Happy 4th of July!

Some of you who follow us may think we are these clean eating, workout machines. Nope! We follow the 80/20 rule. We eat clean and workout 80% of the time and allow ourselves rest and “cheat” meals 20% of the time.

Here is one of our favorite recipes. It is one we make 2 or 3 times a year and when we bring them to a party we are requested to bring them again or we will not be allowed to return.

Stuffed Jalepenos

Ingredients:
15 medium to large fresh, whole jalepenos
2 packages of Black Label Maple Bacon
2 packages of cream cheese (real, not fat free)
Plastic gloves (trust me on this one)

You generally get 12-15 slices of bacon per pack and if you plan it correctly can use both packages of cream cheese perfectly.

1) Allow the cream cheese and bacon to sit at room temp for about 15 minutes before beginning. Prep the area with a cutting board and baking pans.
2) Put on your gloves before handling and cutting the jalepenos. I learned the hard way and my hands burned for hours.
3) Cut the ends off the japs and slice them long ways.
4) Scoop out as many seeds as possible. (I use a spoon usually.) Don’t stand too close to the seeds. You will sneeze and cough up a storm.
5) Rinse the deseeded japs and get rid of as many seeds as possible.
6) Use a butter knife to fill the cream cheese into each jap half. Make it level. DO NOT overfill.
7) Wrap in one piece of bacon from tip to tail and place on the baking sheet.
8) Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes at 350 to 400. Watch closely. Turn at the 15-20 minute mark so the bacon cooks evenly.
9) Cook to your crispiness level. Sometimes I will hit broil for a minute or two.

Tips:
Do not touch your face when handling the jalapenos.
Watch the oven closely. The last thing you want to do is burn your labor of love.

Stuffed Jalepenos