http://www.joythebaker.com/blog Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:50:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en   I have a relationship with this pie.  That's normal, right?   The smell of this pie takes me back to the days six year old me would run screaming through our lime green, hallway shaped kitchen in anticipation of pie and ice cream and the imminent holiday festivities such a dessert ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/dads-perfect-sweet-potato-pie/   I'm going to need you to do a little something for me this weekend.   Yes.  It's Wednesday.  We're planning ahead.  This is important.   I think you and I should make it a point to seriously relax this coming weekend.  See... it might be our last chance to really take it ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/weekend-waffles-with-maple-black-pepper-bacon/   Here's a fun fact:  my Mom is a scrapbooker.  She's a serious scrapbooker.  She's got the paper cutters, the corner choppers, the fancy albums and colorful background paper... there are stickers.... so so many stickers.  She's for real.  Scrapbooking is the new rubber stamping.  Remember the rubber stamp craze!?  Yea, ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/in-an-envelope/ I've got a case of the lazy bones.  Serious and impervious to negotiation, lazy bones. These lazy bones have coerced me into watching a solid five hour block of television last Friday night.  These lazy bones strong armed me into excessive Saturday and Sunday napping.  I also did that thing where ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/salted-cocoa-roasted-hazelnuts/   I went to the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco last weekend, and all I got were these silly photo booth pictures with my dear friend Tracy of Shutterbean.   Ok.... that's entirely untrue.   I walked away from the Foodbuzz Festival with more kitchen gear than I could carry, pockets full of ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/foodbuzzed/   This big old bowl of tomatoes and cream is the best thing to ever come out of my kitchen. So good.  So right. I'm thinking of retiring.  I'm thinking of hanging up the apron strings and ending on a high note.  You know, like Seinfeld did in the 90's.   But it's just ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/creamy-tomato-soup/ or should I just call it Brown Rice Pudding? When I was a little one, I remember lulling myself to sleep by listing off in my brain all of the things that I might like to find in heaven should I find myself there.  I started off with important things like: I'd ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/brown-rice-rice-pudding/   Autumn is settling in.  Autumn has settled in, and here I am ready to accept it.  I'm also ready to accept the fact that my days in the kitchen are about to dramatically increase (if you can believe that) as my cravings for apple crisp (lovelovelovelovelovelovelove), pumpkin cookies and cranberry ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/my-favorite-fall-recipes/   I've got a guilty conscience.  Here's a little peek inside: Dear Coworker David,   Tonight when you were detailing the twenty one shots you had for your twenty first birthday, I stopped listening at about shot number four... the Raging Bull I think you said.  How do you remember all twenty one ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/vegan-pumpkin-walnut-bread/   I have really great news friends!   Number One: I had chicken and waffles for dinner last night.  Hot dang!  Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles... you were great news for my belly. Number Two:  Remember a few days ago when I was telling you how lovely the people at Minted.com are? ... http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/11/i-love-minted-minted-com-totally-loves-you/