Still the Drama, It’s Me.

Friends, good morning!  How’s Sunday feeling so far?

I’m fresh back from a weeklong trip to Scotland with Will where we visited friends in Aberdeen and took what turned out to be the most epic motorcycle ride of my life.  We rode the  North Coast 500 which, as you can guess from the name, is an incredible 500 mile route along the coast of north and west Scotland.  We rode from Inverness (me on a rented BMW GS 750 that I swear I burned the clutch out of) up to Durness, around to Ullapool and Torridon, over to the Isle of Skye and back to Inverness. It was the ride of a lifetime through surprisingly diverse Scottish terrain. I think one of the best parts of a ride like that – a ride that takes you to a different world – is the quiet ways that you communicate and connect with the people you’re riding with. Part of it is survival, as it behooves me to anticipate how my friend Roy is riding right in front of me. (In fact, shoutout to Roy for keeping me on the left side of the road for three days straight, as I surely would have ridden head on into a truck had I been the pack leader. ) I can also look in my rearview mirror at Will and virtually read his mind from his body language and how close are far back he’s riding from me. As much as I love the scenery and speed, some of the best adventure is through the bonds (and the cheers of Scotch at the end of the ride), ya know?

I’m back in Texas now, a little jetlagged.  I’ve cast my vote early and next week starts full-on Thanksgiving week planning.  I hope this day and the days ahead treat us gently, but I suspect they’ll be a little sideways.  We’ll carry on nonetheless.  Here’s today’s offering!

(Also Daylight Saving Time ends today?? How is it 2025 already.)

•  This election season has been a full decade long, I’m not wrong about that. Our friend’s in Scotland asked me and Will how we felt about the upcoming election when we were visiting as if to say, “Yiiiiikes, good luck with that.”  Good luck, indeed. If you’d like to feel less alone in your election anxiety, here’s Six US Voters on what they’re anxious about. (The Guardian)

•  I cherish my time clocked in as Auntie Joy.  This is a great read:  I Love the Kids in My Life. And I’m Raising None of Them (NY Times Gift Link)

•  Is it me?  Am I the drama? (Obviously sometimes, yes.)   How To Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits (Time)

•  A beautifully painted picture that hits straight to the heart as only Lisa Donovan can do: A Brioche That Will Make a Believer Out of You (NYT Magazine)

•  If you’re waiting for all of the new holiday recipes to hit Joy the Baker, I’ll tell you now, I spent all summer putting my best holiday recipes into Joy the Baker Holiday Magazine. The magazine is ad free and features the writing of familiar friends Abby Mallett, Amy Estes, and photography from Karlee Flores! It’s my best magazine yet and I hope you love it!  (Magazine Shop, Instagram)

•  Tomorrow! The evening of Monday November 4th, I’m teaching an online class with Williams Sonoma!  We’re making Texas Roadhouse rolls from the magazine and you best believe that after the class I’m promptly wrapping and freezing those rolls and extra roll dough for actual thanksgiving!  Sign up for the class and bake along with me and you’ll have your Thanksgiving rolls crossed off the list! (Williams Sonoma)

•  What are we watching? I just finished Anatomy of Lies on Peacock and there’s got to be more than Sister Wives to look forward to. Please advise. (YouTube)

•  From daydream to reality, may I humble suggest you make this Apple Fritter Focaccia? (Joy the Baker)

•  I’m toying with the idea of making Claire Saffitz’s Simple Sponge Cake for an elaborate Thanksgiving cake and trying to decide if the cake will make and freeze to my satisfaction.  Obviously I need to test a batch this week along with a variation of  Boston Cream Pie I think we should all have on our holiday dessert table. (YouTube)

•  Speaking of baking for Thanksgiving, do you have an apple pie on your menu? Do you have a menu yet? Am I stressing you out? Ok well listen to Erin McDowell talk to you about different apple pie techniques. It’s both soothing and forward (to Thanksgiving) thinking. (ErinJeanneMcDowell, Instagram)

•  I think I’m unlocking the level of adulthood that requires these legit chafing dishes to host family gatherings and I just feel like that means I’m really onto something good here.  Is this how we host Thanksgiving? Again, please advise.  (Amazon)

•  What I didn’t tell you about riding the coast of Scotland was the absolutely heinous case of food poisoning that took me all the way OUT on our last night of the trip.  It was all I could do to hold that throttle home the following morning and when we got back to the car that would drive us home, I sat in the back seat taking chipmunk size bites of a bless-ed Snickers bar before passing out from exhaustion.  See: The Science Behind a Snicker’s Bar.  Healing, to be sure. (ARS Technica)

•  These little Baked Brie Pumpkins are doing it for me. (Instagram)

Enjoy your Sunday, friends!

My love to you.

xo Joy