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!