Deep-Fried Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots

This was quite an adventure... First, the process::

Ingredients (quantity for all of these is subjective to how much you want to make):

Bacon
Tater Tots
Jalapeno slices (optional)
Cheese
Ranch (also optional)
Toothpicks






Directions:
>Take bacon strips and press grease off of them with paper towels (if using jalapenos- dry these off with a paper towel as well)
>Lay strips out flat
>If using jalapenos, place one slice at the end of the strip
>Place tater tot on top of jalapeno
>Take the end and roll it tightly, secure with toothpick

Once you have the quantity you want, it's time to fry them. This can be complicated as we'll explain later. If you have access to a deep fryer, we HIGHLY suggest that you take advantage of it... if not, good luck. We didn't have access to one, so what we did was use vegetable oil (in a deep pot and fill it enough to cover the amount you're frying). You want to have the oil hot (about medium heat) but make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't get above 350*F. Then:

>Place wrapped tater tot in oil using netted metal (we used a sifter and we only did one at a time)
>The oil should bubble around the tater tot while it's frying
>Leave it in for a short time (depends on how done you want it but they shouldn't look too much different than the pre-fried wraps) but make sure you keep an eye on it
>Once fried, remove and dry on paper towels
>Place on plate, sprinkle with cheese, and enjoy!

Now for our first-time-frying fiasco... We were under the impression that the oil should be boiling before we start trying to fry things... this was definitely not the case, as we soon came to discover. We were sitting across the kitchen talking, waiting for it to start boiling and Emily looked up and found that the entire kitchen was filled with smoke. We opened windows, the door and turned on the fans to try and air out the apartment so the smoke alarm wouldn't go off. We took the pot outside on the balcony where it was still smoking for a good 20 minutes... Caitlin finally had the brilliant idea to pour the oil into a different pot, and that helped stop the smoking, which is when we brought it in and continued frying... BUT- the first time you put anything in the oil, be sure to watch it to see how long it takes to fry... For our first one, Emily dropped one in and this is what it looked like when it came out (in comparison to ones done later...):