Hello friends!
Happy Sunday! Happy Mother’s Day!
It’s been a week. It feels like some folks are diving back into normal socializing, normal life, and I feel distinctly not ready. In the same way that we all talked about how to work from home, how to socialize from home, how to cope at home… we’re also going to need to talk about how to merge back together because it doesn’t feel like the same world. And murder hornets? Are you kidding me!?
Let’s decide to make today sweet even in the smallest ways. An extra splash of cream in our coffee. A long stare at our neighbors flower patch. Let’s find the deepest breath we’ve taken all week.
If you’re a mama – wow today’s your day for that weird but sweet breakfast in bed thing little kids do. I hope your day is free of dishes and dishwashers. Wouldn’t that be a small miracle these days? You all have my love and admiration always but especially these days.
The offering this week is below. Please take only what you need:
• This will be very difficult: Ahmaud Arbery Should Still Be Alive. (Rolling Stone)
• This is incredible: This Is Your Brain on Motherhood. (The New York Times)
• I listening to Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast this week about apologizing while waiting in line and shopping at Trader Joe’s and I was SO DEEP into this conversation that I’m pretty sure I was talking aloud at the podcast but in public which… I guess is my new pandemic activity. (Brene Brown)
• I’ve also been FULLY immersed in the You’re Wrong About Podcast episodes about the OJ Simpson Trial. I was 13 years old, growing up in Los Angeles when these murders and this insane media circus took place. This podcast’s take and attention to detail and storytelling is FOOD. (Apple Podcast)
• My dear friend Cara Nicoletti is revolutionizing the sausage industry with Seemore Sausage. I’ve seen how hard she’s worked over the last two years to bring her vision to life. Her sausages are innovative and DELICIOUS and Cara is the kind of person who can keep all your secrets because she keeps all of mine. Not that I have any. How the sausage gets made: This butcher wants people to eat less meat. (Today)
• If you’re wondering why there have been far fewer @drakeoncake posts please take in these words that have articulated what I haven’t been able to put my finger on: Outgrowing Drake Is The Generation Gap We Didn’t Predict. (Medium)
• Alison Roman ran her mouth and it wasn’t great, it was actually quite uncalled for. Here’s the thing:
people always reveal themselves. It’s our job to pay attention. (The New Consumer)
• Absolutely went down a Gua Sha Facial rabbit hole on YouTube this week and I’m happy to report I have a new passion project – my face. (YouTube)
• One of the sweetest and most authentic people on Instagram is Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere. She’s and old friend from long ago and I just admire her business growth, motherhood, transparency and genuine sweetness. (Instagram)
• This month I’ve partnered with organic sweetener company Wholesome Sweeteners. To help us with all of our quarantine baking, Wholesome is offering Sweet Relief Baking Packs, which include organic cane sugar, organic light brown sugar, organic powdered confectioners sugar, and organic raw unfiltered honey – all the sweets we need. What I love most is that proceeds go to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, as I’ve been a big supporter of Feeding America Second Harvest Food Bank here in New Orleans for years. Consider purchasing a Sweet Relief Baking Pack for yourself or send one off to a long distance baking friend. It really is a sweet win/win.
• This week I re-introduced myself to my Small Batch Granola recipe for the sole purpose of putting it on ice cream and that’s that. (Joy the Baker)
Happy Mother’s Day!
All my love to you.
xo Joy
Annie
Thank you for the gua sha facial link! I appreciate getting the instruction from an authentic source. I have a gua sha tool and all the tutorials I’ve seen so far are by white ladies who provide no context or regard to the origins of the practice.
Lucy
Oh snap. Thanks for linking to the Drake article. That was great writing! Fingers crossed it will inspire Drake too!!
Kristen
This wasn’t the point of the “This is your brain on motherhood” article, but one sentence really jumped out at me: “Funding for women’s health research can also be tough to come by.” How incredibly frustrating.
Eileen
Joy! I have been reading your words for years (since I was a baby college student who jogged in NYC parks while listening to your podcast with Shutterbean). In this very weird universe, I wanted to say how thankful I am for this honest, creative, and positive space you have made and shared. Your recipes from here as well as your books are constant favorites (My 3 old loves to read the “pretzel cake book”). Thanks for all the work you do that makes me smile.
Working hard to practice gratitude these days – so sending some your way.
Also thankful that your words inspired a trip to New Orleans this year in January with my very best ladyfriend! Cheers! Stay safe out there!
Sasha L
Joy, just want you to know you are BELOVED. Don’t ever change.
I shared your blog in a fb group (awesome inclusive food peeps to follow right now), and so many others chimed in to share their love for you. You make a difference and you set the bar high. Thank you.
Emily
Seeing the internet turn on AR over the past few days has been so interesting. I think I first became suspicious of her when she decided she deserved credit for the combination of chickpeas + coconut milk + turmeric and lashed out at anyone who questioned her. What is most interesting to me about the interview (beyond her decision to target two WOC for the crime of being successful) is the way she blatantly associates moral virtue with artisanal craftsman goods that are only accessible to the most privileged among us and denigrates products marketed to mass audiences. This feels especially tone deaf in a moment where we are all just trying to survive and literally can’t find toilet paper. Also the lazy misinterpretation of Marie Kondo’s philosophy drives me bananas. Curious to see where her career goes from here.
Sasha L
She obviously hasn’t even read Marie Kondo! Too bad for her.
AR isn’t innovative, clever, thoughtful, self aware or kind. Her jealousy let all of her worst self out for the world to see. She has some work to do. I wish her luck with that.
Gabrielle
I’d never heard of gua sha till today and that video was so relaxing! Now I want to try it too.
I really appreciate these posts Joy and look forward to them every weekend. Thank you for posting them so consistently and for all their variety! (Lots of diff emotions from other links but the gua sha was my favourite. ^_^)
LD
I just adore these Sunday posts, and I have to tell you the line “take only what you need” has truly become my favorite :) And I JUST placed my order for Seemore Sausages – thank you for all of the truly lovely things you curate for us each and every Sunday. I force myself to not read emails over the weekend, so this is always my treat on Monday mornings, now more than ever. I have a cup of good coffee, get my kids started with their (new) homeschool, pull up my emails, start my work day and start by reading this. Thank you for bringing us Joy ;)