Hello friends! Good Sunday to you!
You live in the world with me. You know what it is. We’ve waited all week to find out who the next president and vice president of the United States will be and it looks like change is on the horizon! Nothing in politics feels clean or perfect to me but I think there’s a lot to be said for intention towards unity and just… decency. I believe that we can, again, and with gusto this time, move towards a more perfect union. Even beyond politics, that’s the point of our time here, isn’t it? To be better with and for each other.
It was hard to focus this week. I think I managed, but I’d be hard pressed to tell you anything I actually did. Actually that’s not correct. I just spent an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through people’s nasty comments back and forth on Instagram. Y’all it’s wild out there. I came away thinking we have a long way to go in understanding one anther if Instagram battles is how we’re communicating.
Here we are. The offering this week is below. Take only what you need. Next week I’ll have chicken pot pie for you so… we’re on the up and up if you don’t see anything you need in this particular post.
• It took two constitutional amendments and the Voting Rights Act for Black women to get the vote and here they are changing the tide in this country. I found this to be an important read: What Black History Should Already Have Taught Us About The Fragility of American Democracy. (The New Yorker)
• This feels like truly 1000 years ago but this is an incredibly gracious and unifying moment lead by a good man (still though, you can hear the beginning of a ferocious dissent). The late John McCain’s concession speech in 2008. I also watched Barack Obama eulogize John McCain and gosh, we’ll get back to this kind of politic I hope?(YouTube)
• A very brief moment to remember U.S Representative John Lewis. (Instagram)
• How Do You Advertise a Town Ravaged by Hurricanes? We’re still thinking about our neighbors in Lake Charles and offering our relief donations here. (The New York Times and Imagine Water Works)
• It is gumbo season and if you don’t already have the Mosquito Supper Club cookbook I highly recommend it. She has an entire chapter dedicated to gumbo and we’re all the better for it. (Book Larder)
• This week I’m making Lemon Meringue Pie with a shortbread cookie crust from Erin McDowell’s Book on Pie. It was my grandfather’s favorite pie and we always used to make one as a special treat for him. Without him here we haven’t been eating nearly enough of this gem. I’ll fix that. (Parnassus Books)
• The 2020 Saveur 1oo. I do love a list. (Saveur)
• I’m not going to skimp on creating my Christmas tree decorations. Last year was paper oranges and this year I’ve got my eye on this paper candle ornament tutorial. Cute and classic, don’t you think? (House That Lars Built)
• On my list of things to make and stock in my freezer last week was this Lentil and Sausage Soup from Food 52. It got pushed to next week’s to-do list but I’ll get there.
• I ordered a little sample of this Pluck Seasoning and I LOVE IT. It’s an everything seasoning made from bovine organs (which, as I type this, sounds wild) but it’s salty, oniony, umami, and full of nutrients. (EatPluck)
• Book club for two includes me and my lightly long distance boo. We’re reading Island of the Lost together. (Amazon)
• From the JtB archives I just a reminder that last year’s Winter Gin and Tonic is fresh and cozy AND Peanut Butter Banana Bon Bons make for excellent freezer snacks. . (Joy the Baker)
• Thank you THANK YOU to all of you who bought Joy the Baker Magazine and shared it with me on Facebook and Instagram! It really filly my heart to see you with it and to know you’ll be baking from it this holiday!
I’m glad you’re here, friend!
Have a wonderful day!
My love to you.
xo Joy
Kari
Unreal what our world has come to. It’s an absolute waste of time trying to change people’s minds when everyone is hiding behind their keyboards. If you don’t like something move on and focus on changing the world around you.
Bravo Joy on an amazing blog… your recipes are fantastic! I also appreciate your honesty and openness that you share with us every week. Onward!
Grace
The level of corruption during the election was astonishing. I have to say it was mainly the democrats. Why can’t they be more tolerant of others. I was screamed at! Very sad. This country is meant to be a democracy.
Amy W
Hi Joy! I sincerely hope you got around to making that sausage and lentil stew this week. I made it last year and it was DIVINE!!
