Six weeks. I’d been waiting for that milestone for a looong time. Six weeks after I had my little girl via c-section, I was cleared to exercise (desperately needed) and officially live life again (woo hoo!). Instead, on the morning of the day marking exactly six weeks postpartum, the dogs knocked my feet right out from under me as they rushed down the stairs. I broke my ankle. (I was carrying laundry, not my baby – thank goodness.)

It could have been worse. It was a pretty minor fracture, as far as ankle fractures go. But let me tell you, it’s no picnic taking care of a six-week-old when you can’t walk. But it could have been worse. I keep reminding myself of that. And I have an amazing guy and terrific, helpful family and friends. And a walking cast, now, so I can get around when I need to, thank goodness. Slowly, but I can get around.

This happened 11 days ago, and so I haven’t been doing much blog-worthy since then. But right before The Big Tumble, I dreamed up this cupcake inspired by the heady (yes, heady – I’ve been denied alcohol for nine months plus six weeks and change – darn right it’s heady) combination of Bailey’s and Coffee. Bailey’s & Coffee Cupcakes. Mmmm.

I was going to make another batch before I blogged about them, just to make sure they looked perfect (totally not to have an excuse to eat a couple again, really, not at all). But luckily, I snapped a few photos of the first batch I made. And because I’m dying to share these with you now, you get to see the less-than-perfect but still equally delicious versions.

Being made with Irish cream and all, I think Bailey’s & Coffee Cupcakes are the perfect treat for St. Patty’s Day. Especially with green cupcake liners. Little shamrock toppers would be the icing on the cake (well, the thing topping the icing on the cake), but my broken ankle and I ask you to use your imagination.

Espresso-flavored cake makes for a very unique flavor. I’d never tasted a cupcake like it, but I loved it. The cake isn’t too sweet, in a good way. The light-as-a-cloud topper of Baileys-spiked whipped cream is the perfect companion; sprinkle some instant espresso on top, and you’re good to go.

Here’s the recipe!

Much love, Gimpy

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Baileys & Coffee Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart
Yield: 15 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder + additional espresso powder for dusting
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep 15 standard 1/2-cup-size muffin cups with liners.
2. In a small bowl or mug, pour the boiling water over the espresso powder, stir, and let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the Baileys to the water and espresso.
5. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the granulated sugar and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed, until light yellow and fluffy, about three minutes.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
7. Add the flour in thirds, alternating with the espresso-Baileys mixture. Continue beating until well combined.
8. Fill the fifteen muffin cups about three-quarters full.
9. Bake for about 20 – 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven, let cool for about five minutes, then remove the cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.
11. Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer), pour in the whipping cream (the colder the whipping cream and the bowl, the better for whipping). Beat at low speed until the whipping cream begins to thicken. Add the Baileys and the powdered sugar, then turn the mixer to high and beat until the whipping cream thickens enough to form semi-stiff peaks.
12. Spread the whipped cream onto the cupcakes with a knife, or you can spoon it into a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice or even a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, then squeeze the icing onto the cupcakes.
13. Sprinkle a bit of espresso powder on top of each cupcake.
14. And enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Espresso Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Primroses
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
• Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
• Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

]]> http://www.thehazelbloom.com/2012/02/baileys-coffee-cupcakes/feed/ 0 http://www.thehazelbloom.com/2012/02/primroses/ http://www.thehazelbloom.com/2012/02/primroses/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:08:44 +0000 Kare http://www.thehazelbloom.com/?p=3508

Primroses, or Primula vulgaris, make me happier than a flower has any right to.

Just when winter antsiness is threatening to hit, usually around late January or early February, up pop winter primroses in local nurseries and along the fronts of grocery stores. Sunny yellows, bold pinks, bright blues, pretty purples, racy reds … demure they’re not, and I guess that’s why I find them so dang lovable. They’re like more cowbell for early spring fever.

Like pansies, they thrive in Pacific Northwest winters, particularly as the season is winding up. January might be a tad early for primroses around here (late February/early March is a safer bet) but I can never resist picking up a few as soon as they appear and filling a container or two.

This year, I went for shades of blue and purple in my beloved bright yellow ceramic containers. And just like I expected, they make me smile each and every time I catch a glimpse.

