Before we jump into today’s addition of the YASSSletter, Zikki and I wanted to give our sincerest condolences to every single person, community, and animal effected by the wild fires in LA. The destruction is incomprehensible and we are praying for the wellbeing of LA, a city we love and cherish. LA, our heart is with you and your magnificent coastline.

Although this year is already off to a wonky start, Zikki and I wanted to wish you all a big beautiful successful year ahead filled with lots of time in your kitchen, baking and cooking. There truly is no greater joy than sharing a meal with your loved ones.

We also understand that with a new year, come new responsibilities, new pressures, and what feels like zero time to get it all done. So, in our house, we meal prep.

Plan Your Meals:

• Choose recipes: Select easy-to-prepare meals that you enjoy and that use similar ingredients to minimize grocery trips. Here are some of our current weekly favorites.

  • All Purpose Wrap Bread (a homemade tortilla)

  • Salmon Niçoise Salad (prep everything separately & ahead of time and combined [or not] before your meal)

  • English Muffins (for a butter and jammy breakfast)

  • Almond Milk (from scratch - only the good stuff)

• Create a shopping list: This will help you stay organized and avoid impulse buys.

Maximize Your Time:

• Batch cook: Double or triple recipes and freeze portions for later. Make a big batch of Zikki’s Chicken Soup and freeze the rest for weeks to come!

• Use a slow cooker: This is a great way to cook large batches of soups and stews. Our go to? A dish close to Zikki’s heart from our time in Italy. This Lemony Olive Chicken Stew will become the heartbeat of your family dinners.

Make it Easy on Yourself:

• Choose reusable containers: Invest in a good set of glass or plastic containers with lids.

• Label everything: This will help you stay organized and avoid confusion. Date and title. Become best friends with tape & sharpies.

Don't Be Afraid to Get Creative:

• Theme nights: Dedicate specific nights of the week to certain types of meals, such as "Taco Tuesday" or "Pizza Friday." The other day we built a Shabbat dinner with friends all around one Asian style dish we all love. Felt really special to eat and source flavors we don’t eat every day. 

• For “Taco Tuesday” we love to make a big batch of our Corn Tortillas!

Don’t Skip Dessert:

Why? Because everyone wants something sweet no matter what. So you either buy something (thats probably decently processed) or make it yourself, fully taking control of the ingredients you and your family take in. Better your cake, then the store bought one. ;)

Love, Ben & Zikki :)