I hope this post finds you full of holiday cheer and Christmas cookies. I’m really looking forward to my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans with my friends and then seeing my family the day after.
I wish I could say that I was done with shopping but I’ll definitely be out in the craziness of it all today or tomorrow and making some last-minute Amazon purchases. Knowing myself, there will likely never be a year that I am done with holiday shopping until the very last minute. I fully own that I operate better under a bit of pressure. Haha.
Related, my friend Erin McDermott is spending Christmas in Mexico with her family. That is the kind of Christmas I can get behind! Leave the presents and take off for somewhere tropical. I’ve always liked the idea of a Christmas destination vacation instead of presents and such. I’ll have to try that one year!
As I’ve been doing most Sundays lately, here is a look at what I’ve been eating over the last week.
BREAKFAST
Lots of smoothies with homemade granola. This smoothie bowl had strawberries, raspberries, bananas, riced cauliflower, a date, peanut butter and almond milk in it.
Repeat of last week’s cottage cheese + scrambled egg breakfast. So good and lots of protein, especially when enjoyed with a cup of collagen coffee.
Blueberry banana oatmeal with cottage cheese stirred in. Topped with Wild Friends Gingerbread Peanut Butter.
One more smoothie bowl.
LUNCH
I am LOVING Dave’s Killer Bread Cinnamon Raisin Bagels. This one was topped with peanut butter, honey and banana.
Still eating lots of turkey sandwiches. Don’t see this changing anytime soon!
And another.
There was one cold and rainy day where I ate leftovers for lunch instead. I rarely do this.
DINNER
I made a new one pan roasted dinner combo that was super delicious. Here’s what went on the pan…
- Thinly sliced delicata squash (with the skin left on)
- Baby portobello mushrooms
- Sliced chicken sausage
- Brussels sprouts
- Walnuts
- Dried cherries
- Lots of olive oil
- Sea salt
- Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning Grinder
- Garlic cayenne seed salt
I roasted it all at 400 for about 30-35 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking. I topped it with honey goat cheese and a quick honey dijon vinaigrette that I whipped up. I absolutely loved the addition of walnuts and dried cherries to this dinner and the goat cheese and vinaigrette were a great way to finish it off.
Last Monday night I subbed a total strength class at the Y and then stopped by Cava on my way to pick up the babe. First, it was so much fun to be out and teaching an evening class. It’s been a long time! Second, this was only my second time at Cava but it is definitely a new favorite of mine. I am a huge fan of all things dips and dressings + meals in bowls so Cava is heaven for me. This was their greens and grains bowl with brown rice, roasted veggies, crazy feta dip, tzatziki, eggplant and red pepper dip and lemon tahini dressing. I also had a piece of pita bread with it.
I had a spinach lasagna from Pasta & Provisions in the freezer so I defrosted and cooked that this week. It was packed with spinach. I feel like I didn’t even really need the side salad!
Finally, tofu and veggie green curry from Deejai Thai. I don’t typically do quite so many take away or prepared meals but it just worked out that way this week.
I am fully committing to getting back to meal planning and cooking the new year and I cannot wait! I’ll plan on sharing my menu for the upcoming week at the end of my weekly meal recap if that’s something you guys want to see???
Oh and I cannot forget the ETC this week. Still going strong on my love for Villani’s Bakery. I tried their chocolate peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache over this weekend as well as another slice of their delightful lemon blueberry cheesecake. The best Instagram message I got this week was from a reader who emailed Villani’s to ask if they would ship! (They don’t, sadly…)
Merry, merry friends! Sending love and hugs.
Have you ever done a Christmas destination vacation instead of traditional Christmas? If so, where did you go and did you enjoy it?
Do you meal plan? Do you want to see my weekly meal plans?
I don’t meal plan breakfast or lunch, but absolutely do for dinner. I’d be so lost without it! I would love to see your meal plans. We’ve been in a rut lately and it’s fun getting ideas from other people!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
My family has been doing Christmas vacations every few years since I was a teenager! They are incredible! We’ve done Mexico (twice), Hawaii, Germany (twice), South Africa (multiple times), Jamaica, Thailand and I am writing this message from Cambodia! We are going back to Thailand on this trip because we loved it 6 years ago when we first went. It is strange to be in a warm climate for the holidays but totally awesome to just get away and explore and relax! My brother and I are in our 30s (without families of our own yet) and I hope to be able to pass on this tradition one day 🙂
I don’t “meal prep” but I do a lot of “food prep” then mix and match during the week so I don’t get sick of the same meals over and over 😉 My staple foods are bok choy, zucchini, broccoli, kale, chicken thighs, beef, ground pork, potatoes of all kinds (sweet, red, yellow) and rice along with my favorite dressings/condiments like sriracha. I also love one sheet pan dinners so I’ll have to try your new one!
Merry Christmas Jen, Finn, Sullie and Zoey!
I’d love to see your meal plans/prep!
Hubs and I went on a day date Saturday and ended up having a light dinner at Soul. I didn’t like their cupcake selection so I told him we were heading over to a bakery down the street you recommended. We walked in at 6:30 (what bakery in CLT stays open that late…they are open until 10 or 11 I think) and headed back with macaroons, chocolate/pb cake, red velvet and tiramisu. I’ve lived here my whole life and it is hands down the best we’ve ever had in the area. We were able to split all of the cake slices they are so big! Thank you for the recommendation and man is it going to be tough to not swing by there often!
Hi Jen! I started meal planning after I started reading your blog, and it changed my life! It helped me eat a lot healthier, and allowed me to try out new recipes and explore world cuisines, so I’m very grateful! So these days I meal plan every week without a fail, and that’s all three meals and snacks, I prep lunches (typically ramen jars that only need boiling water added or leftovers) and for breakfast I cook a big pot of steel cut oats for the week or make granola, yoghurt, nut butter and fruit layer jars for a few days in advance, so we always have healthy lunch, easy breakfast and nice cooked dinner. I always do some slow cooker recipe on the weekend, and a soup, so that’s very handy during the week, and sheet pan dinners are also a great go-to (an amazing combo is whole oyster mushrooms, cubed potatoes, red onion and sausage with thyme, seasonings and sunflower oil, baked on 220 C about 35 min, it’s ah-mazing!) I know what you mean about takeaways, sometimes life gets so busy and they’re a great lifesaver, but personally I struggle every time I do this. Somehow, don’t know what it is, whether the fact it’s made in advance, maybe it’s too salty, not sure, but even the healthiest takeaway/ready meals, leave my body in a funk after a whole week of that, so I really try to avoid it as much as I can. As for destination Christmas, my long-time dream is to go to a winter wonderland somewhere, Finland, Norway, Iceland, or some town in Germany or Austria, maybe Switzerland, where they have those gorgeous Christmas market towns and loads of snow and fairy lights! I’m recovering from chronic illness so still can’t travel much, but I feel it’s gonna happen in the near future, and I’m really looking forward to it! I love summer and the beach (I live 5 minute walk from one) but in my heart I’m a snow and ice skating girl, so winter and Christmas are my favourite times of year.
I blabbed way to long! Let me wish you and Finn a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! May your hearts be full of joy, may you be very healthy and prosperous and may all your wishes come true! xx
Ah your meal recaps get me every time! For the sheet pan dinner- did you roast the walnuts with the other stuff the whole time? Thanks!!