-Ina Garten Is My Favorite Aunt

Hello dear friends.

I can’t even tell you how many corn chips with hummus I’ve eaten in preparation for writing this post. Nearly an entire bag while watching a few episodes from season 3 of The Office. It’s a cleanse of sorts.

I found myself thinking back to the first Let It Be Sunday post I’ve ever written. What was that like?  Turns out it was like this.  But more distinctly I remember when I felt like I had to talk about more than just baked goods and bourbon.  It was here, late August five years ago when James Foley was murdered.  I felt like… gosh I can’t pretend like the world isn’t happening.  (Joy the Baker)

Now? Good grief – how do we even approach this time? I guess as resiliently open-hearted as we can be. But wow each day is a day of news we truly have to brace for.

So… you know what happened this week.  The first presidential debates was a fiasco.  I just looked up the definition of fiasco, noun; a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way. Checks out, maybe even feels like too mild a word. The President and many of the people around him tested positive for COVID-19 which is a disaster and wow doesn’t it feed fully into the constantly streaming news cycle? We’re all just, in it.  I feel like I’m at the top of a rollercoaster reaching for my seatmates hand but the stakes are very high. (Vox)

And yet, I made cream puffs with a class full of bakers over Zoom this weekend because joy is a form of caring for ourselves, and caring for ourselves helps us take care of one another, and that’s how we get through this.

The offering this week is below. As always, and I really mean this, take only what you need.

•  This is like a bell ringing clear.  Women and moms are the doomsday preppers that matter and it’s not really about the guns it’s about being ready for anything the way women are everydamnday. I Am Not a Housewife. I’m a Prepper.  (The New York Times)

•  The aunt we all deserve: Ina Garten Barefoot in Quarantine. (The Cut)

•  This week my friend Cara and I watched American Murder from afar at the same time (we absolutely pressed play at the same time) and texted in dismay the entire time. Even if you’re into true crime, this is a dark one. If you’re not into true crime just keep it moving. I say that with your best interests in mind. (Netflix)

•  This week I threw on a sweater and made Rachel Ray’s Beef and Bean Chili. Good idea. Look out for an adaptation coming to the blog later next week! (Rachel Ray Magazine)

•  There’s something weirdly satisfying about looking at a $14 million house and being like EH, I don’t love it. It’s called pettiness and yes, I’ve got some.  (The Los Angeles Times)

•  There are still a handful of tickets left for this fall’s Sweet Potato Pie baking class with me! We’ll add a few more virtual classes this year and a few more virtual classes just past the new year before we decide when to have in-person classes again.  I certainly don’t mean to shove these classes in your face. I just want you to know about them if you want to know about them. (Eventbrite)

•  A fall floral garland from A Beautiful Mess!

•  When one of your favorite bookstores in the world (love you, Book Larder) sells a sweatshirt. (Bonfire)

•  I splurged and ordered Bread SRSLY and it’s the most delicious gluten-free bread I’ve ever tried! (Bread SRSLY)

•  Took my first bath of the chilly season with epsom salt and bentonite clay and it had me thinking about my grandpa’s favorite mustard bath.  (Bulk Apothecary and Joy the Baker)

That’s all for today friends! Guard your heart and take good care.

My love to you today.

xo Joy