Fresh haircuts - YUM!

it's true - i think fresh haircuts are a necessary luxury in life. anyone that knows me, knows my thoughts on this matter. there is nothing like running your fingers through a freshly trimmed haircut. okay, maybe there are   a few things that are similar - a good piece of dark chocolate, driving to the beach, not failing a med school test - all possible equivalents.

i used to have really long hair that never got cut. i finally worked up the balls to cut it all off, and donated my hair twice. the second time i decided to keep it short - in set the addiction. i've been getting my hair cut every 7ish weeks for the past 3 years (obsessive much?). honestly i could go every 4 weeks if i didn't think it'd break the bank.

one of the best parts about getting my hair cut, is my stylist: nika. she is a fun, spunky, and super talented woman who has been cutting hair for all the women in my family for quite some time now. last week, i went to pick up sheila from the salon, and chatted with nika - found out that my sister let her in on the blog, AND that her birthday was coming up in early november! dun dun dunnn... that means i just had to bake something. the only info i got from nika was that she hates cinnamon and loves lemon. i can roll with that.

i felt like stepping away from cupcakes for a minute, so i finally pulled something off the wish list: coconut, lemon, and blueberry cheesecake bars. the cheesecake got nixed cause i found an easier recipe - no big deal. see?:

the original recipe comes from the blog two peas and their pod (her pictures are way better than mine - but i'm still pretty proud of these!). the only real modification i made was to the crust - i wanted to incorporate some coconut flavor, so i found some buttery coconut cookies and mixed in some coconut flakes. let me tell you - if nika doesn't like these, i promise i won't quit my day job. which, by the way, includes being post call again after delivering 2 big babies ALL BY MYSELF! doctored. now let's bake :)

coconut cookie crust 

• 1 1/2 cups coconut cookie crumbs
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut

1) combine all ingredients and pat firmly into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking tin. 2) bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. 3) remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. 


lemon blueberry filling 
(from two peas and their pod)

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

1) combine egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk with a whisk. 2) add lemon juice and zest, and stir until mixture thickens. 3) fold in blueberries till just combined. 4) pour filling over cooled crust, and bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or until set. 5) remove and allow to cool to room temperature, then cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour prior to cutting. 6) cut in any shape you want. warning: these circles were a real pain to try and cut, and didn't come out as clean as i wanted. but hey, it happens. 

7) then, give it to your hair stylist for her birthday - because she is awesome. 

happy birthday, nika!

(yeah, this picture rocks.)

okay - off i go to get my hair cut finally. i am growing it back out and lord is it painful. if you ever need a cut, nika works at mitchell's in crossroads! tell her i sent you :)

update: nika is so good at cutting hair! -->