I carry around a list in my brain… a list of things that I’m in love with.  Actively in love with, everyday… just walking around in the world.

I’m in love with fresh ginger tea, jewels big and small, my perfect black cotton dress, girls with long wavy hair that I covet, day planners, mechanical pencils, and the smell of clean laundry.

This is aside from loving the people and pets around me.  This love is separate from family and friends.  This love sometimes steps to the back of my mind and I’m left feeling a little blaaaaaahhh…. until all the love comes rushing back and I remember that I’m totally in love with my life.

I mean… think about it.  Despite its messes and disappointments… and bills, there’s a lot to be in love with… even if it’s just the smell of your new shampoo, because it reminds you of toasted coconut.

I made these pretty pink doughnuts, and shared them with friends.  I decided that this Valentine’s Day… it’s important to be in love with life.

I don’t even care how cheesy that sounds… because it feels good, and tastes bonkers awesome.

These doughnuts are made with two important ingredients.

Bread flour… which makes the doughnuts slightly more dense.  Bread flour has a higher protein content and gives these yeast doughnuts a heavier, slightly more toothsome feel.  Delicious…  really.  If you don’t have bread flour on hand, you’ll want to use a slightly different doughnut recipe.  Try this one!  (You might even want to try Doughnut Muffins! )

and

Vegetable shortening… which acts as our internal fat in the doughnuts.  Vegetable shortening is a different fat than butter.  Butter has water in it, which can make the doughnuts crack a bit during frying.  Vegetable shortening is a fat without water, so the doughnuts will be smoother.  Feel free to use butter, but the doughnuts may have a slightly different appearance.

This doughnut mixture is mixed in an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment before it’s mixed and kneaded with a dough hook.

Yes… I said mixed a lot of times in the above sentence.  Deal.

After a bit of time in the mixer, the dough will be slightly tacky, but not stick to your fingers or the bowl.  It will feel soft and pliable… but with a bit of weight to it.

Lovely dough before the rise.

Dough gets risen in an off oven with a warm water bath.  It’s like an at-home proofing box.

Woah!

… this dough is about half as big as my cat.  I dunno.  I don’t have much else to compare the dough… or the cat to.

This is a test.

Which set will you make doughnuts out of?

Left… choose the one on the left.

This might be my favorite part of the process….

After this cute part comes the frying.  No photography around hot oil please.  It’s enough for me to not totally burn my hand just cooking the doughnuts.  Let’s not put a camera in the mix.

If this beautiful, golden doughnut isn’t enough to make you love your living… I just don’t know what else to tell you.

Dip it is sugared pink… maybe that will help with the love.

… aaannnddd coconut.

Homemade doughnuts are undeniably perfect.    These doughnuts are a play on the traditional cake doughnut, frosted pink and decorated with snow white coconut.  This version is slightly more neon and toasted, making is rustic cool.

This recipe is from my favorite doughnut shop in Seattle, Top Pot.  They’re cookbook Hand-Forged Doughnuts totally has my mouth watering.  These people are not kidding around when it comes to doughnut land.

I like coconut quite a lot.

I love coconut.  It’s important to me.

It’s so important that this is the perfect time and place to expound my love in link form.

Real Talk:  I spent the morning in the kitchen with a new coconut recipe that bonkers FAILED.  I’ll get coconut, hazelnut, and chocolate together somehow.  It’s in the future.

Coconut Almond Chocolate Biscuits. ((coconut flakes!))  With cherry jam?  Much success.

Coconut goes major healthy in this Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup  ((coconut milk!)).

Also… I’m one of those people that drizzles olive oil on everything savory.  It’s pretty.

Coconut flour is a gluten-free dream!  These cupcakes are made with coconut flour and fresh strawberries. Topped with cream cheese frosting.  Quit it!

Gluten-free Strawberry Coconut Cupcakes (coconut flour!)).

These hearty gluten-free waffles are topped with big toasted coconut flakes and soft, sweet whipped cream!

