My kitchen is clean. ย It’s nearly spotless.
This is a huge problem. ย This means I haven’t been cooking.
Wait. ย That’s not to say that I haven’t been eating… because sweet Lord have I been eating. ย I’ve been eating by the fistful. ย Usually large bowls of pasta late at night. ย Also, snacks. ย A mean amount of snacks. ย At midnight.
That makes them midnight snacks.
To make me feel better about myself… I’d like you to get on this midnight snack bandwagon as well. ย Please… we’re in this together, right?
On the real… this is my midnight snacking life.
Kettle corn. ย Dude. ย Serious.
Hardboiled eggs with olive oil, salt, and coarsely ground pepper.
um…. Bourbon with Luxardo cherries. ย Incredible.
Salty sunflower seeds.
Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies.
and… Dark Chocolate Dipped Whole Wheat Sesame Pretzel Rods.
I can not wait to show you the project that has inspired all of this midnight snacking. ย Soon! ย Soon soon soon!
In other news, ย I doodle ‘ i love u’.
I’m obsessed with pale mint green nail polish.
And… my cat is all fur. ย Professional fluff.
Thank you for letting me say hello today. ย I’ll be back shortly with a recipe for you. ย If it’s a recipe for salad, please forgive me. ย I need to eat something green.
117 Responses
how do u edit those pictures
Joy, congratulations on winning the Saveur award ! Your blog really deserves it.
On another note, my midnight snacking is far worse than yours. I love love love butter microwave popcorn. I also have a huge stash of assorted chocolates, cookies, nuts and chips. Whats even weirder I think is that sometimes around 2am I feel like cooking. A couple of night ago I decided it was the perfect time to make pizza dough. I ended up with 5 frozen pre made pizzas which is great, but whats with the timing?
Anyway, looking fwd to that 4th podcast !
I saw that you painted your nails and I got up to get my pretty spring color to paint mine too…love the midnight snacks – can’t wait to use them for the massive girly sleepover I’m having in July with my besties!!
Joy,
Your blog ALWAYS puts a smile to my face, or causes me to laugh out loud and then I have to explain to my (male) roommate that I reading a baking blog… oops.
Thank you for posting about midnight snacking and guilty pleasures – your blog is so honest and that’s a huge part of what makes it so great!
Please never stop writing..and congrats on launching the podcast website – looks awesome!
leftover orange braised red cabbage and roasted pumpkin at midnight on Saturday….the popcorn just wasn’t filling enough. Loving the egg with olive oil idea though!
i just had a har boiled egg with olive oil, black pepper and salt. it’s not midnight here, but somewhere on the planet it’s midnight-snack-o’clock so i thought i’d support the cause. Delicious as ever.
i heart u. Although I think you may be making me fat. My favorite post book club (AKA boozing. That’s what we call it because we’re all teachers and sometimes need to discuss things in front of eager-to-gossip little ears) snack is leftover homemade macaroni and cheese. The good kind with the buttery, toasty bread crumb topping and loads of creamy cheese sauce. Or a brownie smeared with peanut butter will do in a pinch.
I like to make a huge bowl of popcorn when I midnight snack and maybe some cookies too. Sometimes I like something sweet after my salty popcorn.
I like you your funny,nice,like cats and food.
I LOVE your nail polish! I used to mix my own mint green (and sky blue, my personal nail polish obsession) when I was in high school. Now I am wearing Essie Turquoise & Caicos on my toenails.
Also, I don’t even like pretzels, but those chocolate-dipped ones look fantastic.
I’m curious about the bourbon and cherries (just saying “bourbon and cherries” sounds yummy). And chocolate dipped pretzels! I LOVE salty and sweet together. I don’t snack at midnight… but pretty much all the rest of the day I do!
I’ve been a silent reader for a while, and a fan for just as long (raspberry almond & peanut butter banana bread!!!). And when I finally do post a comment, it’s not even about food. It’s about your nail polish, because it’s the same color I’m currently obsessed with too. I bought a bottle called “minted” by revlon, and I’m totally in love.
But, to redeem myself as a food blog lover, allow me to end this comment by saying that I have every intention of making that spinach and potato breakfast hash asap. It looks phenomenal!!
Where do I get those chocolate dipped pretzels? Or did you make them? They look divine!
i melted chocolate and dipped pretzels in it. easy and yummy!
You are the only person I know from LA who eats sweets and carbs. Everybody else seems to only eat greens and tofu. Life’s too short to not eat sugar!
I’m wearing the same-ish color nail polish. Light minty green=springtime. And my toes are lavender. Both sets have glitter. Girls are never too old for glitter… or chocolate dipped anything. Love the blog. Trying to get going on one of my own :) Keep up the sweet treats!!
