Joy the Baker

I cleared out my cooking cupboard and piled everything up on a table… I’m trying to make a point.  

I think it’s important you know that you don’t need cabinets full of fancy equipment to make glorious things happen in the kitchen.  

I think it’s important you know that I don’t have the most, biggest, nor the best equipment in my kitchen.  I do seem to have enough… and I’m scrappy enough to make things work.  

Let’s talk kitchen gear:  what you must have and what you might want to have on hand.  

Aaaand, go!

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What’s going on in my world?  

Oooh the usual… just swabbing my cheeks, barcoding the samples, labeling them a biohazard, shoving them in an envelope and leaving them for the postman.  That’s normal… I do this nearly everyday.

I’m swabbing because I just put myself on the Be The Match list with the National Marrow Donation Program.  The National Marrow Donation Program houses a giant list and genetic samples of possible donors… a list about 12 million people long.  Dang!  Doctors look for genetic matches for patients that suffer from life threatening illnesses like leukemia and lymphoma.  Sometimes doctors and patients find a genetic match among the millions on the list… sometimes they don’t.  

If I’m a match, some doctors will come to knock me out and take bone marrow from my lower back.  Someone gets my good bone marrow and I grow my own bone marrow back.  Success!  I decided to become a part of the National Marrow Donation Program because I feel blessed enough to be strong and healthy, and would be more than happy to share that health with someone else.  

It’s a bit commitment … one that I considered for months before signing up.  See, there’s needles… and many hours of prep and testing before the actual donation begins.  And… needles.  

I’m not telling you about the National Marrow Donation Program because I want you to rush out and sign up.  It was the right choice for me… but it might not be for everyone.  But… if you think marrow donation might be right up your alley, well then heck!  Get on it!  I just wanted to share.  Now you know what I’m up to when I’m not in the kitchen making cookie dough, or avoiding dishes, or snacking, or drinking wine, or being otherwise silly and unproductive.  

Now you know. 

Holy Heck!  When did Fall sneak up on me!?  I could use a deep breath… how about you?

Here we are at the end of September and I’m more than ready to go shopping for winter tights and oversized sweaters… not to mention jumping in the kitchen to bake up my favorite pumpkin cookies.  Seriously.  Have you made these pumpkin cookies yet?  They’re my reason for living from October through January.  

Now is not the time to talk cookies.  Can I show you a few things!?  I want to show you what my summer looked like…. up close… personal… on the fly.  All captured by my trusted camera phone.  Remember when we played the camera phone picture game a few months back?  I’m at it again.  Come take a peek and then tell me what you were up too all summer long!

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Bread.  Love.  Bread.  

I’m on a tiny bit of a vacation these days.  Tiny.  Seriously.  Also… I’m kinda still working, but that’s mostly because I can’t help myself.

While I’m away… sort of away, I want to show what I love.  Can I share a bit with you?

Here’s one thing!  I love that you can now sign up to get my rambling posts in your email inbox.  Kinda sweet, right?  Just drop your email in the little “subscribe me!” box to the left.  Oooooh technology.  You’re rad. 

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After extensive… and I do mean extensive research, I’ve determined that certain items always taste better if someone else makes them for you.

It’s like when someone else draws a bath for you… maybe with bubbles or salts, and perfectly warm water.  Dang, that’s a good bath… somehow way better than it would have been if you turned those bathtub faucets yourself.

So, what items always taste better if someone else makes them for you?  Perfect macarons and the day’s first cup of coffee.

Cookie and a coffee?  And I don’t have to move a muscle in the kitchen?  It’s already delicious.

Now let me tell you about who made them for me.

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Can I share something with you?

I’ve been feeling a little lost lately.

I think this whole new blog has left me feeling turned around and upside down.

Let me explain.  I want to take you back to the humble beginnings of Joy the Baker.

See that picture up top?  That’s my first site.  Oooh me Oooh my.  Pretty precious, right?  I set this site up a two years ago so I could start selling wedding cakes and wholesale baked yummies to coffee shops.  I played the wholesale and wedding cake game for a hot minute.  I chugged along on my own for a few months before it became clear that food costs and kitchen expenses made it hard for me to even break even.  That’s when I started working in other bakeries and restaurants.  Phew.  That was relief.

Then a magical thing happened.  It really did feel like magic.  I discovered food blogs.  It’s like fireworks went off in my head… as silly as that sounds.  Stories plus pictures plus recipes… plus you just get to be yourself at every moment!?  Holy heck!  In!  I wanted in!

