I have a real life.
I know… epic. ย You have a real life too. ย 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. ย It’s imperfect and blurry. ย It’s messy and florescent. ย It’s crooked and underexposed.
It’s quiet… with the occasional solo dance party. ย It’s awkward. ย It’s sometimes frustrating. ย It’s often times blessed. ย There’s a lot of food in this life of mine… and it’s not always in focus. ย It’s just not.
For some reason, I think it’s important that you know this.
Can I show you dinner? ย Real life… I made this at 7pm in my poorly lit kitchen… and ate it off the coffee table… dinner.
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. ย I just am.
I also wear sunglasses in the grocery store… it’s LA, and that’s totally allowed- if not encouraged.
Groceries home. ย I’m going to make salad-y things, and tomato-y things with mussels, herbs, and wine.
Real life: ย I found an easy recipe on the internet. ย I read it. ย I bought the stuff, and I just want dinner (and wine time) to happen quickly.
Spicy Steamed Mussels with Garlic and Herbs.
There’s chopping to be done, so I chop. ย Leftover kielbasa, sliced garlic, and green onions.
Directly behind me, my cat is rummaging around in the cabinet under the sink.
He’s learned how to open cabinet doors by himself. ย He’s like that velociraptor in Jurassic Park. ย Yes… that terrifying. ย Don’t believe me? ย Come live with me for a day. ย 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.
After chopping and slicing, these little bits get cooked in olive oil.
Heavy on the red pepper flakes. ย Spicy spicetown.
Fresh basil and thyme for the chopping.
I love to finish dinner with fresh herbs. ย It makes me feel like I’ve turned my house into a restaurant… mostly because herbs make food taste better.
Salad for dinner too!?
I’m incredibly civilized. ย Don’t be fooled… I often have popcorn for dinner. ย I made a salad because I had company over. ย Casual company… but still company.
When you have company over.. you have to make a salad, right?
Real life:ย I was too lazy to dig for my spatula so the sides of my pan are coated in tomato sauce. ย Also… I totally burnt my first round of toast. ย Like, hardcore. ย Like, I almost set the house of fire burnt. ย Black as the day is long. ย And the day is long…. really long.
Joy the Baker burns toast. ย This is a true fact.
I’ve never made mussels before. ย They seem like the kind of food that you only eat in restaurants. ย Nope. ย These are so easy and delicious.
I tend to eat dinner alone and standing. ย I hear it’s great for digestion. ย Gravity and such. ย No… ย I totally don’t hear that. ย 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.
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! ย It feels like Mario Batali cooked you dinner. ย And I made it in about 25 minutes. ย Major! ย Oh… I added capers and kielbasa, and a bit of thyme instead of oregano.
ps. ย I wish I could make ย YOU dinner. ย pps. ย I love you. ย ppps. ย No biggie.
191 Responses
i hope no one ever tells my mother how often i eat popcorn for dinner. i think we could be friends.
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.
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.
I’ve always wanted to make mussels, but get intimated about debearding them. Was it a pain?
my were already debearded. easy as pie!
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!
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.
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.
I love these photos! How’d you get that border? It looks fabulous.
Ditto the comment! Love the photos and curious about the cute as border! (:
We eat in the living room, because the dining room table is often too covered in papers and what not to eat at.
From one awkward baker to another…your blog is too delightful!
I totally love your blog. And I love the way you talk…I talk this way to myself in the kitchen all the time. I could practically hear your voice. Or what your voice sounds like in my head anyways. I coffee-table most every night except when I have company..and come to think of it, yes I do serve salad when I have company. It’s the law I think. :) Keep cookin’ and talkin’. I like it!!
Our cat opens the bathroom door (it’s a knob, not a lever) and opens all the kitchen drawers too. It got so bad that we considered child-proofing everything below waist level. Now we have a kid so we’ll just child-proof for her and keeping the cats out will be a bonus!
Personally, I think dinner tastes waaaaay better sitting on the floor around the coffee table with the huge pillows!
