u/StainedGlassSuppers

A really weird week for prepping but I hope it's okay I post what my actual Sunday Meal Prep was. It’s a four day work week, it’s supposed to be in the high 80s here, and it’s also my birthday week, so I needed things that were cool, flexible, and lighter than usual.

I also wanted an excuse to cook from as many of my new cookbooks as possible, so here’s what I ended up with.

From top left going across:

Pineapple Tepache, recipe from PlantYou Scrappy Kitchen (pineapple peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, water)

Cold Brew Tea, Banana Cherry Split from Snarky Tea

Ninja Creami Pints, chocolate, vanilla, matcha, and peanut butter, all recipes from Veganomicon (Silken tofu, almond/oat milk, sugar, plant based cream, vanilla, and chocolate/peanut butter/matcha)

Black beans, made in instant pot (dried black beans, bay leaf, water)

Pineapple

Roasted brussel sprouts with red pepper jelly and Trader Joe's vegan Italian sausage

Hummus, recipe from PlantYou Scrappy Kitchen (Chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, salt, garlic)

Carrots, Celery, Broccoli

Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies, recipe from PlantYou Scrappy Kitchen (oats, oat pulp from homemade oat/almond milk, chickpeas, peanut butter, agave, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, agave, salt)

Not pictured are the blueberry bagels I pulled out of the freezer, the homemade oat/almond milk, and the rest of the fruit for the week (cherries, red kiwis, oranges, and strawberries).

The stack on the left (Party Vegan, Vegan's Daily Companion, The Unofficial Harry Potter Vegan Cookbook, The Indian Vegan Kitchen, Vegan Soul Kitchen, Quick-Fix Vegan, Cafe Flora Cookbook, Thug Kitchen Party Grub, Vegan Party Planning, and Still Life with Menu) were from the library booksale that my husband takes me to for my birthday every year. We went opening weekend this time, so there were more options than I've ever seen.

I was good and limited myself to one box (for everything, not just cookbooks, though they took up almost all the room) and only got things that were already on my list, books that finished a collection, or books by trusted authors. The only exception I made was Cafe Flora since it was signed. We paid $4.50 each for these.

The second stack is my birthday gifts to myself. We went on a trip to the city while visiting my mother-in-law for Mother's Day, and we always have to stop at 2nd & Charles. I behaved again and only picked five books from my list (Plant Based on a Budget, Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, Thug Kitchen 101, PlantYou, and PlantYou Scrappy Kitchen).

The last book (Oh She Glows Salads) was what I bought with the B&N gift card my mother-in-law gave me. This is only the fourth brand new cookbook I've ever owned. Why are they so expensive? It hurt my soul a little to pay full price, but I'm happy to support the author and was specifically told to buy "the expensive cookbook you've wanted," like there was only one lol.

First impressions: I am SO happy I got PlantYou and PlantYou Scrappy Kitchen. They were immediately flagged, and I've already made 5 recipes from Scrappy Kitchen in the three days I've had it. All keepers so far.

The Indian Vegan Kitchen has a whole month of menus to cook through, which I am very excited about because I love when cookbooks plan meals for me. Anything by Robin Robertson is usually a huge win for me too.

Vegan's Daily Companion isn't really a cookbook, but I love Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and have really enjoyed the daily readings and weekly recipes.

The Unofficial Harry Potter Vegan Cookbook is absolutely magical and makes me want to do a themed movie marathon with all the treats, though some of these recipes are definitely a project. Whether they're fantasy-only recipes or not remains to be seen.

Surprisingly, I am having trouble getting excited about Vegan Soul Kitchen. Any favorite recipes from that one (or any of the others)?