Incidentally, I was the one who asked about garden pumpkins for pie around Thanksgiving. I tried using fresh, roasted pumpkins for pie, and mine did not turn out at all.

I use the bacon grease when I fry eggs, and it delish when used instead of oil in homemade bread.

And now I will have to try it next time we make popcorn And I don’t worry about nitrates, there is usually more naturally occurring nitrates in vegetables than bacon. We’ve even cured and smoked our own bacon, and the salt containing nitrates was important to prevent botulism. But I know others worry about it.

I tend to believe that you need a balance of all natural fats in moderation. That eliminates trans fats but includes butter, margarine, omega 3, and animal fats. Fat makes food taste good and should be enjoyed. Use it as a seasoning, not a side dish. My MIL has a great recipe for poverty stew that is cabbage, potatoes and hot dogs/sausage sauteed in bacon fat. It’s fabulous! I keep my bacon fat in a custard dish in the freezer and use it where I think it will give the most flavor, like in greens and beans. I spend the money to get the thick cut, nitrate free, good stuff so I like to get as much flavor for my money as possible.