powder until the chili powder is evenly dispersed in the sugar.  Then place pieces of the bacon in the mixture and toss to coat.  Then taking one piece of bacon at a time, wrap the bacon around the breadstick and set on the cooling rack.  Repeat until you have used all the bacon.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the outside of the bacon has started to caramelize.

Cool for about five minutes and serve.

Once baked, the brown sugar becomes almost like a candy coating and the chili powder adds a hint of kick to each bit.  You’re guests will thank you and beg for the recipe.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Katie

the goods: fifteen years

Kristi and I met fifteen years ago when we were both counselors at a camp in the mountains north of Santa Fe. Surprisingly, neither of us were “art” counselors. From what I remember, we met on the first day and quickly became friends. We coordinated our day off so that we had it on the same day and would spend our time traipsing around Santa Fe, eating at the Shed and the Cowgirl Cafe, having breakfast Blizzards from Dairy Queen and taking one ridiculous road trip to Denver to see an Indigo Girls concert.

babyfaces in the summer of 1997

It is so hard for me to believe that that much time has passed and that Kristi and I have managed to maintain a friendship despite the fact that since the summer of 1997, we have never lived in the same town.

kristi and i back in june of 2011 (back when I was blonde)

We also recently celebrated our six months anniversary here at modern dry goods. I know we’ve been posting less frequently lately and we have no excuse except for the fact that it is summer time. It’s just so hard to sit inside and sew when its 80 and sunny until 9pm everyday. But don’t worry, we are working on it and have plenty of good projects to come in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

xo

Katie

stitch: Quilt Sneak Peek

A slew of my friends are having babies this summer, so I’ve been a busy bee on the weekends making various baby blankets. I haven’t had a chance to properly photograph the current quilt that I just completed, but wanted to post a snap shot. I am absolutely loving the pattern and color combo. It’s the perfect quilt for a summer picnic in the park, right?!  Cheers! xo Kristi

the goods: June iPhone Wallpaper

Below are some fun new wallpaper sayings to celebrate the start of Summer. Enjoy! xo Kristi

To download the files from a desktop, right click (control click on a mac) the selected image and choose save as. To download the files on your phone, open moderndrygoods.com in your browser (safari on an iPhone) click on the image you would like to download.  When the page with only that image opens, hold your finger on the image until the “Save Image” menu pops up and then save.  Transfer the image to your phone and visit settings/wallpaper to select the file.  Email us at moderndrygoods@gmail.com if you have any issues, we would be happy to help you!

 

whisk: salted caramel ice cream

Last summer on a whim, I bought an ice cream maker. I previously had one back in the early 2000s but primarily used it to make pina coladas and had lost it in all of my moves.  So when I was in the store and found it on sale, I impulse purchased it.  One of the best decisions I’ve made in years.  I spent last summer playing around with different recipes and happened upon this one for Salted Caramel Ice Cream from Gourmet.  To this date, this is the best ice cream I have ever made or tasted.  The beauty of it is that it is a custard so its extremely creamy and there is just a hint of salt which really brightens the caramel flavor.  It’s reminiscent of the Baskin Robbin’s Pralines n Cream flavor.  Over the last year, I’ve continued to make it for special occasions and parties and it continues to be one of my most requested recipes.  I’ve mixed in pretzels and nuts, rolos and chips.  While it is a great base for other flavors, it truly is perfect on its own.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Gourmet 2009

+ 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
+ 2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
+ 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
+ 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
+ 1 cup whole milk
+ 3 large eggs

Start by making the caramel.  Place 1 cup of sugar in a dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Stir with a fork so that the sugar cooks evening.  Then once the sugar starts to melt stop stirring and begin swirling the pan over the burner.  Once the sugar is cooked to an amber color, slowly add 1 cup of cream.  This will cause the sugar to solidify again, using your fork, stir over low heat until the ingredients are smooth.  This part can take up to ten minutes, just be patience.   Pour in a container, add the vanilla and let stand until it is room temperature. Once at room temperature, stir in the salt.  Maldon is my personal favorite for this.

Then in a heavy bottomed sauce pot, heat the remaining cream and whole milk until just a boil.  In a medium sized bowl, beat the three eggs until combined.  Then in a slow steady stream, pour half of the milk and cream mixture into the eggs stirring the entire time.  This is to bring the eggs up to temperature of the milk so that you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.  Then add the egg and cream mixture back to the remaining milk and cream mixture and over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches about 170°.  If you go over 170°, you will have scrambled eggs.   Once the cream mixture is at 170°, remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.  Stir in the caramel mixture and chill for at least 3 hours if not overnight.  Once it has chilled, pour into your ice cream maker and stir for 30 minutes or until chilled.   Refrigerate or serve immediately.

xo,

Katie