Welcome to the August 2023 edition of RPL at Home, where I share what I’m up to when I’m not in the kitchen or in front of the camera.
Each month, I’ll share snippets of what I’m working on, habits I’m cultivating, things bringing me joy, books/TV shows/podcasts I’m enjoying, and more. Think of it as stream-of-consciousness blabbering meets a semi-curated list of recommendations meets life update.
What I’m watching, listening to, and reading
📺 Watching
If you recall from last month’s edition of RPL at Home, I recently realized that I am a spy TV show fangirl. So after finishing season 2 of British spy thriller Slow Horses, I figured shouldn’t I be watching what is arguably the best spy TV show ever made?? The Americans.
We actually started watching The Americans when it was still on the air, but for reasons my aging brain can no longer remember, we stopped watching it. Well, we picked it up recently, and my goodness, it is a fantastic show that just lures you in.
In case you’re not familiar, the six-season show centers on two deep-cover Soviet KGB agents living in the Washington DC area in the 1980s. Their cover is a boring married couple with two children living in the ‘burbs, and the show is just as much about marriage as it is about secretive spy stuff and Cold War international relations. The acting, the writing, and casting are all excellent. So whether you’re a fellow spy TV nerd or just enjoy an epic TV series, I highly recommend this one.
My one quibble with the show: why/how do Elizabeth (the lead female) and her teen daughter Paige have perfectly normal, lovely hair? Where is all the mega-teased, hyper-permed big ‘80s hair in this show???
We’re currently on season 4 (you can watch it on Hulu), though we have taken a brief pause to watch some more timely shows like The Bear. I know, I know, some of the footage is decidedly not vegan friendly. But, again, my goodness, it is a fantastic show and every episode is a masterpiece in directing, acting, and cinematography.
📚 Reading
I was recently reading one of those New York Times’ roundups of new books they recommend, and The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese was recommended. His first novel, Cutting for Stone, had been on my to-read list for ages, and since I like to do things in order even when it’s not necessary, I decided to start with his first novel.
Cutting for Stone is not a short novel, but wow, was it worth the read. I now understand why the book was on the NYT bestseller list for over two years(!). It’s a grand family saga that moves across three continents and five decades in a big, beautiful way.
It begins with two twins born joined at the head in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the 1950s. Their mother, a nun from India who works at the hospital, dies in childbirth. Their presumed father, a British surgeon at the hospital, flees, so the twins end up being raised by two Indian doctors from the hospital and go on to take similar but very different paths in life.
The author is a physician in real life (an acclaimed author and physician, talk about an underachiever), and much of the book deals in medicine: ailments that affect the local population, specific symptoms and the procedures needed to allay those symptoms, etc. Even though I have weak ass stomach that gets queasy at the sight of a paper cut, Verghese’s writing is so beautiful and almost magical that I was never tempted to skim over these parts.
I loved his writing so much that, after finishing Cutting for Stone, I marched straight over to my local bookshop and demanded a copy of his new book, The Covenant of Water. And by marched, of course, I mean sauntered, and by demanded, I mean quietly picked up off the shelf and paid for with my credit card.
🎧 Listening
I recently finished a podcast series that shook me to my core. It’s called The Retrievals, and it tells the story of dozens of women who had horrendous, excruciatingly painful experiences at the Yale Fertility Clinic during their IVF egg retrievals.
I don’t want to give away too much, but here’s what I’ll say: (1) the storytelling is incredible, whether you think you’re interested in this topic or not; (2) it exposes how the medical system systematically trivializes, ignores, and dismisses women’s pain.
It will make you angry as hell. And probably sad. Especially if you’ve personally dealt with infertility or have undergone IVF treatment.
🧘🏾What I’m working on in life
Working less! Ironic that I have to work on working less. LOL. But that’s what happens when a natural type A with high expectations needs to slow down.
If you already read last month’s RPL at Home, you know that I finally finished writing and photographing my second cookbook at the end of June. Woohoo!
With that enormous project off my shoulders, I have been forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone. My comfort zone, of course, is being a workaholic who loves her job and, up until recently, regularly worked 12 hour days.
Recently, I’ve been asking myself hard questions like: Do I need to work 12 hours a day? Is everything on my plate necessary for me to do? For anyone to do? What areas of my life have I been neglecting that I need to start prioritizing?
I am proud to say I have made some pretty major shifts in my life and my schedule.
For one, I now start my work day around 9 am.
This might seem very ordinary for most folks, but it wasn’t that long ago that I was starting my work day at 6:30 am, sometimes earlier. I’d wake up, do the basic hygiene things, make tea, then get to work. And work until 7:30 pm, when I’d eat dinner. And occasionally, work after dinner.
