Quite Possibly the World's Best Bacon

There is a particular place in southern Minnesota where the wind wafts a smoky hint of something delicious. Location? Just off of Highway 14 at Schmidt's Meat Market in Nicollet. Every time we journey to MN, we hone in on that aroma, capture it, and bring it back in a cooler full of bacon and sausage and breakfast smokies. I reverently encourage you to make the pilgrimage to Schmidt's and discover for yourself this gem of a meat market.

http://www.schmidtsmeatmarket.com/

The beauty of bringing a little taste of Schmidt's back home to Tennessee is that we can enjoy it any time we like. Last night seemed like a perfect occasion to inhale the goodness of a bit of bacon. The aroma of those cinnamon rolls baking (see yesterday's post) and Schmidt's bacon sizzling sent Son Three to the floor in a dead faint... (The thought of actually getting to eat those delicious flavors revived him!) We all took turns going outside and then coming back in, just to get a new appreciation for the amazing aroma.

Cinnamon Rolls for Supper?

My thought is "why not?" ...especially with a recipe like this one.

I was reading Ree Drummond's book Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels (love this book!), and she included a recipe for cinnamon rolls "sure to cure any heartache." I am not currently suffering any heartache, (these are probably more likely to induce a heart attack) but hey, some things you just gotta do!

Probably best to avoid these if you are trying to lose weight for your wedding, for swimsuit season, or because it is almost time to put on those favorite jeans again. They will not help with that... but is that really the point of eating cinnamon rolls? I eat them because they are gooey and yummy, and because that warm cinnamon aroma curls around you like a great big hug after a hard day at work or a long day running after the kiddos.

The only thing I changed in Ree's recipe is that I use pure vanilla in place of the maple flavoring. Just a personal preference.

This is a recipe you will want to put in your "Keeper's File."

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/