What a couple of weeks it’s been! December always feels like a sprint, and between swim meets, work, and after-school activities, I’ve been squeezing in holiday baking whenever I can. I like making my cookies throughout the month so I’m not up late the night before a party or scrambling on weekends—small batches fit better into our schedule and keep things fun instead of stressful. With all that going on (and a few lingering Thanksgiving leftovers), I didn’t try quite as many new recipes as usual. But now it’s time to reset the meal plan and keep things easy as we head into Christmas. Here’s what I’m making for Menu Planning 12/14-12/27/25.
- 12/14-12/20
- 12/21-12/27
- Chicken tenders, crack corn salad*, & Texas toast
- Spinach Artichoke Casserole
- Jalapeno Popper Soup*
- Meatball Gyro Sandwich
- Lemon cookies
- Andes Cookies
Let’s Discuss!
Since Matt was out of town for a week and we still had a few leftovers from Thanksgiving, I actually didn’t try as many new recipes over the past 2 weeks as I typically do. With our leftover Brussels Sprouts from Thanksgiving, I did try one new recipe though. Here are my thoughts:
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin– We loved this! I added in the rest of our turkey and mashed potatoes to make it more of a main dish instead of a side and it worked well. We loved the flavors and it was easy to make, too.
I also made a different version of fudge which I included in this post. Normally, I make fudge with sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate chips. However, it tends to be a bit sticky. I tried the peanut butter and frosting fudge. It’s so much smoother! I just wonder if there are simple ways to make a chocolate fudge without the peanut/nut allergen.
- Peanut Butter fudge- So easy and quick! Great consistency and not overly sweet (doesn’t taste like frosting). I wish there was a version without peanut butter.
That’s our Menu Planning 12/14-12/27/25. How long do you keep your leftovers? I toss mine after a week. Reinventing them makes them go so much faster!