I feel your pain. We had just one cat that knew how to open cabinet doors; she’s been in and out of the cabinets for months and we always knew if she wasn’t readily visible, she was under the kitchen sink. Our two other cats never cared to venture into cabinets and we were fine with that, since the cabinet monster has particularly delicate feet and managed to go in and out regularly without disturbing a thing. Then we adopted two kittens . . . and they really like the cabinet monster and she really likes them in return and she’s taught them how to open cabinet doors. And now we have wrestling kittens spilling out of our cabinets at all hours of the day. Plus, they’ve taken over other cabinets–I found them sleeping in my biggest mixing bowl just yesterday. I told my husband we made need a second kitchen; one for the cats and one for me.
You have given me the confidence to make mussels at home. I’ve been telling my husband I want to make them! I always order them when we go out!
You done good. Skillz foe shure. I’ll just check the mail for my dinner invite.
Casual company has nice forearms :)
Joy, is that table from Ikea?? Lark, I think it’s name is? We have the same coffee table!! And matching end tables, if you have them too. I love mussels, this sounds delish! I will def try it out!
MMMMmmmmm, mussels :) So easy and sooosss delicious as long as they don’t have any grit in. I’ve had gritty mussels before and they are HORRIBLE! Yours look gorgeous Joy :)
My cat does this with doors/cabinets as well. I never made the velociraptor (sp?) connection until this moment. It’s terrifying until I realize that he’s only getting into the cabinets to sleep on my towels…and not to devour me or trap me in ovens.
MMMMMM – looks absolutely delicious… and oh! what do we have here?….so….the nice hands fellow again huh? I see how you do Joy. I see how you do.
hahahahahhahaaa!
I totally understand the toast thing. I’m a fairly accomplished home cook, training at an accredited culinary school and doing quite well. I have always, and still do, have issues with two things: toast and cheese dip. Burn city.
I’d love it if you could make dinner for me too! I’ll supply booze and dessert…:)
I had to smile while reading this post. We eat dinner every night at our little coffee table. It’s just more comfortable than the dining table.
And… our kitty… well, he’s learned how to open the sliding screen door. He’s an inside kitty, plus we live on the second floor of a duplex. The balcony’s not really the safest place for him to hang out – the little stinker!
Sometimes real life dinners happen, and sometimes they’re fantastic. I just made a really good portobello-spinach pasta with red wine sauce and parmesan, which also sounds fancy but is really easy and comforting – the equivalent of your mussels! Your realness is what makes you fantastic, don’t stop being you :)
can’t stop won’t stop.
AWESOME Jurassic Park reference. When you said your cat had learned to open doors, in my head I was thinking “just like the raptors in jura…OH MY GOSH she just made the same reference I was about to make.” Love it.
LOVE!
I wish I could make you dinner too sweetie! How much fun would that be?
joy of joys!!!!
Ah yes, the SHORT haired cat. Or are you still too embarrassed to talk about it?
Haha- I do not enjoy mussels, however I read every word of your post anyways ;) So funny. I now want a cat, will no longer feel like a lost has been movie star when I wear my sunglasses in the grocery store, and doesn’t everyone check their email in line?? Either that, or flip through People magazine without buying it.
Joy,
Thank you for your imperfections. We all have them. We should ALL show them off. It would make the world a better place if more people would stop trying to look cool and just be their own imperfect selves. Way to go, starting a new fad… Trendsetter.
xxoo,
buffy
My cat used to open the freezer and drop stuff out of it while I was in the kitchen. Then he learned how to undo the childproof locks on cabinets…no good!
PS That Inovacion wine is super yum! I have a bottle chilling in my fridge as we speak…and I think it’s calling my name!
Joy – I think our cats are related. Its not the looks so much, but the behavior. Velociraptor describes it pretty well. Does your cat like fruits and vegetables too?
Anyway, that dinner looks wonderful and I’m making it this weekend! Wish I could make YOU dinner!
my cat opens my kitchen cabinets too…he’s kind of a monster
This is absolutely lovely. Real life is beautiful :)
I love mussels…made some recently with thai green curry, yummo! https://www.littleacorncooks.com/2011/06/green-curry-mussels.html
I hear you on the coffee table. We live in a townhouse which was built without the builders having thought “where will these occupants eat?” We eat at the coffee table. Every night.
I have never made mussels before either but I love to eat them when we’re out! I had the best ones served over a slightly sweet sake-coconut-curry sauce at a Mediterranean Restaurant in Park City. Now, I’m more motivated to try making them at home. Thank you Joy!
