Bacon Parties 101

I get a lot of requests for bacon parties. We threw one a year-ish ago--it was a Roast of David Hasselhoff/Bacon Party. Because nothing goes better together than pork products and Baywatch jokes. The thing I like the most about bacon parties is...well, the bacon. But the second thing I like is that it's relatively easy to put one together. Here are a few bits of advice that I'd like to pretend is sage:

• Obviously, the most important thing is the bacon! Here are some of my favorite bacon related staples (mmmm....bacon staples....):

Cream cheese and bacon dip

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts

German potato salad

Bacon cornbread

Maple and bacon cupcakes

Chocolate covered bacon...with sprinkles, of course

• Under no circumstances should you try (unless there is someone you secretly hate at said party):

Bacon jellybeans

Bacon soda (shudder)

Bacon vodka

Bacon gum

• I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's worth it to have something non-bacon on the table. We served raw vegetables with the bacon dip, but I noticed some people eating them plain to give their cholesterol a break.
• You CAN decorate with bacon. I've heard of people buying bacon dolls and cardboard standups and things, but I made a centerpiece of bacon roses. There are a lot of bacon rose tutorials out there, some of which require the use of a drill!?! It's against my religion to drill with bacon. I just wrapped mine in a vaguely rose-shaped spiral, secured with toothpicks, and baked. Then I stuck them onto some wooden skewers and made leaves out of pipe cleaners.

And now I'm hungry.