This post could also be entitled:  

     Can’t Bake Now… I’m on the I-5.

     Joy the Driver and Lauren the Snack Coordinator

     Joy the Baker eats 6 pounds of Chex Mix between San Francisco and Portland

     or simply… Joy the Baker moves her sister from Los Angeles to Seattle in a Budget moving truck creatively nicknamed Budgie.  

It’s early Tuesday morning.  My Mom makes Lauren pose with her moving truck.  That’s not weird, right?  Not weird at all.  

The I-5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Green, trees, produce and trucks.  

This is a picture of my sister driving.  Let me tell you why this picture is a small miracle.  

See, my sister just learned how to drive last week.  She got her license… last week.  She’s 26.  She was afraid to drive until… last week.  And now… here she is driving a moving truck at 80 miles an hour down the highway.  

I told her to slow down.  I told her to calm down.  I told her that there was no room to screw up.  I don’t think that helped. 

I snapped the picture during the whole 20 minutes that I let my sister drive between Los Angeles and Seattle.  It’s not that she’s a bad driver.  It’s more that I’m kinda a control freak when it comes to things like… my life and living.

I may not have let my sister drive, but I sure did let (make) her pump all of the gas.  Not her favorite part.  Fact.  

We stopped at Shasta Lake in Northern California to stand still and look at water and mountains.  

A self portrait seemed like a good idea.  All we got was bush and blurry eyebrows.  

We parked Budgie illegally.  We kinda just stopped her on the side of the road.  That’s cool, right? 

A cool 10 minutes beyond the sunshine of Shasta Lake we hit the snow.  We hit it hard.  Driving through the snow stressed out my Southern California self.  This was deeply disturbing to me.  

Lauren made me pull over so that she could jump around in the snow.  I was still stressed out until I saw her leaping, jumping and eventually falling into the snow.  Cute.  Super cute. 

We finally made it to Seattle.  I’d gone through a Costco size bag of Chex Mix, ungodly amounts of dried apricots… and there’s half of a strawberry cheesecake in the truck that I don’t want to talk about.  

Somewhere just outside of Portland I put my cranky pants on.  I was tired of driving.  I was tired of having to eat Chex Mix to stay awake, and I just wanted to be in the Seattle to drink the cup of coffee that I’d been waiting days and days for. 

We made it.   Thank heavens.  This is the view from my sister’s apartment.  

And then I took my cranky pants off, because I turned around and saw this face.  The darling face of my darling little sister standing in her very first apartment on the very first day in her new city.  I’m lucky to have been able to share this journey with her.  Sisters are friends forever… that’s what we tell each other… because it’s true.  

Then… we unpacked the truck.  It had its obscene moments.

To make up for those obscene moments, my sister bought me a latte and a doughnut from Top Pot.  Holy heck!  This set my world right.  

Sure I drove days and days to help my sister with her big move.  But maybe… a tiny itsy bitsy part of me was in it for the Seattle coffee… I ain’t gonna lie. 

Three things.  Can I tell you three things?  Do you mind getting all up in my business for the next several minutes of your life?

Remember two short weeks ago when I was moaning and groaning about not living in the cool part of town?  I wanted to live in a loft downtown despite my disapproving pocketbook.  

Remember the part where I cleaned my kitchen and waxed on and on about appreciating the things you have…. that the grass isn’t always greener… remember I said all that?  Well… I changed my mind.  I’m moving to a loft downtown.  

I’m sharing my space with new people and I have turquoise walls.  And I have no idea how to arrange and decorate my room.  Seriously.  I need help.  I’m lost.  Can we trade room design for baking lessons?  SOS.

My little sister… the girl my heart beats for… is moving to Seattle.  We’re driving from Los Angeles to Seattle this week.  Sister road trip!  I’m looking forward to Red Vines and french fries… believe this.   If you see a giant UHaul truck puttering up the California interstate this week, please just have kindness in your heart when you cut us off.  Seattle or bust.

On the Lamb held a Violet Hour supper brunch.  

There was Creme Fraiche Quiche.

Can you see my face back there eagerly grasping for something?  What am I reaching for with such elation?  

Money… I wish I were kidding.  

