Food Diary

Nothing’s more festive than bubbly champagne cocktails! They’re easy to make, and add class and style to any celebration. Are you ready to celebrate? Champagne has been a festive drink for centuries. Of course, you can just pop the cork and drink it straight up (which Alex and I do, often!). But why not try a champagne cocktail? The tangy, bubbly sparkling wine is perfect with all sorts of flavors, from lemon to St Germain to cranberry. Even just adding one or two ingredients to champagne really alters the flavor and adds depth. And of course, holding a glass says, “Hey, I’m someone with sophistication and class!” Ready to toast? And now… the best easy champagne cocktails to try! The Classic Champagne Cocktail This isn’t just an champagne cocktail, it’s THE champagne cocktail. Yes, the Champagne Cocktail is a classic recipe on the International Bartender's Association list of IBA official cocktails . It's a thing. Even better: it's tangy and refreshi

Hello friends!  I just realized this is the last Let It Be Sunday of the year!  It’s actually the last Let It Be Sunday of the decade. Honestly that’s far too much pressure to acknowledge further.  I’m not ready to sum of the year, let alone the decade.  What is wild is that I’ve been Joy the Baker for this entire decade.  This decade, plus some. That’s pretty cool.  I’ll give myself a congratulatory handshake over that.  It’s more official than a pat on the back.  I hope you’ve had a restful holiday. Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 251! at Joy the Baker.

If you haven’t stocked up on eggnog this holiday season, you might want to run to the store and pick up a container of your favorite brand so that you can whip up a batch of these fluffy Eggnog Pancakes for breakfast. They’re easy to make and a wonderful way to infuse a little holiday flavor into your mornings. I enjoy them throughout the holiday season – starting after Thanksgiving and going all the way through New Year’s Day. The pancakes are light, fluffy and have a delicious eggnog flavor in every bite. This flavor comes from the eggnog in the batter, of course, but it is amplified by the addition of vanilla extract and freshly ground nutmeg. That combination of vanilla and nutmeg is always a component of eggnog, so including both of those ingredients makes these pancakes work beautifully. The pancakes are not overly sweet on their own, but since eggnog is sweetened and contains a bit more sugar than the milk or buttermilk that you might typically put into your pancakes, the egg

Clear ice cubes make the most impressive cocktails ! After lots of research, we found the very BEST method for how to make clear ice. Looking for how to make clear ice for cocktails ? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve spent hours researching the best way to do it, and found an easy method that works every time! Here’s exactly what you need to do to make the beautiful, crystal clear ice sphere you see in that cocktail glass above. Why spend the time making clear ice? Well, that’s what I asked Alex when he told me he wanted to create this method. Clear ice? It can’t be that cool, can it? Well, color me impressed when I saw the first cocktail he made with it. The glistening artisanal ice cubes are incredibly beautiful to look at, and make any cocktail look simply stunning . It’s the perfect party trick to impress your guests: and they’ll feel like 1 million bucks drinking it. Here’s our simple method. How to make clear ice: a tutorial Here’s the basic idea behind how to make cle

No matter what the occasion, you can never go wrong with a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. This recipe for Candied Ginger and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies puts a sweet and spicy twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie. They’re sure to satisfy any chocolate chip cookie fan, adding a generous amount of candied ginger to a buttery, chewy oatmeal cookie base. Ginger is a warm, spicy flavor that is delicious all year round, but that I particularly enjoy in the cooler months of the year. In fact, although these are not a traditional “Christmas cookie” recipe, I’ll often include them on my holiday cookie plates! There is candied ginger mixed into the dough, but the dough itself is made with ground ginger and a hint of cinnamon. The ground ginger gives the cookies a nice all-over heat, while the pieces of candied ginger add spicy sweetness when you bite into them. The cinnamon gives a little bit of depth to all that ginger, too. I included both dark chocolate and milk chocolate

Everyone loves this butternut squash pasta! It’s covered in a creamy sauce blended with garlic, spices, and goat cheese. Top with Parmesan & serve! Say hello to our new favorite way to eat squash: this butternut squash pasta! Alex and I have been on quite the run of healthy pasta recipes lately, from creamy cavatappi with hidden cauliflower to our best ever vegan lasagna . But could you make room in your heart for your more? Because this one is darn good. Tender butternut squash is pureed into a creamy sauce with garlic, spices, and goat cheese. It’s savory with a sweet undertone, and the perfect sauce to cover al dente pasta. It’s a little like mac and cheese, but a little sweeter and loads healthier. What’s in this butternut squash pasta? The ingredients in this butternut squash pasta are simple: the squash carries a lot of flavor and color for the sauce itself! Here’s what’s in it: Butternut squash Olive oil & vegetable broth for sauteing and simmering the squash G