foodandthestory's December Menus Collection on LTK

December Menus

By foodandthestory

What we ate on December 2025

Yesterday would have been my dad’s birthday and this year it landed heavier than expected. Losing my mom earlier this year seems to have shifted how the grief shows up. Quieter. Deeper. Less dramatic and more lingering.

So I did what felt possible. I slept. I got a video up for my P.F. Chang’s collaboration and would love if you gave it a little love. I read. I accidentally fell into a chocolate cake debate on Threads. I took a bubble bath. I let myself remember the way we marked my dad’s birthdays growing up, often more enthusiastically than he preferred. A VCR one year. His favorite movie wrapped separately. A shirt on his birthday and pants at Christmas because the dates were so close together. Practical. Thoughtful. Very him.

Dinner stayed simple. A brick panini cooked right in the cast iron, crisp and comforting in a way I needed.

Today feels forward-facing. The day before our Christmas. Chad works on Christmas Day, so tomorrow will be pierogies, dinner, Christmas Eve service, and presents. Which means today holds cookies and chocolate candy, a church cookie potluck, a little last-minute shopping, and planning the big day.

Some days are for remembering. Some are for preparing.
Both deserve a place at the table.

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie #LTKHoliday

I couldn’t help but notice how food keeps marking time for us lately.

Yesterday started simply with bagels and coffee before church. The kind of morning that feels steady before the day takes off. Dessert at the mall somehow became part of Christmas shopping, which felt exactly right. Shopping wrapped up, almost everything crossed off the list, and yes, I waited too long for matching Christmas pajamas. Next year. Always next year.

Dinner was an experience. Brazilian sides, garlic mashed potatoes, and endless cuts of meat carved tableside. I tried lamb for the first time and honestly, I am not sure about it now.

Today slowed down. Lighter food, quieter moments, and time to play with our food in the best way. Gingerbread houses; sticky fingers, & laughter will matter more than how straight the walls will be.

Some days are indulgent. Some are gentle. Some are both. And all of them seem to find their way back to the table.

What did your weekend taste like?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#foodwriterlife
#todaystable
#kitchendiaries
#holidayeats
#slowfoodstories

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie #LTKHoliday

I couldn’t help but notice how Sundays like this feel equal parts ordinary and indulgent.

Bagels and coffee before church. Butter cake at P.F. Chang’s while Christmas shopping, because traditions come in all forms and some involve forks. And tonight, dinner for two. The kind where you sit back, say yes to everything, and let the evening unfold slowly.

Fire-roasted cuts, carved tableside. Simply seasoned, cooked over open flame, and served without rush. A meal built on tradition, skill, and the joy of lingering a little longer than planned.

Some days are about planning.
Some are about savoring.

What’s on your menu today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#foodblogger
#lifeandfood
#sundayvibes
#whatimcooking
#foodstories

#LTKfoodie #LTKdayinmylife

I couldn’t help but notice how much I rely on rhythms until they disappear.

This week has been off. Later nights, slower mornings, school schedules shifting, my girl home, the holidays hovering close enough to feel but not quite touch. I love the extra time and the softer pace, but I also feel it. When the routine slips, I wobble a little.

Still, the kitchen has a way of catching me.

Ricotta and cream cheese pancakes were thick, tender, and deeply comforting. I made them big. One perfect pancake, one burnt because I got cocky, and one that redeemed the whole situation. Honestly, that feels like a metaphor I didn’t ask for but probably needed.

I’m still writing and creating, just a little quieter right now. Dressember has my focus, and I’m sketching ideas for what comes next. Recipes are coming. Stories are too. After my twelve days of Christmas pause, I’ll share it all.

Today will be gentle. Bagel and coffee to ease into the morning/afternoon, mini chicken and waffles later because comfort food always knows what it’s doing, and spreading jam and awareness woven in between. Nothing fancy. Just familiar flavors, small plans, and finding my footing again one meal at a time.

What’s anchoring you today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#foodblogger
#homecooking
#slowliving
#foodstories
#everydaylife

#LTKfoodie #LTKSeasonal #LTKdayinmylife

I couldn’t help but wonder… how can a day feel completely full and still leave room for softness?

Yesterday was one of those in-and-out-of-the-kitchen days. Dinner surprised me in the best way. The pork tenderloin came together beautifully with a few small changes, glossy and savory, and that corn was the real showoff. Sweet, a little charred, absolutely fabulous.

Later, we gathered for a service called The Longest Night. A pause in the middle of the fa la la. Space to breathe, to name the hard things. Losing my mom this year. Children scattered across states and military bases. Holding them all quietly in my heart. Lily sang with the choir and watching her felt like its own kind of grace.

Afterward, peppermint shakes with the girls, twinkly lights hung in the kitchen by Chad, lamb’s ear wreaths glowing softly. Home, but gentler.

Today feels lighter. Lily’s last day of school before resuming in January. A protein shake to start. Day 18 of spreading jam and awareness. And later, pancakes I dreamed up after lasagna. Ricotta and cream cheese, because sometimes inspiration just shows up uninvited.

What’s on your table today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKfoodie #LTKHoliday #LTKdayinmylife

I couldn’t help but wonder… when did leftovers start feeling like a small personal win?

Yesterday’s lasagna was even better the second time around. A little extra marinara, a shower of fresh Parmesan, and suddenly it felt less like reheating and more like intention. Proof that some meals just need a night to think about who they want to be.

