Inspire your 2026 with simple and seasonal ideas to bring more fulfillment in the kitchen. From simple mindful activities, to cooking projects, use this guide with four ideas for each month to create a calendar that's easy to accomplish by the end of the year.

January Activities

A month to celebrate mindfulness

Spend one week cutting back on alcohol. After the indulgence of the holidays, this reset supports better sleep, digestion, and clarity while reinforcing moderation.

Make a big hearty stew and freeze some for meal later in the year. January is ideal for hearty, nourishing and healthy stews. Whether it's a Rioja chicken, Beef bourguignon, or Cassoulet, January is a perfect month to add a new soul warming meal to the menu. Make a big batch and freeze a few portions for later in the year. Your April-self will be very pleased!

Hand wash dishes more often than using the dishwasher. Research shows handwashing dishes can be a calming, mindful ritual that reduces stress and reconnects you to the cooking process.

Deep clean and organize the kitchen. With December entertaining and cookie making behind us, January is a good time to do a good disinfect of the kitchen. Take a week to really do a through clean and reorganization

February Activities

February is for celebrating with small indulgences

Make a new appetizer. It's Superbowl month, and that's a great reason to experiment with a new appetizer. Whether it's Buffalo Chicken Dip or Cherry Tomato Confit, experiment with a new go-to that you can breakout at parties.

Learn how to make lobster (or scallops or a perfect steak). February is perfect for practicing “fancy” cooking skills and gaining confidence with special-occasion dishes. Check out a lobster cooking class for inspiration.

Light candles and eat by candlelight. If it feels a little funny, that's okay. Sit with it until you feel comfortable. Eating by candlelight creates a subtle but impactful shift at the dinner table. That flickering, warm light helps remind you that dinner is meant to be a moment where you slow down and linger over conversation. Creating atmosphere elevates even simple meals and encourages slower, more intentional eating.

Put away your phone and avoid it during all meals in a given week. This strengthens mindful eating habits and helps you better notice hunger, fullness, and enjoyment.

March Activities

March is for springing into freshness

Eat more beans throughout the week. Beans are affordable, versatile, and linked to longevity, plus they boost plant-based cooking confidence. They also are a wonderful way to extend meat. The more you sneak beans into meals, the more ways you realize you can eat them!

Make a big batch of cooked grains. Prepping grains like farro or wheatberries is a healthy habit and saves time during busy weeks. Prep a big batch and use it for sides, a grain bowl, and in salads for the week.

Practice knife skills with seasonal vegetables. Practice refining your cutting techniques. Knife skills make a meaningful difference in the speed and quality of cooking, plus - it's safer!

Make homemade salad dressing. Salad season is coming, and now is the time for learning ratios for vinaigrettes. Making your own salad dressings builds ingredient intuition and reduces reliance on processed foods. This week, experiment with a variety of salad dressing recipes at home, from creamy to citrusy. This simple addition to your repetoire will help elevate everyday vegetables from a store bought salad to a homemade masterpiece.

April Activities

Experimenting with new ingredients

Buy a fruit you usually pass by at the grocery store. Exploring unfamiliar fruits keeps eating exciting! Whether you always pass passionfruit, mango, or maybe even that prickly pineapple makes you keep your distance, embrace a new fruit once this month and expand your tastebuds.

Cook one fully plant-based dinner this week. Vear away from the usual plant-based items in your repertoire, and really challenge yourself. This encourages creativity while increasing fiber and nutrient intake. Whether using cauliflower for rice, or making a mushroom taco - when you experiment with plant based items in ways you usually eat meat, you give yourself more options.

Cook with Asparagus. This fabulous seasonal vegetable has many elegant preparations. Try prosciutto wrapped asparagus parcels for an elegant and easy side dish perfect for entertaining.

Practice plating food beautifully. Thoughtful presentation enhances satisfaction and makes everyday meals feel special. Put a little extra attention this week on using your nice dishes and making playful presentations that make your meals look beautiful.

May Activities

Enjoying cooking before the heatwaves!

Make fresh pasta. This mindful, hands-on activity builds patience and delivers a deeply rewarding culinary experience and May is a wonderful time to make it. Learn with a chef joining live from Italy in Italian cooking classes.

Cook outdoors at least once. May is a nice time to get that grill ready and start organizing your outdoor workspace. This month, cook outdoors at least once and start getting ready for the warmer days.

Explore Thai ingredients. Getting comfortable with fish sauce, curry pastes, and herbs deepens global cooking skills and flavor balance. Thai food is much loved and a great spicy treat for warmer weather. Explore Thai cooking classes with a chef joining live from Thailand.

Cook seafood (without overcooking it). Seafood can be tricky, with fish, shrimp, scallops and other shellfish having vastly different cooking times. The more you practice cooking seafood, the more confidence you have. It's a fast and healthy protein that is worth really mastering. Explore a seafood cooking class for guidance.

June Activities

June is for embracing produce

Make a homemade vegetable dip. Sauces teach balance. Whether you want to up your hummus game, have been eyeing up a caramelized onion dip or are looking for a sauce to dip your spring rolls in, experiment this month with something that is easy to keep in the fridge that enhances your favorite veggies.

Prepare a no-cook summer meal. Learning fresh, raw preparations highlights seasonal produce and reduces kitchen heat. Starting with a modern take on a classic bruschetta, followed by hearty lentil and vegetable salad is a great way to keep the oven off.

Practice making omelettes. Omelettes are one of the first things you learn in culinary school - and with reason, they are a foundational dish that can be anything from breakfast to an elegant dinner. And they're quick to cook, making them a great option for warm nights when you don't want the stove on. This week, try to make an impressive omelette for dinner using different ingredients, perhaps salmon and dill, or goat cheese and herbs.