Midnight snacks are mandatory! Lately for me it’s been chocolate, popcorn, and Trader Joe’s strawberry coconut ice cream. Most often all together. YUM! =)
Hi there! Just found your blog through StumbleUpon and WOW is my mouth watering! I am getting married in July and working on my domestic skills…I can’t wait to go through all your recipes. The Hot Chocolate popovers have particularly caught my eye. :-)
Totally with you on midnight snacking–my munchies of choice are cheese Ritz Bitz. Disgusting, I know, but they were a favorite of mine in middle school and just have that nostalgic, comforting taste if you know what I mean.
Looks like we are sinking in the same boat.
Yesterday, in a moment of weakness I chowed down 2 recess peanut butter cups, 3 air heads and a milky way midnight. Then once I got home from work I swear I ate at least a pound of pasta. Then washed them down with dark chocolate brownies and peanut butter covered graham crackers topped with chopped banana’s.
Please post something healthy, I need to deceive the fat man reaping havoc in my stomach into thinking that healthy food looks appetizing this week!
a) Congrats on the win!!!
b) can you explain what to do with Luxardo cherries and bourbon? Because I have a jar but don’t really know what to do with them…(something tells me the juice might even be used for a cocktail!)
i will show you. soon!
Your midnight snacks sound so good…especially those chocolate dipped pretzel rods. My midnight snacking is much more boring…plain ole pretzels, carrot sticks, nuts, grapes, and sometimes a handful of chocolate chips. If I ate hard boiled eggs right before bed I’d never sleep. Sounds goods for lunch though. :)
Your kitty has gotten so big but still as cute as ever! And I love your nail polish! :)
I have that same color on my toes!! Love it
Dear Joy – maybe this is the kettle corn that you so wonderfully commented on. Your post was timely as I chomped my way thru a bag of this stuff while I was reading a book over the weekend: http://www.angieskettlecorn.com
If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend! Very addictive. I love your blog…you are so endearing!
That’s funny because I never eat at night!
I love this site Joy! You are awesome! Midnight snacking is my guilty pleasure for sure. Popcorn with pizza seasoning & parmesan cheese. Mango ice cream bars. Ultra soft homemade sugar cookies rolled in powdered & granulated sugar. A cup of decaf coffee. Honey battered chicken tenders with bubbling brown cheese on top. Having complete control of the remote, a soft throw, my 80 pound puppy curled up next to me. Perhaps a good book? The house is oh so quiet. No wonder I don’t go to bed until 2 am!
You won! i’m so happy for you, and for having found your blog.
Joy, parabรฉns pelo prรชmio da revista Saveur!
:)
As someone who had to stop themselves from running to the store at 11:30pm to get supplies for Caprese sandwiches you didn’t need to put me on the bandwagon-I’m already there ;)
I’m such a midnight snacker too! Mmm.
I too am obsessed w/ mint green nail polish right now. Your chocolate dipped whole wheat pretzels are almost healthy so I think you can indulge in the midnight snackin’ as much as you please!
Dark Chocolate Dipped Whole Wheat Sesame Pretzel Rods LOOK really yammyy and interesting! I think I want to try and cook something like this!
AUGURI !!! CONGRATULATIONS JOY !!! CIN CIN !!!
For those who are a bit confused…JOY IS THE “WINNER BEST BAKING & DESSERTS BLOG, SAVEUR 2011” !!!! Yeah !! I’m so happy for you! :)
Abbraccione!! :D
FANTASTIC! We all know how fabulously amazing you are Joy but what a beautiful compliment to be recognized by Saveur- my FAVE food/culture magazine ever!!! Kudos and keep it coming, you bring smiles to our faces, warmth to our hearts and inspiration to our souls daily. Thank You!
Joy. You’re so awesome, and I love you. Like, a lot. A LOT a lot. And here’s the thing. I really want us to be friends. So I’m going to pour a little bit of my life into this post right now. I just graduated from college, like, two days ago. It’s kind of exciting, sure. But more terrifying. Realllly terrifying. And I’m trying to figure out where to go from here, and how to live a decently happy life, making sense of the little piece of chaos dealt to me. You know. Putting together pieces. Sometimes it’s hard, though, to know if I’m putting together puzzle pieces that fit, or I’m just totally taking scissors to those cardboard pieces and MAKING them fit. I guess what I’m saying is it’s scary being at this point; so many roads are open right now, and I’m just standing at the crossroads, looking out at the possibilities, SCARED TO DEATH TO MOVE BECAUSE OH GOD WHAT IF I CHOOSE THE WRONG ONE. Lawsie mercy. So here I am, just chilling out, and in the meantime I read your blog, and it brings a little bit of peace into my chaos. I love it and I love you and please don’t stop. Deal? Deal.
