Mon-Fri Seasonal Recipes + Grocery Shopping List: December Week 4

Christmas was cozy this year, and we did things a little differently. We put more emphasis on the meaning of Christmas and the birth of Christ, and less on Santa. He was still part of it in a fun way, kind of like Rudolph or Frosty, a character we'd see at the mall or out and about. We talked about the real St. Nicholas, a bishop who secretly gave gifts to families in need. But the commercial Santa, the naughty or nice list, that wasn't part of it for us. We talked about how the wise men brought gifts to celebrate Jesus, so that's what our gifts were too. Not about earning anything, just a way to celebrate. Centering it this way changed how the days felt and what we talked about, and it ended up being really special. Watching Poppy experience it was one of my favorite parts. She was curious and asked thoughtful questions, and we had some really good conversations about the first Christmas and why it matters. I could tell it stuck with her.

The meals last week worked out so well too. The chicken and mushroom dish was a favorite, but the Beef Wellington was definitely the standout. Even the kids loved it. Poppy kept saying it was wrapped in a croissant, which made me laugh because those are her favorite. I also finally got more comfortable making crêpes. It took a few tries and my first batch was too thick, but once I started over it clicked and figured out how to thin them out (a crêpe scraper would have made this way easier, but now I know for next time).

This week I'm leaning into low-lift, slow cooker dinners since we're packing up for the move. I'm following my midwife's guidance right now for pregnancy, so these meals focus on good protein and steady energy. It's the kind of food I'd cook anyway, but it feels especially supportive during this season. The menu is all cozy winter meals that can simmer away while everything else feels a bit chaotic. Slow-braised beef with root vegetables, lemony chicken thighs with potatoes and olives, a mild turkey chili, a beef and lentil stew, and a creamy herb chicken with mushrooms. Most of the hands-on work happens in about twenty minutes, and then the slow cooker does the rest while you move on with your day.

Inside this week’s meal plan, I wrote out exactly how I’m doing it. When to prep, how long each meal actually takes, what to do if your beef isn’t getting tender, and the small details that make slow cooker meals taste like you spent way more time on them than you did.

If you want to cook alongside me this week, the full plan is below: