Joy Wilson's Blog, page 103

Mediterranean Pull Apart Bread

What I was trying to do was solve a problem. 

It’s December, you can guess the problem.  The… I Have To Go To A Holiday Thing With An Edible Thing Problem.  But what edible thing because honestly it’s hard to manage a festive dress, host gift wrapped and ready, having gas in the car, lipstick in the purse, brain in the head, car keys not lost because I accidentally left them in refrigerator (WHY / HOW!?) being considerately tardy and not rudely late and… those of you that manage all of the festivities with children… God bless you, amen.

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The Bakehouse Brunch: Sweet Potato Frittata + Butter Lettuce Salad

Hello friends!  Welcome back to the Bakehouse! 

Ooooh boy we’re talking about Brunch.  

It seems only fitting to make the meal of my dreams in the kitchen of my dreams.  Brunch is that magical space that exists in our weekend, when coffee extends well into the afternoon, cocktails creep into our late mornings; where sweet and savory meld onto our plates and we find ourselves lingering around the kitchen late into the day.

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The Holiday Give and Take

Welcome to the time of year when impromptu gatherings have an added warmth (hopefully from a frosty Brandy Milk Punch), an added twinkle (from a well-adorned Christmas tree), and that extra bit of cheer and love.  We need it. It’s a cold, weird world. 

Here are a few things I like to throw together, have on hand, and share this time of year.  You know… for when you need that little something special to pass to your host or houseguest along with a big ol’ hug.

Continue reading The Holiday Give and Take at Joy the Baker.

Cardamom-Spiced Stained Glass Cookies

This past weekend I decorated my first tree, in my frist house, just a few days after hosting my first Thanksgiving around my first official dining room table.  Who knew that 35 had so many firsts?  

To be fair, I decorated the tree at the insistence of my friend Suzonne who has much more reverence for tradition that I usually do, and thank goodness for it!  Sometimes it takes a friend’s insistence to make things happen… (and she came over with her extra Christmas tree so that didn’t hurt one bit!).

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Let It Be Sunday!

It’s like… you know leftover mashed potatoes are better re-heated, but still somehow you scoop them out of the refrigerator with a spoon (or your fingers).  The leftover sweet potato pie just needs hot coffee, and if you’re feeling a fancy, a plate.  Turkey is better cold, with mustard.  Wait, there’s still coconut cake left!? There goes the neighborhood.

The refrigerator is a veritable extravaganza for the next few days.  

Here’s where we are with the Internet.

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Welcome to the Bakehouse: A Kitchen Tour and Giveaway!

My first kitchen was pea green.  Not the pea green you’re thinking.  The sort of pea green only achieved by soup-ing peas.  My first kitchen was pea soup green.  Technically it wasn’t my kitchen. It was my parents’ kitchen where they likely stood sleepless, heating my baby bottles, where they taught us how to hide under the table in the event of an earthquake, where my dad would lovingly stir maple syrup into my cold cereal milk.

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Cranberry Cornmeal Scones

A lifetime ago I worked at a coffee shop in sunny Burbank, California.  It was a tiny, one-barista-type coffee shop where the morning coffee maker decided on the brew, decided on the signage, set the baked goods out in the morning, and knew just about every person that came in the door.  

It was my sweet spot.  I can still remember Rick and Karen’s order, Ian and Nancy’s order, how the thrift store lady from next door would casually show up at closing time looking for leftover croissants.

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Let It Be Sunday!

Hello friends. Another week creeping closer to the holiday season. Are you feeling it in the air?  I am… mostly because there was no fresh rosemary at the grocery store this morning.  Everyone is thinking ahead / prepared / making Rosemary Cornbread Stuffing from scratch and… well, I really needed some rosemary. 

I’m back from a whirlwind of work in New York City and when I got home Tron told me that he had a looooong week eating my jade plant and scratching the door frames.

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Creamy Smoked Gouda Brussels Sprouts

I think we all started to like brussels sprouts A LOT more when once we discovered we could hard sear them in butter with bacon… or add so much cheese to them that you’re not sure if your vegetable is vegetable or nacho.

Once you’re confusing your vegetables for cheese, we know we’re onto something delicious (if not ridiculous).  

Consider this as an addition to your Thanksgiving table.

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Sweet and Savory Mashed Potatoes with Fried Onions

The Internet needs another recipe for mashed potatoes like it needs another recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies / another hole in the head.  

Maybe right now we could all use another hole in the head. 

Or just these mashed potatoes because they’re layered, sweet, and savory, and topped in a downright gratuitous amount of onion rings (yes, onion rings).  

Cream, butter, salt, and pepper… this is a little prayer of gluttony and thanks to you. 

What very important to know and respect is that under these mashed potatoes is a layer of buttery mashed sweet potatoes….

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