Hello friends!
Welcome. Let’s call it another Sunday and take a good deep breath about it.
I hope you found some small ways to go easy on yourself this week. For me that has meant leaving the dishes in the sink for a while because I’m just deeply uninterested in washing them, again and then again.
The gardenias have bloomed in my backyard and perfume the air. They’re such a gift, especially considering they grow in spite of my lacking and lax gardening skills.
A solid hour of youtube videos has taught me how to braid my hair in one of those cute crown braids. Is it good? It’s getting there. I’m still counting it as a small victory.
I hope this week finds you healthy and well. The offering is below. Take what you’d like. Find a craft and something good to listen to if nothing else. I’m so glad you’re here!
• There’s a lot of news out there that makes me worry but this piece felt more informative than just straight fear-inducing: The Infection That’s Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients. (The New York Times)
• Consider this: America’s Heroism Trap (Slate)
• Maybe you need these thoughts: How To Celebrate Birthdays Now. Have you celebrated a birthday recently? How’d you do it? (The New York Times)
• Everyone is baking. (The Hustle)
• This week I’ve flooded myself with podcasts and audio books. Maybe there’s something here you need:
Brene Brown’s new podcast: Unlocking Us. (the first episode had some helpful words in it).
How to Go Easy On Yourself in a Pandemic on the podcast 10 Precent Happier.
Glennon Doyle’s Untamed is food for the soul.
• You can take your mind of things with other people’s drama unless this is you: I Wanted to Feel Athletic and Hot I Dated an Awful Jock. (The Cut)
• I’ve mentioned it before but it’s worth repeating, Melissa Martin’s first cookbook Mosquito Supper Club is such a thoughtful and heartfelt offering of cajun cooking. It’s such a gift. (Mosquito Supper Club)
• I’m truly always looking to get lost in a craft, but that feels especially accurate these days. I love this cheery cardboard sun from The House That Lars Build as well as this embroidered confetti sweatshirt from Honestly WTF.
• Our friend Deb is so thorough and thoughtful is offering up her pantry: How I Stock the Smitten Kitchen. As a nosey person, I’m much more interested in a pantry than a medicine cabinet. (Smitten Kitchen)
• My kitchen project this weekend is grilled fajitas. All I want to do over the weekend is make fire so I’m putting some chicken, peppers, and onions to it. This marinade from The Pioneer Woman seems do-able and delicious. (Food Network)
• Daydreaming about my very favorite Tres Leches Cake. This might be what I make myself for my birthday next month. (Joy the Baker)
• Wait… we’re obsessed with Peanut Butter Bread? (The Kitchn)
• During this weekend’s Bakehouse Live class we made Quick Soft Pretzels. (I know… I’m running out of yeast too.) I’ll leave the recipe here for you if you’d like to make them yourself. (There’s no rise time so the pretzels split as they rise in the oven and they’re super delicious!). (Joy the Baker)
Be well today!
My love to you.
xo Joy
Samantha
A lot of my loved ones celebrated birthday in these past two months!
Tara
I turned 30 last Thursday and truly had such a wonderful day. My fiancé surprised me with a Zoom call with all my friends around the world, and brought home my favorite donuts. What more could I want?
joythebaker
That’s really so sweet! Happy Birthday!
Martha in KS
I LOVE gardenias! My first corsage over 50 yrs ago was a gardenia – I still have it (somewhere). I tried to grow one as a houseplant, but it had a short life. I’m jealous that yours can grow outside there.
I work for the Fed. govt & we were scheduled to go back to work tomorrow, but now we’re shut down indefinitely. We’re among the fortunate who are still getting paid.
Take care!
joythebaker
Gardenias make for such a classic corsage! I think they love humidity so they grow happily out here. I’m glad you’re taking good care, Martha.
Erica
My partners birthday is tomorrow. We’re doing an at-home spa day. One of our local estheticians is even mailing out facials in a bag. We’re also going to set up the tent in the living room and eat smores. If you have a private yard this would be extra fun, but we don’t have that option. There will also of course be cake and we’ll go to a favorite (but not often visited) place for carry-out, annnnd a dutch baby with blueberry compote in the morning. If the weather holds out, a walk outside is also in order. Both of our birthdays have happened during self-isolation so we’re also hoping to have makeup birthdays later in the year (maybe on our half birthday).
joythebaker
You’re really making the most of it! This is really inspiring. And I’ve also thought about camping in my backyard. I took the tent out this weekend so it’s in my future. Happy Birthday to you and yours, Erica!
Beth
“We’re not essential. We’re sacrificial.” Sitting with that right now. Thank you for rounding articles and thoughts that make me want to be a better and more thoughtful human. Let it be Sunday! Xoxo
joythebaker
That one really sat with me too, Beth.
Cy
Hi Joy, As usual thank you for your thoughtful posts, so much needed during these challenging times. I am just now feeling almost normal after a bad case of the Coronavirus ( 7 weeks later) and the Corona pneumonia. I feel lucky to be alive. Although I had a slew of other symptoms, it didn’t occur to me that I would have pneumonia, I wasn’t short of breath. I got excellent care, the doctors and nurses were amazing.
take care and keep up the good work!
