Bacon-Wrapped Crappie (Sac-a-Lait) & Honey Grilled Peaches

So...they tell me it's spring?  Right now, I believe it---but that snow/sleet combo last weekend makes me question our weatherman.  But you know what spring means...the crappie are biting!  I grew up crappie fishing with my parents (if I'd grown up in Louisiana, we'd call it "sac-a-lait" fishing, but I didn't).  Spent nearly every warm weekend on the water...and I have ALL the embarrassing photos to prove it.

Proof that I too was once a sassy teen with no sense of style.

I am a 37 year old woman...whose mom still brings me food.  Does anyone else have a mom like mine? I mean, I'm not complaining.  I love it.  My parents love to fish and keep their (and our) freezer stocked.  A couple months ago, my mom called and said "I found some 'Cajun Style Bacon' on sale for $1.99 a pack. Do you want some?"

Of course, I said yes.  And she brought me like 4 packages of it.

The Hubs doesn't like it as much because it's a little sweet and too smoky for his tastes, but I like it because it's thick cut, not too fatty and very flavorful.  

So in a perfect homage to my awesome parents, I decided to use both the bacon and some crappie they caught to make bacon-wrapped sac-a-lait.  To accompany, since we were firing up the grill anyway (and we had some gorgeous Georgia peaches in the house), we made grilled peaches too. 

INGREDIENTS: (makes 4 servings)

8 crappie filets, lightly dusted with Cajun Seasoning

4 strips of bacon, cut in half to make 8 pieces

8 toothpicks

2 ripe peaches, halved & pitted

coconut oil spray

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
To prep the fish, dry off the filets before seasoning, and then roll up the filet & bacon long-ways so they look like little fishy roses. Secure with toothpicks.

Place on the grill over medium heat (low flame, or away from the flame) and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the flesh of the fish is cooked through and bacon is crisped at edges.

On the top rack of the grill, place the halved peaches flesh-side down (after spraying lightly with coconut oil so they don't stick to the grill).  These don't need to cook so much as just heat through (and try to get those pretty char marks).

Combine the honey, butter, and cinnamon in a small prep bowl.  When the peaches are done, lightly brush them with the honey-butter mixture.

Serve while warm. Enjoy!

NutriFacts: (per serving-2 filets & one peach half)

• Calories209.8
• Total Fat8.2 g
• Saturated Fat2.6 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat0.6 g
• Monounsaturated Fat2.6 g
• Cholesterol15.2 mg
• Sodium202.4 mg
• Potassium100.6 mg
• Total Carbohydrate7.4 g
• Dietary Fiber1.3 g
• Sugars5.5 g
• Protein24.7 g

Thirsty Thursday: Infused Strawberry Vodka & a Cocktail!

Hey there folks!  I decided to share this tasty concoction in honor of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, going on this weekend in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.  If you're anywhere nearby, I highly recommend attending.  It's family friendly, lots of fun, and you get to eat a LOT of strawberry foods.  And pick up a few flats of fresh Louisiana strawberries, of course.

NOTE: I did not come up with this stroke of brilliance. I got it from a "moms who drink" group I follow on Facebook. Because that is TOTALLY OKAY. No judgement here.  

So one of the moms noted that her kids go through a ton of strawberries over the summer, so she started keeping a jar of vodka in her fridge, and would just throw the strawberry tops into the jar and let them infuse over time.  A light went off in my head--"we eat strawberries--like almost a pint a week! I can totally do that!"  

So I did.  I used 360 Vodka (made in Missouri), and just threw in my strawberry tops as I cut them off each day.  When the jar got too full, I would use tongs to fish the strawberry tops out, squeeze them out as much as possible, and then continue to put more strawberry tops in.  Probably did that for about a month before we tried it.

Y'all...this doesn't even need a mixer.  But because I'm a lightweight, I added some Fresca.  And it was DELIGHTFUL.

(Editor's note: These pics are not great.  I was in a rush, so I apologize.  But still.  DO IT.  You will thank me.)