Meredith – I felt the EXACT same way about ten years ago. And I made the wrong choice several times…and had the best/worst/exciting/scary/amazing experiences because of it. Just don’t be afraid to try!
And I agree, this blog is one of the most lovely bits of cyberspace :)
That’s what I need to make tonight. Cookies. We’re having pizza, but cookies are more important. I know someone who says they burn chocolate chip cookies. I think they need some cookie love.
I will attempt your Molasses Chocolate Chip cookies. I love molasses, and I can make most cookies, but have had MAJOR issues making a good ch. chip cookie. So, I will try again!
Yummmmmm Molassess Choco chip coooookies…. going to make them since it’s such a rainy day. And I have a thang for China Glaze Caribbean Temptation 181 (Purple pearled PINK!) Makes me look tan :D
*hugs*
Joy,
The joy that you’ve brought me as I log into my computer at work early in the morning..Love your blog, love your recipes..it’s like reading an email from a friend. So thank you !!
Joy it is so much fun to peek into your world even when you aren’t baking. There is no other cooking blog that makes me feel this way. Cuddos.
A post about guilty pleasures… I love it!
Holy cow. I need those pretzel rods.
Joy, I am also a midnight snacker. It is probably a problem. Late night tv/movies = snacks. Or large amounts of pretzel M&M’s. But what I really have to comment on is the nail polish. It is also my obsession! If you haven’t tried it, I recommend Essie’s Mint Candy Apple!
As far as mint nail polish goes, American Apparel’s “Office” color is the jammiest jam, the bomb-est bomb. Try it out!
You always make me feel better about my snacking impulses… I respect a woman who isn’t afraid of ‘carbs’!! You’re my idol :o)
carb on carb on carb.
gainsville green! home of the florida gators?! BOO! im a proud seminole ;)
i am however in full support of midnight bourbon sipping and chocolatedipped pretzel snarfling.
I am wearing that same shade of nail polish, it’s pretty bad ass. It makes me think about mint chocolate chip ice cream every time I look at my fingernails.
I had to swear off snacking. For real it was causing problems. Honey roasted peanuts. Dry oatmeal mixed with peanut butter and dried cranberries (maybe a chopped up apple). Friggin cereal! It got kind of dangerous.
Those pretzel stick look beautiful. My midnight snacks tend to just involve hot buttered toast with a large slathering of marmite. There is something about marmite that makes it so perfect for a midnight snack!
– Ani xxxxx
I’ve never heard of peanut butter and apple before. Interesting. Might try that. I like crunchy peanut butter and prawn sandwiches made with granary bread. Heaven.
Anyone who believes that butter then cinammon sugar on top is the way to make Cinnamon Toast is sadly mistaken. The Pioneer Woman has the ultimate Cinammon Toast recipe. Its all about mixing the butter with the sugar and cinnamon and vanilla then spreading liberally on bread and only then do you put it under the grill. (I think in the US you say broiler?). Anyway I died and went to breakfast heaven the first time I made it!
I wasn’t too keen on midnight snacking…but I did have a craving for something tonight. I had tapioca pudding cups and chocolate pudding cups. I wanted both so I had them both at the same time. It was quite a combo. Thanks for letting me see that I’m not crazy for wanting snacks super late
There are times when all the snackage in the world is only just enough…. :-)
I’m also obsessed with that color nailpolish! Omg, sometimes I swear, it feels like your a long lost sister of mine! One that is a better baker than me. and prettier.
Almost time for a midnight snack! I really want to make kettle corn, how do you make it? any chance you could put up a recipe? please?
So many props for this, dark chocolate-dipped anything sounds so good right now!
You’ve got us all waiting with bated breath for your news Joy.
Oh girl, we are meant to be friends for sure. Peanut butter (reduced fat Jif is the only way to go – the texture is less goopy and more densely delicious) with apples is definitely my favorite pairing, especially after midnight. On special occasions, I break out the Triscuits… Teeny wheat sandwiches with creamy PB and crisp, juicy apples? HELL YES.
i adore hard boiled eggs with olive oil, cracked black pepper and sea salt. used to put butter on them which is good but olive oil is better. haven’t had them for a midnight snack though. i love cereal as a ‘bednight’ snack. fruit loops. love them!
I’m not much of a midnight snaker but those eggs sound delicious. I would never have thought of a combination like that.
