Vyvacious

Today, my work had a potluck.  Granted the recipe I’m giving you today is for Bacon Blue Cheese Guacamole buuut bear with me.  I’ve been a bit frazzled all of today since yesterday my tire blew out and I had to deal with that whole mess this morning too to get it changed.  I appreciated that it wasn’t that big of a deal, it just cut into my baking time, which doesn’t make me happy. 

Sleep was compromised once again as I tried to perfect these little Shortie Cakes as my friend Kristy aptly named them.  She thinks they’re so cute (and I wholeheartedly agree :P) because they are these little short mini individual Devil’s food cakes with a nice mound of cream cheese frosting and some sprinkles, see? :)

Thanks Kristy for taking these pictures for me and posting them on Facebook :D  Recipe to come later ;)

I was initially surprised at how much people fought for them at the potluck.  Baffled, to be honest.  One guy went up to get one and, shortly after, returned for a whole slew of them for his family.  Another woman ran back to grab some for her granddaughters and then proceeded to run back to make sure someone didn’t steal the Shortie Cake that was already on her desk.  Within minutes, they were GONE.  There was an entire dessert table and my pan was empty. 

I was happy but scared…scared because I’ve never seen so many people scramble for some potluck treats like that before.  Haha.  I wish I had time to make more so that everyone and their families could eat some!  (I do take orders though… ;)  Contact me at VyvaciousEats AT gmail DOT com to discuss)

Luckily, I was able to save a small secret stash for my friends who couldn’t make it to the potluck.  And even on the way to their desks, I got accosted for the cakes.  Haha!  My only regret is that I didn’t have time to make and hand out my little blog business cards.  Ah well, next time :)  But seriously, I was super happy that so many people were fighting over my Shortie Cakes :P  What a great compliment! :D

Now, back to our original topic, Bacon Blue Cheese Guacamole!!  Today’s potluck reminded me of a potluck I had with my friends in LA several months ago.  We like to have lots as we are big foodies and most of us love cooking/baking.  It was the first time I made it and my friend, Amy, was staring me the whole time I was preparing it.  Finally, she just yelled out, “Is it ready yet?!  Can I eat it?!  You’re taking forever!!!”  In stunned silence, I slid her the bowl and she started digging in.  I couldn’t stop laughing after my shock wore off.  I guess people don’t like it when I take my sweet ass time…  Haha :P

So, without further ado, here goes!! :)

Bacon Blue Cheese

Guacamole Dip

*Even great for those who don’t like the strong blue cheese flavor as one of my friends can’t stand blue cheese but will eat this dip with a spoon… :)

Ingredients:

• Thick cut center cut bacon
• Crumbled Blue Cheese
• Avocados (3-4)
• Half a lemon
• Jalapenos (1-2)
• Freshly ground pepper

Equipment:

• Large pan or skillet
• Tongs
• Knife/spoon/fork
• Plate/bowl
• Some paper towels

1. Slice the bacon in half for easier cooking and cutting later.
2. Heat up your pan to medium heat and place pieces of bacon on it.  Be sure not to overcrowd the pan.  I put about 6 half slices in at a time.
3. Depending on your heat setting and pan, the bacon will need to be flipped after a few minutes.  Once the fat on the bacon starts to get clear, flip the bacon and let it cook for another few minutes (or less).  Don’t overcook the bacon.  Take it off when it’s still soft and starting to get crispy but is still fully cooked.
4. Line a plate with some paper towels and let the bacon rest on top to soak up the extra fat.
5. Finish cooking the rest of your bacon.
6. In the meantime, slice your jalapenos and de-seed them.  I would chop them up in small manageable pieces that can still be taken out of the pan after cooking and still blend in well with the guacamole.
7. After the bacon is done, don’t turn off your stove.  Instead, throw the cut jalapeno into the bacon grease, YUM! :)
8. Cook the jalapenos until they start to get that charred look (my preference) so that the bacon flavor is absorbed.
9. Remove and let rest on the paper towels as well.
10. Cut two avocados in half and remove the pit.
11. Use a spoon to take the avocado goodness out and place in a bowl.
12. Mash up the avocado using a fork and add some freshly ground pepper to taste.
13. Tear the bacon into bite size pieces (I usually do approximately half-inch pieces) and throw about three-quarters into the bowl.
14. Add the jalapeno bits, half of the crumbled blue cheese, and squeeze some lemon into the guacamole.
15. Mix around gently using the fork (don’t over stir it so it becomes super mushy).
16. Cut open and add avocado as you see fit.  I like to get the guacamole to the point where there’s blue cheese and bacon-y goodness in every bite but the creaminess of the guac still comes through.
17. This is the point where I also add in about another quarter of the blue cheese and the rest of the lemon.  I like to make sure the dip isn’t too strong at first.  And of course, I like to add the rest of the bacon and a sprinkle of the blue cheese on top as a garnish :)
18. Serve with Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits (my favorite!) and ENJOY! :D

*Note:  Even with the lemon, this guacamole dip doesn’t hold that well.  It tastes just fine but will start to darken in color very quickly.  Store in the fridge tightly wrapped if needed but seriously, who’s going to have leftovers…?

All this potluck talk is making me hungry again!! :P  What’s YOUR favorite thing to bring to a potluck?