Green Beans With Bacon

When I was little, about 5 or 6, we would spend summers at my Grandma Mary Anne’s farm in Tennessee. I have the most wonderful memories of collecting eggs from the hen house, laughing hysterically over the head butting baby goats, and just running wild on all that farm land. It was a time of innocence and fun and just learning about independence. Grandma would give me and my older sister a few dollars each week for helping on the farm. We would take those dollars and cross the street to the country store where we would blow our entire weeks pay on penny candy and Garbage Pail Kids stickers. Out of all the fun I had on that farm, my favorite memory is picking green beans with Grandma and then sitting on her porch swing and snapping the ends off. We would do this for hours, and yet, I was never bored. Grandma Mary Anne has since passed on, but every time I make green beans I remember her with the fondest of memories.

Green Beans with Bacon

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed

6-8 slices of bacon

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Directions:

- In large pot, bring green beans and enough water to cover to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, or until crisp tender. Drain.

- Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towel. Remove all but 2 tbsp bacon fat from skillet.

- Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Add green beans, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Crumble bacon over top.

I’m guilty of lazy cooking and usually open some canned green beans, but some days, fresh are just so much better and worth that little extra effort. Enjoy!