Primroses do best in partial shade and love mild winter temps in the 40s. They can withstand the 30s, to an extent, but should be moved to a sheltered area during extended freezes. They also like to stay nice and moist; and when you keep up on dead-heading, they bloom for a good long time. Just pinch off the spent blooms and you’ll be rewarded before you know it.

Primroses can also pop up as a pleasant partial-shade perennial around here, but I always find they look raggedy after a year or two. Probably because slugs find them particularly enjoyable.

I’m with ya, slugs. I adore ‘em too.

More goodies like this:

• Whoops! I lied. This post was so unique, there's nothing else quite like it yet at The Hazel Bloom.

Oranges and chocolate go together. Chocolate and wonderful briney flakes of salt go together. So why not all three?

Segments of oranges dipped in rich, dark chocolate and spiked with flakes of Fleur de sel … it totally works.

Whether you’re looking for a quick, easy and relatively healthy (as far as sweet things go) treat or an impressive appetizer for the next girls’ get-together, this recipe for you. In fact, it’s not even really a recipe. It’s just … a thing. That you can do. That you should do.

Here’s the recipe thing!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Salted Dark-Chocolate-Dipped Oranges

Ingredients:

• Two medium oranges (I used Cara Cara navels)
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chips
• Fleur de Sel or kosher salt

Directions:

1. Peel the oranges and separate them into segments.
2. Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
3. Pour the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave in 15 second increments until just melted.
4. Dip the orange segments in the chocolate, covering about half the orange on both sides. Set on the parchment or wax paper.
5. Sprinkle immediately with Fleur de Sel or kosher salt.
6. Let sit at room temperature until the chocolate has hardened – about an hour.
7. Enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
• Espresso Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cowboy Cookies
• Chocolate Pretzel Candies
• Homemade Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Mix

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes started out being something a little different. First, I thought I wanted to make a blondie cupcake. I mean, brownie cupcakes like this one are the bomb, so a blondie cupcake can’t be far behind.

Then I decided I wanted to add chocolate chips. It was necessary.

Then I made the brown sugar buttercream, which, with its butter, brown sugar and vanilla, tasted to me, just like cookie dough. Which, naturally, called for a sprinkling of more chocolate chips on top.

At that point, this cupcake was straight-up Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcake, 100%, all the way. There was no going back. Nor would I want to. You won’t either.

The cupcake itself is reminiscent of a Toll House Cookie bar, but, you know, in cupcake form. Ooey, chewy, gooey, chocolate chippy goodness. And the buttercream … oh my. Lots of brown sugar, a hit of vanilla, a pinch of salt to take it over the top.

Yeah, these are pretty sinful.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Yield: About 15 cupcakes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Blondie recipe
Buttercream recipe adapted from My Kitchen Addiction

Ingredients:

Cookie Cupcakes:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks or one cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli’s), plus a handful more for topping the cupcake

Brown Sugar Buttercream:

• 1/4 pound (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add cupcake liners to 15 standard-size baking cups.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for about three minutes, until pale yellow, light and fluffy.
4. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Mix well.
5. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt, then mix just until blended. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Divide the batter between the 15 cups. The batter will be very thick.
7. Pat the batter gently to create a somewhat level top.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and well-set.
9. Move to a wire rack and let cool completely.
10. Now make the frosting! In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or using a hand blender (with whisk attachment if you have it), mix the butter and shortening on medium speed for about three minutes.
11. Add the brown sugar and mix for about another three minutes.
12. Turn the mixer to low, and slowly add the confectioner’s sugar. Blend well.
13. Continue mixing on low and add the vanilla and the pinch of salt, then slowly add the half-and-half until the frosting reaches desired spreading consistency.
14. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, then press a few additional chocolate chips into the top.
15. Enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Cowboy Cookies
• Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
• Baileys & Coffee Cupcakes
• Salted Dark-Chocolate-Dipped Oranges
• Espresso Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I admit it. Until a few months ago, I’d never, ever whipped up a batch of buffalo wings.

I’d never tried them, either … they’re one of the many foods I wish I’d tried before I switched to the dark side (aka: vegetarianism). So I just make them, force them on my guy, get his feedback, tweak the recipe based on his suggestions, make them, force them on him again … you get the picture. Except, of course, there’s actually no forcing involved. My guy would happily eat every single version for breakfast, lunch and dinner – especially with a nice, cold Men’s Room Red alongside. Except, with how messy they are, we’d go through paper towels by the roll daily, and nobody wants that.