Now, I start my mornings with movement. First, I go on a walk with Max each morning. A minimum of 20 minutes, but often a full 45 minutes. We chat about both work and non-work stuff or listen to an interesting podcast and enjoy the lovely outdoors and beautiful weather we’re blessed with in San Diego.
Then I come home and exercise.
Again, this might sound ordinary to a lot of people, but up until a few months ago, I hadn’t consistently exercised in FOUR YEARS. During that time, I was dealing with various injuries, many of which were brought about by lack of exercise (along with my overly mobile joints). Knowing that (a) exercise is enormously beneficial in so many ways and (b) I used to love working out…I am baffled that I just cut out exercise from my life for so long.
But, for the past 1-2 months, I have been incorporating exercise into my life every day or nearly every day. Some days it’s just for 20 minutes, but the consistency feels like a major victory. And I’m feeling great. My joints and muscles feel stronger. And I feel happier.
The added benefit is that, unlike in my 20s when I was obsessed with my body looking a certain way, I now exercise for my mental health, confidence, strength, and longevity. If the slightest ab definition comes in from all those core exercises in my pilates classes, that’s just the cherry on top.
PS: I’ve been doing a lot of exercise classes online. The channels I regularly visit are Move with Nicole (for pilates) and MadFit (for strength workouts and dance). 11/10 for both channels.
And while I sometimes still work until 7:30 pm, I also sometimes end work earlier to read (for fun!) on our patio. I even bought cute patio chairs to make it more likely I’d actually do that.
📙New eBook all about mezze🫒
If you’ve been sweating up a storm this summer or you’re looking for new dinner inspiration, our latest eBook was made for you! It’s called How to Mezze.
Mezze refers to small sharing plates that are commonly found in the Middle East and Mediterranean, and mixing and matching a few mezzes is a fun way to eat dinner that can require very little to no actual cooking.
In the 40+ page eBook, you’ll find recipes and recipe variations and countless ideas for customizing your own mezze platters. It’s a pay-what-you want model so you can choose how much you pay for it!
We’re also donating 25% of the proceeds to The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) Foundation. Syria is the home country of one my favorite dips, muhammara, featured in this eBook, so it felt fitting. SAMS is a global medical relief organization that works on the front lines of crisis relief in Syria, in neighboring countries, and beyond to save lives and alleviate suffering.
You can learn more about the eBook here and access it.
New recipes you might have missed:
- Charred Green Beans with Herby Lemon Salsa. Green beans are very cheap right now and they’ve never been more exciting than this. Promise this dish will make you fall in love with them.
- Tempeh Bacon: If you’ve never enjoyed tempeh, this sticky, caramelized plant bacon that tastes shockingly similar to bacon will change your mind.
- Banana Bread Muffins. If it’s too hot to bake at the moment, bookmark these for the fall. They’re fluffy, tender, and probably my favorite muffin ever.
- Vegan Egg Salad. This one tastes shockingly like classic egg salad but is 100% vegan and super easy to make. The perfect make-ahead lunch!
Products I’m enjoying
This section includes affiliate links.
🦶💆🏽♀️Shiatsu foot massager. My best friend from law school recently had a baby, so I gifted her what I figured a new mom would want but never buy for herself: a fancy foot massager. She raved about it, so I decided to treat myself to the same. And wow, is it a treat!
I use it after long days on my feet (filming videos, recipe testing), and this thing really digs into the feet. I feel much lighter on my feet afterwards.
🍷A Yeti wine glass. I now understand why Yeti mugs have a cult following. I recently purchased the insulated wine glass and I’m hooked. I use it for wine occasionally (to keep white and rosé wines chilled for a long time in the summer), but I’ve actually been using it more regularly for hot tea.
I have been using an Ember temperature-colored mug for the last year and a half, and it’s been great, but I think I like the Yeti better. Is it weird to drink hot tea out of a wine glass? Perhaps. But it keeps the tea hot for just as long as the Ember mug, perhaps longer, and it’s easier to clean. As a tea aficionado who drinks a minimum of three cups and sometimes closer to seven cups of tea a day, this is a godsend.
🍅🍑Summer Produce! This last one isn’t a product so much as a gift from nature. I have been devouring peaches, blueberries, and red plums (and pluots). They’re unreasonably good right now, and my favorite one of all, the Santa Rosa plum, is exceptionally sweet.
Also, heirloom tomatoes. I’ve been making an heirloom tomato salad at least twice a week, and the simple combination of summer tomatoes with good olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar plus basil, flaky salt, and pepper is so unfairly good, I sometimes cry happy tears.
💁🏽 Help Request
We need help managing all of our ongoing and future projects (there are a lot!). If you are a Notion expert or know someone who is, please get in touch with us at help@rainbowplantlife.com.
