A New Orleans New Year ✨

[View this email in your browser]( Hello friends! Welcome to this new year! I would say we have another good week or so of wishing one another a Happy New Year so let's just revel in it for as long as we have. Did you make intentions for the year? Are you hydrating? Spending less time on social media? Eating less gluten? Eating more spinach? All of the above? My intentions for the year revolve around teaching myself a few new skills. Two specifically: I want to learn how to can and I want to learn how to sew a dress. So far I've joined Marisa's [Food In Jars Mastery Challenge 2019]( and researched economically priced sewing machines. Baby steps, right? As we set off on this new year with betterment in mind, here are some thoughts from three of my favorite women. Let's glance towards bettering our bank accounts, our cuts of meat, and our choices in wine - fine places to start, wouldn't you say? [Pro Tips: Ask A Financial Planner]( [Pro Tips: Ask A Butcher]( [Pro Tips: Ask A Sommelier]( December's most popular (not so healthy but very festive) post: [Cranberry Jam Doughnuts with Spiced Orange Sugar]( Healthy-ish recipes for your New Year's resolutions • I wrote last week about the[6 ingredients I'm excited to experiment with in my kitchen this year](. One of those ingredients is almond flour which also happens to be the main ingredient in this truly delicious chocolate cake: [Sweet Laurel's Grain-Free Chocolate Cake](. • I come back to this recipe at least three times a month with chickpeas or really, any other canned bean I find in my pantry. It's so simple and warming and deeply satisfying: [Olive Oil Braised Chickpeas](. • A little spice and a lot of comfort in this [Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup](. I'll be honest in saying that I'm in it for the fried tortilla, sliced avocado, and cheese toppings. • I drink gallons of hot tea this time of year but this [Winter Lemonade with ginger and cloves]( is a very zippy cold addition to these cold weather days. What's the haps in New Orleans? Here are some events happening in New Orleans I'm excited about! Mosquito Supper Club This month I took a long overdue trip Uptown for dinner at Mosquito Supper Club! [Mosquito Supper Club]( is a tiny Cajun restaurant open three nights a week for communal-style dining. The food is earnest and authentic, and the experience is like sitting at your grandmother's table with a handful of new friends. It's incredibly special, and I highly recommend a seat around Melissa's tables. BYOB at Kin I recently discovered one of my favorite meals in New Orleans at [Kin](. Their generous bowls of ramen are perfect for the snappy days. The broth is incredibly flavorful (I ordered the vegan version and was absolutely smitten) and the composition of their ingredients feels so thoughtful. It's a perfect bowl and well worth the bit of a wait you might encounter at dinnertime. Pro-tip: bring a hot toddy to enjoy outside while you wait, Kin is also BYO. [My Favorite Places To Dine Alone In New Orleans]( I compiled this list last year, but dining solo never goes out of style. Going out to eat on my own is one of my favorite indulgent activities, and to think I used to feel self conscious about it! Coming up at The Bakehouse... Thursday, February 14 That's Amore! Valentine's Pasta Making Can you think of anything more romantic than learning to make pasta from scratch with your boo on Valentine's Day? I can't, which is why I'd love to invite you to a romantic make-and-eat pasta dinner at The Bakehouse. [Ticket price]( is per couple, so you only need to purchase one for you and your love. Saturday, March 16 Bakeaway Intensive: Social + Styling We launched the very first BakeAway, an inspiring weekend retreat designed for bakers, bloggers, photographers and creators of all kinds in September 2018. Now, we’re offering the same BakeAway magic in a one-day experience. This March, I'll be hosting an intensive for creatives to meet each other and to learn skills they can use to take their business to the next level. Sunday, April 14 Louisiana Strawberry Pie We're celebrating strawberry season in Louisiana the only way we know how: pie! I'm demonstrating how to whip up a magical double-crust strawberry pie using ripe Ponchatoula strawberries sourced directly from the annual [Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival](. You haven't had strawberries until you've had Ponchatoula strawberries, trust. Last year, this class sold out FAST. [So we've opened up another class!]( What I'm listening to... [Broken Harts]( I've devoured all the of available episodes and I'm going to need your ears on this with me: Two White Moms. Six Black Kids. One Unthinkable Tragedy. A Look Inside the ‘Perfect’ Hart Family. If you're into true crime podcasts, this is my offering to you. You're welcome/ I'm sorry. [You're Wrong About]( Mike and Sarah are journalists obsessed with the past. Every week they reconsider an event, person or phenomenon that's been miscast in the public imagination. I really enjoy the combination of facts, banter, and laughter in what feels like a fresh-to-me perspective of recent historical events! [Joy the Baker's Top Songs of 2018]( Need a new playlist to color your days? Join me on this Kacey Musgraves, Drake, Stevie Wonder train! It feels pretty personal to share all the songs that I've sing-cryed in the car, but I trust we're all friends here. Join the mood. Take good care today and tomorrow and the day after that! xoxo Joy Copyright © 2019 Joy the Baker, Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at joythebaker.com Our mailing address is: Joy the Baker, Inc. 11333 Moorpark St 221Studio City, CA 91602 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.