December 14, 2012

I love lists, Friday!

7 Signs You Can’t Party as Much as You Used to. REAL.
$hit My Students Write. (Head slap)
This video. I NEEDED this video this week.
Two words: BACON. JAM.
Utterly OBSESSED with this Homemade Coconut Body Butter!
Make Your Own DIY Hex Earrings! Yes, I will.
You had me at Persimmon, Joy.
Homemade Bitters? YES, PLEASE.
Looking for a way to change up your gift tags? These printables are awesome.
Also. Can someone make me this? I’d like a bin necklace. K, thanks.
Don’t like the word MOIST? Here are some alternatives to that word. (I’m fine with moist)
Florence + The Machine – Try A Little Tenderness – MTV Unplugged, 2012 INTO THIS SONG.
Yet again, I fall prey to Anna’s skin regime. I already have three of the items on this list.
To booze or not to booze? How about BOTH?
AMEN.

Well Yo-played. Candles, mice, questions, GIFTS. All new Joy the Baker Podcast is UUUUUP.

Oh, hey! Look! Joy and I are in the latest issue of Foodie Crush talking about our podcastio.

My Bites Around the Net:

Gluten Free Girl made my White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels gluten free!

Lick My Spoon included my Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops in her cookie roundup.

Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again made my Apple Pecan Sticky Buns.

Spill the Beans made my Dark Chocolate Baked Donuts.

The Game Plan made my Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash.

Elly Says Opa! made my White Bean Soup with Crispy Prosciutto Soup. (sorry about your injury!!)

Uncategorized

December 13, 2012

Unique Gifts for your Unique Friend

I’m a hard person to shop for. That’s a fact. If you get me something that’s black & white, striped, bold & graphic, I will almost always love it. Unless it’s a stuffed panda holding a heart that has lace trim. I won’t be into that. That’s also a fact. You may have someone in your life that’s super particular like me. Someone who has unique taste. Someone who knows what they want and usually just gets themselves a treat instead of asking for it. Here’s a list of gift ideas that I (one of the most particular people in the world) approve of! CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

December 12, 2012

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Can I be really really REALLY honest with you? When I do Christmas shopping for other people I slyly throw in a few *little* presents for myself. I KNOW!! I KNOW!! It feels equally wrong as it feels right. Let me also say that holiday baking is no different. I usually make what I’m craving and I hope/pray people will like what I’ve made. I do have some good cravings…

I had really dense/chewy chocolate chip cookies in my mind the other day so I turned my craving into a gift for friends. That’s not so bad, right? I totally shared!

Remember how I gave you cookbook ideas for gifting? Let’s add another one to the list!

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust is Ina Garten’s latest cookbook. It definitely belongs on my cookbooks to gift this Christmas. My copy has a sticky on almost every single page for the recipes I want to make. GOOD SIGN. Totally. Like major good sign.

Ina’s Chocolate Chunk Blondies are unreal. They’re buttery, dense, chewy, slightly salty, studded with melted chocolate and enhanced by walnuts. Casey and I LOVED the walnuts. I might be guilty of only giving half of this batch away. It was those dang walnuts! I plan on making at least three more batches this Christmas. Don’t look at me like that!

recipes, Uncategorized

December 10, 2012

Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drops

It’s a shame that certain things like chocolatey chocolate cookies don’t photograph well. It just means I need to be better at describing the taste for you. OK, here it goes. You ready?

While standing in the kitchen eating these with my husband (we were hiding from our 4 year old), I was able to figure out what they taste like.

These Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drops are a cross between rocky road and an almond joy candy bar mixed with crispy/chewy brownie notes.

MIND BLOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!

If that doesn’t get you hopping to this recipe, let me also say that they’re gluten free, SUPER easy to make and they’ll disappear in seconds.

They also should come with a warning label. Warn the people you’re making these for!

my everyday life, Photography, Uncategorized

December 8, 2012

My Everyday Life: Week 49

This is my 1000th POST!!!!! How crazy is that? We should celebrate somehow. I’ll get back to you on that.

Here’s what this past week looked like:

After 4 years of trying, I finally got Cooper to wear a hat! YAY.

Uncategorized

December 7, 2012

I love lists, Friday!

This just makes me love Bill Murray more. My mom took me to meet Gilda when I was little.
I’m sure we’ve all seen this song about Instagram this week. Still HILARIOUS.
Chalk Lettering Goodness!! I loved watching this.
Katie! You’re so gorgeous and the way you craft words makes me giddy.
Another gem this week from Shauna! Her writing makes me sane!
BROWNIES!!!!! (Oprah voice! Imagine it)
I’m SOOO proud of my friend Megan and I want this Boozy Eggnog Loaf!
How many times can we watch this? A million. (psst! watch the kids!)
Ummm. Tracy Morgan. Twas the Night Before Christmas. WATCH IT.
2012- A Retrospective in Animated Gifs.
I love this custom stenciled wall. What a fab idea!
Christmas Crack. GIMME DAT.
The prettiest recipe cards I’ve ever seen!
Freeks & Geeks Reunion Photos!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH. Millie looks great!
Hahaha. It totally looks like a bear, Megan!
I love getting a glimpse of Tamar Adler’s Kitchen.
This was our Christmas Jam when we were kids. Taking it back!

Modern Day Etiquette Part Deux! What’s Your Shoe Game? How do we exercise? Do I make people take their shoes off when they come over? An all new Joy the Baker Podcast is up!

Wanna see what’s in my bar? I created a Bar Closet in our new house. CHECK IT out on High Straightenence this week. BOOM.

MY BITES AROUND THE NET:

A Glass of Milk made my Baked Hot Wings

Make Great made my Rosemary Roasted Almonds.

Lemon Jelly Cake made my Earl Grey Chocolate Cake

Crooked Hazel made my Mini Ginger Almond Cheesecakes.

recipes, Uncategorized

December 6, 2012

Cranberry Rosemary Spritzers

We are now entering what I like to call BOURBON SEASON. Gin is hibernating. Gin is hanging out in a cave with a boulder in front of it. We’ll get back to gin when some of the icicles start to melt. Unless we want to drink it hot. A hot gin toddy is exceptional at this time of year!

I must not forget that.

My brain is still locked in on Bourbon. I like to think of different ways to spruce my bourbon and today I bring you this Cranberry Rosemary Spritzer concoction. We start with a rosemary simple syrup to get things herbaceous. Additions of cranberry juice and pomegranate seeds bring in the fruit component. Bourbon makes it bourbony as per usual and the ginger beer makes it gingery AND spritzy. Get your holiday spirit on with this festive number!