Joy the Baker

Quinoa Black Bean Mango Salad

July 27, 2011

I’m slightly confused by vacations.
So I’m supposed to get on a plane, go to a place, wear a bathing suit, and… not blog?
That’s strange. That’s confusing. That makes me uncomfortable.
I’m not good at vacation. I can’t be the only one.

I threw together this super easy lunch salad before I left.
It’s healthful! We’ve got fruit, bean protein, and great grains.
I was thinking about bikinis when I made this.
As soon as I get back, I’ll be thinking about butter again. Promise.
read more…

109 Comments

Welcome to Salad Town

July 25, 2011

We’re taking a field trip to a place called Salad Town.

Yea… that’s happening. I’m on a plane to a place… not called Salad Town. This girl needs a vacation! I will be back shortly. I’ll bring presents! Promise.

63 Comments

Joy the Baker Podcast, Episode 1-10!

July 21, 2011

Joy the Baker Podcast, Episode 10!

read more…

45 Comments

Real Life Dinner

July 20, 2011

I have a real life.

I know… epic. You have a real life too. I’m not trying to pat myself on the back or anything.

I just wanted to remind you that I totally have a real life. It’s imperfect and blurry. It’s messy and florescent. It’s crooked and underexposed.

It’s quiet… with the occasional solo dance party. It’s awkward. It’s sometimes frustrating. It’s often times blessed. There’s a lot of food in this life of mine… and it’s not always in focus. It’s just not.

For some reason, I think it’s important that you know this.

Can I show you dinner? Real life… I made this at 7pm in my poorly lit kitchen… and ate it off the coffee table… dinner.

191 Comments

Double Chocolate Indoor S’mores

July 18, 2011

Here’s a peek inside my crazy brain.

Sometimes… I wonder how many years I’ll get to live. Not in a morbid way. Come on. I’m totally into living. I just wonder. It’s healthy.

I wonder how many years I get to live… and what the sum total of that living will look like.

How many people I’ll love. How many people loved me. How many songs I’ll sing loudly and badly. How many prayers say. How many communions I’ll take. How many sunburns I’ll endure. How many gardens I’ll plant and kill. How many cats I’ll have. How many pairs of jeans I’ll buy. How many miles I’ll bike ride. How many bottles of wine I’ll drink. How many tears I’ll shed. How many slow dances I’ll have. How many letters I’ll write. How many people I’ll smile at. How many times I’ll apologize. How many cookies I’ll bake. How many first kisses I’ll have. How many kids I’ll have. How many photos I’ll take. How many flowers I’ll smell. How many countries I’ll visit. How much life I absorb.

Mostly though… I just really like lists, and cookies, and chocolate, and toasted marshmallow.

171 Comments

Coffee and Lavender Sugar Body Scrub

July 14, 2011

I made you something for not your mouth.

Wait… is that the best way to say that?

I made you something for your body. For showering. For scrubbing. For smelling.

Something to keep you company while you’re in the shower singing Who’s Gonna Drive You Home by The Cars.

Don’t act like you don’t sing that song in the shower… cause we all do.

… right?

165 Comments

Vegan Mango Banana Bread

July 13, 2011

Was it you who spent last Friday night with a bottle of white wine and a truly GIANT bowl of salty, sweet popcorn.

Did you find yourself 4 hours into a Say Yes to the Dress marathon? Wait… did you cry a little bit?

Was it you who glanced at the random pair of scissors on your coffee table, then took a quick glance at the sleeping cat sitting to your left? Was it you who again glanced at the scissors… then back at the unsuspecting cat? Scissors. Cat. Scissors. Cat.

Wait… was it you who decided to give your poor, helpless cat a summer hair cut?

Was it you who found out that trimming a cat’s hair is actually waaaay harder than it seems?

Was it you left with the kinda silly, lopsided looking cat?

Was that you? Oh. Wait. No.

I guess that was ME. My bad. Honest mistake.

I can’t show you a picture of the cat. It’s downright embarrassing.

208 Comments

Something for Summer!

July 10, 2011

Summer!

Here we are, in the thick of it. I know so! I currently have mosquito bites on my legs, sand in my shoes, and an aggressive and unfortunate short tan.

What’s going on in your kitchen? It’s you’re anything like me… popcorn and wine is totally dinner, and pineapple is it’s own food group in your fridge.

Here’s the deal. I did some digging for you. I want you to cook up some treasures this summer, and I don’t want you to have to do a lot of searching to find those gems. It’ll be hard enough just to turn on your oven.

The best of summer awaits. Get baking!

May this summer bless you with cute sandals, ice cream cones, awesome hair days, wine for lunch, and Old Bay Seasoning.

Here’s what’s up:

116 Comments

Green Israeli Couscous Salad

July 8, 2011

You know those mornings when you:

wake up in a panic because you forgot to send an important email…

and wait! you only slept five hours! where did all of these zits come from!? like… seriously.

and the coffee line is surprisingly short, but you spill coffee on your shoes because you’re an absolute bonehead.

and technology is confusing.

but cookies are totally not confusing so you eat like, thirty of them.

and it would be awesome if you could just stay home and hide from things… but the world keeps on spinning… and you keep spilling things… and emails keep coming… and seriously with the text messages!?

You know those days?

when work feels suffocating. and it’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and you’re still trying to pull something out of your day. well… something besides cookies.

I had that day yesterday. I just couldn’t turn things right. It was like slow motion falling, all day long.

It’s ok. It really is. Some days are just funktown.

What turns around these days?

Buying your best friend cupcakes for her birthday. Yes. Buying!!! I already told you it was a rough day! Geez! Sometimes bakers buy cupcakes. That’s real life!

Buy cupcakes. Light candles. Pet a fluffy sweet dog named Willy. Sing Happy Birthday to Miss (dirty 30) Whitney.

Doing nice things for other people totally helps me out of a funky day funk. It feels good. Making other people happy is the best distraction there is! Truly.

Buy cupcakes if you have to. Eat cookies if things get weird. Do good things for other people. Also… try couscous for lunch. It’ll totally counteract all of the cookies you ate for breakfast, and the cupcakes you’re about to eat after pizzadinner. Pizzadinner is totally a word.

135 Comments

Angel Food Cake with Vanilla Strawberries

July 5, 2011

Real talk:

I’ve never once made an Angel Food Cake.

Real talk:

It has scared the heck out of me.

Wait… I need how many eggs? Wait… I don’t grease the pan? Hold on just a second… I have to hang the cake upside down!?

What is this? Is this science? Is this some sort of trick?

Real talk:

I finally made my own Angel Food Cake.

Real talk:

There were only two moments during the making and cooling of this cake that I thought I had completely ruined the whole thing. I hadn’t. I was just kinda freaking out for no good reason.

Real talk:

You need a fancy pan (not that fancy, it’s just a tube pan), and enough faith to hang this cake upside down for a bit… but it’s totally worth it. These are true words.

209 Comments

Recipe Index

Quinoa Black Bean Mango Salad

Welcome to Salad Town

Joy the Baker Podcast, Episode 1-10!

Real Life Dinner

Coffee and Lavender Sugar Body Scrub

Vegan Mango Banana Bread

Something for Summer!

Green Israeli Couscous Salad

Angel Food Cake with Vanilla Strawberries

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