And so, after much tweaking and non-forcing, I’ve finally come up with THE recipe. My guy (jokingly, I hope) threatens to hightail it if I ever make any changes. High praise. I think.

He even gives them three grunts up – the highest praise of all. “They’re spicy enough to where they’re enjoyable, but not so much to where I’m in pain. I could eat those all day.” We already decided that’s a bad idea, honey. Sorry.

Oh, and they’re baked, so they’re a bit healthier than their deep-fried brethren. But you toss them in a little olive oil before baking, so you still get that nice crispiness.

We’ll be whipping these up for game day on Sunday. Maybe you should, too.

Here’s the recipe!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Spicy Baked Buffalo Wings

Adapted from Food & Wine

Yield: 24 wings

Ingredients:

• 24 chicken wings (drumettes)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 40 shakes Tabasco sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the wings with the olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper and minced garlic.
3. Spread the wings in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
5. In a large bowl, mix together the Frank’s Red Hot sauce, butter, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco.
6. Use a spatula to de-stick the wings from the cookie sheet, then add them to the bowl with the sauce. Toss to coat.
7. Place on a large platter and drizzle remaining sauce over the top.
8. Serve immediately alongside celery sticks and blue cheese dressing or, my guy’s favorite, ranch dressing.

More goodies like this:

• Slow-Cooked BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• Bachelor Pockets
• Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Skewers, aka: “Love”
• Teriyaki Chicken on the BBQ (with Tofu Option)

We’re a sleepy household these days. With an almost-four-week-old in the house, the longest we get to sleep is in three-and-a-half-hour stretches. (Well, last week I thought Eloise slept for five and a half hours, until my guy reminded me that I actually did get up during that time. I didn’t believe him until I checked my iPhone app that I use to track feedings … sure enough, a 3 a.m. feeding that I didn’t remember, until about 15 minutes later when it finally came back to me. Scary.)

So, life’s going by in a bit of a sleep-deprived, slightly confused blur. Even the dogs, who dutifully accompany me to my comfy chair in the nursery for every nighttime feeding, are feeling the interruptions … they sleep a lot more during the day. Oftentimes on the sofa, butt-to-butt, as if they find it reassuring that even though this strange little human has invaded their space, at least they’ve still got each other.

So with all this lack of sleep going on around here, naturally I would be attracted to cookies like these that are heavy on chocolate and caffeinated to boot. So attracted, in fact, that I’m sending the majority of them to work with my guy tomorrow, lest I eat the entire batch myself.

These cookies are awesome. They’re essentially your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, transformed by two simple ingredients. Add instant espresso and unsweetened cocoa powder and you get cookies that are intense, delicious, out-of-this-world, the stuff that dreams are made of. If only I remembered what it was like to sleep long enough to dream.

(Not that I’d change a thing, of course!)

Here’s the recipe!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Espresso Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours cookbook
Yield: About 36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 eggs, preferably room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (one 16 oz. bag) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat the butter for about a minute.
3. Mix in the sugar and brown sugar on medium speed, and beat until fluffy (about two minutes).
4. Add the vanilla extract and espresso powder and mix until well incorporated.
5. Beat in the eggs.
6. Place a sifter over the bowl, and add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Sift it into the bowl, then mix the flour in with the butter mixture just until incorporated.
7. Mix in the chocolate chips, just until incorporated.
8. Place in heaping tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about two inches apart.
9. Bake for about 10 minutes, until they’re set and appear somewhat dry around the edges. Turn around the cookie sheet halfway through to help the cookies bake evenly.
10. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for about five minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Baileys & Coffee Cupcakes
• Cowboy Cookies
• No-Bake Cookies (Chocolate + Peanut Butter + Easy = Oh Yeah)
• Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Macaroons

My inner foodie says recipes like this roll recipe are an embarrassment. My inner busy mom [holy crap, I'm a mom?!] says there’s nothing wrong with a super-quick and easy recipe now and then, even if it’s made with processed food (like, eek, Velveeta) or, in this case, refrigerator crescent rolls.

It’s all about finding time – or reserving that time for other things – and sometimes you only have a five-minute pocket to satisfy your desire to whip up something in the kitchen for your hungry family.

And that’s how I justify these rolls.

