Plan & Prep.... Happy Yule & Merry Christmas!

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After a week of rich comfort food, finished off with a Yule feast of ham, potatoes, green bean casserole, butter-fan rolls, blueberry pie, and buche de noel, we are ready for some lighter fare this week. Christmas falls on Friday this year, making for a slightly shorter work week as well.

Butter Fan Rolls from America's Test Kitchen


I like to take a break from grocery shopping the last few weeks of the year, going in only for what I really need (or the occasional to good to pass up holiday sale). Instead, I try to cook from the pantry and fridge, and get creative with food for sharing to use up odds and ends in a new way.

Gingerbread Buche de Noel. A good first attempt.


This Sunday I was to tired to prep after spending a day morning baking and the afternoon eating and socializing with family. I'm always appreciative to my past-self in these situations, because I know that I've got prepped items in the freezer that I can pull from on Monday evening to makes lunches for the week with. This saves us time, money, and stress!

Here's what our last minute, no prep week looks like...

Food that Needed to Be Used Up

  • Some sad carrots - the saddest two were used in Winter Stew, the rest should be ok for a bit longer
  • An open packet of bacon and pancetta - cooked for breakfast sandwiches and lunches
  • A vacuum sealed ham bought last week - half for dinner, half for the freezer
  • An open bag of lentils - about half made it into Winter Stew
  • Pizza Sauce - homemade pizza
  • Fresh Mozzarella - homemade pizza
  • 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan cheese - maybe mac & cheese topping?
From the Freezer
  • Garlic & Lemon Marinated Chicken
  • Turkey Mushroom Swiss Meatballs

Dinners for the Week 
  • Garlic & Lemon Marinated Chicken w/ Rice & Broccoli
  • Ham, Sheet Pan Mac & Cheese, Broccoli
  • Leftovers or Homemade Pizza
  • Christmas Eve Dinner w/ Family - see Food For Sharing below
Lunches for the Week
  • Fajita Chicken Bowl leftover from Friday
  • Turkey Meatballs (prepped last week) with Winter Lentil Stew (this made 3 servings, one which will be added to the freezer)
  • "Pickity Bits" and Leftovers
Winter Lentil Stew w/ Rice, Turkey Meatballs, and Pancetta


Breakfasts for the Week
  • Yogurt, Cheerios, and Fruit
  • Granola Bars w/ Peanut Butter
  • Breakfast Sandwiches or Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Lunch Snacks for the Week
  • Fruit: Grapes, Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries
  • Also Available: carrots, popcorn, cheese sticks, nuts, pretzels, etc
Food for Sharing

Christmas, which our families casually celebrate, falls on a Friday this year. My current plans are for a simple late-lunch with our parents and siblings. Air fryer whole chickens, scalloped potatoes, and roasted beets are all on the menu currently. The plan is to keep it simple, since there will be a storm rolling in that has the possibility to knock out power, so as a backup I want everything convertible to stove-top or propane only cooking!

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