It's Week 49 of Dinner Plans and we are in full holiday baking prep now!
We turned the calendar page to the final month of the year! I cannot believe it's now December and it already feels like the month is flying. For us, this means countdowns galore. Counting down to winter break for the kids, a small work break for us, and all the holiday festivities! I hope your December is off to a fruitful beginning as we round the corner to the end of the year.
This week we're seeing so much great produce in our CSA box! Three different squash varieties along side a few roma tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and loads of dark leafy greens are filling us with dinner ideas for a nourishing week. I'm excited to get cooking!
Seasonal Cooking Tip: Check the Freezer for Summer Goodies!
When the calendar turns to December, we know what lies ahead on the festive food front. Holiday cakes, delicious cookies, and savory meals are all making their way on our menus now. As I was getting our refrigerator and freezer ready for our weekly CSA pickup, I found a couple freezer jars of my Strawberry Peach Compote from late summer. This was a treat to find! It was also a reminder to me to check the freezer for any leftover summer goodies that need to be used up. Much of what I prepped was in July and August which means I'm nearing the six month mark quickly and want to use up all the freezer good before adding to the inventory.
This week, for instance: I'll peel, dice and freeze cubes of the butternut squash we got in our box. This is such a super helpful method to keep produce fresh at its peak. We reduce food waste in the process too! I'm shopping our freezer this week to use up the last of our summer goods for easy, delicious weeknight meals.
PS: don't forget to check out Part I and Part II of my Pantry Essentials Series for more tips and recommendations for keeping a well stocked pantry ahead of the holiday season.
Dinner Plans for the Week
I'm making a batch of jalapeño salsa for breakfast tacos with the jalapeños we got this week. I'll chop and freeze some of the spinach and kale for smoothies and using the other half for lunchtime salads. I've got quite a bit of frozen pesto cubes that I'm realizing I need to use since I made that over the summer. Pesto will see a few spots on the menu this week. Dinners are aiming for easy comfort food and it feels appropriate as we embrace this final month of the year.
Our Game Plan for Dinner this Week:
Sunday: Slow Cooked Beef Stew inspired from Primal Gourmet's Recipe
Monday: Kale Panzanella with Roast Squash and Pesto Vinaigrette (still cooking our way through all our freezer Pesto)
Tuesday: Tequila Lime Shrimp Rice Bowls (recipe idea here)
Wednesday: Prosciutto & Pesto Pinwheels with Simple Salad
Thursday: Roast Turkey with Sauteed Greens
Friday: Steak Frites for a Bistro Style Date Night In inspired by this Food & Wine recipe
Saturday: Pizza with Butternut Squash Sauce, Camembert, Peppers, and Spicy Sausage
From favorite recipes to new things with a wide variety of ingredients, cooking delicious food with our CSA definitely gets us out of a dinner rut and reduce food waste. I share meal ideas for our busy weeks with our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to be in the know when they’re live. 😉
Wishing you a nourishing week ahead. 🧡
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