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Real Life Dinner

July 20, 2011 by Joy the Baker 191 Comments

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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.

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Before dinner can be made, dinner must be shopped for, dinner must be stood in line for.

I’m the girl that answers emails in line at the grocery store.  I just am.

I also wear sunglasses in the grocery store… it’s LA, and that’s totally allowed- if not encouraged.

 

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Groceries home.  I’m going to make salad-y things, and tomato-y things with mussels, herbs, and wine.

Real life:  I found an easy recipe on the internet.  I read it.  I bought the stuff, and I just want dinner (and wine time) to happen quickly.

Spicy Steamed Mussels with Garlic and Herbs.

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There’s chopping to be done, so I chop.  Leftover kielbasa, sliced garlic, and green onions.

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Directly behind me, my cat is rummaging around in the cabinet under the sink.

He’s learned how to open cabinet doors by himself.  He’s like that velociraptor in Jurassic Park.  Yes… that terrifying.  Don’t believe me?  Come live with me for a day.  It’s actually scary.

Anyhow… this animal opens my cabinet, rummages around, spills stuff onto the kitchen floor… stuff for me to trip over, then he saunters away.

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After chopping and slicing, these little bits get cooked in olive oil.

Heavy on the red pepper flakes.  Spicy spicetown.

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Fresh basil and thyme for the chopping.

I love to finish dinner with fresh herbs.  It makes me feel like I’ve turned my house into a restaurant… mostly because herbs make food taste better.

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Salad for dinner too!?

I’m incredibly civilized.  Don’t be fooled… I often have popcorn for dinner.  I made a salad because I had company over.  Casual company… but still company.

When you have company over.. you have to make a salad, right?

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Real life: I was too lazy to dig for my spatula so the sides of my pan are coated in tomato sauce.  Also… I totally burnt my first round of toast.  Like, hardcore.  Like, I almost set the house of fire burnt.  Black as the day is long.  And the day is long…. really long.

Joy the Baker burns toast.  This is a true fact.

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I’ve never made mussels before.  They seem like the kind of food that you only eat in restaurants.  Nope.  These are so easy and delicious.

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I tend to eat dinner alone and standing.  I hear it’s great for digestion.  Gravity and such.  No…  I totally don’t hear that.  Whatevs.

This time around, because I have company, I’m classing it up… we’re eating hunched over my tiny coffee table.

Not ideal, but I totally have linen napkins.

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Real life dinner done and delicious.

All thats left now are dishes, and leftovers… and dessert to rummage through the freezer for.

Spicy Steamed Mussels with Garlic and Herbs. I love this recipe!  It feels like Mario Batali cooked you dinner.  And I made it in about 25 minutes.  Major!  Oh… I added capers and kielbasa, and a bit of thyme instead of oregano.

ps.  I wish I could make  YOU dinner.  pps.  I love you.  ppps.  No biggie.

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Amanda

    February 19, 2012 at 7:54 am

    i hope no one ever tells my mother how often i eat popcorn for dinner. i think we could be friends.

    Reply
  2. Stacy

    September 1, 2011 at 11:43 am

    I just recently wandered into your lovely world here. You are astonishingly likeable!! Seriously, I hate everyone. Well, not hate maybe…but I am picky. I am glad you burn toast and that horrible lighting is a part of your life too. I am glad you are here telling us about it. I am glad I wandered over here. Thanks for doing this.

    Reply
  3. Lucia

    July 28, 2011 at 9:41 am

    Yesterday I fried eggplants. I was in a hurry, but I was also craving for something satisfying. I didn’t have breadcrumbs, only flour that got burnt and burnt oil. Eggplants were still delicious. I ate them with not-sliced tomato, just biting into its flesh. And some mayo, please. Real life dinner, this happens.

    Reply
  4. Jilly

    July 27, 2011 at 6:45 pm

    I’ve always wanted to make mussels, but get intimated about debearding them. Was it a pain?

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      August 30, 2011 at 5:44 pm

      my were already debearded. easy as pie!

      Reply
  5. Pip

    July 26, 2011 at 5:20 am

    Thank you, thank you for not pretending to have a real kitchen to cook in and a formal dining table to eat from. I’m glad I’m not the only one trying to make magic happen in a few square feet. Keep on, keepin’ on!

    Reply
  6. Lisette R.

    July 25, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    My husband and I are newlyweds and we eat on the coffee table right now. It’s nice, and romantic, and feels like the stuff you do when you first get married or get your first place before you get all adult and responsible and buy a dining table.

    Reply
  7. Holly

    July 25, 2011 at 11:24 am

    The first cat I had could open cabinets, turn on lights, and open the door (the inside door and the screen door). This cat also enjoyed climbing the curtains and walking on the ceiling rods, as well as climbing the neighbor’s tree outdoors and jumping to the top of their roof, for a better view of the neighborhood, I guess. One time it also attempted to walk ON THE CEILING–there were little claw marks in the white acoustic tile ceiling to prove it. The cat was smart and fearless. It also crawled into the dryer one day and no one knew it was in there and my mom turned it on, and so my first pet met its unfortunate demise. RIP Patches (that was her name). To this day, I always do a thorough check of the dryer and its contents before turning it on.

    Reply
  8. Beth

    July 25, 2011 at 10:39 am

    I love these photos! How’d you get that border? It looks fabulous.

    Reply
    • Sher Reen

      August 3, 2011 at 8:48 am

      Ditto the comment! Love the photos and curious about the cute as border! (:

      Reply
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The To-Do List can wait until after cookies, amiri The To-Do List can wait until after cookies, amiright? 
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Two Giant Peanut Butter Cookies⁣
(or four smaller cookies) ⁣
⁣
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted⁣
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed⁣
1 large egg yolk⁣
A splash of vanilla extract⁣
1/4 cup peanut butter⁣
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend⁣
1/4 teaspoon baking soda⁣
1/4 teaspoon salt⁣
Coarse sugar and/or sea salt for sprinkling, optional⁣
⁣
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. ⁣
⁣
I’m a medium bowl, whisk together warm melted butter and brown sugar. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the peanut butter and mix to combine. ⁣
⁣
Add the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together. Divide in two big portions (or four smaller portions) onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and salt if you’d like. ⁣
⁣
Bake two giant cookies for 12-14 minutes, or four cookies for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with cold milk.
You know those particularly messy sandwiches that, You know those particularly messy sandwiches that, when you pick up, you know you can’t put down until they’re good and gone? These Milk and Cereal Bars are the ice cream version of that sensation. So crunchy creamy sweet, with a hint of salt and spice. ⁣
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Full recipe linked in the bio!
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