Here is a fact about trying hard to live the dream with On the Lamb (the pop-up events and catering firm my friends and I started)… no one ever tells you how much gosh-dang-holy-heck-geeeeeez work it is.  My ankles are sore just thinking about it. But really… the excitement, the uncertainty, the new friends, the creativity, the occasional punching match… I wouldn’t trade it.  The oil burns and sore ankles are all so quickly mended when I remember that I’m trying to live my best life and I’m doing it with my two best friends… and all of these new friends that we get to feed!  

Thank you to Sandy and Jason of Enid and Edgar.

Thank you to Dan for taking such lovely photographs.  

Thank you to… you, for being so loyal and lovely and so… here.  

Let’s talk about this weekend’s adventures.  There were highways, gas stations and bridges.  I might have a made friends out of strangers although there was too much wine to be clear on that.  Aaaaand!  I taught my first cooking class.  In Sonoma.  That happened.  

Take a peek!

I spent an evening in and around San Francisco.  The Golden Gate Bridge.  It chokes me up.  It makes me a little teary eyed.  It’s just a bridge.  Why would a bridge make me want to cry?  Weirdo.

I stayed at a lovely resort tucked just behind the Golden Gate Bridge.  I got lost trying to find it.  So lost.  But look at this place?  Doesn’t it look like where you’d want to fall in love with Ryan Gosling if you were Rachel McAdams?  

Long grass.  It’s got character.  

Birds.  Boats and buildings.  

I spent the rest of the evening in the city without my camera.  If you are two of the three women that were with me that night… you should be glad I didn’t have my camera.  I’m just sayin.  Wow.  Wine.  Wow.  We all have our ‘too much wine’  moments.  I remember mine:  in front of The Pioneer Woman and Steamy Kitchen.  Oops. 

I made my way to Ramekins in Sonoma.  Above is James.  He was my hype man.  He said nice things and introduced me to the class.  Awesome.  Thank you. 

The kitchen at Ramekins is gorgeous.  My kitchen is never this organized.  

Nor does it ever have this many people in it.  

Cameron is making Creme Fraiche Quiche.  She’s a dear. 

Jessica is peppering some biscuits.  Rad.  

Danielle is cutting biscuits.  Nice form. 

Jessica brought Tom.  He’s the silent type.   He got his hands dirty.  

Everyone gathered ’round the griddle making pancakes for themselves.  I’m pretty sure I’ve found heaven.  

Meet Annie.  She’s the most dear, lovely and gracious lady I’ve ever met.  Annie, thanks for your endless help and support with this class.  Thanks for the hospitality and for loving macarons enough to stop a taxi.  You’re great.  

And… this is what the drive home after a crazy weekend looks like…

… but this is what if feels like.  And.  Yes.  I did sing every Fiona Apple song I know on the drive home.  I also ate a cheeseburger.  And chocolate.  

Thank you to all of you shining people who came out to Ramekins for my first baking class.  Big hugs of appreciation to the fine folk at Ramekins who made my class run like an absolute dream.  I’ll be back.  April. 

We three?  We always have our mouths in motion, our wine glasses full and our eyes wide… looking for trouble.  

Let me introduce you to On the Lamb Food and Beverage.  We’re a roving catering and events firm made up of three unstoppable Los Angeles women:  Whitney (the sommelier), Rachel (the chef), and Joy (the baker).  

How does this all work?  Here’s how:

First we find an often obscure, always stellar location around Los Angeles.  We design an amazing theme and a ridiculous menu.  Then, here’s the best part… we invite you.  You come.  You meet other cool, unpretentious people who are as dorky about food and drink as you are.  You have a great time and love your life.  That’s exactly how it works.  

Our next event:  The One Night (Stand) Speakeasy on 02.14.2010.  

Would you like to keep up with On the Lamb?  

Email onthelambfb (at) gmail (dot) com to put your name on the email list.  Space is always limited at these shindigs, so be diligent.  We know how to throw a party.  That’s a fact. 

All up in the Internet?  You’ll also find us cavorting around Twitter and Facebook like a bunch of floozies.  Join us!

Want to have breakfast with me?

Better yet, want to make breakfast with me!?  

Heck yea friend!  Me and you and eighteen other brand new friends… making breakfast, drinking coffee, laughing, talking trash.   It’ll be great!

Here are the details:

Ramekins, Sonoma
California

Sunday, February 21st from 11am-2pm

Hands on breakfast baking course.  I’m teaching.  Keep in mind that this could get both awkward and silly.   

Cost: $85… which includes breakfast and laughs and me smiling all up in your face.   

Space: very limited.  

Head on over to Ramekins to sign up!  Select Cooking Classes then Class List.  My class is on the second page of the Class List.  

Come on!  Let’s make breakfast together! I’d love to see your smiling face.

Oooh!  Here’s a little update from Yvette at Ramekins:

Hi Everyone! I’m Yvette, and I work at Ramekins in Sonoma. We are thrilled that Joy will be here in February and April. We are experiencing technical difficulties with the website right now, so call now to reserve your spot with Joy! (707) 933-0450, extension *811. Ask to sign up for Joy’s class. You may also e-mail to:marlena@ramekins.com. Thanks and have a wonderful day!

It’s Thursday which means that… it’s still not Friday.  

I say that today you be far more blatant about your disinterest in getting any work done.  To help you with this task I’ve got links… links on the Internet… links on the Internet that are bound to help you waste at least a good hour of your day.  You game?  Let’s play.

See… my Internet starts to look the same day after day.  Of course I have to go see what’s cookin’ in ranch life with Ree.  Then I jet off to see how Deb and family are doing in New York.  Dooce and her crazy self always manage to crack me up… but these are the places that we all go, everyday.  

It’s a whole big Internet, friends!  That means we have some serious clicking to do.  

Here are some new food blogs that are, without a doubt, making the world a more delicious place.  Go on… check em out.  Every food blog can use a little love… especially the new ones!  Say hi!  Make friends!  Let’s not pretend like you actually wanted to work.  

Brunellos Have More Fun.  Where there is wine, there is Whitney.  

Jamie Oliver is Not My Boyfriend.  Um… I already feel like I have something in common with this blog!  Jamie Oliver is not my boyfriend either!!

The Noshery.  Food.  Photography and doggies.  I’m in. 

Vanilla and Lace.  Pretty.  Pretty!  Pretty!!

Suitable for Consumption.  Please pass the Peppermint Patties and no one will get hurt.  

Confections of a Serial Baker.  Don’t be scared, it’s just cookies. 

Sprouted Kitchen.  Top knotch.  Daaaaang!  These photos kill me!

Cooking on the Side.  Solid.  Please send chili.  Thank you. 

Natalie’s Killer Cuisine.  Natalie, you’re a doll!  

Food Goes in Mouth.  Thanks Caleb.  I was wondering what to do with all this food.  Now at least I know where to put it. 

Shortbread South.  You can make me this breakfast sandwich anytime of day or night.  Please, also thank you. 

Food for My Family.  Big, bright and delicious!

Eating SF.  Good food paired with good music.  Love!

Good Life Eats.  Katie, your Cardamom Citrus Coffee Cake has me mesmorized! 

Tastes Better with Friends.  Five Minute Chocolate Cake?  Ethan will make you a believer.

Let Me Eat Cake.  Hi Nastassia!  We need to be taco truck friends… for real.

What’s that?  I missed your new food blog!?  Well I just have to do Part Two next month!

Are you all up in my business?…  Because I want you all up in my business.  

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know exactly when I’m…

on the road…

having breakfast…

or trying to abscond with cats that don’t belong to me.  

You also know when I’ve eaten Milk Duds for breakfast and when I’m on my fifth consecutive hour of watching Mad Men.  

Yep… you’re all up in my Twitter zone.  It’s a fun little place to post silly pictures of myself, sneak peeks at what’s going on in my kitchen, and even have the occasional giveaway.  Twitter.  Dorky and fun.  

I simultaneously thank you and apologize for being so ridiculous.  I’m glad we’re friends.

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 fellow food blogger business cards, and a belly full of incredible food.  

A room full of food bloggers means a room full of cameras.  So many.  Rather than crowd around and take pictures of food…. I just took pictures of people taking pictures of food.  Weird.  I know.  

This also happened…

…which was extremely surprising and extremely exciting.  The fact that I ran off the stage after accepting this award adds to my charm, right?  First I blushed.  Then I stumbled a bit.  I dropped my phone.  I might have thrown in an awkward curtsy… and then I ran.  

