Sunday Menu 🥑🥞🌮 no. 27
12 ways to romanticize time in the kitchen and all the wonderful summer meals and produce to be enjoyed this season.
The Sunday Menu is a look at what I’m cookin’ up to feed my vegan family of 6, kitchen sounds, fave ingredients, and other reflections on all things delicious. Grab a snack and let’s hang out in the kitchen…
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Errr, I mean Monday... but it's summer so who even knows?!
Yesterday was my youngest son’s 5th birthday, so we spent the day celebrating him with sprinkle pancakes for breakfast, a lake day with grilled veggie dogs for lunch, and dinner at our favorite local pizza spot. For his birthday treat, he requested froyo with his favorite topping—mochi—and I was happy to avoid using the oven. We popped 5 candles into his custom froyo concoction and sang to him on a picnic bench, it was delightful.
On Saturday, we picked up our CSA and I made a rare solo trip to Costco. With a house full of fresh produce and ingredients I felt motivated to prep a few things for the coming weeks, so I spent the afternoon in the kitchen making no-bake granola bars, a double batch of granola (half goes in the freezer!), a big bowl of pasta salad, and lots of prepped fruit. I also made a big batch of my favorite Snickers dates.
Today I’m sharing all the yummy meals that have been nourishing us, delighting us, and fueling us for long summer days. This is hands-down my favorite season for food—the produce is abundant, colorful, and as flavorful as it gets. As usual, I’ll share the recipes we’ve enjoyed and what meals are on the docket next. I’m also sharing some tips for how to romanticize moments in the kitchen, which is how I turn an afternoon of meal prep into a form of personal recharge.
Grab a bowl of berries or some slabs of watermelon (with a sprinkle of Tajín), and let’s chat.
The kitchen in our 1940s-built home leans galley—it’s slightly awkward and extremely limited in functional counter space. It’s not the trendy, sprawling kitchen you’ll find on Instagram, and it’s certainly not designed the way I’d prefer (I have a whole reno concept in my head complete with higher countertops for my 5’10” frame!). But nonetheless, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, and it ultimately serves its purpose—giving me the space to nourish my family.
I didn’t start learning my way around the kitchen until my early 20s, but with every meal since, I’ve discovered a deep passion and joy in preparing delicious food. The kitchen is where I spend most of my waking hours. Sometimes I’m hustling—scrambling to assemble a packed lunch or wash dishes before my next task. But as often as I can, I treat time in the kitchen as both a moment to create a meal and a chance to recharge. Sometimes it even feels meditative. I like to romanticize the experience—to fully enjoy the moments while chopping and stirring.
12 ways to romanticize time in the kitchen: