Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 36
December 31, 2024
2024!
I can’t believe that 2024 has come to an end!
Looking back it was such a wonderful, full, blessed and magical year for our family. I can’t believe this is my life! I didn’t know I could be this happy. And I am so glad that you are a part of it!
Thank you for spending your precious time here, visiting the website and interacting in the community we’ve created together. It means THE WORLD to me.
Yay for 2025!
xoxoxo
P.S. I grabbed most of these photos from my week in the life posts, which is where I document our days each week! I love looking back on them and seeing what we are doing!
P.P.S. and just for fun, here were YOUR top new recipes of 2024 from the blog. Which were your favorites?
Your Favorite Recipes for 2024
Pumpkin scones with espresso glaze
Grilled jalapeno peach chicken
Hot honey BBQ chicken thighs with slaw
The post 2024! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December 30, 2024
100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2025.
I love all of these lunch ideas for 2025! So many of my favorite meals to make ahead for lunches – all things you can prep the day before! Tons of flavor, super satisfying and nourishing meals.
I’ve got over 100 lunch ideas for 2025 today! Lots of my faves all in one place.
Whether you are still working from home or heading into the office, these are lunch ideas for 2024 that you can make and prep ahead of time. Woohoo!
While I’m all about having a fried egg for lunch or topping my avocado toast with a fried egg or grilling and roasting some vegetables for lunch, when you work out of the home I know that just isn’t feasible. These are all dishes that you can make or prep ahead of time and ones that will taste great come lunch time.
That’s the biggest thing for me. No matter how fantastic the salad was that I would make for lunch when I sat behind a desk, whether it had croutons or last night’s chicken on top, it still tasted like a sad desk lunch and I just wanted something more delicious. Now I AM sharing a bunch of my favorite substantial salads below, but there are a ton of other lunch ideas here that range from soups to bowls to full blown meals! Eddie requires an actual MEAL, so there are some of those below too.
You can always find me sharing lunch ideas over on instagram too!
100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2025The post 100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2025. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December 29, 2024
A Week In The Life, Vol 53.
We had the most full fun holiday week ever!
I can’t believe how fast it went.
Monday we spent time with cousins and friends!!
Cutest!!
These 3 were in the funniest mood ever.
Jordan really felt like a “big kid” all holiday long.
My heart!!
Christmas eve cinnamon rolls.
And christmas cheese!
Then it was time for the festivities!
It was soooo dark on christmas eve. I swear it was dark by 3PM!
Baby Lucy!
Trying to get a pic with all the kids like…
PJ time!
Another attempt, haha.
Then it was home for Santa!
Jordy fell asleep in the car but these 2 couldn’t be stopped. Emilia wanted to put out 9 large carrots.
6am when Jordan woke up the whole house!
This girl is SO SWEET. The minute she realized it was christmas morning, she ran upstairs and got these bags that she made for everyone. Full of little gifts she found around the house. She was so proud.
Max had to read the Santa letter because it made Eddie cry. Hehehehe.
Soon after it was brunch time.
We had brunch and dinner at our house! I’ve never hosted anything for christmas before, so this was all a first.
We had a big brunch spread.
Holiday ice cubes of course.
Then later for dinner we did loaded potato soup and salad. This was such a fun change from all of the holiday food.
Baby Lucy is so edible.
Max had some hockey camps.
And we lounged a bit…
And played with allll the toys.
Later in the week we went to ride the mall train.
My life!
I mean, this one was running wild.
And then we took Jordan ice skating for the first time!
Little BFFs.
It was the perfect day because it was like 50 degrees!
Warm enough for Max to wear a t-shirt. Don’t tell anyone he owns a coat!!!
Then lunch.
Then this weekend we had more christmas fun with cousins!!
Look at that hair. Think they are related?!
This time we did a big belgian waffle bar.
The kids LOVED this.
And we had a bunch of savory options too.
Plus hot honey and jalapeños!
Everyone opened more presents…
And put on lots of makeup.
Then Max and Eddie went to the pens game!
We had such a full amazing week that I can’t believe it’s over already. Everything was so special and fun. I already miss this time as it passes. I wish I could freeze time!