 Thank you to every single one of you who voted for me.  Seriously, friends.  This means a lot to me.  

Also… a big, fat, wet kiss to all of the darling people at Foodbuzz who put such a belly filling event together for us.  I hella heart you Foodbuzz.  And Tracy…. we’ve had heart-to-hearts at two different blog conventions…. we’re totally friends now, like it or not. 

Have I introduced you to my little sister Lauren? 

Lauren… this is everyone.  

Everyone… this is Lauren.  

Lauren and I grew up in the kitchen together.  We made brownies, we burnt cookies, we frosted crooked cakes, and we could plow through a box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch in 10 minutes flat.  We were always in the kitchen either creating or consuming.  True.  

Things aren’t all that different for me and Lauren these days.  We spend a lot of time baking up treats, talking about Paula Dean, and arguing about which awkward teenage phase was worse:  my Blossom Hat Phase or her Sweatpants and Vest Wearing Phase.  Just typing those out… they each seem like equal tragedies.  Thank heavens we’ve moved past that.  

I’m introducing you to my sister because these two things are true:

1.  If Lauren were not in the world, I would surely be unable to breathe… that’s how much I love this girl. 

2.  I shoved my camera in Lauren’s hands last week, told her to bake something and take pictures of it.  In her unending brilliance, she returned to me a camera full of pictures (including the self portrait below) and six of these cookies.  Holy heck!  A food blogger could get used to this kind of treatment.  For real.  

Open wide.  Nope… wider.  And still, just a teensy bit wider.  These cookies are a mouthful.  A mouthful of holy-heckballs-peanut-butter-heaven.  The cookies are crisp and buttery.  Combined with the peanut butter filling, I’m pretty sure I nearly put myself in a peanut butter coma.  Yes… a peanut butter coma sounds like a good thing.  Oh!  These cookies are even better if you can get someone else to make them for you.  True story.  

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

     from The Pastry Queen Christmas

     makes about 30 sandwich cookies

     Print this Recipe!

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling:

2 cups crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Optional Coating:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Grease with butter or cooking spray.  

Using a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until well combined.  Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  

Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.  

Drop the dough by the scant tablespoon full onto a cookie sheet about 1 1/2-inches apart.  Use the tines of a fork to press the cookies flat.  Bake for 7-10 minutes until the cookies are a deep golden brown along the edges.

To make the filling:  Use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment to beat the butter, peanut butter and heavy cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  

Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and beat on medium speed until combined.  

To make the coating:  Melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave, or over a double boiler.  Easy!

To assemble the cookies:  Use a spatula or small knife to spread generous amounts of the filling onto the flat bottom of a cookie.  Top with another cookie, ridge side up.  Set a wire rack on top of a sheet of waxed paper to catch the chocolate drips if you choose to dip your cookies in chocolate.  Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped nuts immediately after dipping so they stick.  Let stand for 1 hour to harden, or pop them in the fridge for a few minutes.  

The cookies last up to 3 days in an airtight container, or 2 weeks in a container in the fridge

Hey!  Can I share some fun news!?  Sweet… thanks.

What makes dinner with friends even more fun and lovely?  A dash of holiday spirit… aaaand whiskey.  

I love the months between September and January because I get to cook and cook and cook.  Something about the holidays inspires people to gather and consume… it’s just heaven for me.  

This holiday season I’m teaming up with my super chef friends and crackpot wine buddies to cater big ol’ homey holiday suppers for people in their homes.  You gather.  We throw down in the kitchen.  You consume.  We’re talking six course meals with things like Braised Cocoa Beef with Buckwheat and Corn Polenta Cakes and Christmas Lima Beans. Yea… the real deal.  How about Warm Apple Crostadas with Butterscotch Ice Cream and Bourbon Whipped Cream?  Yes.  Please.  Dang.  

We also do dishes.  Wait… chefs who do dishes!?  Well… we bring help.  That’s true.  

I’m telling you all of this goodness because if you’re in Los Angeles or San Francisco… well heck, maybe you’d like to throw a badass holiday dinner party.  Weeks sure are coming and going quickly so email us at joythebakerdinners (at) gmail (dot) com if you’d like to talk food… talk wine… talk menu and pricing… and talk holidays with you.