“Say what? I thought this girl preached health and wellness?!” (I know you just said that in your head as you read the title of this month’s recipe.) Believe it or not fat from bacon, butter, raw dairy, even lard are extremely healthy animal fats that nourish our bodies! They keep our skin supple, moisturized and glowing. They keep us satiated and satisfied. They make our cells strong by providing nutrients. They help to manage our blood sugar levels. They’re crucial to our good health.
All that we’ve been told about the dangers of fat and cholesterol is wrong. If you’ve been staying away from natural fat and choking down highly processed substitutes for the real thing I’ve got some awesome news: natural, unrefined fat is perfectly healthy. Especially fat from properly raised animals. So make yourself a three-egg omelet with all the yolks. Enjoy that butter over your veggies. Your body, your skin, and your brain will thank you!
Bacon Wrapped Dates 
Ingredients:
6 bacon slices, cut in half & then cut in half again
24 large Medjool dates, pitted
24 whole almonds or pecans
toothpicks (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Open up dates gently with a knife.
Stuff each date with an almond (or pecan), and wrap with a bacon slice. Secure with a toothpick if necessary (I always do).
Place on a shallow baking sheet lined with tin foil (for easy clean up!) and bake for about 7 minutes.
Flip and bake for another 7 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
Serve warm or cold, and store leftovers in the refrigerator. Enjoying these the next day is heaven to me!
There is such a thing as good and bad bacon. Bad bacon is heavily processed from factory-farmed pigs, full of artificial ingredients and preservatives. Since bacon is loaded with (healthy) fat, the toxins of this poorly treated animal remain in the fat that you then consume. This is not good. Better bacon would be unprocessed, with just a few ingredients (think pork, water, salt, brown sugar). The best bacon (that you can buy, since truly curing it yourself would be the best!) is unprocessed and preferably cured with natural ingredients, from pasture-raised/humanely raised pigs, void of artificial ingredients and preservatives. More expensive, but worth every penny. Opt for purchasing brands such as Applegate Natural & Organic Meats, Vermont Cure & Smoke in your local store or order online from Pete’s Paleo or U.S. Wellness Meats.
Save your bacon drippings! After gathering the leftover fat from the bacon you made for breakfast in a glass jar, throw the jar into the fridge and use creatively with other meals. I love roasting veggies like Brussels sprouts or broccoli in bacon fat. I especially love roasting potatoes with it. You can even use it for cookies, a marinade or a salad dressing. Yum!