Sunday Meal Prep | Week of November 10
Italian wedding soup and disco stories...
Happy Sunday, friends.
Sometimes cooking can feel like a chore. In addition to work and kids stuff, there’s grocery shopping, planning, prep, and clean up. It’s literally part of my job to write these menus and recipes for you all, and even for me it can feel overwhelming at times. And then there are times when life feels heavy and a sort of paralysis sets in, making it all too easy to lose touch with the things that make you feel good. If you feel that way, I promise, it’s not just you. When the momentum is swinging in the wrong direction, you need to break the chain somewhere and do something positive that makes you feel good. A few healthy, home cooked meals can do the trick.
I firmly believe that eating more fresh, home cooked food is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health. My main objective with this series to it make it easier and more enjoyable for you to do this.
Cooking can be both a meditation and creative outlet—both of which are highly beneficial for your nervous system and mental health. Sharing meals and sitting at the table together also has impressive, well-researched benefits, especially for children; It can reduce stress, encourage healthier eating habits, introduce new foods, improve relationships, and create a sense of belonging. And then, of course, are the obvious health benefits of a fresh, home cooked meal: better ingredients, more vegetables, and increased overall nutrition.
Whether you follow this meal prep to a tee, nab a recipe or two each week, or just use it for ideas, I hope it makes you a more confident, organized, and inspired cook so you can eat more home cooked meals and experience these benefits.
Sending you all love and a PSA not to skip past the Italian Wedding soup. It’s bomb diggity (even Ozzie liked it). Don’t be intimidated by the meatballs — they’re easy to make and double as an excellent snack.
Happy cooking!
xx Mia
A few meal prep-adjacent things I’m excited about:
A LITTLE PICK ME UP: ITALIAN DISCO STORIES
I discovered this Substack dedicated entirely to Italian disco, and it might be the best thing on this entire platform. You’re welcome.
A GORGEOUS HOSTESS GIFT
If you’re heading to a friends house for Thanksgiving or a holiday party and want to bring a small gift, I love this salt dish by Stephanie Dawn Mattias (who also happened to be my postpartum doula when Ozzie was born). The bow ring dish is pretty sweet too. I am also obsessed with these cheeky dessert plates—such a fun gift.
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And before we cook, some announcements:
I have a couple of spots left for 1:1 nutrition coaching this year (how is the year almost over!?). I love this program because I get to work with people intimately to help them discover the best foods and routines for their body and lifestyle. If you’re interested in working with me, set up a consult.
Book Club is this Tuesday at 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET. We’ll be discussing Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz. Details below — this is for paid subscribers. If you want to upgrade and join, here’s how:
We’re starting off the week with a Shepherd’s pie. This is a dish I can honestly say I never had until a married a Englishman. Frankly, a meat pie just really wasn’t appealing, but I gave it a chance and it’s a very good (and healthy) one dish meal. Instead of the classic mashed potato top, I use celery root. You can also swap this for cauliflower if you prefer.
Daylight savings is really screwing up my meal prep photos. Generally I will snap a photo of dinner right before it goes on the table, but it’s been dark by 5:30 and it’s only getting worse. So, I’m doing my best to get new dishes photographed, but bear with me!! Making dinner at 3pm to get the shot isn’t really happening, so if any of you have tips for how to take decent food photos without any natural light, please fire up my comments. This garlic shrimp spaghetti is more delicious than it looks. You should make it.