I was missing your kitty cat :D
I’m with you on all accounts of your midnight snacking. Even the bourbon. Especially the bourbon.
Love your selection of midnight snacks! I’m part Italian and that’s how we eat hard boiled eggs, with olive oil, salt and pepper, but when they are still warm and even slightly mash them so that the oil goes through all of it. There are never any leftovers that make it to the frigde, but I bet they’re great cold the way you eat them too. Another snack I like is leftover pasta with red sauce ;)
Okay, I think I’m ready to leave my husband and my kids behind to be your roommate! I love midnight snaking!
Your cat is gloriously fuzzy.
hard boiled eggs with olive oil? you just blew my mind. adorable, adorable kitty.
Tell me more about how you make kettle corn. I’ve only had the premade stuff…do you have a recipe?
I adore your fingernail polish! Lovely!
Your cat looks like the kind of cat that is incredibly soft. Love him.
I am one of the WORST midnight snackers. Glad to hear I’m not the only one, Joy! Those chocolate pretzel rods sound delicious!
midnight snacking is my biggest vice! i, too, love minty green polish…i’ve been obsessed with essie’s mint candy apple, it so pretty and creamy like a green buttermint!
It all sounds delicious! Now, if I could only stay awake until midnight, I’d be up for all of it! Love your blog!
I used to LOVE kettle corn with drizzled melted chocolate. I love sweet and salty, but I like to err on the sweet side. My sweet tooth could take on kindergartners and win.
I love the font in your photos. I love your nail polish. I love your orange kitty. I LOVE your blog. I know this is a recipe blog (and your recipes are AH-MAH-ZIIIING!) but I come for the writing and the photos. They make me so happy, especially on a rainy day.
Joy, just a quick question! How do you get your photos to be arranged in all sorts of different ways like you did here? Like, side-by-side, different sizes, and so forth? thank you and can’t wait for your recipes :)
I am going to stay GLUED to my computer waiting for that chocolate pretzel recipe. Those look incredible. I’m so glad someone takes their midnight snacking seriously.
Just discovered your blog yesterday and am already addicted! Love you! But must ask, can grapes count as salad? Off to chase me some rainbows!
Avery
OK. Two things:
Bourbon. Bacon. Caramel. Popcorn.
https://www.dailycandy.com/los-angeles/article/96160/Bourbon-Bacon-Caramel-Popcorn-Recipe-Super-Bowl-Ideas
Also? I made and ate about 27 cookies this past weekend. Salads, please!
xo
I think you might just LOVE macadamia nuts tossed
With olive oil salt & fresh gr pepper!!! Natural
appetite suppressant too!
Oooops, then toasted
Love midnight snacking. And I *LOVE* kettle corn, but have never found a good recipe for it. Do you have one? Would you share? Just for us? Please? Pretty please? With a Luxardo cherry on top?
what’s even more addicting than kettle corn? Kettle corn with cinnamon and a bit of cayenne pepper! It starts out sweet and then gets hot, so you eat more to get rid of the heat, but then it gets hot again…..and on and on. Make kettle corn like normal and as soon as it is done sprinkle with cinnamon until well coated ( I use a ziplock) then add as much cayenne as you like (but remember it takes a bit to kick in!)
oh joy i just made some hand pies with cherries soaked in dark rum. so good.
we all get those weeks of bakers’ block. just watch food tv and you’ll get inspired.
I share your affinity for kettle corn.
I can’t wait to try bourbon + cherries.
I’m also obsessed with my mint green nails! (I’m wearing China Glaze Re-fresh Mint)
Those cookies sound like heaven to me…and I could use more salad ideas in my life ;) no judgement here!
What nail color is that!?!?? I neeeeeed to know.
Okay, apparently I am illiterate. You already answered my question! I’m going on a hunt.
How funny that’s my new favourite nail colour too! I JUST posted about it a week ago. It’s gorgeous isn’t it! So fresh and happy-looking
You are one busy woman! Go get ’em chica!
Midnight snacks are the best…hands down. So I am right there with you. Also I noticed you have been dabbling in gluten free recipes and I thought you might a blog called http://www.themixingbowldiary.com, she has amazing gluten free ideas and recipes, you might like to gander!
Is that the order in which you ate the snacks? Cherries are healthy, I hope you had many serves of bourdon and cherries:)
There is therapeutic about sitting on the kitchen floor in the dark with just the glow of the fridge light, scarfing some left over chocolate cake or pizza and washing it down with some chardonnay right from the bottle!!
A salad would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!
I meant to say… There is something therapeutic… DUH!