You start with a tube of crescent rolls, slicing the dough like cinnamon rolls and laying them in a pie dish. Then you pour a mixture of brown sugar, butter, Meyer lemon zest and juice over the top. Bake for about 13 minutes or so. And then enjoy immediately, preferably with a nice, strong mug of coffee, especially if you were up several times last night with a hungry baby.

So they’re a bit of a cheat. They’re also really, really delicious. The sauce creates a tart, lemony-orange caramel on the bottom of the rolls, and the zest settles into the cracks along the top.

Try it with an orange or a lemon instead of the Meyer lemon – equally good. I just happen to have a plethora of Meyer lemons at the moment, thanks to the trip to Costco that I talked about here. (I’m thinking Meyer Lemonade or even Meyer Lemon Drops later on today with the remainder. Yum.)

Here’s the recipe!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Cheater Meyer Lemon Rolls

Adapted from Pillsbury

Yield: Six rolls

Ingredients:

• One tube refrigerator crescent rolls
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest (about one lemon’s worth)
• 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (also about one lemon’s worth)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Open the tube of crescent rolls, but don’t separate. Lay the unrolled tube of dough on a cutting board and cut into six slices.
4. Lay the slices in the pie plate. I pat them down just a tad, but it’s not necessary.
5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter, brown sugar, zest and juice to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the  mixture comes to a boil set aside and let cool for a minute (just so it’s not boiling hot when you pour it over the rolls. Safety first!)
6. Pour the brown sugar/lemon mixture over the roll slices.
7. Bake for about 13 minutes, or until golden brown.
8. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Meyer Lemon Cake Bars
• Melissa Etheridge Salad (Avocado, Warmed Feta & Baby Greens Salad) + A Baby!
• Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
• Frosty Gingerbread Tree Cookies with Lemon Icing
• Lemon Cake

It’s snowing! And snowing, and snowing, and snowing …

Here in the Pacific Northwest, three back-to-back snowy weather systems have made their way through the area, making everything pretty and pristine and quiet and white.

News reporters are stationed at the most notorious hilly roads in the region, capturing, they hope, sliding semis and out-of-control SUVs, and talking about ARCTIC BLAST 2012 and WINTER EXTREME!!! Snow coverage is always pretty entertaining around here; though this is one of those rare snowstorms that probably warrants it.

Meanwhile, we’re holed up inside with our almost-three-week-old, where we just discovered that the phrase “Thanks for last night, babe” takes on a whole new meaning when you’ve got a fussy baby and a helpful husband who stayed up with her through all the wee hours of the morning so this new mama could sleep a bit.

The dogs venture out now and then and frolic around. We think this is probably Daisy’s first snow, and she’s loving it.

I’ve been trying to whip up something at least somewhat creative in the kitchen most days. It makes me feel a little more like myself as I move into this “new norm” with this adorably sweet baby girl that’s now in my life.

I love her supersoft, pudgy arms and her fuzzy little head and everything else about her. Her cry is getting a little less cute than it was at first, though. ;)

So yesterday, as she napped blessedly, I made cookies.

Okay, so Cowboy Cookies aren’t the most creative recipe in the world, but they’re dang delicious and really kind of fun to make. They’re like big chocolate chip cookies on steroids (the good kind, if there’s a good kind), beefed up with rolled oats, flaked coconut and a touch of cinnamon. Hearty and delicious.

These are the same I made a long while ago, when I catered a lunch for a volunteer crew. I baked extra-giant versions that I tucked into green gingham sacks for a grab-and-go dessert.

These bad boys would be perfect with a big mug of hot chocolate to fortify all of those little ones who are out there building snowmen, sledding and generally enjoying WINTER BLAST 2012 (exclamation points!!!) But equally perfect, I think, for those of us who are appreciating this particular snowstorm from the indoors only, for whatever reason.

My guy hasn’t given out many grunts lately (what’s up with that?!) but when pressed, he says he gives these somewhere between one and one and a half grunts. Not sure what a half a grunt sounds like, but I’ll take it. (He especially likes these frozen).

Here’s the recipe!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Cowboy Cookies

Adapted from Saveur

Yield: About three dozen cookies

Ingredients:

Here is where I would love to wax poetic about the intriguing Meyer lemon, and how I picked up a luscious-looking bunch of them at my neighborhood farmer’s market on a particularly crispy, sunny winter day … or maybe I plucked them off of a ripe old tree in a sunny corner of my sweet old Aunt’s backyard as she smiled at me, sipping tea as she rocked on the back porch.

