mealandgrace's December Menus Collection on LTK

December Menus

By mealandgrace

What we ate on December 2025

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

Yesterday felt like one long, happy tumble into the arms of kitchen inspiration. I started my sourdough, launched my new TikTok mealngrace, and before I knew it I had wandered straight into Sourdough Lane. I found a beginner-friendly way to make sourdough bread bowls for tonight’s white cheddar bisque, which felt like stumbling upon buried treasure.

Somewhere between my stretch-and-folds and watching discard recipe reels, I got hungry so I made myself a cheesy skillet bread using my own sourdough discard. Zero regrets.

Dinner was its own little victory. Leftover ham folded itself perfectly into Magnolia Table’s scalloped potatoes, and because leftovers like to multiply when you are not looking, today I will turn what remains into a ham and Gruyere melt. And while I wish I had some fresh sourdough for this sandwich, I will be saving those loaves for the bread bowls tonight, so no extra slices this time.

And the sweetest ending to the night was finally perfecting the recipe for the Foodhism winter issue: Clementine Winter Bundt Cake with Chilled Cranberry Sauce (out 12-21). It is resting now, letting the flavors settle and bloom. A bright, refreshing finish after a heavier dinner and exactly the kind of dessert that tastes better once it has taken a breath.

What are you making today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKHoliday #LTKfoodie

Last night’s Christmas tree pull-apart rolls were perfect with Jo’s marinara and spaghetti. I made twelve little rolls so of course there were no leftovers, but now I know for next time. Bigger cheese cubes. Maybe even a sourdough-discard version. My brain is already halfway into the next batch.

Today I am turning the leftover ham into Magnolia Table’s scalloped potatoes for dinner. It feels like the right kind of cozy for a Tuesday that is trying really hard to be December even though the weather is not fully cooperating.

I am also getting the Foodhism Winter dish prepped so I can send it off to the editor. It needs its overnight chill, its moment to become what it is meant to be.

And then there is Herb. I took him out of the fridge yesterday, let him warm up, gave him a good feeding, and he bubbled right out of the jar like he had something to prove. So I guess we are starting a new loaf too.

What are you eating today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKfoodie #LTKdayinmylife #LTKHome

Last night turned into one of those kitchens-have-a-mind-of-their-own situations, so tonight we are keeping it simple and twirling spaghetti with Jo’s marinara and our little Christmas pull-apart rolls. The ham and sweet potato casserole stole the oven spotlight yesterday, and honestly, they deserved it.

I wrote about the whole cooking plot twist over on Substack if you want the full story. Link in bio @mealngrace

What are you eating tonight?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKfoodie #LTKdayinmylife #LTKHome

Today is foggy in the best possible way. The kind of fog that settles over the lake and makes the whole island feel like the set of Dickens on the Strand. Honestly, with how thick it is, Galveston might as well audition for Victorian London. It is very on theme.

I started slow this morning. Coffee in bed, then tea in a bubble bath, letting the quiet do its thing after such a big day yesterday. I made my menu for the week, added everything into @plantoeat_official, and felt way too proud of myself for being organized before the day even really got moving. 🥇

Since Chad’s work gifted him a holiday ham, and turkey was already on the Thanksgiving menu and pierogies are on the Christmas list, I am turning that ham into our Sunday supper. Sweet potato southern casserole from Magnolia Table, Christmas tree pull-apart rolls with Jo’s marinara, the whole cozy lineup.

And somewhere between the fog and the casseroles, I am starting the test run for my upcoming Foodhism Winter Magazine recipe. A soft, stay-home kind of Sunday where the kitchen will do most of the talking.

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKHoliday #LTKfoodie

Today, I will be stepping into a storybook. The day will start with billionaire bacon from @snoopdogg Cookbook, eggs, and Trader Joe’s hashbrowns, because if I am heading into a full Victorian fantasy at Dickens on the Strand, I will need a breakfast with main-character energy.

By the afternoon, I will be weaving through carolers and corsets, deciding whether I belong more in a Charles Dickens novel or a holiday romcom. Dinner will happen somewhere between the vendors and the Christmas tree, the kind of wandering meal that tastes better simply because the whole street will smell like nostalgia.

