Taco Seasoning

Ingredients: 
1 Tbls chili powder
1 Tbls cumin
1 Tbls garlic powder
1 Tbls onion powder 
¼–½ Tbls crushed red pepper

Directions:
Combine all spices. Use to season ground beef/turkey/etc. (I used elk meat this time -- thanks Dad!) for tacos, taco salad...

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Spicy Yogurt Dip

Yum! So delicious and so simple, these have become my latest fixation. I've seen recipes with other ingredients (most often stuffing the dates with almonds or cheese, often Manchego cheese) but I'm a sucker for the simple two ingredient bites!


8 oz pitted dates
16 oz bacon

Yogurt Dip
6-8 oz plain yogurt 
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
     and/or
½ tsp hot chili sauce


Preheat oven to 400°.

Roll bacon strips around dates and secure with toothpicks. (If the bacon is thick cut, a ½ strip will do. And since today is a Seahawks playoff game, my toothpicks are blue and green.) Place on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil -- it makes clean-up a LOT easier! Bake 30 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

While they're baking, stir cayenne and/or hot sauce into 6-8 oz plain yogurt. I've been using a single serving container of good, thick Greek yogurt. More or less of the cayenne and/or chili sauce...do you want to actually be able to taste or just feel the heat?

Thanks goes to my cousin, Ryan, for the personalized "Savory Table" serving plate made especially for my blogging posts! Love it!!