Bacon Fest 2012

 Warning: If you are vegetarian, or don’t eat pork for any reason, you may as well move on to the next blog on your list. There’s just not going to be anything here for you today. As for the rest of you, you may need to grab a napkin. To sop up the drool that’s about to be dripping down the corner of your face.

Bacon Fest 2012: The Re-cap.

Bacon Fest started about four years ago, unbeknownst to me. Our friends Catherine and Spencer started it in Gainesville (because they lived there at the time) with friends of theirs. When they moved to Athens, though, so did Bacon Fest. Last year was the first time Matt and I got to participate. And ever since then, I’ve been waiting and scheming and dreaming of the next Fest. Because if there’s anything in life I love, it’s bacon. With more bacon. And a side of bacon. And in the company of friends? Even better. Especially if they bring bacon.

The basic premise of Bacon Fest is this: bring food/drinks that have bacon in them. I know, brilliant, right? I can’t figure out why there aren’t more Bacon Fests going on all over the planet every day. Because every person I mention Bacon Fest to is like “OHMYGOD I AM SO JEALOUS I WANT TO COME” (for evidence, see the comments on this blog!) and it’s like…dude. Bacon brings people together! Today I decided that if Matt and I ever decide to do an adoption fundraiser, it’s going to be Bacon Fest-esque…because I think lots of people would have paid good money to be there today. I think we could have charged a cover and made a pretty penny. Let’s move on to the pictures and you can decide for yourselves.

First up, we have Goat Cheese Pops with Herbs, Pecans, and Bacon. I made these. They were awesome. You should make them, too, and then invite me over.

I also made Maple-Pecan Crusted Bacon. It was insanely easy and delicious. Again—make it, invite me over. Go ahead and picture me saying that after each of these pictures, okay?

Catherine repeated a recipe from last year due to popular demand: Salted Caramel-Bacon Brownies. The chocolate-bacon combination was HOT this year...and for good reason. BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME.

Ian brought his version of my favorite dish from last year: Onion Pie (with a bacon lattice top, natch.) If I could eat one dish for the rest of my life, it would be this. Jot it down. Remember it on my birthday (or any time you want to make me happy).

I didn't get a picture of the finished product, but here's an action shot of Timmy combining two Really Good Things to make One FRIGGIN AMAZING THING. That would be: Bacon topped with Nutella and sprinkled in cayenne pepper. Holy. Crap.

Nicole made these and they were CRAZY good (and healthy, if you can believe it!): Watermelon topped with goat cheese, a tiny bite of bacon, basil, and a drop of balsamic. AMAZING flavor combo...very unexpected and fresh!

Chloe made Maple Bacon Cupcakes. Oh yes she did.

Kristin made this ridiculousness. She called them "mallowmars," which is apparently some Yankee thing. We refer to them as "kind of like smores." She made a HOMEMADE graham crackers (seriously, who knew you could do that? I actually spent some time trying to figure out what a graham cracker is made out of, and all I could come up with is "graham cracker crumbs," which then got me started on a chicken-or-the-egg type train of thought...) and then HOMEMADE marshmallows (with bacon in them), and then stacked them up and dipped them in chocolate. To say they were amazing falls shamefully short of describing them. Oh. My. Gosh.

See how the light of heaven is shining down on Kristin as she arranges food on the bar? That's because God heartily approves of Bacon Fest. In fact, it's the primary reason he created pigs. Or so I am led to believe.

  
Let's see...you can see here a few more dishes I didn't get a chance to take individual pictures of: Bacon-Beer Dip (for the pretzels), Bacon-Blue-Cheese Ravioli, a loaded salad (with bacon, feta, eggs, tomatoes, spinach, etc.), homemade cheese biscuits with Bacon Jam...

...and then we ate. And ate and ate. And people kept showing up and bringing more bacon-y goodness: Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies! Bacon and Cheese-stuffed Jalapenos! And somehow we kept finding room in our bellies to take it all in. Because we are committed like that.

And when all of the bacon is gone, we feel sad, but also happy...since it is in our tummies. And because we're still in the company of friends, all experiencing that blissful fullness that comes from eating WAY too much good stuff. And while we're STILL SITTING THERE ON THE PORCH, we're making plans for the NEXT Bacon Fest, and we are all in agreement that we can't wait another year. Therefore the next one is already planned (and Facebook event created) for our January 2013 'Fest. Because we thought having it in the winter would open up a whole new realm of bacon-y goodness (Chilis! Warm things!! Bonfires for Bacon Smores!!) And here's the thing-- Bacon Fest is open to ALL!! So if you feel a hankerin' in your heart...COME! We're trying to find a bigger venue, because we can no longer fit in a house, so great is the love of bacon. So put it on your calendar and start pinning recipes, because Bacon Fest '13 is not so very far away. And go ahead and plan to start your New Years Diet a few weeks late, okay? Because you're going to wreck it if you come. And then you'd just feel bad...so let's avoid that unpleasantness. 

Well, we're done here. Go ahead and mop up your puddle of drool and go about your Monday. Your pitiful, sad, bacon-deprived Monday. :( Oh Bacon Fest '13, come quickly!!