I just realized that my newish kitten looks very much like yours! I put him in my bedroom for a timeout and he squoze back out through the 2-inch crack under the door. I had to check him over to see if he’d dislocated a hip or anything, but he was fine.
I thought I was the only one who wrote ‘salad stuff’ (so non-specific) on grocery lists! And, cats are so funny. I can just imagine him rummaging around in there very industriously … but, WHY?
Cats all have their own agendas that we humans are not privy to!
If the rest of the man looks as good as his hands i’m jealous….
just saying.
Awesome recipe Joy. Wish i liked mussels.
Mussels were never on my radar. Now they are. Thanks!
My kitten does the same but in the bathroom.. and takes Q-Tips from the bag and then pulls off the cotton and leaves the sticks hidden around the house! hahaha
I’ve never tried mussels but if you made them, I’d def eat them. :) Looks yum yum!
I wish you could make me dinner too. You and your real life are awesome.
Party on! Looks like your last-minute meal was fabulous. Company too! (oh yeah)
This recipe looks yummy…I only wish I like mussels.
Finally, a picture of the newly groomed kitty…he looks just fine .
No surprise he has learned to open the cabinet…cats just do that kind of stuff. My very first cat learned to open the refrigerator. He loved to cruise the shelves but of course never learned how to close the door.
I rememebr coming home one day from work and the frig door was wide open and the small roasted chicken I had made for dinner the previous evening was gone…yep, he had consumed the whole thing and licked the plate under the stove…to be found a week later. I had to take to putting a bungy cord on the handle to keep the door from being opened. Such fond kitty memories!
Good luck with the owner of those sexy hands & knee!
Ps. I love you too, which is a bit weird ;)
In France a man in a shop told me off because I was wearing sun glasses indoors!….he said that’s very Italian…and I am!!! :) btw I’d love LOVE love to have you making my dinner…that would be fun!
Mmmmmm mussels for dinner and muscles for dessert ; )
That’s exactly what I was thinking! Mmmm, I love muscles. Oh, er, mussels. Oh who am I kidding…
Why Joy the Baker, I have that coffee table too! And I totally had to go buy that coffee table off Craigslist because I kept having “company” over for dinner and although I was also wowing him with the foods, eating over the even tinier end table (that used to be a footstool until it lost its cushion) was just not working for “company” who was 6 feet tall. Me, I’m 5-2, I hunch easily.
I got to marry the company a few weeks ago. We still eat over the same coffee table. It’s a great coffee table, is what I’m sayin’, full of potential.
This looks very delicious!
Who’ll come with tea was. What marshmallows? Good.
I’m following you now, I hope you follow me too! xx
Your real life looks just as awesome and inspiring as your other (less real? more stylized?) life, Joy. And how do I know this? I was drooling over the computer screen this morning with my coffee and didn’t hear my boyfriend come up behind me. His words upon seeing the mussels: “we’re totally making that.”
Even your real life is cool Joy!
ps- I love his hands ;)
Isn’t it funny how many of us have already judged your guy to be equally as yummy as your food based on a single photo of his hands? LOL! And I thought I was the only one with an attraction to well kept man hands/arms :)
I… um… like the watch he’s wearing.
Oh, and the mussels too. :-)
Wish I could join you for dinner! Looks delicious
Looks so yummy! A meal of mussels with lemon, garlic & butter is one of my faves so I must try it with capers and kielbasa. Also, what’s up with cats setting people up to trip? The outside cat that decided it adopted me tripped me Monday and I did a face plant off the back door stairs. Must be all that gratitude for, you know, food and vet trips.
You are the bomb. I’ve been following quietly for a while, baking things from your kitchen, but too shy to leave a comment. I’m a wildlife biologist who lives in my tent most the year without means for a kitchen, so when I have one (for the next two weeks) I bake like mad – like yesterday, I made your strawberry-banana bread with browned butter and it was incredible. You also inspired me to make isreali couscous for lunch today. Now I’m going to make you rosewater from the petals I picked in Alaska so I can make the cardamom-rosewater milkshake. Goodnight :).
thank you for saying hello claire! you’re baking up a storm! i love it!