Gluten-free Coconut Waffles ((coconut oil, coconut flour, coconut flakes!)).  They don’t taste weird gluten-free.  They do taste all-the-way awesome.

Crazy thing about the coconut in the Crunchy Kale and Coconut Bowl ((coconut flakes!))… dudes will think it tastes like bacon.  I’m serious.  It’s a transformer.  This meal is a drug… a healthy, kale drug.

Coconut and cookies for breakfast!  It’s totally possible.  There’s also millet and carrots.  Get on this cookie bandwagon!

Vegan Carrot Cherry Breakfast Cookies ((coconut oil!)).

I think I’d like to write a book about how to make friends, entitled How to Make Friends, the almost fairytale.

Chapter One

Once upon a time there was a lonely girl who had but one friend… her snaggle-toothed mother.  One day, in the kitchen, she stumbled upon a rare and delicious combination.  A combination never before discovered in the land of Lonleyia.  Warm, soft, salty dough met with… hot dogs.

It was as though rainbows, unicorns, and friendly hobbits had descended upon this special girl.  People came from far and wide to sample her new found delicacy and friendships blossomed abound.  It was like Springtime.  Springtime of friendships.

Even the girl’s snaggle-toothed mother made a friend or two.

Never again was the lonely girl lonely (or hungry)…

The end.

Yea… my next book only has one chapter, one recipe, and about 34 words.  No biggie.

So!  You have two options here.  You can re-read this story  and go take a nap OR (and I totally suggest this next option) you could make these pretzel dogs this weekend, serve them with spicy mustard and cold beer, and make (or solidify) friendships of your own.

Choose your own adventure.  No bigs.

Essentially, we’re wrapping soft dough around hot dogs.  It’s nothing more complicated than that.

If that doesn’t sound like the best thing to happen all week, I invite you to come back in two days from now.

Ps.  I love you.

Don’t be fooled by the twisty and golden brown nature of pretzels… they’re actually really simple to make.

It all starts with yeast, warm water, and flour.

At first the dough is shaggy shaggy.

With a little work of the dough hook, it will come together!

This is the luscious dough before rising.

It should feel light and soft.  This will be a tender dough.  It will be slightly sticky, but not sticky enough to actually stick to your hands.

It’s like a little dough pillow.

If your first instinct is to rest your head on the dough… you’re on the right track.

This is real life.

It’s juuust dough.  Back off, kitten!

Beautifully risen dough.

It’s like magic in a bowl.

My trick?

I leave dough to rise in an OFF gas oven, or on the back burner of my stovetop with the oven left on at 200 degrees F.

Cut the soft dough into 16 pieces (for 1/2 hot dogs) or 8 pieces (for big ol’ whole hot dogs).

So light and tender.

But don’t eat it yet!

Rolling the dough into ropes.

Channel your Play-Doh days.

Ropes get rolled 12-inches long for half dogs, and 24-inches for whole dogs.  It’s science… or not at all.

If this seems like SO MUCH FUN to you… I consider us friends.

Just make sure that the ends are sealed and pressed together.

The next step is boiling!

If the dogs aren’t sealed up tight they might unravel a bit… which is totally not the end of the world, ps.

Pretzels are boiled in a baking soda and water solution.

The baking soda changes the alkalinity of the outside of the pretzel.  Baking soda is what gives pretzels their distinctive chewy crunch and golden color.

Baking soda is what separates these pretzel dogs from bagel dogs… and these are most certainly NOT bagel dogs.

Although… if you’re interested in bagel pizza… I was too.

Serve these pretzel dogs to many.  You’ll need to share.  Don’t be like me and eat too many.  While you’re in the kitchen making awesome, you might also consider these Fried Pickles!

These pretzel dogs are so warn, tender, and utterly delicious.  I promise that these darlings will find you friends, lovers, and stalkers of the feline variety.

ps.  Leave Me Alone, Kitten!