But the reality is, I, well, picked up a box of ‘em at Costco. It was last Wednesday, and after our 12-day-old’s pediatrician appointment, I talked my guy into stopping at Costco and sitting in the backseat with the bambino while I ran in for 10 very quick minutes. After being shut in for weeks, it was nice to feel normal (and yes, Costco is my “normal”), picking up a few must-haves. And, of course, browse (quickly) for a few wants. One of the wants ended up being Meyer lemons.

Not a terribly romantic scene, but the big bunch of yellow-orange orbs brightened up my day nonetheless.

Meyer lemons are sort of an orange-y version of a lemon – and are likely, actually, a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They’re absolutely delicious and even slightly special in place of regular lemons in, say, lemon vinaigrette and lemon curd.

And they’re ridiculously perfect in these rich, moist, gooey cake bars.

Meyer Lemon Cake Bars are, consistency-wise,  a cross between a brownie and snack cake. They’re dense with a large crumb, super-moist, buttery, rich, and the perfect balance of lemony-sweet. The tangy glaze is the cherry on top.

So go to your local farmer’s market, your Auntie’s place in Santa Barbara or, you know, hit up your neighborhood Costco. Just get some Meyer lemons in your hot little hands. Then make some of these.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Meyer Lemon Cake Bars

Yield: About 16 bars

Ingredients:

Cake bars:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest (about one medium lemon’s worth)
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest (another medium lemon’s worth)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ x 9″ baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
6. Pour the flour mixture into the butter/sugar/lemon mixture and mix together until blended.
7. Spread mixture in the baking pan.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, until it begins to get golden brown around the edges, and is set in the  middle.
9. Cool for about 20 – 30 minutes.
10. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
11. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cake bars.
12. Cut into squares and enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Cheater Meyer Lemon Rolls
• Lemon Bars
• Melissa Etheridge Salad (Avocado, Warmed Feta & Baby Greens Salad) + A Baby!
• Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
• Frosty Gingerbread Tree Cookies with Lemon Icing

I prepped this post a couple of weeks ago, because I knew I’d be busy with a new addition to the family.

This gal!

This is our first darling baby, Eloise. She arrived in our lives on December 30 at 7:56 a.m., weighing in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19 1/4 inches. We think she is a slice of absolute perfection.

And she’s keeping us on our toes as we learn the ins and outs of this crazy world of caring for a newborn. We are so in love!

There’s really no way I can think of to smoothly segue from baby to salad, so I guess we can just move on. Salad!

I first learned about this salad years ago, when I read a magazine article about Melissa Etheridge and her brave battle with breast cancer. In the article, she talked about how she was embracing a healthier way of eating, and she shared a salad recipe with warm goat cheese, toasty bread crumbs, avocado and a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

I’ve been making the salad – or a bastardized version of it – ever since. It’s morphed into something of my own – I use feta, mixed baby greens, fresh lemon juice and whatever olive oil I have on hand. It always turns out absolutely, positively delicious. Creamy avocado, zingy lemon juice, salty warmed feta … yum. It might be very different from the original version at this point, but I will forever think of it as Melissa Etheridge Salad. I hope she doesn’t mind.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Melissa Etheridge Salad (Avocado, Warmed Feta & Baby Greens Salad)

Yield: One large salad

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. feta cheese (about the size of a stack of cards)
• 1/2 cup stale crusty bread, broken/torn into crumbs
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 – 4 cups mixed greens (I like the baby greens with herbs, like what you find at Trader Joe’s)
• 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about one half a large lemon)
• 1 medium avocado, sliced
• Kosher salt
• Fresh-ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. In a shallow oven-proof dish, add the feta. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, then drizzle one tablespoon of the olive oil on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
2. Bake the feta for about 10 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted.
3. Pile the mixed greens onto a dinner plate
4. Lay the avocado slices on top.
5. Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the avocados.
6. Top with the feta and bread crumbs. If any olive oil remains in the baking dish, drizzle that on as well.
7. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil onto the salad.
8. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a turn or two of fresh ground pepper.
9. Enjoy!

More goodies like this:

• Cheater Meyer Lemon Rolls
• Meyer Lemon Cake Bars
• Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
• Frosty Gingerbread Tree Cookies with Lemon Icing
• Lemon Cake