Nicole
I just want to point out that y’all have taken time out of your lives to fight about politics in the comments section of a food blog. No wait, in the comments of SOMEONE ELSE’S FOOD BLOG. You might have missed this, but JOYTHEBAKER.COM is Joy’s space where she gets to say what she wants. You can always…not read it? And you don’t have to bore the rest of us with some barely comprehensible deranged screed for why you’re not reading. This is America! You have freedom! THAT MEANS YOU CAN JUST GO.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Kim
Hi Joy, love and appreciate you! Just want to make sure you know your friends are here. To the folks who made the choice to come to a personal blog of a human being living through 2020 and spew their feelings and demand empathy and contrition: you don’t get to opt in to free content and years of free recipes and then opt out of the humanity of the person who gives that to you. Learn how to read a room. Quit assuming that your viewpoint is universally held. Fellow white women, quit coming into non-white spaces and demanding ANYTHING. If you’ve been following Joy for years and you have feelings about her, that’s a conversation for you and your therapist. Your feelings about Joy aren’t Joy’s problem. That emotional intelligence 101. Love you, Joy. Sorry for all these truly bonkers comments. xoxo
Sarah
I’m so thankful for this outcome– I hope we can return to decency in this country. I have never been so offended by a politician as I have over the past 4 years, and Trump has encouraged meanness, division and hate (among many other things that I oppose). I am so proud that we (FINALLY) elected a woman into the Whitehouse. I was so emotional telling my 8 year old daughter!
Marci
Thanks for being you, Joy! I just bought the magazine and can’t wait to make my first recipe from it.
Cy
Hi Joy,
Someone posted John McCain’s concession speech on instagram and it made me cry. Ladies, that is what we are talking about. Whatever side you fall on, that is the way to concede, with grace and dignity. I’m sure we all would like to see this happen now, but it’s not looking good and doesn’t seem to be in our outgoing president’s nature. My other favorite was a cartoon of McCain and John Lewis as angels in heaven fist bumping! The soup looks fantastic, making that soon. Currently reading Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson, fantastic. It’s Sunday night and I’m working through the rest of your post now. I do feel hope again that we can perhaps heal the divide. Hurray for Kamala for making history! That took way too long
Sarah Knewell
Please, please stop. If each of us made a list of the changes we would like to see in our country, I’ll bet our lists would share several issues. We may just have different ideas for solving them, Let’s share our ideas and find some common ground with each other. Then we can then move forward with a shared view. Working together to solve a problem builds trust. Arguing clouds the issues and makes everyone emotional and defensive. I am very worried about families going hungry because of this unpredictable virus this winter. Children who are not physically in school right now are particularly vulnerable. We are bakers. Would anyone like to join me in hosting a bake sale for No Kid Hungry? It`s not the ideal time to have one, but I’m sure we could problem solve that one together to make it a success. Any Biden supporters or Trump supporters interested in joining me?
Karen B
Well, after reading all the comments people are really having a difficult week. I am just happy I have your magazine. I will now read it with my dowton abbey tea and Amos Lee playing in the background. Life is good and everyday life changes. Enjoy today!!
Julia
So sorry a simple affirmation is skewed
Kudos to you!
We all need to look inward and not accusing outward
Thank you for showing up each Sunday
Rain or shine
Love your site
Erica
Thank you for always showing us around your favorite bits of the internet and working so hard to bring us well tested recipes. I always know a joy the baker recipe will never let me down.
Demethra Pinkston
Let me just say that this is disappointing that people would try to turn such a place of brightness and joy into a place of hate and divisiveness. This is not the place. I am sure there are plenty of blogs out there that would love to hear your political views. We want to hear about cooking on this one though…PERIOD! Sorry, Joy, for our ignorance!
Rose
I was delighted to find a copy of your magazine at my local Independent Grocer on Friday. Congratulations on a beautiful issue! Can’t decide what to make first but I do have one more Winter Luxury pumpkin to use up. Also, thanks to you I have to put stove top stuffing mix on my shopping list- something I didn’t know I needed.
We’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada but I’ll be thinking of you on the 25th.
Zita DeGraffenreid
Thank you once again, Joy, for your thoughtful comments and offerings. I’m so sorry you have to put up with all of the political comments. This is not the place for them. Anyway, I’m looking forward you your pretzel making class on Thursday. My best friend and I both signed up! We live 1500 miles apart and can’t wait to Zoom with you!