44 SIDELINES JANUARY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients: Two eight ounce cans of water chestnuts,
drained, one pound of bacon, one cup of ketchup, one cup of
brown sugar, one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, one
teaspoon of rosemary.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with
foil. In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, brown sugar,
Worcestershire sauce and rosemary until just boiling.
Remove from heat.
Prep your ingredients – cut bacon slices into thirds and cut
larger water chestnuts in half. Wrap water chestnuts in bacon
and secure with a toothpick. Dip each skewer into the sauce
and lay out onto a baking sheet. Generously sprinkle black
pepper on top.
Cook until bacon is crisp and fully cooked, about forty-five
minutes. Serve immediately.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients: one package of frozen spinach, thawed, two cans of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered, two cups of alfredo
sauce, 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature, two cloves of garlic, minced, two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.*
Using a clean kitchen towel, place the spinach into the center, gathering the sides and squeeze out as much excess liquid
as you are able. Repeat this with the artichoke hearts.
Combine the spinach, artichoke hearts, alfredo sauce,
garlic, cream cheese and one cup of the mozzarella in a
large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, adding freshly
ground nutmeg if desired.
Butter the sides and bottom of a baking dish large
enough to hold the contents. Place the mixture into the
dish and spread out evenly with a spatula. Cover with the
remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake for twenty minutes, and then turn the temperature
up to 450 degrees, or set the oven to broil and cook till top
becomes browned, about ten minutes longer.
Remove from heat and serve with tortilla chips,
bruschetta toasts, vegetables or your favorite crackers.
*If doing this recipe in your crockpot, simply combine
all ingredients and put into crockpot, heat on low for three
hours, or on high for one.
By Kat Wojtylak
I’ll admit it. I have a problem. I can’t walk out of a tack store
without buying something – and I don’t even have a horse. The
same goes for spending less than $100 at Walmart or Target.
What is it with these places that causes my budget to end up in
the recesses of the manure pile?
Every New Year’s it seems we go through the same pattern,
reminiscing about the areas of our lives we could improve upon.
But how many of us actually stick to our resolutions? Even though
we often break it down to a minimalist approach, within a few
months it seems our good intentions expire.
Rather than be a debbie-downer, I strive to balance out areas of
my life that seem out of control – such as shopping – and instead
find areas to cut corners. One place to do that is in the kitchen.
Prepared foods end up costing us a lot more than we bargained
for, both in hidden preservatives and costs. Instead of going the
way of the pre-packaged food, making food ourselves is both cost
effective and it delivers on taste and nutrients.
Have you ever tried Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts? Well
you should! They’re a pleasant surprise that is super delicious
and budget friendly. Then, you have Spinach Artichoke Dip for the
masses that couldn’t be easier to prepare. Be creative and find
ways to work with what you have ... and, if all else fails, ride on!
About the writer: Author Kat Wojtylak is a horse enthusiast turned food blogger.
She maintains a day job in the horse world handling marketing and brand support to
various companies, while enjoying her evenings and weekends writing recipes and
blogging all about her culinary experiences. Visit her blog at EatYourTarteOut.com
or email her at
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Good Food Hunting
Individual Spinach Artichoke Dip served with carrots.
The Taste of New Year’s
Preparing Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts.
