Peeling tomatoes

We have LOTS of fresh tomatoes in our garden this year.  Way more than we can possibly eat.  So, I'm freezing some and using some to make homemade sauces. Peeling tomatoes is super easy.  All you need is a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water!

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Make an 'x' just through the skin on the bottom of each tomato.

2.  Very carefully drop the tomatoes in the boiling water.  Allow to boil for 5-10 seconds, remove and place in an ice bath.

3.  Once tomatoes have cooled, remove from the water and peel at the 'x'.  Voila!

Perfect Bacon

My sister taught me this cool trick.  She's been baking her bacon for as long as I can remember.  You can get perfect bacon every time, without splattering grease all over your stove or yourself.  She bakes hers on a stoneware cookie sheet.  I like to bake mine on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet to minimize the amount of grease the bacon cooks in.  You could even bake it on a disposable pan for super easy clean up!

Perfect Bacon

Ingredients:

Bacon (yep, that's it!) 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Place bacon in a single layer on a cookie sheet or wire rack over a cookie sheet.

2.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on your preference, turning once or twice.  Place bacon on paper towels and gently pat off any excess grease.  Enjoy!