Here are some of my very first food photos, taken when I was working as the Head Baker at a tiny bakery in Burbank.  These shots?  Taken on my camera phone at 4:30 in the morning.  You think I’m kidding.  I’m totally not kidding.  That’s some good glisten on those cinnamon rolls, right?  Thank you camera phone macro mode!

Want to see my first post?  Ha!  I know it’s around here somewhere.  Here!

Above is one of the first pictures I took with a fancy camera, a Canon 40D.  I propped an Ikea lamp up in the background… that’s what is creating that yellowish glow.  Not exactly ideal, I now know.

Can  I just say… I was beyond mortified when I discovered that someone had found my blog and left a lovely comment in the days that followed my first post.

Mortified.

The thought of someone finding this space and reading my words absolutely terrified me.

But it didn’t terrify me enough to actually stop posting, and posting, and posting… and posting… and posting some more.

So here I am… almost two years later, still working a day job, cooking, blogging, throwing picnics for hundreds of people like you, and introducing a whole new look with loads of new content into my space.

Can I be honest?  That’s what we do here, right?

This whole redesign is a big, scary thing for me.  Many, many months ago I thought I might like to start a separate blog… one about my silly life and all the silly things I do.  I then thought… ‘Hey!  Why not put my food and my life all together into one big ol’ fun site!?’.

Here we are many months later, I’ve hired designers and fired designers.  I’ve begged coders to meet deadlines and battled hosting companies to get where I am today.  It feels like I’ve built a house, then set it on fire… then had it built all over again… but, really… less dramatic than that and without the fire.

I’ve gone from taking pictures with my camera phone to running an entire site and keeping up with designers and coders and hosting and CSS and CPM and IE6 compatibility and… DUDE!  This mess is complicated!!!  Bourbon.  Where is the Bourbon?  Also doughnuts.  I need doughnuts!

Am I whining?  I’m totally pouting right now, aren’t I?

It’s just that sometimes things become far more than you expected… even when you’re trying to expect them.

I’m telling you all this… I’m showing you where I’ve come from and showing you how we’re right at the beginning of where we’re going, because I have an unreasonable desire to share with you the overwhelming, scary and totally exciting nature of this endeavour.  Oooh Internet, how you fussy up my emotions sometimes.

So we’re in this together right?  I couldn’t have nearly as much fun with this space if you weren’t here to share it with me.

Thanks for being here for as long as you have… even if it’s only for the past two minutes.  Thanks for adjusting to all this change I’ve thrown at you.

Thanks for being patient as I get my footing here, yell at my hosting company, recharge the batteries on my camera…. and do some freakin’ dishes.

And hey!  Let me know what’s working for you here… and what makes you sorta wanna yell and scream (in a bad way).  You matter.  I’m listening, unless it has anything to do with my use of the ‘…’, then I’m not really listening.   Holla back.

Hey there friendlies!  

I have a few spots open for this weekend’s grand bash!  Have nothing to do this Sunday?  Want to hang out with me on a rooftop downtown.. picnic style?  Did I mention there will be cupcakes…?

If you want a last minute invite, email me at: 

joythebakerpicnic (at) gmail (dot) com

Yes?  Yes.  This is happening.

Back to our regularly scheduled recipes and stories soon… promise.

Hey Friends!

Guess what!? OOOooh yes! It’s almost picnic time! That means… it’s almost Virtual Picnic time!

But what the heck is a virtual picnic, and how is this going to work? Don’t worry. I have answers. Here’s how I’d like it to go down.

1. I would love for you to gather your friends… gather one friend… gather ninety friends… get together on Saturday August 22nd or Sunday August 23rd, share your favorite baked goods, and just enjoy fun and laughs over sweet treats.

2. Take pictures of you and your friends at your JtB picnic extravaganza. Why? Because you want to send those photos to me to be posted along with pictures from the Los Angeles event as it happens on August 23rd.  Pictures!  Pictures with signs.  Pictures with cupcakes.  Pictures with your smiling faces… I want them!

3. Do you follow me on Twitter? You probably do… and that’s great!  At 4:30 PST I’ll be live streaming video of the picnic extravaganza using TwitCam.  Yes… welcome to the future.  All you’ll have to do is find me on Twitter at 4:30PST and follow the link that says “Check out my live video stream of TwitCam”.  You’ll get to plug into the picnic as it happens!  You’ll see my in my pretty pink dress acting like the hostess with the mostess.  You’ll even be able to tweet comments and questions as I’m live streaming.  Oooh future.  You’re rad! 

4.  There will be prizes for the Los Angeles picnic participants and yes… prizes for some Virtual Picnic participants too.  There will be one random drawing and one prize for the virtual picnicers with the most spirit.  Who doesn’t like prizes!? 

