Even if the calendar says that we officially have a little more time, the beginning of September and the return of all the kids to school means that summer is officially over. No more lazing on beaches or in parks. No more ambling in the night air after dinner.

Soon we’ll be complaining about the cold and the snow (remember that thing?) and wondering when we’ll ever see the sun again. But while some people hate winter for those reasons, I sort of love it. While we can take or leave bacon in the summer – nothing seems that important in the summer – bacon in the winter becomes a life line to happiness. So, with those depressing thoughts to carry us through, click on the link to discover the Friday Link Love for this week.

Ron Swanson

We’ve already discussed the way that Ron Swanson has become a bit of a paragon of baconosity on the Internet, and particularly on Tumblr. Bacon quotes are readily falling from his mouth on the show. This animated gif captures one of the better ones.

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits

Biscuits are a nice treat that I have so rarely. So it’s great to have a great excuse like – these are delicious and they are made of bacon – in order to slot them into my week. The best part of these babies, aside from the bacon, is that they are pretty much all cheddar, all the time. As long-time readers of this blog may know, I plan to be buried in a bacon coffin while floating in a pool of melted cheese, such is my love.

Don’t forget to check out Chef Robs amazing bacon muffin recipe.

Bacon, Potato and Cheddar Chowder

Did I mention that I think bacon and cheese together is the bees’ knees? Well, they are. This soup, for instance, looks so good that it might even be the cats’ pajamas. And the great thing about soups like this is that if you live in Canada, you can probably source most of the individual ingredients locally.

The Baconoctopus

Is there anything sorrier than this baconoctopus? I’m not really sure why I should be enjoying seeing this poor guy get cooked. I’ve always had a fondness for octopuses – after all, they can do stuff like this. I guess we are supposed to imagine it as a kind of combo of bacon and seafood? But I’m okay with just having eight slices of bacon and letting the octopus swim free, thank you very much.

Peas and Bacon Candy

The French are a strange people. They like to wear little berets on their heads, enjoy grooming Poodles, and they use blowtorches to cook their desserts. We can now add “creating peas and bacon candy” to the mix. Now, when I say they create peas and bacon candy, I don’t mean that they make regular old bacon candy – that stuff is delicious and perfectly normal. No, this is candy that’s meant to look like peas and bacon. Apparently, it was first created as a way to encourage little kids to eat their veggies (and their bacon, I guess?). But it is the French, so I wouldn’t question it too deeply.

Andrew WK’s Party Tip