Jalapeno Poppers

Yet another one from good old PW. What a great recipe! My husband despises cream cheese, but LOVES these poppers (by the way, I keep typing "poopers"...not sure what that says about me!). One important step with these instructions, make SURE you wear gloves when seeding the peppers!! Do it outside, if possible, or turn on the fan in the kitchen. Otherwise, your eyes, nose, and fingers will sting SO bad! :( Trust me on this one...

Ingredients:
fresh jalapenos 2-3 inches in size
softened cream cheese
thin, regular bacon, sliced in thirds

Directions:
Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise. With a grapefruit spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of heat). Smear cream cheese into each half or pipe it in using a bag with a hole. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking a toothpick through the middle. Bake on a broiler pan in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don't want the bacon to shrink so much that it starts squeezing the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn't look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple minutes to finish it off. Serve hot or cold.

Variations: mix w/ cream cheese: chipotle, onion powder, garlic salt, shrimp