I made kettle corn on saturday night! (err… technically speaking, sunday morning). I can’t wait to try your maple bacon kettle corn version – maybe this weekend?
Those pretzels look soooo tasty. I just moved into a new apartment, and as such have not had time for real cooking. But midnight snacks I think I can (and will) do. Thanks for the inspiration, Joy!
wow. that really IS all fur…
please bring on the salad recipes… after baking birthday cakes, brownies and making tons of popcorn this week I need some detox, too.
Too funny. I JUST made the molasses cc cookies. And I have to say it again, BEST COOKIE EVER.
Hands down.
please, oh please, tell me what kind of polish that is! i’m really into mint, too and have been dying to find the perfect, pale, cool shade!
it’s called No Miss Nail Care, Gainsville Green. i got it at Whole Foods.
it makes my day knowing you buy your nail polish at whole foods.
thank you for being so awesome.
I adore all things mint green, but especially cello cases, Vespas, and kitchen appliances. Also, if I ever get into bourbon, it’ll probably be your fault.
I also love that nail polish! I love the idea of midnight snacks… but then again I love any snacks!
Midnight snacking rules. Midnight feasts were the biggest treat when I was a kid. Food just tasted so much better eaten at 3 am in the morning.
It’s time for bed here in the UK, coming up to midnight. School night too. Teeth brushed, ready for snooze time. Yet the boy and I have just snuck in illicit mouthfuls of a Orange and almond cake I made earlier. Lovely. I guess some things you never grow out of.
“umโฆ. Bourbon with Luxardo cherries. Incredible.”
In my early 20s, plenty of “dinners” were kettle one on the rocks with maraschino cherries. I admit to it :)
And I admit to stalking the recipe for your choc chip molasses cookies and when i am back home and not traveling, i will be making those!
Man, I know the need to eat salad right now! Good luck with the new project. Super-excited to hear all about it.
Bourbon! Tell me you’ve tried Woodford Reserve? It’s heaven…if heaven was bourbon.
extra delicious!
Woodford Reserve? Super duper extra delicious!
Cheers!
Coming from a KY girl, all bourbon is good. Especially 4 Roses, Woodford, & Makers.
i think your cat would rival mine in the for dept. for serious!
Yes. Agreed. With all of those things. Especially the bourbon and cherries. Not to enable further midnight snacking (not that there’s anything wrong with it), but can I suggest one more snack idea? Peanut butter cinnamon-sugar toast. Spread slice of bread with butter. Then pb. Then sprinkle on lots of cinnamon-sugar. Broil in toaster or regular oven until it gets all caramelized and crunchy and creme-brulee-y and heavenly.
You’re welcome.
Thank you!! Up late studying for finals and this is a small piece of heaven in the midst of it. :)
Oh man! The pb aspect of this idea is such an awesome spin on the regular old (but still oh-so-I-forget-how-good-every-time-delicious) butter with cinnamon-sugar. Also, I recently made the recipe for pull-apart bread formerly posted here, with the addition of orange zest to the cinnamon sugar, and the rest of that orangey cinnamon/nutmeg sugar goodness is just waiting to be smothered onto hot, crisp toast. Long post short, peanut butter and citrus make life better. Use ’em.
I am going to try that today, for tea. By the way how do you make cinnamon sugar and what is to broil??? (I’m English) then I will make it for tea. I generally eat piles of buttered toast for midnight munchings.
Ladychutney — mix granulated sugar and enough cinnamon in a little dish or bowl until the sugar turn a light brown. Then you sprinkle it on….everything!! And broiling is when your oven heats and cooks your food from a heating coil at the top instead of the bottom.
Chess – thank you. I shall go and mix some cinnamon sugar straight away. I wasn’t sure if I would have to put a stick of cinnamon bark in a jar for eons to make it. So simple and quick.
Broiling – ah – grilling (I think). Thank you very much.
Ladychutney – just another note on broiling the toast – it usually only takes about 5 minutes…the cinnamon sugar will start to melt and bubble, and it will all kind of turn the same color…just keep an eye on it so the toast doesn’t burn. (also don’t be too eager to eat it, wait a minute or two…sugar gets super hot…i’ve definitely burned my tongue on cinnamon sugar toast before!)
Thanks Hannah. I also love crunchy peanut butter and prawn sandwiches on Granary Bread. It’s a long time since I had one though. I might have to have a peanut butter and everything weekend.
YUMMY, I have to try pb & cinnamon!!! I normally eat cinnamon & honey toast ~ so delicous, but goodness I do love PB! ( Cinnamon sugar is approx equal parts cinnamon & sugar mixed together, if you go the honey root you don’t really need the sugar)