The comparison of your cat to the velociraptor from Jurassic Park just made my day perfect. Thank you for your amazing blogs!
Veloci-Cat FTW.
I can’t be bothered to take my sunglasses off for a trip into the grocery store. In the summer. But in winter… they come off. That’d just be crazy.
I was aching for something buttery & garlic-y…
Love love your description of real life. And dinner looks awesome
My cat has figured out how to open cabinet doors also. He has dragged an 8 pound bag of cat food out for a midnight snack. He also know how to open drawers and has been found rummaging in my purse! Not sure what he is looking for…….:)
I love reading your posts. They make my day, everyday.
:)
Joy, you are the realest (word?) person I’ve come across in a long time. I love your conversational writing style and of course, the recipes are always to die for. p.s. With hands like those, he’s probably a keeper. :)
Ditto. Joy is awesome and real. Really awesome. And yeah… those hands don’t lie :)
You have a great life!
I liked seeing a few pieces of your real life. It makes me feel better about the messy, burnt, last minute parts of my life!
Psss. The arms and the knee with the cute napkin look like they are totally worth making a no biggie dinner for. Yum! I bet the mussels were good too..
hmmmm. and like you keep saying ‘company’ like never saying ‘ fella in my kitchen ‘ – be none of our business. who you kidding ? that be a boy in your kitchen. No wonder you did linen. Smart girl.
i ain’t no fool!
Bad lighting and all…it still looks fabulous! I love mussels!
Luved the way u have written this :)
Yeah, I wish you could totally make me dinner too!! Mussels are my fav!!!
Dinner looks amazing! It is so nice to have a nice, relaxing dinner with friends, and not have to go through the fuss of 10 different items on the table. Keep it sweet, keep it simple, keep it relaxing, and make sure you have salad and your kitty under your feet, while you’re having dinner. One pot wonders, are always a winner!
Mussels yummy!! Your post made me laugh and smile! Thanks!!
I love you and wish you could make me dinner, too. Or I wish my mom could make you dinner because she never fails to disappoint. I make the dessert. And then it eat all. Awk.
Love Mussels!Try them in a thai curry really Yum!Keep having a life as we love you blog!!
Cooking for or with friends is the best. When you have a cat though, you never eat alone. Velociraptors indeed!
(Looks like a lovely real-life dinner, btw)
I love the reminder about having a real life. I had the same thought this morning!
I love mussels! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Now only if the boyfriend liked mussels, too. But hey, maybe I’ll just have to bite the bullett one day and eat dinner by myself. Standing up. At the kitchen counter. That sounds kind of nice. I like your real life. And your real life dinner food. This makes me want to have a friend like you. Someone who loves cooking and eating. Be my friend, will you?
Your real life looks lovely! And I’m salivating over your mussels … and I’ve been a vegetarian for long enough that I shouldn’t! Good think I live in Montana and any mussels that might be available wouldn’t be … um … mussels I’d want to eat?
I wish you could make me dinner too :)
mmmm i love mussels!! can i come over for dinner? :D
mmmm i love mussels!! can i come over for dinner? :D
make me dinnerrrrrrrrrr!!! I love you too!! =P =)
My cat is always going in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. Sometimes he quietly go up to the cabinet as if he thinks there’s a monster or something in there. Okay he’s a little nuts but then most cats are.LOL
Your cat gets cuter every time I see him.
Looks like he’s recovered nicely from his near-death popcorn wine related haircut icident. :) It’s so nice to know you can have something delicious very quickly, isn’t it? Last night for dinner I had In N Out cheeseburger, and every fry in the box (while on the 134 home from Pasadena), and then came home and invented S’moremoas with girl scout cookies from the wayback of the fridge. And it was awesome. But very very sad, compared to your lovely mussels!!!
Best line of this post, hands down: “Joy the Baker burns toast. This is a true fact.”
Okay, the dinner looks awesome, but I’m a knitter, and I’m totally distracted by your skirt – is that hand-knit? It looks like it…. it also looks absolutely beautiful, btw ^_^
All cats are out to get us!