Try a new herb you’ve never cooked with. Fresh herbs brighten summer meals and add complexity without extra salt or fat. Head to the garden store and see what they still have in-stock, or simply go to the grocery store and seek out an herb you've never worked with. Whether it's tarragon or an interesting variety of basil, it's fun to work with something news.

July Activities

July is for enjoying the heat

Make a paella on the grill. This festive dish is perfect for hot days and cooking with friends, making outdoor meals feel celebratory. Browse Spanish cooking classes.

Make homemade popsicles with real fruit. Making popsicles is a fun, healthy project that reduces added sugar while celebrating summer produce. You'll be happy you did this on that 90 degree day.

Cook a meal entirely from local ingredients. Farmers markets abound during this time of the year, so head to a local one and support local. This seasonal awareness will also inspire new meal ideas.

Practice cooking without a recipe once this week. Trusting your instincts builds long-term confidence in the kitchen. No computer, no phone, just use your own taste as inspiration.

August Activities

August is for enjoying the summer's bounty

One week in August, consciously eat more fish. Fatty fish like salmon, trout and sardines support brain and heart health while expanding cooking techniques. Try a cooking class for new ideas.

Make a tomato-forward dish using peak-season tomatoes. There is little that can beat a freshly picked tomato from the garden. Whether you grow them or not, find local tomatoes and let them inspire a menu. Simple summer tomatoes teach restraint and ingredient-driven cooking.

Preserve something. Preservation builds resourcefulness and reduces food waste. Whether you're a master canner and are preserving salsas and sauces, or are leaning into freezing the summer's bounty, this is the time to do it. Whether you freeze produce or are making batches of jams, it's a wonderful way to reward yourself during a dreary part of the year.

Host a casual shared meal with friends. Invite over some friends and have a casual dinner. Cooking for others reinforces joy, generosity, and confidence.

September Activities

Cooler weather brings new fun into the kitchen

Learn how to make apple strudel. September is apple season and this classic dessert connects you to culinary heritage while building pastry skills. Learn how to make apple strudel alongside a chef joining live from Hungary, the region of origin.

Roast a whole chicken (or a whole cauliflower for a plant based alternative). Mastering a foundational dish improves timing, seasoning, and meal planning and everyone should know how to roast a chicken. It's quite simple and always makes an elegant statement on the dinnertable.

Make a simple homemade stock. Stock teaches depth of flavor and makes future meals richer and healthier. Use the leftover bones from that roast chicken and add aromatics like carrots, celery, peppercorns, and onion - then cover with water, add salt and simmer, simmer, simmer. We like to reduce our stock for 5 or more hours.

Cook with a fall forward spice like cardamom or allspice. Seasonal spices add warmth and expand flavor familiarity. Try one in a homemade cookie!

Make a three-course meal, just for fun. Planning and pacing multiple courses builds hosting skills and reminds you that cooking can be playful.

October Activities

Cooler weather brings heartier meals

Eat more beans in soups or stews. Fall is ideal for bean-based comfort foods that support gut and heart health. Make a new bean forward dish, maybe Boston baked beans or Pasta e fagioli!

Bake bread or a simple loaf. Bread-making builds patience and understanding of fermentation. This is a great month to start experimenting with bread that you can enjoy all cool-weather season long!

Try a new squash variety. Exploring seasonal produce keeps meals interesting and nutritious. Explore our squash guide for ideas.

Practice mindful eating for one full week. Slowing down helps you better enjoy food and recognize fullness cues. Turn off the phone and simply eat. Put down your fork several times while enjoying your meal, and pause.

November Activities

A cozy month where staying inside looks extra nice

Plan a balanced holiday side dish. Creating a nourishing dish reinforces healthy choices during indulgent seasons. Experiment with a new side dish, maybe a new spin on sweet potatoes or try out something fun with turnips, that adds an indulgent yet healthy option to the dinner table.

Roast a new vegetable. We love roasting vegetables. Try roasting a new one, whether it's Brussel sprouts, parsnips or celery - when you roast vegetables you bring out the natural sweetness.

Cook a meal entirely from pantry staples. That's right, no visit to the grocery store for this one! Head to your pantry and open up the freezer and cook with only what's on hand. Try to challenge yourself. This activity builds creativity and resilience while reducing food waste.

Make a gratitude ritual before meals. Gratitude enhances enjoyment and strengthens your relationship with food. Simply starting your meal with saying what you're grateful for before eating can make a positive impact.

December Activities

December is for togetherness

Create a signature dish you can repeat every year. Traditions add meaning and confidence to holiday cooking. We all have that dish on the holiday table that we love. For some, it's the family stuffing, for others - it's those perfect mashed potatoes. Create your signature dish and really hone in on that little something that will make it a holiday tradition.

Practice portion awareness during celebrations. We've all felt the feeling of one too many cookies. This is actually a month that's very useful to be aware of portions. Eat that extra cookie if you want to, but be aware of it. The January reset is around the corner after all!

Share a homemade food gift. Gifting food reinforces generosity and culinary pride. Whether it's a batch of homemade cookies, a hot chocolate gift, or perhaps a mason jar of homemade Thai curry, a food gift is one that's always appreciated.

Reflect on your favorite meals from the year. Reflection helps you recognize growth and set intentions for future cooking adventures.

Cooking is a practice, not a performance. Use this calendar as a gentle guide to inspire your year, skip what doesn’t fit, linger where you feel inspired, and return to it whenever you need a nudge back into the kitchen.

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