Hey friends! We’re gonna talk about cats. I’ve recently adopted an adult cat buddy named Wylie (that’s my handsomely whiskered man up there) and y’all. What was I doing before this? How did my life not include a cat until now?! I’m almost mad at myself for waiting this long. Part of my casual magical…
Former First Lady Laura Bush’s famous recipe for cowboy cookies with a delicious twist: salted cereal brittle! These oatmeal cookies are also packed with cinnamon, chocolate chips and coconut. Saddle up for your new favorite cookie! There are a handful of things I’ve committed to since my recent half-move to Texas: loving my boyfriend Will…
If you can spend a holiday away from home, do it. Christmas on a beach with a cocktail? Yes, please. Santa can bring his swim trunks! This year I decided to ring in the new year in New Orleans, my favorite place outside of Chicago, with my girlfriend Breyon. A bae-cation, if you will. We…
Hello, friends! Apologies for going full Pollyanna—especially among our hellscape of a news cycle—but I kinda like the month of January. My parents owned a lamp store for 40 years and it’s where I spent my entire childhood. Business boomed in January, when folks were craving light in their homes after discarding their Christmas trees…
Micro batch baking – the invitation is to get all the way into it with me! This is all very Kristin Wiig making herself a single, sad cupcake in the movie Bridesmaids, save for the fact that there is absolutely zero sadness in me eating a single cinnamon roll over the kitchen sink in my…
Greetings from the land of fandom. Specifically, Aubrey Gordon fandom. Are you drawing a blank? Let me refresh your memory. She is the co-host of the podcast Maintenance Phase; before she told the world her name, she was known online as yrfatfriend; she has written two books: What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk…
In case you missed the memo, the sustained effort we’re giving this month is a medium-low. In cooking terms, we’re all at a low simmer. Personally, I am going to save the rolling boil for September, if at all. I can’t even plan that far ahead because again, I’m just at a simmer. In the…
Hi friends! Goodmorninghellohowareyou? Welcome to the Middle of January. A few years ago, at the suggestion of friend (and incredible JtB food photographer) Karlee Flores, I took on the life-affirming concept of Gentle January. Rather than smashing my soul into crushing goals and expectations at the tail end of the holiday season, Karlee suggests we…
Friends, Happy New Year! We did another year together, in large part to the efforts of Team JtB who kept the train on the tracks and the calendar in order. January 2023 (what even?) marks 15 years of Joy the Baker which feels like an elaborate, pastry-heavy fever dream. I hope this finds you easing…
This classic Italian cocktail mistakes gin for bubbly prosecco making it a lighter and playfully bubbly Negroni Sbagliato. Cheers, friends! There was a time in the early 2000’s when all the It Girlies were drinking bourbon and smoking cigars? Do you remember this? Am I calling myself out? All of us raised on the Leo…
Think of tender breakfast rolls and cinnamon rolls without the cinnamon, scented with heavenly orange and just the right amount of warming nutmeg and ginger. Honestly if cinnamon rolls disappeared from the world, we’d all be just fine – these orange rolls hit the spot. I’m headed back to Los Angeles for the Christmas weekend…
Let’s reach into the cookie jar for another gem! These simple and buttery linzer cookies are scented with lemon and filled with raspberry jam. We’ll add poppy seeds for fun and a generous dusting of powdered sugar to take these raspberry sandwich cookies over the top. I’ve got two pots of gumbo boiling away on…
Welcome our last December guest, the team from Seemore Meats & Veggies! It is safe to say that Cara Nicoletti is a genius. Combining sustainable practices along with sacred butcher knowledge handed down through four generations, Cara has made a truly kick-ass business. Seemore Meats & Veggies (named after her grandfather, a retired butcher named…
Hello, friends! Happy holidays! Here’s Bob Dylan singing “Must Be Santa” in case you need some extra cheer. Below are some of my favorite pop culture highlights of 2022 and please feel free to drop your own in the comments section. It’s been lovely sharing my Sundays with ya’ll and I’m sending extra love to…
Welcome our next December guest, Jessie Sheehan of Jessie Sheehan Bakes! Jessie loves sweet treats, but doesn’t love long recipes and sinks full of dishes, so she took it upon herself to become queen of the easy-peasy bake. Before becoming queen she admits to wearing many hats, being an actress, a lawyer, and a stay-at-home…