I’m 87% sure there’s nothing you can do to ruin these perfect creations.

Winter citrus is sparkling!

If I could wear these citrus segments as earrings… I would.

Let’s roast these beauties!

I know.  Weird.

Weird… but totally incredible.  Warm and salty sweet citrus bites.

Winter citrus feels like such a paradox to me.  Cool winds and brisk mornings somehow combine with the juciest, brightest fruit.

They match but they mismatch… just like red and hot pink.  Matchy not matchy.

Alright… so what are you going to do with all of this warm, roasted citrus?

I love to serve wedges warm with a waffle or eggs benedict brunch.

They’re also really lovely as a side dish with roasted meat.

You might also consider Winter Citrus Pancakes.  Crash! (bang! boom!)

Hey Dude (that I’m currently dating),

We need to talk.  It’s about your mother.

Mostly… it’s about how I need to meet your mother.  We’ve been carrying on for a while now… and I need to meet the lady that birthed you, clothed you, slapped you upside the head, and made you the awesome man you are now.  If I don’t meet her soon, she will surely think me some sort of hussy harlot who was born in a barn and doesn’t much care for other people’s mothers.  This is not the case.  I care about most mothers, often.

It’s a lady thing that perhaps you don’t understand.  I need to be nervous.  I need to bite off all my nails.  I need to agonize over the perfect outfit that will make me look sophisticated, but sweet and approachable, womanly without being more womanly that her.  I need the outfit that says I can damn well take care of myself, and keep her dear and darling son in line for the rest of his life.  It’s a fine fine fiiiine line.

I need to let your mother look me up and down in examination.  I need to stand there and let her envision me as her daughter-in-law.  I need to eat her casserole, express my desire for the recipe… then I need to do her dishes.

I need to let her tell me how to do things that I already know how to do, like make a pie, and pluck my eyebrows.  We need to watch 60 Minutes together.  She in her recliner, me sitting on the floor.  I need to offer to bring dessert.  She’ll make a face when it’s being served, and enjoy it despite herself.  It’s all a dance.  Every moment of it.  It’s all a test… because mothers do not let their sons go quietly… they let them go passive aggressively.

Lastly, she needs to see that I make you happy.  That’s where you come in.  Don’t act weird.  Well, don’t act weirder than you usually act.  Be natural… and put your arm around me once in a while.  It’s your job to make sure that no one gets a third glass of wine.  That’s when things get weird.

It’s also your job NOT to tell your mother that there are beets in the cake I’m serving for dessert.  That will be our little secret.  Unless she loves it… then I’m taking all the glory.

Cool.

Love,

Joy

Quite right.  This chocolate cake is chocked full of roasted beets.

Beets are trimmed of their greens (which are delicious sauteed) and roasted whole in foil and just a touch of oil.  You know… like you’re making a beet salad, but you’re totally making cake.

Besides beets, this cake also has the usual cake- y suspects:  flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, powder, and salt.

I love preparing cake pans for baking.  Something about the ritual just calms me.

Parchment paper rounds (that are cut by hand) totally ensure that the cake will come out of the pan in one piece.  It’s an extra bit of work, but I love the insurance.

Roasted beets are cooled and peeled (which is easy… not to worry), and grated on the fine side of a box grater.

If you’re wondering about beet stained hands… yes, I had two.  They eventually wash clean.

Beets add moisture and sweetness to the cake.  Beets do not make the cake taste like a salad.  That’s an important thing to know.

The cake batter will be a purple color, but will bake into a moist chocolate cake with no trace of beets.

Let’s talk about frosting.  Butter and cream cheese are left at room temperature until soft.  They’re beaten with powdered sugar, vanilla, and a squeeze of lemon.

Beets, too!  Beets, shredded and mashed add a slight sweetness and intense color to the frosting.  It’s all you need for food coloring.  It’s delightful and delicious.  And again… it does not taste like salad.

You may have a few beet strands in your frosting as you decorate the cake.  Think of it as nature’s sprinkles.