Between walking between your legs when you’re at the top of the stairs and this >> https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-glBCgR0N2sk/TV0d-59HewI/AAAAAAAAAHI/2Nit0-zKK4I/s1600/1277334224077.jpg
And sleeping on your face for that matter! =D
Yay for cute dinner dates at home. :D
I have a cabinet cat too! I took advantage of her skills and now keep the litter box under the bathroom sink. It really works. Try it.
Yum!
My cats open cabinets, go in and knock stuff over, then exit and shut the door behind them. For real.
Totally true – you do have to make salad when you have company. And you put it in a separate bowl and everything. It’s like salad-rules.
we totally have the same living room rug. totally. and i’m a big fan of recipes online… that’s how i found you! xo
Love the Kitteh Kat – i have two calico girls, yes double trouble,what was i thinking!
Your article today was happy and makes me want to do the very same thing this evening except i need to find a man hmmmmmm – thanks for writing such fun stuff and keep us posted on “the man” we wanna hear more details on that! LOL
Ciao Bella
hooray for real life! hooray for mussels! hooray for dude with the nice hands!
I can see lettuce and lemons and avos etc. Where do you find Real food in America? My husband went to California for a month and said it was really hard to find real food, and if I go with him next time I NEED to know where the real food is. (He is a man and I doubt he looked hard.) Help?
I really appreciate the real-life-ness of this. Not everything is pretty and picture perfect. Real life, as you said, is messy, and quick, and delicious. :)
Real life was very much enjoyed!! sorry about the toast…I guess we are all human! At least you didnt carry out for dinner….that would have been my lazy way out
“Iโve never made mussels before. They seem like the kind of food that you only eat in restaurants. Nope. These are so easy and delicious.”
Ive never made them either and glad to hear they’re easy. One day maybe I can pull them off!
And wearing sunglasses in stores is also quite common here in San Diego, too :)
I’m jealous your life consists of mussels. I don’t have friends that enjoy seafood. Can you imagine that? NONE OF MY FRIENDS LIKE SEAFOOD!!! My husband only like a little. Me? I love it. So I have to love it all by myself which isn’t the same (which is just like sex when you think about it)…
Your the best. Real life dinner for me if I lived alone would consist of Cereal or Eggs and Toast. In fact I declare one night a week a free for all night so I can have my eggs and toast. Loving the mussel idea though. Ps- my can can open cupboards also- he’s sneaky which is weird cus he weighs 20lbs.
Thanks for the post- your blog always makes me happy- and I was having a very unhappy day!
I just love your blog. The recipes but also your photos, your words an your humour…your mussels look quite delicious!
i know that velociraptor! (is that how you spell velociraptor?) and it still gives me nightmares. i can picture little jules opening up a cabinet. all you see is her paw from the other side. classic. thanks for having a real life. oh. and i want a kitty. YOUR kitty. muah. ha. ha.
kidding.
Haha sunglasses in the grocery store, so cool!
Real life IS life and that’s what I love in your post! It’s comforting and truly appreciable because a dinner like yours is full of conviviality.
Whew! I’m glad you have a real life. I was starting to feel bad about eating bread and butter for dinner for three nights in a row. :)
My husband’s grandma always told him to eat standing up. You can eat more because the food goes to your toes! Ha! Ha! She was a funny lady and very missed.
you just make me smile! i love your posts and your tidbits of life … i helps me to remember that those simple, crazy, life-normalizing moments are most special because their ours …
p.s. … my 5 – year-old is addicted to recipes off of your site. anytime he wants something sweet as a treat, it’s “lets see joy baker … she has something yummy!”
high praise from my little man … =)
i love this lisa!!
It sounds great, but I live far, far away from any fresh seafood. I can’t imagine what mussels from my middle American grocery would taste like. Bleh. At any rate, Yay! for having a life! Woot!
Mussels are amazing.
Cook them with some onions, garlic, cream and a little bit of white wine and a massive chunk of French baguette. Absolutely fantastic.
My cat likes to cause trouble in my kitchen too. He doesn’t clean up after himself either.
Popcorn for dinner – I try to do it once a week at most. (air popped with REAL butter, and salt, mmmmmm) Way back when I was young and had my first apartment, I had a financial crisis, and had to eat popcorn for dinner for a week. You’d think that would have made me never want popcorn again. But, it didn’t.