The post A Week In The Life, Vol 53. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
What To Eat This Week: 12/29/24.
We’re finishing 2024 with the most delish menu!
What’s on your menu this week?!
What To Eat This Week
Champagne risotto with brown butter scallops
Blood orange winter kale salad
Hot honey chipotle BBQ chicken nachos
Mediterranean marinated chickpeas
The post What To Eat This Week: 12/29/24. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December 27, 2024
50 Snacks & Cocktails To Make For New Year’s Eve!
I’ve got all my favorite snacks and drinks here for you! The best recipes for new years eve!
We always stay home on New Years’ Eve – it’s one of my favorite nights of the year. We make the best snacks and sometimes watch a movie and just ENJOY the end of the year. Nothing fancy, except for lots of cheese and champagne.
What do you do? What do you make and eat?
Major major major fingers crossed that 2024 is going to be a good one!
50 Recipes for New Years EveThe post 50 Snacks & Cocktails To Make For New Year’s Eve! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December Favorites.
A peek at everything I loved in November 2024!
FOODTrader Joe’s phyllo crisp crackers. These have been the hit of our holidays! I bought may boxes before the season started and we’ve had them out each time we’ve had guests. They go like crazy! They are so crisp, the texture is fabulous.
Perfect cut out cookies. I’ve been making this recipe FOR YEARS and it is the best. I make them for every holiday. They are perfect every time and everyone raves about them. I like to use cream cheese frosting for the top.
HOMERound serving platters. These have been AMAZING this month for gifting cookies! They are so sturdy and look (and almost feel!) like glass. They are the perfect size – not too big – and are easy to wrap up. Best things ever.
Charcuterie boxes. These might be my new favorite thing. Perfect for making charcuterie boxes to gift!
Tree cheese board. I used this all month long and love it!
BEAUTYSephora Glossed lip gloss. I think this is new – and I LOVE the consistency. It’s also pigmented with fabulous color.
Iconic London lip oil. I love the cherry shade in “one to watch.” It’s so moisturizing and gives a super pretty glow.
Gucci frosted lilac highlighter. This light lavender shade is perfect for a cool toned highlight. Adore it.
Aveeno moisturizing oil mist. This is a new to me find and I adore it. Every day I use body cream + oil after showering. I love that this is in a spray bottle and the small is SO wonderful.
Drowsy sleep scrunchie. Might be the best scrunchie I’ve found. I love the kitsch ones and have used them for years, but this one is HUGE. It’s so puffy, giant and silky. Best ever.
FASHIONSnowflake sweater. This was one of my favorite finds of the month! I love that it is more winter themed than Christmas. Also, it has some neon green in that is hard to see in the pics. It’s super fun.
MZ Wallace shearling bag. I’ve mentioned that I’ve been looking for the perfect shearling bag for over a year and I just LOVE this one. It was a holiday collection special and I was so excited to see it. I’ve used it nonstop since getting it. Crossbody, big enough for a water bottle… perfect.
Fraser plaid blouse. I love Tuckernuck at the holidays and find so many great things to wear. I don’t usually go for plaid because I feel lumberjack-ish but this was my fave top I got. It’s just simple and easy and comfortable and goes with black!
MEDIAThe Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. SUCH a great read! Funny, mysterious, romantic and more.
Landman. We are obsessed. It’s so different from Yellowstone in that it doesn’t really give off the aspirational lifestyle vibes. But it has crazy Taylor Sheridan storylines and characters.
KIDSKablast blocks. Jordan got these for christmas and they are so fun. He has been loving them.
Melissa & Doug salad spinner. He also got this – and all the kids adore it. Max got a play kitchen when he turned 2 and 8 years later, he still plays with it. All of my kids love the play kitchen/food so much. It’s been the best toy!
Guinness World Records 2025. Max LOVES books about facts, etc – and he was so excited about this. He has looked at it for days!!
[none of this is sponsored, i just love to tell you what i love every month! there are a few general affiliate links above! xo]
The post December Favorites. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December 26, 2024
2024 Recipe Disasters.
It’s time to see a bunch of mess ups in the kitchen from this year!
