like REALLY

We’re playing with the idea of entering the BLT challenge – I have tomatoes just beginning to ripen, but I need to get ahold of some pork belly. Need to start asking around.

Sara – No offense taken!!! I think what it boils down to for us is that when we eliminated most processed foods from our regular diet, we found we could eat real butter and other natural fats, real cheese, etc., and still be healthy. It flies in the face of a lot of what doctors and other “experts” have been telling people to eat in this country for years, but we’ve found we’re a lot healthier these days. It works for us.

elizabeth – It makes me sad to think of all the green tomatoes from my parents’ garden I *didn’t* eat growing up!

Anita – Your bacon-making photos were positively drool-worthy. Can’t wait to see your finished product!

laurie – Oh, that sounds fabulous.

Keri – Thank you!

dawn – Thanks!

Johanna – Do try them, they are really a treat, and not at all greasy like you might expect.

sara – While this dish may appear to be on the heavy side, it really wasn’t so bad. The tomatoes weren’t at all greasy, and I used a fairly light hand with the bacon, too (2 strips per sandwich). And, as my husband pointed out, we do balance out richer meals like this one with lighter breakfasts of things like yogurt and granola or whole grain toast, and plenty of veggies throughout the day. We’re no health nuts but I think we do a pretty good job of eating a variety of foods and practicing moderation.

Marie – Sorry! (Cat bacon?? I can’t wait to see how many hits I get for that search term! )

Elizabeth – Fry away! It’s totally worth the result!

Rachel – Thanks!

Mary – My love for the cuisine makes me wonder if in another life I was a Southern Belle…

Samantha – Too true!

and why not indulge? You only live once!

We don’t eat like this “all the time.” Don’t forget: this is Last Night’s Dinner. You don’t see the granola we eat for breakfast or the salads or light sandwiches we have at lunch.

Also, please don’t take this one meal out of context, either. Don’t forget Jen’s other posts from this week: the meatless pozole, the steamed mussels, the black rice, or the tuna and bean salad. All of those are much lighter than the FGT-BLTs are. There’s plenty of evidence on this blog that we eat good, healthy food and that relatively little of it is fried.

Sorry. This isn’t the first time someone’s come along, looked at one or two posts, and said, “How can you eat this way?!” without considering the full context of the blog, and how Jen approaches meal planning. Yes, we allow ourselves indulgences. Why not? You know what else you’re not seeing on this site? Ice cream, pies, cakes, or other rich desserts. We very seldom eat those. So I think our diet allows us a little bacon and fried tomatoes.