We’re also planning to hire an operations manager / general manager in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for that job posting!
Okay, that’s it for this month! I’ve been loving writing these more personal posts, and I hope you’re enjoying them too.
Drop me a line below and let me know what you’d like to see in next month’s edition!
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Every time you post about job openings I so very much hope that it’s something I’m qualified for- which is nothing, unless for some reason rainbow plant life is hiring a nurse 🤣. I hope that one day you are hiring a professional recipe tester because I follow everyone of your recipes to the T. I read all of your blog posts including the recipes and I love that you give rationale and science behind what you do. I’ve become such a better home cook since watching your YouTube videos and creating your recipes. Using a kitchen scale is so life-changing! Grating garlic on a micro plane?! 🤯🤯 thank you for everything that you do and for making amazing recipes as well as very entertaining YouTube videos I consume every ounce of your Contant and you are the only recipe creator that I do that with. I’ve been vegan since 2009 and I have loved to cook since way before that and you truly the create the best recipes that I have experienced. I get so excited every time a new video or recipe comes out keep up the amazing work- thank you- and Max!!!
I packed a gym bag so I can go for a run after work this week. Unfortunately work has caused Me to stay late and I didn’t get a run in. I’m calling out sick on Monday for a mental health day. I’m hoping to bring back my exercising after the reset. Cutting back on work should be ok if I’ve been working nonstop. There are other things I love too.
“There are other things I love too.” That is so true! Being able to balance them is a constant struggle of modern life as an adult, but I’m finding it’s important to prioritize working on that. Otherwise, it’s too easy to let those other important things fall to the wayside.
Thank you for your time in sharing! It truly is refreshing to read what you share and I am so glad to hear you are working on working less :)
Hi Dusti, thank you so much for stopping by and having a read. I’m delighted you enjoy reading what I share!
I love these RPL at Home posts! I’ve been using MadFit as well recently. Love it! Also, I’m saving the banana bread muffin recipe to make later ;)
Thank you, Karis! I’m honored you’re enjoying these posts. Have you done the dance classes from MadFit? They are SO fun (as long as no one is watching, ha!). Hope you will love the muffins!
Am loving The Covenant of Water at the moment. It is so beautiful and even though I “have to” read it for Booclub, I am savouring the pages and don’t want it to end.
Totally can relate! His writing is so beautiful and I really find myself escaping to the worlds he describes. Joining a book club at the start of this year is what got me to fall back in love with reading. What a joy!
Hi Nisha,
This is my first time here. Great read and recommendations!!
The Americans is one of my husband and my favorite show of all time too. I will check out your e-book on mezze to support that organization. I was watching coverage of an orphanage in Syria today and it broke my heart to see those kids. It’s Serendipity that your newsletter came right after.
Your insight on keeping fit more for mental health than physical appearance as one gets older, I can relate too.
Keep up the good work but don’t work too hard either :)
Hi Pallavi, thanks for stopping by to read :) One of the nice benefits of aging has been a drastic reduction in the energy I spend on caring about my physical appearance and weight, and a much stronger interest in my mental health and overall longevity. I’m not sure I had the wisdom to know that in my 20s, but I am grateful for it now!
I appreciate you helping to support the Syrian American Medical Society. The constant years of war and the resulting hardships are beyond comprehensible, and I often struggle to understand why opportunity is so unequally distributed in this world. Just trying to do a very small part.
Since you enjoy Abraham Verghese’s fiction you might be interested in his two memoirs. Both memoirs are outstanding; he simply writes beautifully. The memoirs are My Own Country: a Doctor’s Story and The Tennis Partner. I think his memoirs are my favorites of his writing.
Hi Donna, thanks for the recommendation! As I was reading Cutting for Stone, I started reading about the author and his background and learned that he had also written memoirs (both sounded fascinating). They are going on the to-read list :)
It’s fun and inspiring to hear a bit of the behind the scenes for how you navigate your time and energy. Thank you for sharing these life snippets, and your continued work creating fabulous recipes.
-A fellow delicious-tomatoes-happy-tears-person :-)
Love that you’re on team happy-tears-summer-tomatoes! It’s so nice to hear that you enjoy reading some of the behind-the-scenes. Thank you for stopping by, Anna!
Enjoyed reading my first RPL at Home (August) and enjoyed it!
I’m new with you and my Instant Pot, but I am so happy I’ve found you!
I have you “The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook” and I’m hoping to give it decent workout!
Best wishes to you and yours,
Perry
Hi Perry, welcome to my little corner! Glad you enjoyed this post :) And thank you for purchasing my cookbook! I so appreciate that. I hope you’ll love cooking from it!