… I can’t believe I just typed that.

I’m sorry.

I want you to fall in love with this cake.  I did.

The cake itself is moist and chocolate-y.  It’s not too sweet either!  Bonus.  The frosting is bright pink, speckled with beet bits, and creamy sweet.

No one would ever know this cake is chocked full of vegetables.  We can just keep that little bit of information between us.  Secret ingredient power!

Pssst… Valentine’s Day Cake!  I’m just sayin…

Not everything requires a bowl, a mixer, whisk, and measuring spoons.

Sometimes the most delicious comforts come out of milk, spice, and heat.

I’ve been keeping it pretty simple in the kitchen lately.  You know… trying to treat my body right, and such.  I’m also trying to stay far far away from the Winter cold that’s ruining the world as of late (that was totally dramatic).

Here’s the plan:

Heat about 2 cups of almond milk in a small saucepan.  If it’s unsweetened almond milk… you might want to add a touch of honey.  If it’s already sweetened… no need.

Add about 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom and a good sprinkling of fresh ground nutmeg to the heating milk.  Also add the scrapings of half a vanilla bean… heck, throw the pod in too.  If you don’t have vanilla beans on hand, no worries (!) just throw in a dash of pure vanilla extract.  If you want to add a bit of bourbon… I won’t tell a soul.

Heat until steaming hot.

Serve hot with cookies from your favorite bakery.  Enjoy while reading a cookbook studded with Polaroids of your friends as bookmarks.  (Suggestions… no biggie.)

Have you ever spent a hearty sum of money on something… and then didn’t want to use it because it was so expensive?

I sometimes feel that way about my couch.  Ok… I didn’t spend a ton of money on my couch… but, well… it felt like a lot of money at the time.  As a result, I feel like the couch must be treated with the proper respect.  God forbid someone should try and jump on it.  Heck..  if someone sits down on it too hard (is that really even possible) I look at them sideways.

And don’t even get me started on the cat.  He has nooooo respect.  Probably because he has noooo concept of what money is.

My couch isn’t fancy.  But… I feel like the very fact that I have a couch puts me on the fancier side of fancy.  I spent a lot of years without a couch.

Don’t sit down to hard on my couch… that’s all I ask.  Oh!  and if you’re going to park your rear end for a prolonged amount of time, please rotate seat spots.  You’re mushing my cushions.  Nevermind that it’s a couch made for sitting and mushing.  I’m unreasonable.  I know.  I truly am.

I feel like these cookies echo my fancy couch sentiments.

See… they have fancy ingredients in them.  Cocoa nibs and vanilla beans deserve some respect.  When these two ingredients meet in a cookie, the cookie should be held in the highest esteem… even if it’s just a light, puff-of-air meringue.

Treating yourself is important.  Treating yourself to a couch, and then acting unreasonably about its use might be silly.  But splurging of some crunchy cocoa nibs and baking them into cookies is a slightly easier treat.  And your cat won’t scratch cocoa nibs.

These meringues were inspired by Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.  Tartine is one of the best bakeries in the land.  They’re people that do things right.  It is a dream.  Tartine has cocoa nib studded meringues that are perfect.  You’ll want to order two… and you should… but you’ll probably only be able to eat one.  Trust me.

Meringues require eggs.  The brown yolk-y kind… not necessarily the wood or marble type, even though they’re pretty.

These cookies are so simple… but they have some really lovely splurge ingredients in them .

Cocoa Nibs add a crunchy, chocolate and coffee flavor.  Vanilla Beans add that beautifully irresistible fragrance.

They’re special baking items… and totally worth the splurge.

I always want to swim in glossy, unbaked meringue.  It’s like thick marshmallow cream.

Easily dollop with a big soup spoon.  Keep it easy in the kitchen.

The parchment paper is a complete must.  Parchment paper might seem like another splurge item… but it’s important.  It’s not like foil.  It’s only like parchment paper.  There is no substitute.

