Flashback to 1803

...no, not the year. The house number in Laramie, Wyoming -- 1803 Apt. B., to be exact. Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my former college roomie, Lizzard. Then we spent the evening with our other former roomie, BigStar, at Lizzard's engagement party.

This the three of us the Halloween after we moved in to our sweet little home at 1803B:

A lot of awesome things happened at 1803B, a lot of which involved auto timers for self portraits. We're cool like that. We also cooked a lot in our little apartment in teckerville, so it only made sense that we spent a little time in the kitchen on my visit. Lizzard and I made Pioneer Woman's Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers.

Do you know who the Pioneer Woman is? You should. You really should, especially if you like to make magic happen in your kitchen. Cook everything PW tells you to, because it will always end well. This was me and BigStar's conversation the day before:

BigStar: What time are you going to head to the party?
LauraBelle: Early afternoon, after we get done cooking with PW. We're making the jalapeno poppers.
BS: Have you ever really thought about how creepy it is that we talk about PW like we're close intimate friends?
LB: No, I think that's normal. We're friends online.
BS: Ya, except she has no idea who we are. I think that's called stalking... literally.

So be it. Internet stalk PW. We do. It's totally worth it for these poppers.

Start with a big mound of jalapenos.

 Then mix together the cream cheese, green onions and shredded cheddar.

 Fill the jalapenos with the cream cheese, then wrap them lovingly in bacon.

 Doesn't Lizzard make a great hand model?

At this point, we were discussing the oddity of taking step-by-step pictures of us cooking a recipe from a cookbook that has step-by-step photos.

LB: Do you think we could get rich and famous by making a cookbook about PW's cookbook?
Lizzard: Kind of like Julie & Julia, but with PW?
LB: Ya, like that. We could take pictures of us following the pictures. Then we'll write a blog about it and publish our own cookbook, based on PW's cookbook.
Lizzard: Or we could just paste our faces over her face on the cover of her cookbook.
LB: That does sound easier. Think people would buy that?
Lizzard: Oh, definitely. I would.

We're total creeps.

Back to the cooking. After all the little jalapenos are snuggled into little bacon blankets, bust out your favorite barbecue sauce. Stubb's was a signature item at 1803B:

Smother the poppers with the barbecue sauce. We were suppose to use a fancy basting brush, but we chose to just pour it all over and then spread it around with our fingers instead. You can use a brush if you think you are fancier than Lizzard and I.

Then cook them. I recommend going to another room while these are cooking. I have never had the urge to eat raw bacon before, but these smelled so good it took all my restraint to not grab one right of the oven and pop it in my mouth. Luckily, the raw bacon deterred me. If raw bacon doesn't totally gross you out, you'll want to leave the room. Better yet, leave the house. These smell that delicious while they are cooking.

Give it an hour or so, then prepare to wow party guests with these little babies:

 Speaking of party... meet the guest of honor for our little party:

Aren't they smiley and happy? Congratulations on your engagement, Lizzard and Tyler! After all the cooking, we had a wonderful party to celebrate Tyler putting that pretty ring on Lizzard's finger.

Despite a handful of other people in the same room, we chose to use the self-portrait timer to take our picture again. It was a 20-minute ordeal full of giggling and silliness that could have been shortened and simplified by just saying, "Hey, push this camera button for us."

But simplicity just wasn't the style in 1803.