Lovely Meals Lately: December 2025

My kids have been absolute love bugs lately. I find myself really enjoying this season of life with them and being able to be more present, which is a very welcome shift! I'm so conscious that these are the very moments I'll miss in 5, 10, 20 years.

The boys absolutely LOVE their tree and it's adorable to watch the holiday magic through their eyes. They can't wait to celebrate Hanukkah soon, too! I'm going into their classes to do a bead necklace craft and banana pretzel menorahs with mini marshmallow flames--so excited!

Last but not least: I'll be archiving the 2025's Lovely Meals Lately library soon so catch up on this past year's if you fancy!

Lovely meals and festive treats

These healthy gingerbread muffins are my favorite baked good I've made in a while. Judging from the recent comments, you're loving them too! They took some testing to nail but the texture and flavor is SO perfect.

How I served as a snack to the boys, paired with apple slices (they're obsessed, usually I do Fuji but I switched it up) and these amazing cheese crisps.

I've made my za'atar tofu and eggplant so many times this month that I'm now out of za'atar. It's just SO good and easy, even without the yogrut sauce! Lately I've been adding peppers in with the eggplant and making it in the air fryer (tofu and veg separate).

I made a double batch for a friend who had a baby along with a batch of the best olive oil brownies!

My no bake gingerbread balls are a must make. Such an easy, festive, nourishing snack.

After I had a stomach bug last month, I went from craving avocado toast to sourdough with butter. I found a red fife sourdough and Whole Foods that I adore! It's been on repeat for breakfast daily with fried eggs. If it ain't broke!

Jeff requests my healthier snickerdoodles every week come December. Truly pillows of cookie heaven!

A crumbled pear muffin over Greek yogurt with raspberries and Manuka honey (which I love using this time of year for its potent antioxidant profile)!

I posted two incredible veggie side dishes recently: lemony honey roasted carrots with yogurt feta and this epic roasted cabbage! Both are must makes.

A gorgeous smoothie combo I've been loving: ½ cup frozen wild blueberries, handful of frozen chopped zucchini, small handful of spinach and walnuts, LOTS of cinnamon, enough almond milk to cover, and a scoop of a vanilla protein. Incredible!

I like to make my sheet pan cottage cheese pancakes to have on hand for school lunches for the kids; usually I freeze half for the following week. Pair with pumpkin seeds, fruit, carrots, turkey pepperoni, cheese, etc.

We've been on the hunt for a chocolate chip cookie recipe as good as Northstar's back home and this one came pretty close. Complex, golden brown, dark chocolate, chewy, crisp edges...insanely good. The long chilling time is critical.We keep the dough balls frozen in the fridge so we can bake a couple whenever we want them!

(Since we're at high altitude, I've learned how to tweak baking recipes. I reduced baking soda to ½ tsp so they didn't spread too much, added 2 tbsp flour, and baked at a higher temp of 375F for 11 minutes.)

Throw together lunch salad--my fave Gotham Greens' "big green salad" mix, roasted sweet potatoes, feta, chicken, rotisserie chicken (I usually get one every Tuesday when they're on sale at Whole Foods) and Garlic Expressions dressing.

Chicken parmesan with pasta, spaghetti squash, and Rao's. Jeff loves this kind of dinner! Slicing the chicken in half is such a game changer for tenderness (I pounded it, too.)

Every Saturday we make a big batch of blueberry waffles. I either do this recipe in our waffle maker with 2 tbsp melted butter added and half whole wheat flour (I think the brown sugar makes them amazing). Or we do my cottage cheese waffles!

I made Alison Roman's spiced braised short ribs with creamy potatoes as our main for Thanksgiving and they were outstanding (and really easy to make once you finish searing them, LOL). If you need a special dish or Christmas or any other big occasion, I can't recommend these enough!

Our favorite takeout chicken shawarma wraps with hummus, zhoug, pickled red onions, and arugula from Boychik!

Things I'm Loving Lately

1. Just finished the romantasy book Quicksilver and I loved it! I just got the second one on Libby (I listen).
2. Shows we're into: Stranger Things, Land Man, and Pluribus which I *like* vs love.
3. I've mentioned these so many times but these reusable food covers are my favorite new kitchen thing!! They fit everything.
4. I don't know why I didn't have cookie scoops for so long but now I have a 3-pack for cookies, muffins, and meatballs and they're so handy! As are these gloves for rolling said meatballs or preventing my hands from being stained by frozen bloobs.
5. I got myself this beautiful cognac bag for Hannukah and I love it more everyday. Under $100!
6. Wearing these flared leggings on repeat (wearing S). Soooo comfy!
7. The perfect stylish + warm winter vest does exist (wearing XS)!

Wishing you the coziest, most delish holiday!