Want to play along?  Want to gather your friends in the name of Joy the Baker and cupcakes?  I think you should.  Do it!  Then share the love with me!  So…. you in!?

What..?  You want a recipe?  Ok… how about Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream with Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce?  Good.

We have cute bags to talk about!  Can you stand a bit more Baggu talk?  Good… because I’ve got good news. 

There are two Baggu set winners.  Two lucky ladies out of the thousand of you who commented (geeeez!) that win the two colorful sets above.

But really… WE ALL WIN!

Baggu is offering Joy the Baker readers a 15% discount on cute bag purchases made through the weekend.  Yea!  Cool, right?  All you have to do is pick your favorite Baggu colors, checkout and type JOY (all caps) in the coupon area.  Easy as pie!  Thanks Baggu.  We like you.  We think you’re terrific.  We also think that people should use the word ‘terrific’ more often.  

Baggu set winners are Barefoot Rooster (do roosters wear shoes?) and Mindy Harris.  Congratulations!

Ok… well, Baggu loves me.  I love you.  Thus… and without question, Baggu loves you.  

See how that works?

Baggu has graciously decided to make my life easier, greener and fashionably color coordinated.  Thanks Baggu!  

See, instead of wrestling with single Baggu bags at the bottom of my purse, they’re put three matching bags in one pouch.  Clever, right?  

Now, I can walk out of Trader Joe’s looking like my tree saving self, and not feel bad about graciously ignoring the Greenpeace people who heckle me about whether or not I want to save the polar bears.  Obviously I want to save the polar bears…. don’t you see my Baggu bags!?   

Baggu bags.  Three bags in two sets, for two readers.  Leave a comment .  Comments close Tuesday at noon PST.  I’ll choose two comments at random and send those two darling readers a set of Baggu bags.  Success!  Go on… leave a comment and say hey!

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I think it’s important that you all know something about what comes out of my kitchen:  it ain’t all pretty folks.  Not every creation that comes out of my kitchen is pretty, polished and ready for its blog debut.  The reality is that I have my fair share of flops, dropped eggs, burned butter and dirty dishes… I just don’t usually show those kitchen tidbits with you.  Tricky, right?

Today is your lucky day.  Here’s a peek at the flops, disasters and otherwise icky recipes I’ve tried and trashed.  

Chilled Blueberry Soup.  Ok, seriously.  Who are you trying to fool?  This was just an elaborate recipe for blueberry juice.  You tricked me and I resent you Blueberry Soup.  This won’t be soon forgotten.

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These are pretty, right?  Hot diggity dang, I think they’re precious.  

In the middle of frosting these cupcakes I looked down at my hands.  No big deal.  I was simply looking down at the cupcake in one hand, and frosting covered knife in the other.  I had to see what I was doing, right?  When I looked down at this particular moment, I saw… my grandmother’s hands.  There they were, the worn and wrinkled hands that had absolutely fascinated me as a child… only now spotted with powdered sugar and tinted with food coloring.  

When I was a kid I would hold my grandmother’s hand in my lap and study it like it like I might study my favorite picture book.  Somehow her hands weren’t at all different from reading an intricate a story.  

So there I was, frosting a cupcake with my grandmother’s hands.  The image was so strong that I even put down the cupcake and knife and bent my left index finger with my right hand.  It ached a little.  I don’t know why.  And just like that… those hands were gone from me.  

That was simultaneously perplexing and so comforting.  I had to share that with you…  I now only hope that I live long enough for my hands to be read like a story book.  

Now let’s talk cupcakes!

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Oooooh geez!  

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  

I received an overwhelming response to my rooftop picnic plans.  You and you and you over there…. you guys are rad!  

I’ll send out email invitations later today.  Keep your eyes peeled.  

Unfortunately, because of the huge response, I am unable to extend an invitation to each and every one of you.  I received more requests than I have room for.  Bummer.  Total bummer.  But stay close!  I’ll let you know as more spaces become available.  I want to see as many of your smiling faces as possible.  Wait…. have I mentioned that I’m shy?  I guess on August 23rd I’m not shy… not shy at all.

Let’s not forget the virtual picnic!  More details on that as the date approaches.

A few weeks ago I threw a little idea out into the world:  a Joy the Baker picnic.

Well… holy heck!  We’re doing it!

Joy the Baker is throwing a rooftop cupcake party smack dab in the middle of gorgeous downtown Los Angeles.  Consider it a room with a view (the view pictured above silly!)… and no roof and tons of cupcakes and sweet tea.  

