Leek on the bright side
— we begin again in January
Happy New Year, my Seasonal Staple readers! As I get older, starting a new year stirs up a hodgepodge of feelings. The world feels heavier + often more scary. I am another year older. I have made beautiful memories in 2024, but am also leaving behind challenges that pushed me to grow. We look towards resolutions and goals for the next year. When examining the seasons, we have entered winter and there’s wonderful things that come along with that (and more to come in the newsletter!). If you are a person that absolutely dreads the colder months, I hope there are things sprinkled throughout this month’s newsletter - and the winter menu - that will perk your ears, make you look forward to cooking, and provide some ideas on how to lean into the winter months. Grab a blanket and get comfy.
Whimsical Winter
Ways to use herbs + spices this Christmas:
— golden milk latte, also excellent for immune support (see more on that later)
— winter savory on lamb, chicken, potatoes, and veggies to elevate flavor
— chai tea latte
— sage in a winter carbonara
— chamomile tea to wind down before bed
EAT
January mood board
— peppermint + gingerbread are still in [and I refuse to believe otherwise]
— leaning into winter veggies like leeks, potatoes, and all the citrus!
— potential January intentions: movie/game night with friends (here’s a list of OG Rom Coms if you need inspiration). last few weeks of college football. slow breakfasts on the weekends. incorporate everything citrus into meals. basketball season in full swing. cozy up with a book.
What I’m cooking
Breakfast:
Jammy Eggs with Chili Butter and Garlic Yogurt
Superfood Breakfast Cookies - with the reduction of fresh fruit in the winter, this is a great way to utilize dried fruit! I love subbing dried cranberries or cherries in these.
Fluffy Cheddar + Herb Biscuits - a great one to meal prep for the week ahead
Lunch + Dinner:
High Protein Loaded Baked Potato (v if you leave out meat, can sub for mushrooms or beans)
Ina Garten's Winter Minestrone (leave out pancetta and sub veggie broth to make vegetarian)
Drinks:
Additional ideas:
For Each Season’s ‘Winter Recipes’ Pinterest Board
LISTEN
Winter Playlist:
— This season’s playlist gives us some pep in our step before a busy day, just enough coziness to curl up with by a warm fire juxtaposed with enough energy to keep us going once the holiday season has whined down.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
— I recently finished this memoir and it was so warm and classy, just like Ina’s cooking! Ina Garten has a fascinating childhood, crazy adventures, and an insane amount of work ethic. It was fun to get a behind-the-scenes on how she has built her empire. She has been someone whose recipes are included regularly on Seasonal Staples and is an inspiration for simple, elegant, and seasonal recipes.
READ
Hygge Tips for Winter
— Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Scandinavian cultural pillar, originating with the Danish, that means “a quality of coziness that makes a person feel content and comfortable” when enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Sign me up. This article writes on how to lean into the hygge values in the winter including soft lighting, seasonal spices (see winter flavors above), cozy textures, nature-inspired decor, and warm drinks.
Immune Tips for Flu Season
It seemed as though everyone was hit by the flu around Christmas, so we’re doing a short snippet on how to boost our immune systems through the winter.
— Get enough sleep. You heard me, 7-9 hours per night. That doesn’t include time spent in bed scrolling. I have been struggling with my sleep recently and wearing an eye mask has helped me.
— Eat your fruits and vegetables whole foods to ensure you’re maximizing your vitamin and mineral consumption that build your immune system. Did you know the recommended fruit and vegetable guidelines per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are 1.5-2 cups per day and 2-3 cups per day, respectively? While some research shows that standard to be inadequate, most Americans are already well below these recommendations. Examples of the vitamins and minerals that play a pivotal role in our immune system include zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E. I have listed sources of these below that you can focus on incorporating (included animal products if applicable).
Zinc: seafood (shellfish), meats, whole grains, wheat germ, wheat bran, dairy products, legumes, peanuts, egg yolk, nuts, seeds, and chocolate (highest amount in dark chocolate)
Selenium: meats, seafood, and nuts (brazil nuts provide the biggest bang for their buck - one a day keeps the bugs at bay)
Iron: two forms (non-heme + heme). Heme iron sources are clams, liverwurst, and red meat (animal foods). Non-heme iron includes supplements, fortified foods (cereal), chlorella, sesame seeds, and blackstrap molasses (plant foods).
Copper: fish, meat, poultry, nuts, eggs, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, & fruit (fairly accessible)
Folic Acid (vitamin B9): leafy green vegetables (spinach & turnip greens), fruits (citrus, papaya, & juices), enriched grains, beans, peas, asparagus, okra, beets, bell peppers, and avocado
Vitamin A: beef, liver, dairy products, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, greens, broccoli, and cantaloupe
Vitamin B6: liver, legumes, whole grains, lentils, nuts, avocados, bananas, and potatoes
Vitamin C: ginger tea, honey, citrus fruits (ironic that these are currently in season? I think not!), strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, and broccoli, and both sweet + white potatoes
Vitamin E: nuts, seeds, legumes, bread, fruit, meat, fish, and eggs
— Cook with garlic. Garlic is a strong antioxidant and contains antibiotic properties. Unfortunately, garlic powder does not count; because it is a dehydrated form, the compounds that strengthen our immune system (i.e., allicin) aren’t in their natural, whole form.
— Keep elderberry syrup on hand. Elderberries contain antioxidants called flavonoids. These flavonoids strengthen the immune system by fighting inflammation, cell damage, and viral infections. Elderberry also has polyphenols that assist in increasing the white blood cell count.
SLEEP
3 Hygge Hacks for Deeper Sleep
— I warned that we were embracing the winter season. These are great tips on how those even at a higher latitude embrace the winter to enhance their sleep (sneak peak: they work).
REFLECT
The energy for 2025 is remembering that being healthy is much more than what you eat and how much you exercise. It’s also about being around good people, giving love to others, having joy, being your authentic self, embracing gratitude, and maintaining your growth.
— Cheers to holistic health in this next year. Saying “no” more. Not continuing relationships that aren’t feeding you. Life is short, it’s not worth it to be miserable.
Reflect + Respond to this year with me through these questions.
— Even if you aren’t a strict resolutions person, I think this time of year provides spaces to take pause, reflect on what the last year looked like (good and bad), respond to that, and determine what you want the next year to look like.
— 2024 was a year of answered prayers for Todd and I. We had a really rough 2023 and 2024 had its hurdles at the start but we are so grateful for how the Lord has provided. Patience is a virtue, trust in His timing, and continue to have hope.
“It does not do us good to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” — Albus Dumbledore
— A response to my challenge above. Todd + I have a tradition where we watch the Harry Potter movies every year. Between Halloween + Christmas, there are eight weeks, so we watch 1 movie a week (yes you should join us next year and you’re welcome). This was a Dumbledore quote that caught my attention. Dream dream dream, but don’t forget to live. Social media has a way of pulling us into the dream portal (also, the comparison portal), but takes us away from living. Let’s live this year, friends.
COMING SOON
— I have many aspirations for For Each Season in 2025 (screams “merch!!”), but I am hoping to cook some recipes in January. It may or may not be a 2025 resolution to get that train chugging along again. Thanks for agreeing to be my accountability buddies.
— PINKY SWEAR, London city guide coming this month, to Substack [for paid subscribers]
— For Each Season Library coming soon [for paid subscribers]: a place to find resources on a variety of health-centric conversations.
Enough from me!
Making the most of each season,
Mads