The ramekins were still drying, which meant the banana bread had to improvise. Enter the 5-inch cast iron. Warm, cozy, slightly rustic, and exactly right with a cup of coffee. Sometimes the kitchen doesn’t ask for perfection, it just asks you to pay attention.

Today’s table will stay simple. Leftover banana bread and coffee to start the morning. Dinner will be grilled raspberry chipotle pork tenderloin from Magnolia Table Vol. 1, with cast iron spicy street corn from Magnolia Table Vol. 3. And later, a little holiday bark, because December has opinions and chocolate always agrees.

Nothing fancy. Just a day of small choices, good food, and letting the kitchen lead.

What’s on your table today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKfoodie #LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife

#LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie

I couldn’t help but wonder… when did Sunday dinner become my favorite love language?

Last night’s dinner was absolutely exquisite. Italian meatloaf from @unpezzoditalia, tender and savory with herbs and a richness that felt both cozy and elevated, paired with roasted potatoes soaking up every bit of flavor. The kind of meal that quietly insists you slow down between bites.

And then dessert. Magnolia Table Vol. 2 chocolate soufflés, light yet deeply chocolatey, irresistibly smooth and topped with homemade whipped cream. I added a spoonful of raspberry spread because sometimes the heart wants what it wants. Simply scrumptious.

Some nights need good food, a shared table, and a dessert you’re still thinking about the next morning.

Today’s table will look different. A softer start with bagel and coffee, a little shopping and eating out, and later, spreading jam and awareness. Nothing fancy. Just nourishment and intention, one small choice at a time.

What’s on your menu today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie

Yesterday felt like one of those quiet, full days that sneaks up on you. An afternoon shopping excursion with Lily, followed by what can only be described as a romantic walk up and down the grocery store aisles with Chad. We ran a little behind and started dinner later than usual, so we made the very adult decision to skip dessert after a heavy meal. Which, honestly, just means the chocolate soufflés get their moment tonight.

The Dutch oven lasagna from @joannagaines @magnoliatable finally came together. Oven-ready @barillaus noodles and doubling the cheese made all the difference. Halving the recipe before left the noodles too firm and the cheese a little shy. Lesson learned. With the leftovers, I am adding marinara from the freezer to make it a little juicier. Going forward, I want to try one can of fire-roasted tomatoes and one can of crushed tomatoes because I am always chasing a sauce that truly knows how to sauce.

Dinner took a last-minute turn thanks to a scroll through Instagram reels. Italian meatloaf from @unpezzoditalia joined the table to use up the final batch of sourdough bread. After watching the reel, I could not stop thinking about the flavors. White wine, thyme, and sweet Italian sausage. I will be sharing that one in stories because some inspiration deserves to be passed along.

What are you serving at your table tonight?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKfoodie #LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife

Today’s menu feels like a choose-your-own adventure where sourdough, lasagna, and chocolate soufflés all insist on a happy ending.

What is on your menu?

#LTKfoodie

Happy Friday, to all who celebrate.

I could not help but notice that my sourdough has opinions about time. What was labeled an eight-hour recipe quietly stretched into ten, thanks to humidity, patience, and a loaf that needed just a little more space to become itself. He rose about halfway, stayed a little jiggly, and remained slightly sticky, which honestly felt like a fair reflection of life on the Gulf Coast. Still, the bread turned out wonderfully, and that felt like a small but satisfying win.

Last night’s dinner took a turn, as it often does. Chad decided to take the leftover ham and scalloped potatoes to work, which left us hungry and improvising. We briefly considered DoorDash, then looked at the price and decided we were not that hungry. Instead, we drove ourselves to Panda Express and shared a bigger plate like civilized adults. Honey sesame chicken, grilled teriyaki, orange chicken, which we lovingly call chicken candy, and chow mein. Dinner for two came in at fourteen dollars, and the victory tasted almost as good as the food.

Chad headed off to work with a loaf tucked under his arm and I will be keeping one at home for the weekend. I will still need to pull together a plan for the days ahead. December always feels better when the freezer starts to empty and Christmas cooking begins with a little breathing room.

Tonight will slow back down. Lily and I will be finishing the white cheddar bisque tucked into those sourdough bread bowls and lingering over the last slices of clementine winter bundt cake with chilled cranberry sauce. A cozy ending, a full table, and one of those kitchen days that feels just right when you look back on it.

What is happening at your table tonight?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie

Yesterday was all about those sourdough bowls and I am proud to say they turned out beautifully. White cheddar bisque tucked into warm homemade bread is exactly the kind of cozy magic December deserves.

While the sourdough rolls were in the oven, I managed to finish the recipe and write-up for my Clementine Winter Bundt Cake with Chilled Cranberry Sauce and send it off to the Foodhism editor for the winter issue. Truly a productive kitchen day.

Today I will be making two mini sourdough loaves by request because Chad wants one for work tomorrow and having extra bread around this weekend sounds perfect. I am trying Sourdough Mom’s 8-hour recipe, so we will see how it goes.

Brunch will be leftover ham folded into scrambled eggs with cheese and green onions. Dinner is leftover scalloped potatoes with a little clementine cake and cranberry sauce for dessert.

And somewhere in between all of that, I need to finish my 2025–2026 editorial calendar, including a planned 12-day Christmas break from social media and Substack. December 25 to January 6 will be for slowing down, breathing deep, and letting the year settle before the next one begins.

What are you baking or reheating today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie

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