Take a bite while the cookies are still on the baking sheet.

You know why?  Because you’re grown.  You made grown cookies.  There’s no butter in them.  And you you you are living a good life.  Bite!

Eat off the baking tray… but please don’t forget to make things beautiful.  Beautiful things always make me feel better.  And!  Since we’ve splurged on such lovely ingredients… we really should take out a pretty plate and brew a nice pot of coffee.

These cookies are light but crunchy.  The centers are simultaneously hallow and chewy.  They are a combination of delicate and rustic.  Have them with hot coffee, red wine, or in bed with a glass of cold orange juice.  It’s your world… and it’s a beautiful one.

There’s something about a giant stack of waffles topped with butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup that puts me in an un-fightable, resistance resistant, afternoon coma.  That really… and I mean reeeeaaalllyyy pisses off the workaholic in me.  She hates napping.  The waffle-aholic in me?  Well… obviously she thinks her workaholic counterpart should just chill  the heck out.

I’ve tried to appease both sides of my w-aholics… and it’s not about trading waffles for spelt toast.  No…  that just can’t happen.

Switch up the waffle!  Make it a savory dream!  Top it with salsa and an egg!  This way my waffle-aholic self gets all of her warm waffle goodness. and my workaholic self doesn’t need a resentful nap.  Take note.

Please tell the waffle-aholic within you that this dish is supreme for either breakfast or dinner.

Savory waffles are IT!

Here’s what you’ll need:

A waffle iron.  I know… I know… what a pain.  There’s really no other way to make waffles though.  Perhaps you could turn this dish into savory pancakes… but it’s not quite the same.  Waffle iron.  It’s a splurge!!

Cornmeal gives these waffles a really wonderful crunch.  I used a more coarse cornmeal.  Bite!

Chives and parsley kick up the flavor of these waffles. Subtle onion and herb.  It’s perfect.

Black pepper!  Coarse and generous.

Salsa and eggs!  Cook up and egg and top it off with salsa.

With these few ingredients, I swear you’ll feel like you’re doing everything right.

This batter is beautifully thick and subtly flavored.

Cornmeal and scallions mysteriously take things from ok to uh-mazing.

You might choose, as I did, to enjoy these waffles with a friend, on a front porch, under a gloomy grey sky, on a slightly chilly weekend morning.

Or!  Or or or… you could plop down in from of the television and watch reruns of Law and Order SVU.

OR!  You could eat them standing in your kitchen, trying to get your cat to stop sticking his face in the open waffle iron.

I usually opt for the later option.  That’s just how I choose to live… or something.

This is total brain food.

If you think you know what I mean by that… think again.

This is the sort of dish that you can make seated at your kitchen counter, or at your the desk that you’ve cleared off, or sitting on the floor beside the coffee table.  This is the sort of dish that you sit, and make, and think with your brain… while you let your fingers do the working.

Taking the time to making these little pockets is the slightly more productive equivalent to standing in the kitchen with buttery crackers, peanut butter, and Lucky magazine.

Taking the time to make these little treats is also the equivalent to  listening to Van Morrison’s Veedon Fleece on repeat.  It’s just good for the brain.

If you don’t know… now ya know.

This is no time to celebrate fresh peas.  But! Frozen peas, brought to life with boiling water.  We’re good to go!

…I should tell you how many times a week I defrost peas and call them dinner.  It might make you worry about me.

Essentially, we making little ravioli pockets with pulverized peas.

We’ll mix the peas with lemon juice and zest, bread crumbs, garlic, shallots, parsley, and cheeeeeese!

This recipe is inspired by The Gourmet Cookbook…. my old standby.

The recipe combines pea ravioli with a lemon chicken broth… gorgeous!  Think about it… maybe this is your dinner style!

Here’s the thing that we need to talk about.

I made these ravioli pockets using pre-made wonton wrappers.  The kind of wrappers that are already perfectly portioned for fried wontons, boiled ravioli, or decadent Nutella pockets.

