Here’s what this past week looked like:
Trip to LA!! Got to eat some of this amazing cake with this beast cat!
I love lists, Friday!
- This English Muffin Bread is going on the To Do List
- For the Moms with Wild Ones 🙂
- It’s amazing what one can do with paper & an imagination. So cute.
- I really enjoyed watching this Lena Dunham interview.
- This man has survived on pizza alone for 25 years. I’m kinda jealous.
- You had me at Streusel.
- How to Stop Giving a F*** What People Think.
- Spicy Sweet Almond Clusters & Honey Mustard Cashews. Yes and Yes.
- AVOCADO PIZZA??!! Oh mah gawd.
- I’d wash it down with some Blood Orange Margaritas.
- 59 Signs You Might Possibly Be An Adult. Pretty much.
- Bucket List: Pick up a baby lamb
- Most Overlooked Costumes in Wes Anderson Movies (love Frances McDormand)
- How good does this Mushroom Ragu look?
- Have you seen the new Ben & Jerry’s flavors???
- I think it would be fun to have a party like this.
- Every State’s Favorite Band. Which one is yours? I guess Idaho is mine.
- Paul Rudd Lip Sync Battle. Nuff said!
I found out that I was nominated for a Homie award from thekitchn for Best Family Friendly Food Blog. I’m in the final round! THANK YOU! That’s awesome.
There’s a new Joy the Baker Podcast! (should be up soon!)This week we try to figure out how to say New Orleans. Care to weigh in? This is also Joy’s last podcast from Venice, California. Tears were shed (on my part).
Uproot From Oregon was inspired by my Spinach Tortellini Soup
See Mox Run adapted my Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt
Chill Cooks made my Pasta Fagioli Soup
Good Dinner Mom adapted my Mango Lassi Popsicles
Dawdling Darlings adapted my Baked Dark Chocolate Doughnuts
OUTFITTING: SPRING PAINTING
ONE/TWO/THREE/FOUR/FIVE/SIX/SEVEN/EIGHT/NINE/TEN/ELEVEN/TWELVE/THIRTEEN
I’ve been admiring the work of Jenny Vorwaller for YEARS. Jenny is a very talented Seattle based artist who specializes in abstract painting. She has such a wonderful sense of color and her landscapes are GORGEOUS! I hope to own one of her paintings some day. The other night I was spacing out on Pinterest and one of her prints caught my eye. Isn’t this one beautiful? I thought the colors would make a very good LET’S GET READY FOR SPRING outfit. I almost always shy away from pastels in my wardrobe because they wash my skin tone out. When it comes to Spring, I go for bold/bright colors like the ones you see here instead. You can dress this look up with purple wedges or make it casual with these awesome gray Vans. Thanks for the inspiration, Jenny!
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Spinach Salad with Dukkah
I got my first letter yesterday from the child we started sponsoring this month. She’s a 10 year old girl who lives in a small village in Togo, with her mother & brother. She drew us the cutest picture of a hen and wrote to tell us that she loves spaghetti, sewing, running, and the color pink. There was a line designated for “question for your sponsor” and she filled it in with, “What do you like to eat?” I found it incredibly heart warming/ironic that the first thing she wanted to know about me what was food related. That’s usually how I get to know a person. I love her already.
One of my favorite things to eat is salad. I’ve always liked how it doesn’t take much to create a wonderful salad. Some salads benefit from many ingredients and some are so incredibly simple that they rely on the strength of a good dressing. As a child I remember always being excited to go to restaurants with salad bars (especially if they had croutons!). It was like walking into an art studio with all of the paints, canvases & brushes lined up on a table. Options! Choices! FUN! Salads are so incredibly personal and your favorite ingredients can tell you a lot about yourself. Salads make me feel healthy. Salads make me feel good about ordering french fries or garlic twists 😉
It’s taken me a very long time to embrace the olive and understand its place in a salad. I think I finally embraced it! It’s one of the essential ingredients in this salad. It adds a sharp tangy and saltiness in the same way the feta does. The red onions make it spicy, the spinach provides a tender bite and the avocados bring a much needed creamy element to the salad. The dukkah dressing creates a bit of smokiness (Casey asked if there was bacon in it!) and rounds out all flavors. I used a store bought dukkah, but can’t wait to try making my own!
So, there you have it. Salad is my favorite. Always & forever.
You best believe I’m gonna draw her a picture of a salad in my next letter.
Garlic Herb Bread Twists
Has anyone ever ordered garlic bread twists from a pizza place WITHOUT a pizza? They always tempt us when they’re on a menu, and yeah- we do get them but we eat them in ADDITION to the pizza and it’s almost always CARB OVERLOAD. The question I’m faced with…do I eat one more piece of pizza or one more bread twist? It’s agony.
But, here’s the thing. We ate these Garlic Herb Bread Twists on their own. No pizza was involved and it was glorious!
There was no holy crap, I feel bloated feeling. No OMG what did I just jam into my face feeling. No negotiation with myself that I’ll just eat a bread twist instead of a piece of pizza because that’s like sooo much less cheese. I just got the whoa those were really good and I might buy store bought pizza dough every week so this goes into the rotation feeling. They’re crunchy, garlic infused, cheesy, herby, CARBY and totally delicious.
I love lists, Friday!
- I LOVE BILL MURRAY. Oh and Kristin Wiig too! That is all.
- Salary Needed to Buy a Home in 25 Cities (San Francisco! Sigh…)
- A guide of you need when you’re having a party!
- I loved reading Emma’s post about success & changing dreams
- This meme made me giggle.
- My model name would be Racy Pourpre
- If you’re obsessed with True Detective, you should read this.
- I’ve always been so fascinated with ARMY FOOD.
- Some very interesting maps of San Francisco.
- I want to watch Teen Witch now….
- 10 Signs You’re A Total Pisces. Casey is one 🙂
- This salad looks amazing.
- Such a well written post about marriage.
- Arm yourself before you get your hair done did.
- This hostess cupcake bundt cake is GENIUS.
- Go Ninja Go Ninja GO. I totally forgot he sang that song.
- Peanut Butter COOKIE BUTTER?!! ZOMG.
- My Hidden Talent: Painting
- Finished Notes from a Blue Bike (LOVED IT!) and am starting this book now.
- This kinda gives me the heebee jeeebees.
There’s a new Joy the Baker podcast! We’re on episode ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN. I can’t believe we’ve recorded that many. This week we talk about Joy’s trip to Uganda, True Detective, living at home as an adult, real men who crochet, etc!
Apples Under My Bed used the made a spread from my Super Spinach Salad dressing
Green Eyes adapted my Herbed Flatbread
Thoroughly Nourished Life adapted my Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops
Bright & Illustrious also made my Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops
