Happy Wednesday!

I’m feeling epically ready to rest and recharge as we head into Christmas and New Years’. Anyone else?? I know the holidays can bring up a mix of emotions, and some years may be more joyful or difficult than others. I hope that with whatever you have going on in your life right now, you are able to take some time to rest and recenter a bit.

Backing up to the previous weekend, we had dinners scheduled Saturday & Sunday with friends we are connected to from college. It was so great to catch up — it had been much too long since seeing both couples/friends! Prior to that we were sick/recovering from colds… it seems everyone has been getting sick lately! Hoping we have gotten all our sickness out of the way before the holidays…

Before we get to some December eats, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas! However you have found your way to the blog, I am grateful that you are here.

Closing out the year with some pre-Christmas December eats!

I finally got around to making a loaf of sourdough last week! It had been too long since I had baked bread. I was really pleased with how this loaf turned out. The bread was eaten with dinner for several nights, including the one below…

One of our very favorite dinners, shakshuka, along with fresh bread and a side salad. The bread is essential for soaking up all the saucy goodness!

Per Alec’s request, I made a big pot of soup for our lunches last week. Some soup recipes feel more like “dinner soups” to me versus “lunch soups” and this felt like it was more of a good soup for lunch to me. (This has to do with personal flavor/intuitive lunch preference, not anything I think should or needs to be generally applied, lol). I ended up really liking this white bean + kale soup from Crowded Kitchen. (Mother/daughter food bloggers from Michigan!) I definitely want to make this again soon for more winter lunches. I have been enjoying it with an apple and tortilla chips since I generally like more “components” to my lunches (as in, not just soup), but it could also be a great lunch all on it’s own with some bread or toast!

I had some cinnamon balsamic dressing leftover from my Thanksgiving salad, so I had it with a salad featuring leftover brussels sprouts from one of our dinners. Mixed greens w/ roasted brussels, pomegranate, goat cheese, and toasted pecans. One of my favorite salads! Eaten for lunch with chips or crackers as a needed carb source to round out the meal. I also used some apple in place of the pomegranate once I ran out.

At the end of the week, I had a bunch of random veggies leftover so wanted to incorporate them into our dinners at the start of the next week. I roasted a big pan of broccoli, bell peppers, and white onion. Drizzled with avocado oil (good oil to use for high temperatures) and seasoned with plenty of salt + pepper + red pepper flakes. Putting on my “dietitian hat,” I recommend NOT fearing salting your food!! Especially if you eat a primarily whole foods/less processed diet, you probably aren’t getting enough salt in your diet. Plus it is so essential to good flavor! The “art of salting food” is something I would recommend pursuing in your culinary life if this is something you have been neglecting out of fear!

We had a simple yet delicious dinner of salmon (seasoned w/ salt, pepper, garlic powder, plenty of paprika, red pepper flakes), baked sweet potato w/ butter, roasted veggies from above, and salad. This dinner took minimal time to prepare and was a good reminder to me to make more dishes like this more often! Eating nutritious and satisfying/tasty food doesn’t have to be complicated.

A couple of weeks ago I had some extra time on Saturday afternoon and really wanted to bake something. I found this gingerbread muffin recipe that I had saved on my Pinterest account and decided to make these since I had all the ingredients on hand. I loved how they turned out and will definitely continue making them in the future! Not overly sweet and the batter is whipped up right in the blender!

Continuing with my favorite breakfast theme that I have had for 95% + of days for several months at this point… it is basically a PB&J in oatmeal form! What’s not to love?? It also couldn’t be easier to put together in the morning, especially since my oats are already made / in a bowl sitting in the fridge.

Love this broccoli peanut bowl that comes together in 30-40 mins (includes cook time), making it a good option for me to make on a weeknight. This time I just made quinoa for the base, but if I have time I like to do both quinoa and brown rice for the added texture. Topped with roasted broccoli + carrot + chickpeas and drizzled with plenty of peanut sauce! This sauce would also go well with chicken, which would also be an amazing addition to the above dish (or in place of the chickpeas).

Some chocolate chip espresso cookies that I made for church! Love the strong vanilla/coffee flavors these brought out. Perfect with a glass of milk!

A couple of weeks ago, lunches were Greek salad — mixed greens w/ cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, beets, chickpeas, feta, and homemade Greek dressing. More tortilla chips + apple slices as far as my usual lunch sides of late go!

Another dinner favorite as of late has was pistachio chicken with roasted broccoli and some roasted potatoes that turned out especially well! I seasoned the potatoes w/ salt + pepper + Italian seasoning.

One evening when it was just me at home, I got a slice of quiche from Juicy and ate it alongside some leftover roasted brussels sprouts and salad. This quiche was a spinach, mushroom, and truffle oil combination.

Speaking of which, after over 5 years, I am officially DONE as an employee at Juicy Kitchen! I am sad not to be at the cafe regularly each week anymore, but am also excited to have more space and energy to focus on my business. I took the above photo to commemorate the Samoa cookies I have been baking each week for the past year and a half!

Now that I won’t be at the cafe, in January I will be starting to see clients on Wednesdays during the day. I have space for several new clients if you or someone you know is interested in experiencing healing and freedom in your relationship with food! January is a great time to get started with pursuing a life-giving and truly healthy approach to nutrition and health. You are welcome to contact me here if you are interested or have further questions.

Everyday Enjoyment:

Continued sunshine lately: I have been loving how much sunshine we have been having throughout November and December this year! It is such a highlight to my day when I am able to see the sunrise when I am out running or walking in the morning. Sadly it looks like some grayer days ahead on the upcoming forecast. :/

Feeling more energy for things I usually enjoy: I was feeling so burnt out for a few months that I didn’t even have much energy for things I typically enjoy… things like cooking/baking/making dinner, making plans with people, etc. Thankfully I am feeling significantly better now and am back to wanting to do things that I generally want to / feel like doing! At the same time, I am trying to do a better job of managing my commitments and energy so that I don’t feel so exhausted on a regular basis.

Time off for the holidays starting… at the end of today!: YAY. A much needed break ahead! Today is an end-of-year business planning day for me, and then I am looking forward to taking time off until after New Years’. Mostly looking forward to: reading, resting, not having so much of a schedule, going on walks, celebrating our anniversary, and of course, Christmas / celebrating the birth of Christ!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

What are you most looking forward to over the holidays?
Any fun cooking or baking projects/plans ahead?