Bacon Of The Month Club.

Some people are really hard to buy gifts for. They don't need another shirt, belt, magazine subscription or set of shot glasses. Nothing. My dad is one of these people; sometimes, I wish Dad were more of the handyman type, so I could indulge my own love of tools by going to Lowe's and shopping for socket sets, but he's not.

Fortunately for him (and me!)I have found the perfect solution...

BACON OF THE MONTH!

I love bacon. Love it! However, being married to a Jew sort of limits my bacon-loving/licking-obsession. USMCman tends to frown upon bringing "oink" into the house, so I have to get my bacon-fix when we go out to eat. My Dad also shares this passion for bacon, and so I turned to my favorite store/restaurant/deli... ZINGERMAN'S for help.

If you're ever near Ann Arbor, MI, run, don't walk, to Zingerman's. It started out as a small little deli with a sandwich take-out, and has grown into a restaurant, deli, food emporium. The neat thing is that it hasn't lost its attention to detail or the customer during this growth. Even their online service is excellent. I worked at Zingerman's for a summer while in college at UofM, so I can vouch for the 4-Star rating they've gotten for their food quality. I had to quit my job there because I was putting on the pounds--they make their employees taste the food so if a customer asks about it, an informed opinion can be given. (I tasted a bit too much.)

I digress. Zingerman's has "...Of The Month" clubs. Bread, cheese, chocolate. Mmmmm. Now, you can get BACON! I sent my dad Irish bacon, peppered bacon, and smoked apple bacon for his birthday. He was psyched! I was just praying that my gift wouldn't blow his arteries. ("Happy birthday, Dad! Sorry I instigated a quadruple bypass.")

Anyway, if you're looking for fun, fabulous foods or gifts for people who are difficult to buy for, Zingerman's is your place. Get on their mailing list for a catalog. In fact, when I visit MI this summer, having lunch at Zingerman's is on my 'to-do' list. I get the #17-- Helen's Have Another sandwich (pumpernickel bread, chive cream cheese, onions, smoked salmon and tomato... mmmmmm).

I might add some bacon to that. Mmmmm. Bacon.