Isn’t it fun working with something you’ve never made before ? Yours turned out beautifully from what I can tell. And yes, company REQUIRES a salad. Company, therefore, makes one healthier. What a nice friend-confirmation.
I love mussels so much and my local indoor market sells them for dirt cheap…dinner tonight? Maybe. Love the cat….
I am so glad you are real. I was beginning to wonder if you live in Disney World. I especially like that you are capable of taking pictures without the flooding of wonderful sunny lighting. I love you more for this post. x
I always say my kitten (cat, just can’t let go of the kitten stage, plus, she’s tiny) is a little velociraptor!
And yes, you always have to make a salad to go with dinner when you have company, even if you never make salad as a side for yourself. It’s written somewhere; I’m sure of it.
Looks delicious! :)
That man has gorgeous legs and hands. Marry him. And by all means keep feeding him. :))))
You wrote EXACTLY what I was thinking…gorgeous!
working on it!
I can’t quite explain it, but this post made me very happy…. I also have to make this recipe this week… it has to happen. I still need to make your Bourbon BBQ sauce, because I’ll win major points with the man.
I feel the need to go and cook now. Thanks for the recipes Joy! Your blog always makes me happy.
Yeah, groceries shopped for…I have week-old strawberries that were supposed to be pie, mocking me in my fridge ‘cuz my oven died. My cat likes to open cupboards & roam around, too, so I’m the only person I know with cat-proof locks on my cabinets. Not as high-tech as kid locks, nope, just rubber bands over the knobs…just enough to deter the cat.
When we moved to this house, we didn’t have space for both a coffee table and a dining table and I thought “man, I won’t miss a dining table. Coffee table FTW” of course, now, I completely miss having a dining table and it is a non-negotiable term that for our next abode we have to have space for a dining table. No ifs, no buts!
I also love that your real life dinner is mussels. My real life dinner is a quickly thrown together pizza. And, yeah, I also make salad when guests come over. Everyone takes some just to look polite and healthy but no one ever eats it. Ever. I have lettuce-phobes for friends.
ohh we just moved into an older house with a 3 ft long nook by 2ft. no joke! no room for a table at all. I thought same thing oh we’ll just eat in the living room no biggie. Yeah next house will have the biggest dining room possible!!!!
I want you to make me dinner too. I kind of love you.
I love the (what I can only guess is a) handsome manly man with the paisley-printed, linen napkin over his knee. It’s fab!
oooooohh! i have never had mussels but they always look so yummy.. i need to go somewhere closer to the ocean and far away from this heat and find them and attempt to cook this in my hotel room. i could use the iron as a burner… that would totally work right?
You are just darling. Congrats on having a life.
I had to put rubber bands around the handles of my cabinets because my cats kept opening them.
This is the all time best cooking blog post ever. EVER! Because it is real. I like the behind the scenes/back story. It makes me feel better. Because I can never figure out how some of the food blogs can be done in real time/real life. And then it makes for a love/hate relationship. And I don’t quite believe them. I always believe you. You keep it real. You should have a cooking show for exactly that reason.
Your dinner looks tasty! Velocicat = better than television.
my dog opens doors…my husband taught her, it makes me crazy!
salad with dinner makes you feel like you’re being an adult…it’s just a fact. even if you are eating hunched over your coffee table. i do this all the time, i admit it.
those mussels look classy…and i always burn the toast!
I just love the conversational way you make the exotic into everyday deliciousness. Thank you, you never fail to make me smile. And uh I am so trying this mussel recipe!
I totally love this post. We usually have our dinner on the sofa, watching tv/films. Unless company is round of course. That’s how you live life.
I can’t eat mussels (allergic) but I sure would enjoy the salad and the wine! :) Your kitty is very clever learning to open your cabinet doors. Bet he was going crazy smelling the mussels cooking! :)
My cat not only knows how to open the cupboards, but the outside door too. I have met so many neighbors because of his escapades…they think he’s cute, but that’s just his cover! Now I just stake him outside like a dog, he’s happy, trust me.
