green beans wrapped in bacon

happy thanksgiving eve! we have friends visiting, and i am trapped in a happy bubble. good friends just make you laugh the way no one else does, do you know what I mean? it’s so good for the soul. i hoped to share this recipe with you earlier today, but one good thing lead to another, and now before i head off to bed, i must get this posted!

if it isn’t too late to add this to your Thanksgiving menu, or you happen to be serving green beans and have bacon in the fridge, i cannot recommend this recipe enough!

you will need: to serve approximately 12-18

* one pound fresh green beans
* two pounds bacon
* water
* salt

to start, steam the green beans:

this is hands-down my go-to method for steaming green beans. it uses minimal equipment, and results in evenly cooked, vibrant, flavorful green beans.

* bring a scant 1/2 inch salted water to a boil in a large frying pan or saute pan. add green beans, cover and cook until green beans are tender to the bite and water has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your cooked green beans. i cook them close to the three minutes.)

set the green beans aside, and now fry the bacon.

this is a tricky part, and it’s best to have a partner in the kitchen because you must work quickly. husband fried the bacon while i was running the green bean assembly line.

before the bacon cools and becomes crisp, you wrap it around a chunk of green beans. i chose to make each bundle five green beans.

and now! i wanted to give you a styling tip, especially if you are new to photography or blogging. i learned this trick originally from taking nicole’s photography class {which is awesome! and you can take it online now!}

anyway… do you wish you could have a white background or you want a white wall for photos, but you don’t have such a wall? not to worry. this is what you do:

you invest in 1-2, or more 3’x4′ poster boards. then, here is one way to set them up:

why am i using the kitchen island, and my son is helping to hold the background poster board? well, yesterday, this area offered the best lighting in the kitchen. so, i set-up right on the counters:

this can be done anywhere! against a wall, chair, outside — you name it! if you want a white {or anything else! fabric, wallpaper, scrapbooking paper, you name it! play with your photography} background, you don’t need to replaint a room or wall, just buy two large poster boards and you can fake great styling!

also, you can find these poster boards in lots of colors at your local craft/art & framing shops – i have yellow, grey, black, white, pink, blue, and a few more. they are great for up-close portrait shots if you are shooting product, or headshots for anything…

usually i set the background poster board against a wall, and the base in front to hold it in place. works great without any assistants. other times, i ask a kiddos or husband to help.

and now: you can make green beans wrapped in bacon and style the shoot to look professional at home!

cheers to well-styled photos! and yummy green beans! xoxo.

what do you think? will you try either of these? the beans? the stylin’ trick?

i hope your holiday is filled being loved by those you love. i appreciate you all so much. xoxo.

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This post is my entry into the Alt Summit Blog Contest sponsored by Wilsonart International, Inc.

{photos by me, Jane Beckner Rhodes}