We're on a condiment kick here peeps!  Homemade mayo is beyond amazing and well worth the effort!  I've tried multiple ways of making homemade mayo, including whisking (holy mayo muscles!!), blender (what a waste of time and egg yolks), and the whole immersion blender in a mason jar.  ALL. STUPID.  I've had one too many mayo mishaps and have now abandoned all internet recipes.  I figured I would try and find something that would work for me EVER FREAKING TIME and use equipment that most people will have in their kitchens.  This one uses fresh lime juice, mustard, and avocado oil all whipped up with a trusty hand mixer (with the whisk beaters).  It's, by far, the best mayo I've ever tasted and I'm super excited to share it with you!

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I used grainy)
Juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons white vinegar
3 cups of pure avocado oil (or olive oil ****NOT "EXTRA VIRGIN" ANYTHING!!!*** The flavour will be overpowering!)


1.  Combine egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lime juice, salt and vinegar with hand mixer.
2.  Once frothy, slowly (and I repeat, SLOWLY), drizzle in the oil while the mixer runs on high.
3.  Continue to slowly add oil, until mayo is thick and fluffy!
4.  Transfer to mason jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  Makes 2 cups.

I can get bitter about food.... super bitter actually!  The fact that the food industry and health authorities have let our food supply get to this sad state of affairs is disheartening.  You rely on doctors/government agencies to look out for your best interests...to do the right thing for everyone.  It's a really sobering feeling when you realize that you're on your own.  I look back at all the autoimmune issues I've suffered (years of swollen joints, crippling abdominal pain, blistered scalp/palms/feet, swollen eyelids/lips, hives, infections, anxiety, unnecessary surgery, weight fluctuation) and I wonder how many of those I could have avoided had I known a better way??  That's how this whole blog came about!  I don't want people to suffer the same fate I did!  

I preach Paleo because it works.  It's backed by science (which is my life-blood) and it's the only "diet" (Lord, I hate that word) that actually preaches REAL FOOD!  It's not low carb, it's not low fat, it's not low anything!!  It's nutrient-dense, healing foods. It's a way of eating that soon becomes a way of life!  

It's making your own coconut milk/mayo/ketchup/ghee because you know exactly where each of the ingredients originated.  It's meeting local farmers, and their livestock!  It's sharing homemade fruit gummies with a neighbor, while you talk about organic gardening.  It's getting excited at the misshapen, multicoloured farm eggs and it's knowing that good food, sleep, and sunshine can do more for you than most antidepressants. I honestly think it's the way we were meant to live!  I know, I know.  I drank the Paleo Kool-Aid :)
  
Ok, no more food bitterness!  Actually, know what makes me feel better about the whole food industry situation?  Bacon!  Homemade bacon to be precise.  No refined sugars, no pink curing salt, home-cured, home-smoked, delicious, crispy (UBER crispy) bacon.  

Now, I've heard that you can use celery juice as a natural way to cure bacon, but I've also read that it contains more nitrite than the original pink salt.  I've been too busy, or maybe too lazy, to do more research into it so it was easier to just avoid it all together.  Due to the lack of nitrites, your bacon won't have that pink colour.  I'm ok with that!  Also, feel free to add any herbs or spices to the dry cure.  It's your bacon, your way!  Okay, let's get started

Ingredients

6(ish) lbs of fresh pork belly, skin removed
4 cups sea salt
4 cups sucanat (omit for Whole30)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg
Hardwood chips

1.  Cut pork belly into three equal pieces.  This isn't a necessary step, per se, but makes working/storage much easier.  
2.  Mix the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon together.
3.  Using large resealable containers/bag, coat each piece of pork belly liberally with the cure.

4.  Place pork belly in the fridge and let sit for 5-7 days.  ***The longer it sits, the saltier it will be***  Five days was good for our taste buds.
5.  Each day, massage the pork belly, drain off any accumulated liquids, and flip over.
6.  After the 5-7 days, rinse off the pork bellies and pat dry with some paper towel.  Set aside while you prepare smoker.

7.  Soak your wood chips for 30 minutes and preheat smoker to 200 degrees F.
8.  Place pork belly in the smoker and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.  This took approximately 1.5 hours.
9.  Remove bacon pieces and allow to cool slightly before slicing.
10.  Slice bacon as thin or as thick as you like.  Awkward end pieces can be cut into lardons.
11.  Cook as you normally would and enjoy!