Last Tuesday afternoon I found myself madly cramming raw almonds into a handful of pitted medjool dates before repeatedly shoveling them into my mouth. What else is new, right?
Oh wait, I forgot to mention it was 3pm and I was approximately 8 hours into a 3 day juice cleanse. I know.
See, I’d just gotten back from Napa where I’d been spoiled rotten with good food & wine for 3 days straight. A fellow blogger on the trip told me about this fabulous, one-week juice cleanse she goes on whenever she’s overindulged, and while I knew 5 days without solid food would never fly, surely I could make it a measly 3 days in order to cleanse my olive oil-drenched soul, right?
Wrong. So wrong! In fact it seemed I most definitely could not make it a measly 3 days, as evidenced by the juice cleanse killer carnage taking place just EIGHT HOURS in.
Just like Joey doesn’t share food – Kristin does not do hungry!
Besides a ravenous appetite and huge distaste for liquid celery, one thing I took away from my half-day cleanse was realizing how ridiculously delicious crunchy almonds stuffed inside chewy-sweet dates taste. And not just when you’ve been drinking beet juice all day either.
A few days later I began to wonder how this delectable combo would taste if it were wrapped in salty bacon then baked until warm & chewy. Bacon-Wrapped Almond-Stuffed Dates were immediately prepped, baked, and popped. These babies are mind melting!
Bacon-Wrapped Almond-Stuffed Dates
Ingredients
- 20 pitted medjool dates
- 40 raw almonds
- 10 slices center-cut bacon each sliced cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil then place a cooling rack on top and spray with nonstick spray.
- Push 1 almond into each opening of each date. Wrap with half a slice of bacon then place seam side down on the cooling wrack. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
Nutrition
Chewy, salty, sweet, incredibly rich and decadent, Bacon-Wrapped Almond-Stuffed Dates are perfect for a party, as an appetizer, or when you’re simply starving after trying to convince yourself that you can live on juice for more than a day. You will LOVE them!
Oh, another benefit of my short-lived juice cleanse? Discovering that ginger makes any juice better. Really! I like ginger as much as the next gal, but don’t like things too gingery. A 1/4″ sliver added to a refreshing glass of Apple Carrot juice though? Perfection! (Here’s the juicer I have, btw!)
Ivana 08.01.2012
Hi there
Take your credit card and leave for Italy. No reason not to. Como area is beautiful, don’t forget to visit Tuscany (especially Florence and Siena) and take a million of pics with you home to Iowa. And the other time, you really have to go to see the Cote d’Azur (south France). You will fall in love and another million of pics will go with you to your home. And at the end: Check out the beauty of the island called Sardegna (Italy). You have never ever taken a swim in such cristall clear water before. Let me know, how it is going to fell. And take Ben with you :))) Hi from Switzerland
Birgitta 08.01.2012
Haha, I’m on my 7th day of juice and I’m doing fine. 7 is what I usually do but this time it’s been real easy so 10 days would not be a problem.
Were you sipping the juice or downing it? I find that sipping slowly helps keep me full.
Iowa Girl Eats 08.01.2012
I was sipping. I just become really irrational when I’m hungry and have no self control!
Anna Coles 07.31.2012
I hate dates but these would be awesome with prunes and prunes are great for keeping things moving!
Anna Coles 07.31.2012
I hate dates but these would be awesome with prunes and they are great for moving stuff through if you know what I mean!!
Katelyn 07.31.2012
THERE’S BACON ON THOSE. Hi, yum.
jennyv 07.31.2012
I recommend the documentary “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” — I actually rented it from the WDM Library! I ended up doing a 5 day juice fast because of it… and ended up loving carrot, apple, ginger juice :)
Elisha 07.31.2012
Oh my. These look like perfection. I will be adding all of these items to my farmers market list this weekend and pinning this to make them for my family who is coming to visit. Well done!
LO 07.31.2012
What cleanse were you doing?
Iowa Girl Eats 07.31.2012
I used the combos from this cleanse: http://www.pressedjuicery.com/products-cleanses
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles 07.31.2012
I could make it about 20 minutes into a juice cleanse before giving up…so you did better than me! :-)
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef 07.31.2012
feta cheese in these is even more fabulous! yum!
Tracey @ Veggies, Cake & Cocktails 07.31.2012
My husband had these at a local restaurant and loved them!
laura @FoodSnobSTL 07.31.2012
Those are really good stuffed with blue cheese too.
katie 07.31.2012
Share the juice recipes you made :)
Cathy 07.31.2012
I realized the foolishness of a grapefruit diet once, when I felt like I was bonking during my lap swim :) Gotta keep fuel in the tank to keep running you know! Those yummy dates with almonds look like a Premium fuel. And the bacon, well that makes it a Super Premium.
kim@hungryhealthygirl 07.31.2012
I do the exact same thing with almonds and dried apricots….I’ll have to give it a try with the bacon. Yum!
Jo Ann 07.31.2012
I stuff a whole water chestnut in the date and wrap in Trader Joe’s uncured turkey bacon.
sharon weaver 07.31.2012
I’m a big date fan, i stuff them with gorganzola cheese and wrap them with bacon or Italian bacon, then drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar. Delish
FitBritt 07.31.2012
I love these with cheese (ya know, just to really ruin the juice cleanse!). I had them at a tapas restaurant and had to try them at home. The restaurant used Valdeon cheese but any blue cheese would work. I made them for my hubby’s bday a few years ago and he absolutely loved them!
Blog is the New Black 07.31.2012
These look great- what a fun app they’d make!
I’ve been LOVING carrot juice with ginger, myself! I just do it in a regular blender, and it saves all the fiber, too!
Madison 07.31.2012
Gosh–I applaud you for trying! I just watched a documentary on juicing and fasting and it inspired me to come in the kitchen and eat wasabi peas. haha–is that normal?
Iowa Girl Eats 08.01.2012
Totally! ;)