And yes, I will absolutely end the night with a funnel cake. If I am going to time-travel, I might as well let dessert take the lead.

I hope your Saturday is unfolding in the best kind of way. What are you eating today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie #LTKHoliday

I couldn’t help but wonder… what if spreading jam each morning could help us spread awareness too?

Today’s flavor is apple, caramel and cinnamon, which feels like December warming its hands around a mug. Sweet, cozy and golden, it’s perfect on cinnamon toast, spooned over pancakes, or folded into yogurt when you want breakfast to taste like a holiday morning.

This morning’s spread is part of Spreading Jam and Awareness. Each day I’ll open a Bonne Maman Advent jar, share a trafficking statistic and wear a dress to support IJM and the work of protecting and restoring survivors.

Today’s stat: In Bangladesh, traffickers earn an estimated $53,000 per child each year in brothels. IJM is opening a new office there to help protect vulnerable children and bring perpetrators to justice.

Small acts. Big hope. Donate. Link in bio @mealngrace

#Dressember #Dressember2025 #SpreadingJamAndAwareness #DressUpDoGood #MealAndGrace #adventcalendar #bonnemaman

#LTKSeasonal #LTKootd #LTKfoodie

Some mornings begin with big questions, and some begin with a bagel and coffee. Today, I found myself wondering if the quiet after Thanksgiving is its own kind of holiday, a soft pause before late December gathers us all up again.

I kept things simple at the table, saving my energy for tonight’s spaghetti simmering in a tomato basil beef sauce that feels like the culinary version of putting on something cozy.

And in between it all, I am still spreading jam and awareness for Dressember, one small swipe of sweetness at a time. Sometimes the little rituals are what hold the whole day together.

What is on your table today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKHoliday #LTKfoodie #LTKdayinmylife

Yesterday’s errand’s became an unexpected date with Chad that included unlimited soup, salad, and the sweetest little non-alcoholic gingerbread drink. I am already thinking about how to recreate it.

Today will be simple in the way Thursdays sometimes are. I will start with a protein shake for brunch, something easy I can sip while I get myself together. Dinner will be pierogis with sour cream, warm and familiar, and sometime today, I will settle in with toast and jam as I keep spreading awareness for Dressember one small snack at a time.

This afternoon I will head to Ashton Villa to hear Oliver Dickens speak while he and his family are in town for one of Galveston’s favorite Christmas traditions, Dickens on the Strand. He is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, carrying his family’s stories the way some people carry heirlooms, with a mix of pride and tenderness. Every December, Galveston transforms the historic Strand District into a Victorian street festival inspired by A Christmas Carol; costumes, carolers, roasted nuts, and a bit of old-world magic tucked between the buildings. Oliver will be sharing family lore, history, and the kind of behind-the-scenes Dickens stories only someone born into that legacy could tell. We will be joining the festivities on Saturday and I cannot wait.

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKHoliday #LTKfoodie

This morning will start with fried potatoes and onions with toast. I noticed the extra potatoes and it just sounded good when I woke up.

Dinner will be copycat chicken and waffle sandwiches with a little sriracha aioli. I have been wanting them all week, so tonight feels like the night to finally make them.

It is Day 3 of spreading jam and awareness for Dressember.

What are you having today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKHome #LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie

The colder temps in the 50s have me bundled up inside with the Christmas tree lights on and fuzzy socks, which never happens here.

Brunch will be a protein shake. Dinner will be Alfredo pasta with chicken pieces. I make it with four tablespoons of butter, a clove or two of garlic, heavy cream, a little cream cheese, and a cup of shredded Parmesan Reggiano. Half a pound of pasta is plenty for the three of us.

I will keep spreading jam and awareness later this afternoon for Dressember.

What are you having today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKdayinmylife #LTKfoodie #LTKHoliday

Quick sourdough discard waffles for brunch. Herb gave me plenty this week and I want chicken & waffle sandwiches for dinner so waffles just made sense.

Today, I will be spreading jam and awareness for @dressember. A small thing that matters. Stay tuned for reel this afternoon.

What are you having today?

Gracefully yours,
🫶🏻 Jeanie Jo

#LTKfoodie #LTKdayinmylife #LTKHome

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