Joy Wilson's Blog, page 7

Classic (if not a little sweeter) Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Learn how to make the perfect homemade Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread with a soft, tender crumb and a rich cinnamon-cocoa filling. This cozy, nostalgic recipe is made with mashed potato for extra moisture and warmth—perfect for chilly days!

Growing up in Los Angeles, a city known more for its endless sunshine than its frigid temperatures, you might think I’ve never truly been cold. But cold is all relative, right? I was raised in what we lovingly called a “Go Put On A Sweater” household.

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Here’s to Less

Happy New Season of Severance Weekend to all of you celebrating! And, happy Sunday to all of you. How has the start of your year been? January has felt like four years shoved into one: my school moved to a brand new campus so I got to set up my fancy, clean, lovely new classroom! I had my residency week for my MFA program and am preparing to graduate in July! Things have been busy! 

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Chai-Spiced Hot Cocoa + The Warmest Spot in My Bellville Home

When I moved into my house in Bellville, I promised myself I’d be practical. The first piece I bought was a small marble-topped bistro table for the breakfast nook. It felt like a splurge—a cast-iron base with a smooth marble top, something straight out of a French patisserie (though I’ve never actually been to a French café). I justified it as an investment: strong, grounded, sturdy enough to hold the weight of all the life I hoped to live around it.

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The Best and Worst Marriage Advice from Karlee Sisler-Flores

A Note from Joy

I spent more than a few years wading through the dating pool before I found my way to Will. I’ve never been afraid of marriage itself, but I’ll admit—I’ve always been quietly afraid of an unhappy one. On our wedding night, as the last of the Thanksgiving dishes were dried and put away here in my Bellville kitchen, I turned to my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my sister and her husband and asked a question I probably should have asked before I said “I do.”

“What do people mean when they say marriage is hard?”

I cringed as the words left my mouth, bracing myself for some inevitable truth about hardship or sacrifice.

Continue reading The Best and Worst Marriage Advice from Karlee Sisler-Flores at Joy the Baker.

Deep Breath In, Exhale Out

Last week Joy mentioned her word/focus of the year is, unironically and beautifully, “JOY.” I loved seeing all of your words and focuses for the coming year, even if it’s proving to be an interesting year so early on. While I haven’t picked a singular word to focus on, I am focusing on romanticizing my every day life. A mechanical keyboard just got delivered, its clackity sounds are oddly soothing (I do love a little ASMR moment).

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The Magic of Small Joys

Happy New Year, friends! Here we are, standing at the doorway of January, taking our first tentative steps into 2025. If I may offer one little piece of advice for this moment: let’s take it slow. Like, watch-the-sunrise-through-the-window-with-your-hands-wrapped-around-a-warm-mug slow.

January, in all its quiet and stillness, is asking us to rest, despite all this talk of New Year, New Us.  I think January invites us to take a breath before the sprint of the year really begins.

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Wedding Cake Inspo: Chocolate Stout Cake with Raspberries and Cream

This rich and moist Chocolate Stout Cake is infused with the deep flavors of dark beer and topped with raspberries and cream for a stunning dessert. Inspired by a memorable cake shared with friends in Scotland, this recipe is perfect for celebrations or any day that calls for chocolate.

Will and I arrived in Scotland on a Monday night in October, weary from travel and, as usual, starving. Hunger follows us everywhere—it’s practically our third wheel.

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Well, This Has Been Fun

Hello, friends. Here we are, the final Sunday of the year, closing the tabs on a wild ride of a year that was full of peaks-and-valley plot lines.

This year, I bought the Bakehouse Texas—a dream so big it felt like the clouds opened just for me. And then… I moved in – cue the soundtrack of every horror movie as I realized the scope of the repairs waiting for me. High highs.

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The Story of Us

I spent longer than I care to admit looking for the man who would one day become my husband. The waiting was long and addmittdly, more complicated than it needed to be. The arrival surprisingly simple-like something I’d misplaced and suddenly found.

The date was Saturday October 26, 2019. I had spend the evening before preparing for a scone and jam making class at The Bakehouse Nola (what I affectionately called my New Orleans house on the weekends – I’d open the doors to ticketed strangers for baking classes and inevitable friendship).

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End of the Year Limp

Hello! I don’t know about you all, but I am limping across the finish line of the year. My little family is opting out of Christmas for the most part this year, and I have decided to set my sights on 2025 instead of the holiday week ahead of us. 

In a recent Substack post, I wrote:

“Everyone has heard the Zora Neale Hurston quote from Their Eyes Were Watching God: ‘There are years that ask questions and years that answer.’ Respectfully, I would like to add that some years feel like you’ve been turned upside down, held by your ankles, and shaken until everything rains out of your pockets and your head fills with blood.

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