Lovely Meals Lately: December 2023

'Tis the season to be jolly! Or maybe not? And that's ok.

After losing my brother, the holidays feel heavier. Every month older Charlie gets is another month he's been gone.

I'm constantly reminding myself that grief and happiness can and do coexist. Some moments my heart feels shattered, and then I kiss my babies and it feels whole again. They save me!

I wouldn't say these are the most inspired days of my life, but there's homemade food on the table *most* nights and I call that a win. Hugs all around!

Lovely Meals

Curried chickpea cauliflower bowls from the archives! These are so yummy and nourishing. I'm excited to repost them.

Ginger Molasses Cookies are my all time favorite! I like that they're made with almond and oat flour, AKA we have been known to eat them for breakfast.

I wanted nothing but matzo ball soup when we all were down for the count with RSV. Bless my friend Steph was sending it! It was soooo satisfying. New York Deli News is my fave place in Denver for it so far.

I also couldn't get enough of buttered sourdough with eggs and cheddar. Basically all I wanted was comforting, bland pregnancy food. So weird but YUM!

When I finally was ready to eat veggies again...you know I love my random fridge salads. Spinach, pre-cooked lentils from TJ's, leftover salmon, roasted sweet potatoes, and TJ's sesame dressing.

I made a 4x recipe of these cottage cheese oatmeal pancakes, added sprinkles (Max's fave!), and baked at 450F for 15 min. So much easier than flipping and Max loved them in his lunchbox.

Gingerbread energy bites in a cookie shape! Such an easy and delish breakfast or snack.

Shrimp tacos are the bomb. We added store-bought guac and salsa and served with tortilla chips and salad with apple cider vinegar dressing.

We've been really into these coffee pods! Our coffeemaker broke so while we wait for our new ones, this has been very convenient.

Pizza night is the best night! And root beer Olipop is everything.

Cranberry sauce in overnight oats with almond extract is truly a dream come true.

Enchilada night! I layer corn tortillas, refried beans, sautéed from frozen peppers and corn, Monterey jack cheese, shredded chicken, salsa and enchilada sauce. Served with chips and guac, of course.

Things I'm Loving Lately

1. We got Max this swing and hung it in the basement...it wasn't difficult for Jeff to hang and Max absolutely adores it! It's a great way for him to get his energy out.
2. This black athletic dress (on sale!) is the most flattering dress ever, even postpartum! It has shorts and is super comfortable. I can see myself wearing this once a week come summer!
3. I just started The Only One Left and it's a breath of fresh air reading something different. It's supposed to be a gripping thriller so I'm pumped.
4. Charlie is living in this cozy thermal. I just die for a baby sweater! It's nice and lightweight.
5. Lined toddler crocs are on sale! Max loves his crocs and since he loathes socks, we love these in the winter for limiting meltdowns when we leave the house.
6. If you're baking cookies this season, I can't recommend this $18 hand mixer enough! I've never owned a stand mixer (shocking) but this always gets the job done.

Any January recipe requests? Send them my way and have the best week, friends!