How a cooking show summed up 2025

Wow. It’s almost the end of the year! I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are.

I’m popping in with a last call for art prints, some suggestions for the procrastinator shoppers among us, and a roundup of my favorite recipes and books from the year. And don’t worry—there’s one last letter for 2025 coming your way in two weeks, where we’ll set some fun (and not boring) intentions for the new year.

Inside My Studio

Final hours, final calls:

For email subscribers only, I’ve got a 20% off code that’s good until December 18:

(missed it? Get on the list so you have the next promo code!)

December 18 = last day to order prints for 2025! Starting December 19, I’ll wrap up any print orders and officially hunker down in full cozy mode for the remainder of the year.

Digital downloads? Still instant, perfect for last-minute gift-giving. I’ve got a list of my favorite ways to get art printed for any crunch-time orders, plus frame suggestions that instantly make any digital download feel like a gift.

Meanwhile, I’ll be making messy, totally embarrassing pieces of art in hopes of improving my craft in new ways. You can’t learn without a few mistakes, right? Instagram is the highlight reel - real magic happens behind the scenes.

Case in point: I dug out some 20+ year-old pastels and doodled a random girl dinner from memory. Keep it messy and keep learning, friends.

What I'm Cooking

I already made my giant Christmas Day list—you can reread it here.

For a few quick, happy food ideas, here are my favorites from this year:

• Molly Yeh’s Home is Where the Eggs Are – cook anything from this book and be happy. Don’t skip:
  

  • Sloppy Joes
    

  • Hot dish
    

  • Sausage + kale pizza
    

  • Hummus (Molly’s version is my favorite, and the pita recipe is excellent too)
    

• Caro Chamber’s pork + brussels (I swap cabbage for brussels thanks to a friend tip)
  

Pinch of Yum chicken meatballs – perfect in everything, or as an appetizer for kids + adults alike

Creative Sparks

If you haven’t seen the Chef’s Table episode with Jamie Oliver, do yourself a favor and watch it. His story and stance on food moved me so much. His cooking show 15-Minute Meals is also a favorite. You can genuinely make a full meal from the show in 30 minutes (or 15 if you embrace a little kitchen chaos like Jamie).

The last part hit me: you don’t need to make a big splash to create impact - the ripples matter most.

"I was so focused on creating these moments, these thunderclaps. Documentaries, front-page news. These splashes. And I'd never realized that it was all about the ripples. If I give a recipe or a little hack or a little tip, that could have positive ripples in your home for years and years and years. But actually, more than that. It might make you shop differently, hang out with a different group of people. One small thing can make beautiful things happen. I had a job and a purpose to guide as many people towards the joy of food and cooking. My voice, our voice, can make positive change. And I'm gonna give it my best shot."

I hope this newsletter brings you a little joy—through art, new food finds, or a great book. This is a letter of my loves, and Jamie reminded me to keep going. I hope you’ll do the same in 2026.

What I'm Reading

’Tis the season for the holiday slump. I’m curled up with Christmas movies or binging shows instead of books. That said, here are my favorite reads from 2025:

• Favorite romantasy: Shield of Sparrows – gave me all the ACOTAR vibes
  
• Best audiobook: Project Hail Mary . I usually prefer physical fiction, but audio is perfect for self-help & business.  This fictional book totally blew me out of the water and was unlike anything I’ve ever listened to.
  
• Favorite authors: Ali Hazelwood (she can do no wrong) + Carley Fortune
• Favorite romance: This Summer Will Be Different

Coming Up...

I hope your holidays are merry, cozy, and slightly magical! I’ll pop back in with one last note on December 30 so we can set some fun, unique intentions for 2026. Not boring resolutions here—just goals that make you excited to show up for yourself.

Let’s brainstorm together for the last Tuesday of 2025!

— Katie