I'll Allow It: 8 Gentle January Permissions

Plus a new Bakehouse Almanac and pretty perfect Cheddar Scallion Scones.

Cheddar Scallion Scones with hot honey butter, linked below.

8 Gentle January Permissions

• We’re eating jacket potatoes with beans and cheese for dinner. Repeatedly.
  I’ve been seeing jacket potatoes all over my social feeds and I’m fully converted. A baked potato split wide, butter melting into the crumb, with layers of sharp cheddar, canned beans warmed with a little salt and chipotle, finished with a heroic amount of cheese. You can’t tell me it’s not a perfect January food.

• We’re daydreaming our birthday cake for the year.
  Maybe not fully planned or committed, but let’s just imagine. Thinking about future cake is an act of optimism and I highly recommend it.

• Let’s lightly plan our partner’s half-birthday in our heads.
  This is not a spreadsheet activity. This is a gentle mental note: a meal they’d love, a cake they wouldn’t expect, a gift we can plan for… just a reason to celebrate when the calendar feels otherwise quiet.

• Let’s rewear our favorite sweater daily.
  January is a uniform month. Pick the sweater that feels like a hug and wear it until it remembers you. This is mine (yes, we love an LL Bean men’s sweater). Consistency is comforting.

• Yes, we’re opening the windows when it’s cold.
  Just for an hour or two. Winter air is unmatched. It’s sharp and bracing. Let it rush through the house for an hour and remind you that you’re awake, clear out any stale air as a reminder that the world is still moving.

• We’re adding a generous pinch of ground ginger to our hot coffee.
  It’s warming and grounding and a little surprising. Cinnamon is obvious but ginger feels extra spicy and special.

• We’re buying grapefruit whenever we see them.
  Pink, ruby, pale yellow — all welcome. Sidenote: do you have a grapefruit spoon? Game changer. Sprinkle brown sugar and a pinch of sea salt and toss the grapefruit halves under the broiler until bubbly. January citrus is a small act of self-respect.

• We’re turning the house “on” at 4pm (or whenever we get home in the evening).
  Lamps on. A candle lit. Overhead light OFF. We don’t wait for darkness to make the house feel cozy. It feels good to invite it in early.

• Pick a King Cake recipe and start fiddling with it.
  No pressure to bake yet, but fall down the rabbit hole with me! I’m currently fascinated by Nicola Lamb’s latest Substack about Flemish King Cake — a buttery brioche disk filled with a thick, custardy cream (did she say eggnog?). January is a great month for curiosity and king cake so, let’s!

Working on a new kolache recipe at The Bakehouse.

A New Series on Joy the Baker

I closed out ten years of Let It Be Sunday posts late last year and have taken a bit of time to figure out how we could connect together on the blog. I’ve missed the community of the Sunday posts so, you know I couldn’t be gone for long. Our next, more personal and connected series on joythebaker.com is called The Bakehouse Almanac. At the start of each month, the almanac will pop up like a note taped to the fridge or a mug of coffee slid across the counter. It’s our monthly guide of sorts: a mix of good intentions, short lists, seasonal thoughts, and a few personal notes from me as we move through the year together. Think of it as a vibe check as we step into each new month.

Here’s the first installment: The Bakehouse Almanac, January 2026

Also, please don’t miss this new recipe for Cheddar Scallion Scones with hot honey butter!

Have a wonderful week, friends!

xo Joy