Happy Friday! We are shooting for simple and fast this week. I'm going to throw a few projects at you for the holiday and New Years menu, so we'll add quick to our arsenal leading up. Adding shredded brussles to spaghetti is a way I can get my kids to maybe overlook their existence, and I love the way they tangle and melt into the pasta. I have no more title ideas for the salads here, so we'll just start assigning them a month name :) And the sheet-pan gnocchi! My whole family loved this. Notes in the headnote about specific kinds of gnocchi. For those needing a somewhat virtuous snack or lunchbox item, these granola bars are a one bowl, one pan wonder and can truly take any mix ins you wish. Hope you find some favorites this week.

As a heads up, I am going to try my hand at tamales this weekend and looping in a friend to help teach me how to wrap them correctly. Should you be doing limited grocery runs, or need to mail order some things, you'll need: lard or shortening, instant corn masa and dry corn husks for assembly. The other items (we'll make a carnitas in red sauce and butternut black bean and cheese filling) are easier to come by. Oh and molasses! For the gingerbread coffee cake, that isn't something I usually stock. Let me know if there are any questions!

P.S. I have a few more SKCC cooking sticks. Order them asap if you need one as a gift or your own holiday cooking! https://www.sproutedkitchen.com/shop/skcc-x-earlywood-cooking-stick