I know….  it seems like once you know how simple it is to make pasta… you’re not allowed to cheat with wonton squares.

But this is real life.  I don’t have a pasta roller.  And I have to desire to use a rolling pin and fight to make perfect little squares.

Wonton wrappers!!  You can find them in most groceries, in the refrigerated section.

Let’s just go with it.

Pea pesto is easily brought together in a food processor.  The toughest part about this step is, um… actually having a food processor.

I have this blender and mini food processor combo.  It has made me happy.  Boom.

Two edges of the ravioli square are moistened with water, using your finger.  Then the edges are formed into a triangle and pressed together.  Give it a good press.

Oh… also.. my watch calls it 11:07.  Fyi.

After the pocket is well sealed, bring together the two far corners.  We’re going to glue them together…

With just a dab of water… the corners get pressed together.

These little ravioli cook up in boiling, salted water in about 2 minutes.  Top with spicy tomato sauce and you’re good for dinner!

A few helpful notes:

-  Ravioli will begin to stick together if filled and left to sit atop one another.  Lay them flat, separated by parchment paper, and refrigerate.

-  Ravioli can be spread in a single layer and frozen.  To enjoy, place in boiling water until they float and are warmed through.

-  Don’t have a fancy food processor?  I totally get it!  These ravioli can be made with store bought pesto… no problem!  Spruce pesto up with whole peas, chicken pieces, or bacon bits (not store-bought!)… use your imagination.  Enjoy the project!

-  Kids can help!  I think they can, at least.  Cats can not help.  That much has been determined.

-  Ravioli can also be filled with sweet treats.  I’m thinking Nutella.  If filled with chocolate hazelnut spread… consider pan frying until crisp.  Boiled Nutella would be weird.

-  Relax and enjoy making these.  Don’t worry about the fancy food processor or pasta roller that you might not have.  Cooking is all about making what you have work for you.  Let’s just chill and do.

Dear New Year,

Here’s the deal!  I like carrot sticks.  I’m going to keep eating those.  I like oatmeal cookies.  I’m going to continue to consider them a breakfast cookie.  I’ll drink green juices.  I’ll even like it.

Also… I’m going to continue to follow 3 people on Facebook that I don’t actually like.  It’s that ‘keep your enemies close’ thing.

I’m going to drink tea, but I’ll always love coffee more.

I’ll go to church.  I’ll volunteer… and I’ll try to be better all the time.  I’ll try most sincerely.  I’ll try to love more and text less.

I’m going to find a new bourbon to appreciate.  That should be bonkers fun.

I’m going to eat real dinners, unless eating cold cereal while reading Food and Wine magazine makes more sense.

That’s where this roasted beef sandwich comes in.  Gorgeous.  Glorious.  Blessed day!  This could be the answer to unanswered questions.  Slow cooking, good smelling, tender tender, sandwich goodness.

Alright New Year, I’m gonna getcha!

Love,

Joy

This might have been love at first sight.  Now I know what that’s like.  Thank you!

There is such beauty in the simplicity of this recipe.  Beef roast is combined with broth, lots of raw garlic, onion, fresh sage and fresh thyme.  I used a large Dutch oven… but a slow cooker (crock pot) also works well too!  Beef is slooooooow cooked to tender perfection.  This takes hoooouuuurrrsss.  You can do all sorts of things in the time it takes for this roast to simmer, cook, and make your home smell amazing.

Errands.  Emails.  Closet organizing.  Nail painting.  Cookbook browsing.  Facebook stalking… imagine the things you could do.

After cooking the meat is removed from the liquid and shredded with two forks.  It falls apart, really.  It is a perfect thing.

The roasted beef is matched with brioche buns and spicy horseradish mayonnaise.  Major delicious.  Major boy food.  Major family food.  Set it and forget it…. and then be amazed at what an amazing chef you are!

These photographs were taken with an iPhone using Instagram.  Keeping it simple.