Today is International Bacon Day*, a cause for great celebration among millions of bacon lovers.

If Ford could only sell each one of them its new bacon-wrapped 2014 Ford Fiesta!

Bacon has been a staple of Western cuisine since ancient Roman times. The baconmania of the past five years has produced bacon caramel corn, bacon chocolate bars, bacon chocolate chip cookies, bacon toffee, chocolate-dipped bacon strips, and other tweets.

But this is the first time that it’s being used by car manufacturer. Bacon enthusiasts can have these custom vinyl bacon graphics installed on a new Fiesta. A full “Bacon Wrap” includes 10 giant strips of delicious bacon rolled around the entire Fiesta for a carb-free ride.

The wraps are produced by Ford Custom Graphics, along with 3M Original Wraps, and are available at Ford Custom Graphics. There are other graphics available for other Ford models.

The impressive hummus line from Eat Well Enjoy Life is like a horse of a different color: made not from chickpeas, but from black beans, white beans, red lentils, yellow lentils and edamame.

The result: a whole new way to enjoy hummus. The flavors are exceptional, and the products themselves inspire innovation at home.

Beyond a dip or sandwich spread, think of edamame wasabi hummus blended with mashed potatoes or deviled egg stuffing, spicy red lentil hummus atop crostini and in baked potatoes, black bean hummus in stuffed peppers, white bean hummus on veggie pizzas.

There’s also a line of traditional chickpea-based hummus mixed with Greek yogurt. The result: a milder taste, less fat and fewer calories. The verdict: equally delicious.
The line is cholesterol free, gluten free and certified kosher, and has won Healthy Food Awards in both the Healthy Living and Diabetes Focus categories.
Read the full review.

But is there a difference between raw nuts and roasted (toasted) nuts?

In a recent Science Times Section of The New York Times, C. Claiborne Ray, who writes the Q&A column, quotes Rui Hai Liu, a professor of food science at Cornell University. Dr. Liu has studied the benefits of eating nuts.

“No research has specifically addressed how roasting nuts may change their nutritional value,” said Dr. Liu.

Toasted or untoasted? (photo © Bake Your Day).

Phenolic compounds* in nuts “have high antioxidant activity and are able to quench free radicals that lead to cell damage and oxidative stress,” Dr. Liu said. “Nuts also have a very nice fatty-acid balance and are a good source of vegetable proteins.” And they are linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

We love nuts raw or roasted, but the flavors are distinctively different. For fun, have a snack tasting or cocktail tasting with two different nuts, each served both raw and toasted. We recommend starting with almonds and walnuts for a broad spectrum of flavors. Here’s how to toast nuts.

 
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*Phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group (—OH) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group.
 
†Flavonoids, called vitamin P until the early 50s, are the most important plant pigments. The highest-antioxidant foods (blueberries, cherries, pomegranate, etc.) get their deep colors from these antioxidants.

Don’t let summer end without making this yummy strawberry, avocado and goat cheese salad. The recipe can be a side salad or a main course.

STRAWBERRY AVOCADO SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PEEL avocados, halve and remove pits. Slice.

3. DIVIDE mixture among 4 plates. Place avocado slices on top.

4. CRUMBLE cheese and sprinkle salad with cheese and almonds.

 
The blog GimmeSomeOven.com makes a similar salad with a poppyseed dressing. Check it out.

Find more of our favorite salad recipes.

But FunBites is a new kitchen tool that cuts food into 12 perfect bite-sized squares that make food fun for kids and adults alike.

The curved blade cutter and matching popper top pop out mini-squares of brownies and pound cake, cheese, fruit and vegetables, pancakes, sandwiches, and more.

This little gadget makes food so much fun that even the pickiest eaters will dig in. The little squares tempt the wary to try new things.

For kids’ recreation, you can have “make your own snack” art contests at the table.

The BPA-free plastic is dishwasher safe. At $12.99, it’s a gift idea for kids and adults alike.

Get yours at OpenSky.com.

Then, have fun making bite-size:

What are you going to “square” first?