My recipe disasters are BACK! I have done this (nearly!) every single year for well over a decade… except last year. We had just moved into our new house and frankly, everything was a disaster, not just the recipes. I kept thinking that I’d be able to get it together and I never did. And so many of you were disappointed so here we go!
I had lots of fails in the kitchen this year, of course. These are just a few that I was able to document.
You can find all the previous recipe disasters here:
This is a just a fun way to share all my mess ups in the kitchen. I cook SO MUCH and many times, I redo takes on classic recipes I know and love. But because I’m in the kitchen so much, it’s not unusual for me to have failures. I mean, tons of failures. If I remember, I snap a pic so we can look back and laugh. It’s truly hilarious.
First up, the most undesirable pork chops in all the land. I mean… gross.
Oh wait but it gets better! It’s just soba noodles and peanut sauce but… can you even imagine eating it when it looks like that?!
Oh guess what a messed up a million times? Couscous salads! This almond and orange one sounded so great in my brain but it was not. Not at all.
I breaded cauliflower six ways from sunday and it was mostly garbage.
The densest, most unflavorful lemon cake you ever did see.
These garlic mashed potatoes were SO BAD. Oh my gosh. Like, so bad. The mix of the whole roasted garlic but unpeeled potatoes just left way too much chewy texture, and not in a good way.
Pumpkin stuffed shells where my cheese sauce broke and was grittier than sand at the beach. YUM.
Another very dense cake. Orange this time. Nope nope nope.
Another couscous salad that was such a bomb. Too sweet, broccoli too raw, just didn’t jive. Heck no.
Thought a crab cake caesar sounded great. Ended up really boring with barely any texture. Whomp whomp.
I had TONS of sourdough fails before nailing our favorite sandwich bread.
Say hello to the wettest potato salad of all time.
Major cookie bar fail.
Olive focaccia that was great in theory but so dry and chewy.
A sad plate of chicken and mushrooms! And toast.
French onion orzo that I burnt. It was also super gluey.
Too many steps and too much going on. Trust me.
Finally a cherry pepper potato salad that turned red and was filled with oil. No thanks.
What was your biggest kitchen flop in 2024?!
The post 2024 Recipe Disasters. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December 23, 2024
Merry Merry Everything!
Merry everything to you and yours this season! Sending you all love through the holidays.
Thank you so much for being here! It means the world to me.
The post Merry Merry Everything! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
December 22, 2024
A Week In The Life, Vol 52.
52 weeks! A whole entire year!
What a jolly week it was.
It was crazy school spirit christmas week.
Hockey!
Basketball!
His activity = going to his sibling’s activities. #thirdchild
More hockey.
I took this cookie dough latte to my mom.
The elf though.
Emilia dressed as Mary for nativity day. She is obsessed.
Started some cookies.
Wear red day!
Also had all the kids school parties this day!
Fave little girl.
Orange cookies.
Woke up and immediately dressed as Mary again.
My buddy while Max got a haircut.
I baked six loaves of sourdough sandwich bread this week!
Oh hi, we’re at hockey again.
Cutest.
Her bright colors make my life.
Post hockey dinner!
My heart.
Actual TWINS.
Gingerbread house time.
He takes it pretty seriously.
Who decorated each house?!
Perfect snow globe outside.
More hockey!
More baking!
Christmas is my favorite.
Crinkles.
Blossoms.
New lemon shortbread!
And the best sugar cookies ever.
I bought this gummy house for Emilia to do because she loves crafts. It was a piece of true garbage but we tried to save it with hot glue.
Whomp whomp.
Santa in a firetruck!
Purse graveyard during the holidays.
Annnnd now the best week of the whole year!
The post A Week In The Life, Vol 52. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
What To Eat This Week, 12/22/24.
We’re here for holiday week!
What’s on your menu this week?!
What To Eat This Week
Crispy chicken Mediterranean salad
Sheet pan buffalo chicken meatballs
Fire roasted black bean tortilla soup
Cheeseburger stuffed sweet potatoes
Smoked salmon cottage cheese toast
The post What To Eat This Week, 12/22/24. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
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