let me begin by saying we are all busy. the older we get, the fuller life seems to be. whether you work crazy hours, stay at home with the kids or are self employed, we could all use some more time in our day. 

in september of last year, i left my extremely demanding job in wholesale fashion. 

for three months, i took a break from normal life and finished planning our wedding. 

halfway through our honeymoon i was itching to get back home and get back to work. it had been almost four months since i "worked" and i was aching to feel productive again.

except, i had to redefine what "working" looked like in my world. 

wes and i have been plotting and dreaming about having our careers and lives rooted in food for the entirety of our relationship. so i've been spending my working time, aka whenever i'm not working at the yoga and spin studio, running around trying to get our food business in motion. no details as of yet, because i really don't have too many to give. but... thing are moving. and we are BUSY. 

yeah yeah. get to the point...

with all that is going on, wes and i busted out one of his old restaurant favorites to have on hand in a pinch. this light and boldly flavored butter is perfect to spread on bread as you run out the door or dollop on fish, chicken or beef while it's cooking to liven up your dinner. 

garlic herb whipped butter
serving size: 1 cup
prep time: 5 min
total time: 10 min + time for butter to soften
2 sticks butter.1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped. 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped. 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped. 3 garlic cloves, minced. pinch of salt. 

remove your butter from the fridge and allow it to soften but not become mushy. in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand blender, whisk the butter until it starts to become fluffy. 3-5 min. 

add in the garlic, herbs and salt. continue to whisk to everything is just combined. 

spoon the butter into a bowl or tupperware type container and refrigerate for up to two weeks using as needed. 

xoxo
a

garlic herb whipped butter
serving size: 1 cup
prep time: 5 min
total time: 10 min + time for butter to soften
2 sticks butter.1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped. 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped. 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped. 3 garlic cloves, minced. pinch of salt. 

remove your butter from the fridge and allow it to soften but not become mushy. in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand blender, whisk the butter until it starts to become fluffy. 3-5 min. add in the garlic, herbs and salt. continue to whisk to everything is just combined. 

spoon the butter into a dish or wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two weeks using as needed.

at this stage in my life... scratch that... at pretty much every stage of my life, i am not above getting free stuff. in fact, i love free stuff. so when a family friend was offering up homegrown lemons i said gimme. gimme like... a lot. thinking that each lemon would only yield a couple tbs of juice, i greedily grabbed up about a dozen perfectly ripe meyer lemons. 

except, these are super lemons. they are literally the juiciest lemons i have ever had the pleasure of squeezing. 

one of the beauties of social media is that i can get instant feedback on what to do with an ingredient. i'm all about giving the people what they want. so get ready for lemon bars. and lemon tarts. and lemon chicken. and lemon cocktails. and candied lemon. and lemon scones. yeah. you got the picture. get ready for lemon. 

lemon bars
serving size: 12 squares
prep time: 30 min + overnight
bake time: 45 min
total time: 1 h 15 min + overnight
shortbread crust. 10 tbs unsalted butter. .5 cups powdered sugar. 1 large egg yolk. 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour. .5 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp kosher salt.

lemon filling. 1 large lemon, peel removed, thinly sliced. 2 tbs lemon fresh lemon juice. .75 cups granulated sugar. 2 tbs all-purpose flour. 2 tbs unsalted butter, melted. 2 large eggs. powdered sugar to dust.

combine the granulated sugar, lemon slices and lemon juice in bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 f. 

using a mixer, combine the butter, sugar and egg to start the crust. when completely combined, mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until just combined. knead gently just till you form a ball. gently press the dough into a lightly buttered 9 inch square or rectangular baking dish. refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

while the dough chills, whisk together the lemon and sugar mixture with the remaining flour, melted butter and eggs.

when completely combined, pour the filling into the pan and bake until edges are golden brown. about 45 min. 

cool. slice. sprinkle with powdered sugar. serve.

xoxo
a

lemon squares
serving size: 12 squares
prep time: 30 min + overnight
bake time: 45 min
total time: 1 h 15 min + overnight
ingredients:
shortbread crust. 10 tbs unsalted butter. .5 cups powdered sugar. 1 large egg yolk. 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour. .5 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp kosher salt.
lemon filling. 1 large lemon, peel removed, thinly sliced. 2 tbs lemon fresh lemon juice. .75 cups granulated sugar. 2 tbs all-purpose flour. 2 tbs unsalted butter, melted. 2 large eggs. powdered sugar to dust.
combine the granulated sugar, lemon slices and lemon juice in bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
start by preheating your oven to 350 f.
using a mixer, combine the butter, sugar and egg to start the crust. when completely combined, mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until just combined. knead gently just till you form a ball. gently press the dough into a lightly buttered 9 inch square or rectangular baking dish. refrigerate for 10 minutes.
while the dough chills, whisk together the lemon and sugar mixture with the remaining flour, melted butter and eggs.
when completely combined, pour the filling into the pan and bake until edges are golden brown. about 45 min.
cool. slice. sprinkle with powdered sugar. serve.