Mornings at the Sellers' house are, should I say, random? Being a home school family, we're not required to get up at sunrise. So, since everyone tends to wake up at different times, breakfast usually consist of whatever you can find to make for yourself- bagels, cereal, etc. However, when my kids have friends over for a sleepover, which is a regular occurrence, I like to make sure they have a decent breakfast.
decent (dē'sənt) adj. 1. Marked by conformity to traditional standards 2. Meeting accepted standards: <You must feed your kid's friends a decent breakfast so their parents will think that you are a responsible, well organized mother who has it all together>
Well, this particular Saturday morning I did not have it all together. My daughter had invited her friend over at the last minute on a Friday night. Dinner would be a cinch, because Friday night is always pizza night. But on Saturday morning, the cupboards were bare. The girls had gotten up late, so I could forgo breakfast and just feed them an early lunch- if I had something for lunch. There was nothing. No left over pizza, no frozen chicken nuggets, no lunch meat. We were even out of peanut butter, so no PB&Js. AHHG!
What was I to do? I couldn't send this child home with no breakfast or lunch. My reputation would be ruined. I can just hear the mom's outrage- "What kind of home have I sent my child to. Never again will she step foot into that house. What kind of mother sends a child home on an empty stomach?!" My daughter would lose a friend and I would gain the "Worst Parent of the Year" award. I know. It sounds ridiculous. But don't pretend that you haven't had similar thoughts.
Frantically, I searched the pantry, freezer and refrigerator several times over, looking for anything that would suffice as breakfast or lunch. "Come on, Deanna. You can do this. You're a creative person. You upcycle clothing for a living." Then I saw it, hidden under the mozzarella string cheese - a package of almost expired turkey bacon. Note, I said almost expired. YES! Light bulb! Upcycled turkey bacon and string cheese. I'm a genius. Within 15 minutes the kids were gobbling up their Turkey Bacon Cheese Bites.
With peace of mind, I drove my daughters' friend home with a full stomach. I waved bye to her as she walked up to the door and thought of how she would share my delicious recipe with her mom, being none the wiser. I just wonder what her mom is going to think about the tattoos stenciled on her leg with permanent marker?!
You can probably figure this out on your own. But here's the recipe just in case...
I'm sure real bacon would taste even better. Just don't cook it too crispy so that it will wrap easily around the cheese.
Any flavor of cheese stick will do. We use mozzarella because it's my son's favorite. Each cheese stick is enough for 8 bacon bites. Just cut the cheese into fourths long ways, then cut those 4 pieces in half. Simply wrap the cooked bacon around the cheese, stick in a toothpick, then bake at 350° for 4 minutes to soften the cheese.