Cy
joythebaker
Oh Cy! I’m so glad you’re on the other side of this! That’s really scary. Take good care.
akbright
I went to the store yesterday and finally was able to find and purchase a bag of unbleached all purpose flour. It felt like I had won the lottery. :)
Caitlin
How serendipitous – my birthday is next Tuesday and my husband offered to try and make me Tres Leches cake since we can’t get it at our favorite restaurant right now! It must be meant to be!
joythebaker
It’s absolutely meant to be! Happy Birthday!
Jemny
Thanks Joy! I always look forward to your Sunday post.
Barbara
Good morning!, My kitchen was full of “Joy”. This morning. I made your brown butter blueberry muffins and After reading your post I had to make the pretzels. It was so much fun. I felt like I was a mad scientist Easy and delicious
Take care and be safe
joythebaker
You’ve really done it today! Well done!
Cheryl Gordon
It’s nice that so many have discovered bread baking but it’s frustrating that I can’t get flour. Maybe I could trade some of my yeast. I don’t bother with starters or overnight nonsense. If I want bread, I want it today, not two days from now. Used the last of the bread flour to make pizza and a small loaf. I only have pastry flour now, so it will have to be just quick breads, scones, etc.
Krissy
My two young nephews (turning 5 and 7) both had virtual birthdays this April, and they were both really great! Their mom put together birthday boxes for the grandparents and aunts and uncles with some simple decorations (pompom garland and balloons, masks for a costume party)and a secret envelope for everyone. During our zoom calls we would open the envelope and play a game! The younger went for ‘Beanboozled’ the good/bad jelly bean game and the older kid had us play blackjack (we each got sent two cards)! It was such a creative way to have us all join in on the fun. The kids also went delivered some socially-distant treats to their friends-so they feel like they had 10 mini parties each <3
joythebaker
That sounds so sweet, Krissy! I love how creative everyone has gotten with these gatherings.
Karen
My youngest daughter is turning 7 next Friday. For the past month, we’ve been re-decorating her room, obviously using a lot of things we already have. I made minimal purchases for things we DIY-ed, like fabric and fringe. The entire project, from painting the walls (ugh, painting is kinda not-fun! but she helped me so that made it worth while) to the final design was a really fun project to do with her – she was so into it (just like me)! And it’s now finished just in time for her birthday. My other daughter and I are planning a “spa day” for her – I printed a little menu (that my other daughter is drawing on right now to make it look “fancy”), and we’re going to give her a pedicure, facial, and refreshments. In addition, she’s already picked out her birthday-day meals: grilled cheese for lunch, McDonald’s for dinner, and my homemade donuts for birthday “cake”.
Last night she was jumping up and down, saying “I’m so excited for next Friday!”, and I asked her, “You know it’s just gonna be us four, right?” And she said “Of course!”. That made my heart melt.
This sassy soon-to-be seven year old also, when asked what she wants from Grandma, requested make-up and a Starbucks gift card. Six going on sixteen, LOL!
joythebaker
This is incredible! Karen, I love it! And high-five to painting. That’s always more work than I think it’s going to be.
Sue
Dear Joy,
Thank you for the pretzel recipe.
I read today is National Pretzel Day
as well.
Beautiful Gardenias growing in your yard. They are growing very nicely.
Thank you. Be well.
Sue Chartock
Bethany
I have a birthday coming up this week, and have been making plans with friends for creative ways to celebrate. I really love any excuse to gather people together, and have been experiencing a wide range of emotions about this milestone during quarantine. I also finish my master’s degree in a week, so it’s a bit of a double whammy. I really like the idea of creating or returning to rituals to mark these important days. Also, food has to be a huge part of any celebration – I might miss the sharing of food with friends the most these days.
joythebaker
Happy Birthday coming up Bethany. And major congratulations! Two big things! I hope you celebrate well with all the cake you deserve. Love to you!
Terry Covington
Hi, Joy! We had to cancel my mother’s 85th birthday party this month, so instead I wrote to 20 of her friends and relatives and asked them to join us in a “viral party” by sending cards, letters, and memories. We didn’t tell her. She had a week of going to the mailbox every day and being surprised with cards. She had a great time even though she was alone. We mailed chocolate! We mailed a new book. She heard from an old sorority sister a story she had forgotten. She heard from one of my high school friends who remembered her. Her mail person even said, “Hey, did you have a birthday? I noticed you got an awful lot of cards!” So if someone is looking for a great way to give someone a birthday celebration from a distance, there it is. Thanks for your lovely Sunday offerings and scrumptious recipes.
Dani H
Joy, thank you so much for linking to the article “The Infection That’s Silently Killing Coronavirus Patients.”
Especially now that we know we can get the virus more than once and that it will be worse in the fall, any self-monitoring has to be a good thing.
Please stay safe and healthy.
Lisa
I got my copy of the Mosquitp Supper Club this week for my birthday which I celebrated in quarantine with my family. I made a lovely Bravetart cake and Tex Mex for dinner and I don’t feel like I missed out on a thing. I’ve been reading through the book, trying to figure out what I can make with what I have at home. I can’t wait to try it out. Hang in there.
Judy
My Mosquito Supper Club book finally arrived this week after being on order foreeeeever. Can’t wait til I have people around to cook for again. The ER Doc’s perspective and early warning device option are intriguing, will pass along to family in medical field.