Bacon al fresco

It's been far too long since my last bacon post, I realize.  I don't have any new products or links or restaurant encounters for you, but what I do have is my recent epiphany.

This is how you cook bacon when it's 94 degrees out:

I don't know why I didn't do this before (well, mostly because I never had a grill with a side burner before, but still) because it's genius.  The house doesn't smell like bacon for the next three days; the dog licks up any stray bacon grease splatters on the deck; and I get to be outside with a cocktail.  Brilliant.

The whole reason I was needing to fry bacon - other than, duh, wanting some - was that I was trying out a new recipe for a homemade, non-processed energy bar to take with us on all the hikes we've been doing.  Store-bought granola bars and energy bars can be too sweet and I had seen something on television during the Tour de France where the Radio Shack team's nutritionist whipped this up.  It's cooked sushi rice, a couple of scrambled eggs and bacon mixed together with a little soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and grated Parmesan cheese.  Pack it down into a pan, sprinkle a little brown sugar on top.  Let cool then cut into bar sizes and wrap in foil paper. 

Mr. Mouse and I tried them on our hike today.  Pretty good, although I might go with less soy sauce and more brown sugar next time.  Still, if it's good enough for the RS boys to eat, it's good enough for us.  Plus, bacon!