I love mussels. I love to make mussels. I love to make mussels for people. Because I can have them ready in 30 minutes even when I find out you’re coming for dinner because we need to catch up and you don’t want to cook. I love making mussels because they are simple, quick and seemingly sophisticated. I love making mussels because it’s another chance to cook with wine, garlic, cream, spice, and of course, fresh herbs. I love making mussels because they make you feel like you’re the Audrey Hepburn of hostessing.
I don’t like mussels but I LOVE the post!!!
i’ve hosted many dinners sitting on the floor at my coffee table/standing at the kitchen counter. just got a dining room table though! exciting!
Even your “real life” dinners are glamorous and beautiful :) my “real life” dinners often consist of frozen vegetables and mac-n-cheese!
i made myself a box of mac and cheese the other night for dinner. don’t be fooled.
I remember those “coffee table dinner” days. I wish I’d had your recipe last week. We were in Nova Scotia & PEI where mussels are everywhere. I love the fact that mussels are part of your “real life”.
My cat has also taught himself how to open the kitchen cabinets. Often, I come home and find him sleeping on top of our cutting boards. It’s a problem.
It takes my cat a good 10 minutes to open one cabinet door. He’s a bit slow on the uptake, but it keeps him busy I guess. And don’t let me get started about him trying to push the door open to get out…it’s a sad sight.
Ok, Joy, fess upโฆwho’s the boy!? He definitely has nice-looking hands ;) Love how you innocently snuck in that photoโฆshowing just enough for us to know that it was a guy!
I love your real life! I would love to be able to eat off the counter or coffee table again. You’re an inspiration to us all.
Your real life dinner looks delicious!! I’ve only eaten mussels at a restaurant but I’ll have to try this recipe. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one eating dinner at my coffee table. :-)
My cat has not learned how to open cabinets – yet. He has terrified me by opening the bathroom door while I was in the shower though! Sneaky kitties!
Joy, I have friends over and eat off my coffee table too! Also, can you tell people here in D.C. that it’s okay to wear your sunglasses to a grocery store? ‘Cuz they think its weird. And I’m much too lazy to take off my sunglasses.
The recipe looks amazing! I just might have to make it when I have friends over soon :)
First time commenting but I have been following you for awhile. I just had to share something and this is going to blow your mind….I have the same pad of paper hanging on my fridge to keep track of grocery stuff.
PPPPS: I love you too. Is all good.
Also, I regularly hosted a Tuesday Night Dinner that brought four friends to my house, and the five of us, plus a dog, would elegantly dine around…my coffee table. Whatevs, it’s memories, man. I love that coffeetable. It knows some secrets, yo.
Joy! I almost burned my house down yesterday because I was trying to make breakfast, watch the Bachelorette, and read food blogs all at the same time. Thanks for being real- totally appreciate it.
p.s. this looks good.
Must show us more of the boy attached to those hands!
And Janet, you made me laugh with this: “they might find me milling about the tomatoes, those stripey zebra ones in a big hat and ubiquitous sunglasses.” I know what you mean, but now I’m picturing really cool tomatoes wearing big hats and glamorous sunglasses.
I think your cat and my cat should get together and go bowling. I actually had to put child-proof latches on mine so Diego wouldn’t get under the kitchen sink cabinet and into the chemically-stuff.
Bravo on dinner. It looks absolutely INCREDIBLE and if it makes you smile, my boyfriend and I have “floor picnics” just about every evening though I have the most incredible new table from Cost Plus World Market. Yep, we love sitting on the floor to eat whatever “Joy the Baker” recipe I made for him.
Yep, that is how we roll.
Sexy hands. ;D
That’s a BOY!!!!!!! =)
Come to Baltimore and we will have dinner together. And we can shop wearing our sunglasses too.
thank you for this post. we eat on the couch even when i cook fancy dinners, and it’s nice that you are a real person too. :)
Ha! I just dropped my boss a note that I was sick today because I am and I work really hard. You caught my attention yet again and I remembered, it’s Santa Monica and it’s Wednesday! If any of my co-workers looked hard enough they might find me milling about the tomatoes, those stripey zebra ones in a big hat and ubiquitous sunglasses.
I feel better already. Thanks for another beautiful pick-me-up!
I love mussels, I eat them all the time!! They are cooked in munutes. You have fancy dinner in minutes!!
Wine, crusty bread and mussels. I don’t need anything else, just keep them coming (and keep pouring).
