You guys! Um… everything is seriously BONKERS right now!

a) there’s coffee on my bacon.

b) there’s a TON of you at my first book signing.

c) i’m out in the world wearing a blazer and pretending that I’m not shy.

And things have only just begun to get crazy. I’m about to get crazy (and totally wear a blazer) in a city near you!

But first, Coffee Bacon… yet another recipe from the Joy the Baker Cookbook, and one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever shoved into my face.

Here’s a peek at my very first book signing! Whoa, dudes. Standing room only? How is this a thing that’s even possible!?

Thank you for coming out. Thanks for all the hugs and laughs. I’ll post more of your smiling faces soon!

Bacon is good. Bacon certainly doesn’t need any help from little ol’ me.

But. Well. Why not give it a little face-lift just for fun?

I mixed together ground coffee beans, brown sugar, molasses, chili powder, and a bit of water, and created a loose paste.

You know how bacon comes in a package layered and staggered? I poured the coffee mixture over the staggered bacon and let it marinate for a few hours. After some time, I removed the bacon from the fridge, and removed just some of the coffee marinade. I baked it up crisp… and it’s almost sandwich time!

This fancy-ish sandwich would not be complete without a homemade spread.

Goat cheese is the start. I placed goat cheese in a bowl and mashed it together with dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, and chili flakes. Mashing requires just a bowl, a fork, and a good amount of pressure. Totally technical. I know.

Here’s what’s happening here:

a) lightly buttered and toasted bread.

b) fresh spinach.

c) bright, tangy, and sweet goat cheese spread. The sweetness is a nice compliment to the salty bacon.

d) coffee bacon! If you’re not excited about this… if you’re still looking at me with a strange face, let me explain. Coffee marinated bacon doesn’t bake up with a strong coffee flavor. The coffee bakes out a bit and lends a depth and richness to the coffee. Molasses give the bacon some deep sweetness, and chili powder adds some quality kick. If you’re skeptical… I totally get it. I just think t hat smashing breakfast items together is cool. Give it a try. I really do think you’ll be surprised!

I’m out in the world being weird with my cookbook, White on Rice Couple, Cristina Ferrera, and Kitchen Aid. I don’t even want to tell you:

a) how many carbs I have to consume to eat my way out of shyness.

b) how truly excited I am to meet you out in the world.

c) just how much I want you to make coffee bacon, because you might think me creepy.

photo from momfluential.net