Sunday August 23rd from 2pm until 7pm.  Downtown Los Angeles.  

This event is not a pot luck situation.  It’s more of a eat-all-the-Joy-the-Baker-cupcakes-you-can situation.  

If you’d like to attend, send an email to joythebakerpicnic (at) gmail (dot) com

I’ll email you the fancypants invitation late next week.  

Now… a girl can only make so may cupcakes.  In the event that I have to limit the guest list, invitations will go out on a first come, first serve basis.  Get your emails in!

Not in Los Angeles?  Don’t fret!  I have plans for you to play along wherever you live.  You might call it a virtual picnic!  Stay tuned for that!

I want to see your shining faces!

This is the part where I take a moment to ask for your help.

This is the part where I tell you how much I need you.

Seriously people…. I need some inspiration.  Give it up.  Please and thank you.

I think I’ve found myself in a bit of a kitchen rut.  What should I make?  What do you want to see?

Hot?  Cold?  Sweet or savory?  At what point will you stop putting up with my baking antics?  How much cranberry juice is too much cranberry juice to drink in one day?  What do I do about this giant blemish on my chin?

Ok… I suppose you should only answer the first few questions above.  Send me some inspiration.  Send me a dozen eggs.  Send me a punch in the skull.  I need your creative kitchen juice or your closed fist punches.  Let’s be a team about this.  I need you… but please don’t actually punch me.  I was kidding about that part.

Update:  You all are the most lovely people a blogger could ask for.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for all the inspiration.  I’ve already got a list working from all your suggestions.  Keep em coming!  I think you’re dreamy!

Aaaand another update:  You lovelies have blown me away.  Thanks for all the inspiration.  Amazing!  Let’s hug.  I’ll be in my kitchen this weekend and be back next week with some pretty fabulous treats for you.  Thank you.  One the real…. thanks.

I had exactly too much fun this past weekend, so much fun that I seem to have left my camera in a different city.  At least I know what city it’s in…. it just doesn’t happen to be the city that I’m in, making blogging about muffins and such difficult.

So!

Time for a distraction!

Hey… look over here!  It’s fabric!  Why?  What’s this all about?

Mom and I had a little downtown Los Angeles fabric shopping adventure last weekend.  We braved walls and walls, stores after store of fabric… for you.  It’s blinding friends, absolutely blinding.  The only thing that cures fabric blindness…

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Honey Roasted Plums with Fresh Thyme and Greek Yogurt

This weekend I want out!  Out of the kitchen and into a pool.  Out of these clothes and into a bathing suit.  Out of this computer and into a poolside book and cocktail situation.

I want you out too.  I don’t want you in the kitchen all weekend.  Don’t you think your time would be much better spent in sunglasses and a big floppy hat with your feet up by the pool!?  Good.  I’m glad we agree.

If you’re celebrating the 4th of July this weekend, be sure to say things like “Go America!” and watch colors explode in the sky if you can.  It’s fun.

If you’re not celebrating America’s independence… well heck… I think a weekend by the pool is still in order.  You just don’t have to scream things like “Go America!” unless you really want to.

Here are the recipes that will keep you out of all day kitchen adventures and magically keep your bellies satisfied.

Let us explore.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Exactly one year ago I was rockin’ out with a mug of this stuff.  I was also saying things like “totally tubular!”  and “radical!”, wearing acid wash jeans, and hair-spraying my bangs into a tall wave across my forehead.  Ooooh 2008.

Banana Pudding Ice Cream. Rad, right?

… eat watermelon, in a park, in a row with several friends, quickly, in a race-type situation.  See who finishes first.  Crown them the winner.

Call it a Watermelon Eating Contest.

It’s summer.  Summer is fun.  Watermelon is summer fun.

Here are five Watermelon Eating Contest tips, from a photographer not a participant.

Just before the race, it’s not a bad idea to lick your lips and stretch out the back.  You’ll need every advantage.  No… pregnant women do not have to eat twice the amount of watermelon.  It doesn’t work that way.

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You know this guy, right!?

He’s my Dad.  He makes some amazing pancakes… the best pancakes, the best tacos, the best sweet potato pie, the best tofu potato bake.  He’s a champion in the kitchen.

He’s also a champion Dad.  Top notch.  The kind of man that will talk to you for hours about the intricacies of Alfred Hitchcock movies… when you’re eight years old, make your stuffed animals talk and have fake bowel movements, and microwave your ice cream so it’s not too cold.  He’s the best I know.  Happy Father’s Day.

Want pancakes?  Take the jump!

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