Omg! Sorry that’s the only word on my mind right now!
This dish looks absolutely amazing and I love mussels. Can I come over with a vanilla bean pound cake with a vanilla syrup and a vanilla glaze in exchange for that amazing dinner?
I wish you could make me dinner, too.
I am embarrassed to admit this, but last night my dinner consisted of canned biscuits, followed by some Uncle Ben’s rice out of a box. Just did not feel like shopping or cleaning up the kitchen to really cook.
Your cat is one of the prettiest cats I’ve ever seen!
I’m just SO glad you didn’t say “anyhoo.” You made my day.
Mussels are wonderful, especially for real life. Easy, quick and delicious for real life.
Try these next time you’re feeling sea-y. (??) don’t ask.
https://bevcooks.com/2011/05/mussels-in-cream-shallots-and-herbs-oh-my/
When I was a kid I had a cat who learnt to open the fridge by himself… go figure the next step for yours!
We had to put elastic luggage to the door to have something left to eat different than vegetables and fruit. I love your casual dinner for two.
Martina
You can’t just show boy hands wearing that fancy watch and not give more to go on.
I mean… you can, but it’s not enough. Know what I’m sayin?
Oh, and mussels. Yes. I want some crazy fantastic dinner tonight, instead of my pb&j.
i know.. totally rude. i’ll give you more boy details soon!
Good to know I am not the only one who burns toast! LOL! Yummy looking dinner, I just might be brave and try mussels at home now!
Your real life dinners are pretty damn classy! But wait, a little tiny bit of effort and dinner can be classy in a snap. Fresh herbs can pep up anything! You are a sweetie!
A cat that opens cupboards – too funny! The cat’s haircut looks good by the way. You did a fine job!
my husband’s a vegetarian and i’ve been with him for 14 years, so i’ve never cooked meat or seafood. this looks so grownup!
We have nine indoor cats. At least four of them also open cabinets. And pantry doors (the folding kind). One of them can even get a pull drawer open. I hear you on the “terrifying” bit. (:
If my “real life” dinner included a Whole Foods and mussels I’d be a happy camper :)
Oh Joy…. We all love that you are YOU and only you! ….Dinner looks great and your guest is lucky! Your cat is lucky; he’s cute and has a great momma who documents his cuteness for the world to see! :)
…You’re a class act Joy! You burn toast A-N-D have steamed mussels for dinner = [singing the word] “c-l-a-s-s-a-y”! ;o)
…And your dinner guest there is that is that cute guy that you featured some time ago, isn’t it? Go ahead, tell us, isn’t it? *wink*wink*nudge*nudge* Mmmm hmmm… :o)
…The photo of the red sauce is just divine! Makes me long for pasta, salad, bread and it’s only 10 am…and it’s 450 degrees outside…ugh…*sigh*
…Thank you Joy! Enjoy your day!
…Blessings :o)
My cat totally does the same thing with the cabinet doors. He can also open drawers. When he reallty wants to “help” me, he’ll open them all for me while I’m at work and pull the onions out. So I come home to him sleeping on top of the fridge with all of the lower cupboards and drawers open, onions rolling all over the apartment.
ps. I totally burn my toast on purpose. It’s crazy delicious with extra butter. noms.
Real Life Joy seems like a pretty cool chick to me. :)
hehe sounds like my cat.. I ended up putting child locks on my cabinet doors to prevent her from opening them. It has worked.
Dinner looks Yummy!! I Love mussels!!
I wear glasses in the grocery store too. Usually it’s because I was too lazy to put on make-up. Never have made mussels either, so going to try this. Thanks!
An amazing real life dinner! I just tried mussels or the first time in a beer battered broth! And what? You ave a life outside making us drool?
It’s patient boy’s hands!!! I’m totally “awwww”ing over here.
We eat everything off our coffee table, it just tastes better that way. This is such a grown up meal though – it even involves cutlery! Looks super delicious though and I don’t usually like seafoody stuff.
I love that your version of an “real life dinner” is mussels. I’m super impressed. Mine is totes pasta. Even if I am eating with company. If I’m feeling fancy, maybe some veggies are included. I’d be company at your dinner any time!
joy :):)
You burnt the toast.:)You made my day:)