Winter | Week 4

Letting the Grocery Store Decide

If you’re on the East Coast, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing the same winter storm I am.

It’s not that I don’t like winter. I do enjoy parts of it. Big sweaters. Hearty meals. Candles and fireplaces. Slippers. Watching the snow fall from inside where it’s warm. What I don’t like is going outside. I hate being cold. If my ankles are exposed, that bone-chilling, frigid feeling shoots straight up my spine, and I will do just about anything to avoid it.

So I don’t know if it’s the weather, hormones, or just my brain, but this week carried a familiar gray mood. Winter makes me want to slow down. To stay home. To move gently. Everything in my body is asking for a slower pace, yet reality requires me to move quickly. I’m trying to find the middle ground between the two.

This season of life feels like the middle in every sense of the term. The middle of transitions, identities, routines. They’re beautiful and exciting changes, but that doesn’t make them any less challenging. I’m learning how to hold gratitude and frustration at the same time, even when I wish I didn’t have to.

You’d think in moods like this, I’d cling tightly to my systems. That I’d turn to my grocery list as something I could control.

Ironically, this week, I didn’t.

When I sat down to make this week’s winter storm induced grocery list, I didn’t want to plan. I wrote down my staples and decided to let the store guide me.

The second I walked in, I was reminded that Sumo Citrus are in peak season. I grabbed a bag. I wandered the produce section, picking up blueberries, lemons, an eggplant, shishito peppers, fresh parsley. I walked every aisle, grabbing what caught my eye, sticking loosely to my list, letting my brain and taste buds lead.

I knew I’d be home snacking through a winter storm. I had a budget in mind. I didn’t need a strict plan. I needed to aimlessly wander the grocery aisles as a person who loves food. Who loves to cook. Who loves to linger and read every word on the label.

For someone who relies so heavily on systems and routines to stay grounded, this felt like a small reminder that structure doesn’t have to mean rigidity. Sometimes it means trusting yourself enough to wander an aisle and listen. That felt like enough for this week.

So I built my snacks the same way. Intuitively and with the season in mind. Here’s what that looked like.

This Week’s Snackagories

🥣 Savory Dip / Spread

Creamy Bean Dip

I always say Mexican is the nationality of food I could eat every single day and never get sick of, so it’s no surprise that it shows up in my kitchen constantly. Refried beans are a forever staple, and this dip is one of the very first Niknack recipes I ever made.

All you need is:

• 1 can refried beans

• 1 cup Plan Greek Yogurt

• Your favorite jar of Salsa

• 3 tbsp Taco seasoning

Mix everything together and you’ve got a creamy, protein-packed dip that I could devour in one sitting. Scoop it with chips, spoon it onto tacos, bowls, or burritos, and snack on it all week long. I love adding Trader Joe’s hot & sweet jalapeños for a little punch. A high-protein breakfast version I swear by: a Mexican-style breakfast burrito with this bean dip, egg whites, shredded cheddar, and plenty of hot sauce.

🍞 Grab + Go Pantry Snack

Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip & Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Another OG Niknack recipe. When I first discovered Kodiak Power Mix back in 2018, I made these as pancake bars using a cup of cold coffee in the batter. Over time, they evolved into this larger, sheet-pan, meal-prep-friendly version I made this week.

The secret is how you melt the butter. I preheat the oven, add two tablespoons of butter directly to a half sheet pan, and let it melt for 2–3 minutes. Once it’s bubbling, I swirl it around the pan, then pour in the pancake batter.

From there, top with whatever you love. I almost always default to chocolate chips, blueberries, bananas, or a combination of all three. Slice them once cooled and you’ve got an easy, grab-and-go snack for the week.

Base Recipe:

• 2 ½ cups Protein Pancake Mix (Kodiak, Wegmans, whatever brand you prefer)

• 2 eggs

• 2 cups milk

• 2 tablespoon butter

• Cinnamon, Vanilla extract, to taste

🥕 Fresh Produce

Mushrooms in a Butter-Wine Sauce

I had a family pack of mushrooms staring at me all week, and on Thursday they turned into one of the best weeknight dinners I’ve made in a while. My husband immediately said, “This needs to be in the regular rotation.” The final plate: blackened chicken thighs, mashed potatoes, and these buttery, winey mushrooms spooned over everything.

They came together so quickly but genuinely tasted restaurant-level quality.

Butter-Wine Mushroom Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter

• 8 oz brown mushrooms

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• ½ cup dry white wine

• Salt & pepper, to taste

🍫 Sweet Tooth Snack

Chocolate Cherry Milkshake

Jon and I are officially on a milkshake kick. It’s become our post-dinner sweet snack, which feels ironic given the freezing temperatures lol but we’re committed.

Since he’s lactose intolerant, I use lactose-free vanilla ice cream and blend it with oat milk, vanilla protein powder, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and a cup of frozen cherries. It tastes like a sneaky, indulgent frosty but still feels nourishing. I genuinely look forward to this every night.

🍗 Bulk Protein Source

Greek Yogurt–Marinated Chicken Thighs & NYT Chili Mac

I started the week with a family pack of chicken thighs and immediately split it in half. One half went into a Greek yogurt marinade made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh parsley, dried oregano, cumin, paprika, and onion powder. Juicy, flavorful, and endlessly versatile for the week.

The other bulk prep recipe that deserves a shoutout is Ali Slagle’s NYT Chili Mac. It’s quick, hearty, warm, and comforting. Aka exactly what I needed to match the mood of this week and keep myself well-fed without overthinking it.

Winter | Week 4

Some weeks I follow my systems to a tee. Other weeks, like this one, I let intuition lead and trust that I know myself well enough to wander an aisle, listen to my gut, and still land somewhere nourishing.

I’m still learning that food doesn’t have to be another thing to get “right”. It can just be an anchor. A quiet anchor. A way to care for myself without making a production out of it. I built my routines to give myself something steady to come home to when my brain feels loud and the world feels heavy.

If you’re craving that kind of relationship with yourself, I’m really glad you’re here. I’m four weeks, and I’ve genuinely looked forward to sitting down to write this each week. I’ll continue sharing what i’m making, what i’m learning, and how i’m finding my through it all, one SubSnack at a time.

Until next week,

Niknack

This Weeks Snaps