It’s about time we did this, right?
You know, make something bacon-wrapped. Since it’s the name of the blog and all. While I think there are few things that couldn’t be improved when rolled into a little package and wrapped in bacon, bacon-wrapped dates are the O.G. bacon-wrapped indulgence, and for good reason.
These peanut butter M&M brownies will always have a very special place in my heart, because as far as I’m concerned, they were my first “thing.” They represent the first time I ever-so-slightly modified a recipe to my own tastes, the first time I could offer something new that I could say was kind of mine. I’ve made them countless times since I started making them in high school, and I’ve never been greeted by anything besides rave reviews (and a first-place prize at my office’s Christmas potluck last year). They’ve been my go-to for as long as I can remember, a constant source of one-bowl indulgence that has brightened many a birthday and celebration.
I’m not going to lie – before I started dating Brad, I had little to no interest in football. I was totally the girl that watched the Super Bowl only for the halftime commercials, and early on in college, my best friends and I would go to the Northwestern football tailgates, but then opt for bagels and a nap instead of the actual game. However, since I now live with a guy who watches any and every football game, whether college or professional, and my TV blares with game updates from Saturday at noon until Sunday when I go to bed, I’ve definitely (perhaps by necessity) learned to love it. I can’t watch it with the same fervor as lifelong fans, but give me a good game on a beautiful fall day (particularly if Northwestern is involved) and I’m pretty much the happiest girl in the world.
I absolutely love fall, but it always has a tendency to sneak up on me. Like this year – when I left Chicago for a 10-day trip to the UK, it was 95 degrees. When I came back, it had dropped to the mid-60’s and our plane had to be re-routed due to severe thunderstorms. We’ve had a few days of Indian summer since then, but in general it felt like just like that, the days of fresh corn, heirloom tomatoes, and leaving the house without even thinking about wearing a jacket were gone. Luckily, most of my favorite foods are fall/winter foods and I can’t wait to spend the next 6 months eating warm, hearty meals and drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Hell yes.