I just love your energy and your recipes . Thank you very much for all that you do ❤️
Aww thanks for being here, Karin! Appreciate you!
I really love your articles. They are uplifting and you are amazing. Thanks for sharing who you are and how you are doing. Glad you have slowed down. God bless you and Max.
Hi Maxine, that is so very nice to hear! I’m so touched you think these posts are uplifting. Thank you for the warm wishes for me and Max!
Thanks for a good read as I start my work day. Love the book, podcast and series recommendations. Also – I appreciate the questions you’re asking yourself and the shifts you are making. Perhaps it’s in the air, but I’m asking myself the same questions – albeit at 63 years of age. I, too, work for myself. Top of the question list, “Just exactly why am I working so very, very hard? What am I bringing into my life?” I love my work, but it’s not the ONLY thing I love.
Series suggestion (but only if you love subtitles, amazing acting, and compelling story-telling): “The French Village.” I’m totally addicted – even though I have to turn it off sometimes because it can be difficult to watch.
Hi Linda, it’s crazy how universal these questions can be, right? It’s so very rewarding to find work that you love, but it’s also vital that we nurture other areas of our life. Easier said than done, though! And I do love foreign TV shows/movies – thank you for the rec! In fact, one of my favorite ever TV series is French – Le Bureau (probably the show that made me realize I love spy thrillers!).
I smiled when I read RPL. In my area of the world, RPL stands for Regional Public Library, a place of information. I found it appropriate for your column. Lots of good book recommendations and information. Well done!
Oh I just love that :) Libraries are such special places. Thank you for stopping by and sharing that, Susanna!
Three cheers to any woman who reviews her life, reassesses her priorities, and ultimately works (slightly) less to prioritize her health and well-being!
Great tips – exercise blogs, good books, enhancing products, and current produce. I’d love to see the recipe for the beans in the picture… lima beans? Greek giant beans? Butter beans?
Thank you for the vote of confidence :) I’m glad you enjoyed reading through the post! The beans are royal corona beans from Rancho Gordo. Not sure if you’ve heard of them, but they sell specialty heirloom beans and they’re the best beans I’ve ever tried. The royal corona are similar to gigantes!
Wow… thank you Nisha! I hadn’t heard of them but placed an order for the Royal Corona as well as several other varieties I’ve never heard of before. Thank you for sharing this wonderful resource! BEST to you, Liz
I live for these rpl at home updates! They are fantaaaaastic! How was Norway? Will we read about that in September? Much health and energy to you, sweet Nisha!
Consider me flattered :) We unfortunately had to postpone our trip until next year because I have a hectic travel schedule the next few months with four back-and-forth trips to the east coast, and it was starting to stress me out (instead of excite me). Thank you for your sweet words, Ina!
Love this new monthly letter keep up the great work I love your cooking videos also the food looks so delicious it makes me want to eat better happy day Shirley
Thank you, Shirley! I appreciate you reading them and watching our videos! Have a lovely day!
I’m looking forward to your new book! I love following you on YouTube. I have all your books. Everything is delicious!
Hi Kimberlee, thank you for your support and for watching our videos :) I’m delighted you love my recipes and are excited for my new cookbook! Have a beautiful weekend!
My husband and I have been enjoying your recipes. He’s the main cook of the family, even though we can both cook, and he likes spicy. I want to eat more plant-based meals, and he wants spicy, so your recipes are great for us. And thanks for mentioning how important it is to find time to exercise. I’ve fallen off the exercise wagon with my job changing, and I need to get back on. I usually do Yoga with Adriene, but I just found Charlie Follows, and I think I’ll also give her a try.
Love Adrienne too!
I love that the bridge between your two eating preferences has led you to my recipes :) I totally can relate to falling off the exercise wagon when a big life change happens. I’m glad the post was a nice reminder for you! Not sure if you’ve tried pilates before, but the Move with Nicole channel is phenomenal and has helped strengthen my core and hips!
I enjoy reading these and thanks for the new tv show suggestions! This is like a fun way to document your life too!
Hi Bridgette, I really enjoy writing the posts, and feel like it’s a nice way to self-document what I’m working on and enjoying, so I’m delighted you are enjoying the posts!
I just want to say thank you so much for sharing both your amazing culinary skills and photography! My husband and I are new to the plant based life style for health reasons and your recipes are so pack with such wonderful spices!!!! I’m so encouraged to continue eating this way thanks to your recipes. For my husband’s birthday, I invested in your Instant Pot recipe cookbook. IT FABULOUS!!!! We look forward to your nww cook book!
Hi Beverly, thank you for your sweet message! Consider me honored that you and your husband are enjoying my recipes so much in your journey to eating plant-based. Thank you for purchasing my cookbook – the support is so very helpful!