Perfect Cooked Bacon with NO mess!

Looking for a less messy way to make bacon??  No splatter, easy clean up?? No turning the bacon.
Then try baking it in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Cookie sheet should have sides so that bacon grease does not run off of pan.  Would not recommend to try on flat cookie sheet as grease may run and cause fire in oven.
Place your bacon on sheet.  Each pan will hold approximately 1 lb bacon depending on cut width.

Baking time will very depending on thickness of bacon slices.

You will not have to turn the bacon.  Set timer for 10 minutes and check your desired crispness of bacon.  I like my bacon crunchy so I re-check after another 10 minutes and then every 5 until done.

I put it out on paper towel on a plate to let it drain the grease.  If you desire.  You can place the remaining bacon grease in a glass jar for future uses.  Keep bacon grease covered in refrigerator.

Simply line a cookie sheet with sides with foil.

Place bacon on foil and put in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees.

Cook until your bacon is your desired crispness.

Baking times will vary depending on thickness of bacon.

I like my bacon extra crispy!

No mess and easy clean up!!

sms@myninestar.net

tusiestreasurers.blogspot.com

Pumpkin Pole by Tusies Treasures

Pumpkin Time!!!

Make your own Pumpkin Pole

Step 1)
Find a fence post or purchase at local hardware/farm store.

Step 2)
Wrap lights around pole.  Rope lighting works best.  Mushy pumpkins don't get stuck in these and can be easy washed off (unplugged!)  But regular Christmas style lights work well.  White or flickering color.  Use a hammer to drive post into the ground.  A small sledge hammer works well. (But watch your fingers!!)


Fence post covered with rope lighting

Rope lighting on fence post



Step 3)

Select your pumpkins.  It will take a total of 8 to 10 pumpkins depending on size.  Use a variety of pumpkin types for an interesting pumpkin pole. 

There are many
great tools that cut out circles
triangles and other shapes quickly.

Step 4)  Select a variety of pumpkin carving tools to make your faces.  They must be sturdy!!  Plastic and thin metal ones don't last very long!!  You may want to have a gripper for jars handy to hold on the tools you are using - as your hands get "slimy" working with pumpkins.

A gripper works great when carving lots of pumpkins

Step 5)
Cut your pumpkins in a variety of faces. The one on the bottom should be "sad".

Why do I have to be the bottom pumpkin?

Step 6) 
Remember to save the seeds to plant a pumpkin patch next year.  If you don't have room where you live, look for a local gardening program to plant your seeds, or a friend or neighbor who has room.  Pumpkins take a lot of space and they vine out.

There are some interesting variety of pumpkins available.  Be sure to save some of the seeds!

Step 7)
You have to cut a hole in the bottom of each pumpkin to place on the pole.  Don't make them too big, so the pumpkin does not wabble.......  You won't have to save the tops of the pumpkins, since they sit on top of each other. 

Step 8)
Stack the pumpkins with the bigger ones toward the bottom.  I always have 2 or 3 extra ones made so that when they start to shrink up, I can cover up the fence post showing.  They will need to be smaller ones so you can add from the top.

Step 9)
Turn on the lights during the evening and don't forget early morning too!!!  I use a timer on mine so I don't have to worry about it if I am not home until after dark.  I used colored lights in the pumpkins not on the pole (My extra's for when the ones on the pole shrink in size).

                                                     Step 10)

Have fun the variety of pumpkin faces and designs you can come up with.  Have a party and invite family and friends over to help make the pole.  We made our first one about 25 years ago and have been enjoying the yearly tradition.