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RPL at Home (December 2023)

Welcome to the December 2023 edition of RPL at Home!

This month, I’m sharing the very exciting new business we’re launching in January, what life has been like off of social media for 2+ months, and all my recent fun travel.

Pour yourself a vegan hot chocolate or mulled wine, get cozy, and come hang out for a few minutes :)

Welcome to the December 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 working on in the biz 

Honestly, this header should read “What I’m working on in my new biz.” 

In case you missed the announcement, we are launching a brand new and very exciting weekly vegan meal plan service in January! 

I spent a lot of time over the past year surveying the RPL community about their cooking challenges, and it became clear to me that one of the biggest problems had nothing to do with following a recipe. 

It’s all the other stuff that goes into putting delicious plant-based meals on the table on a consistent basis:

  • figuring out what to cook week after week
  • making organized grocery lists to avoid impulse purchases and food waste
  • organizing your busy schedule around cooking
  • building an arsenal of recipes that the whole family will enjoy
  • figuring out how to take the stress out of weeknight cooking without succumbing to the same boring dinners (or, ordering takeout).  

So I’m pleased to share that our brand new vegan meal plans tackle all of these problems! 

What you’ll find in each weekly meal plan:

  • A complete grocery list that’s categorized by grocery store section and contains tons of substitutes based on allergens and ingredient availability.
  • High-impact meal prep steps that take 60 to 90 minutes each Sunday so you can save time and stress during your weeknight cooking.
  • Three hearty dinner recipes + a weekly side salad, all of which include shared ingredients and components, reducing your overall cook time and grocery list (and sometimes, grocery bill!)
  • Restaurant-quality dinners that come together smoothly and easily during the week.

I can’t tell you how excited I am about launching these meal plans! I truly believe they will minimize the stresses of weeknight cooking and empower you to fall in love with plant-based cooking. 

We even had a few of our meal plans tested by 40 beta testers in the RPL community, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming (in a good way!).  

If you want to join our waitlist, stay up-to-date with our launch, and get access to exclusive discounts in January, sign up using this form:

Join the waitlist for early access!

    Enter your information above to join the waitlist for RPL meal plans and automatically join my newsletter! Unsubscribe at any time.

    📲 What I’m not working on in the biz 

    With the new meal plan business and all my recent travel (more on that below), there are certain things I have not been working on. Like social media. 

    I took a break from Instagram in September because every time I opened the app, I either felt anxious, envious of something or someone else, or wildly distracted. So after 7+ years of Instagram being a part of my daily life (a truly wild fact), I decided to take a break. 

    I thought my break would last 2 weeks. Yet, here we are in December, and it’s been 2 months since I’ve even opened the app, let alone posted content. 

    This break has been amazing for my well-being: (1) that feeling of never having enough time has mostly disappeared; (2) I feel less anxious; (3) I no longer experience sensory overload.

    I have more time 

    It seems easy enough to say, “If you previously spent 1 hour on Instagram per day and then stopped using the app, you would now have 1 extra hour every day to do something else.” 

    But that’s a dramatic undercount of how much time I’ve gotten back.

    That’s because every time we switch tasks (e.g., taking a break from writing a blog post to check Instagram, then returning to the blog post), it takes considerable time to really get back into the flow of things and to refocus. 

    Research has found that it takes about 25 minutes to return to your original task after being interrupted! For instance, if I checked Instagram twice during a blog-writing sesh, it would take me, on average, an extra 50 minutes to write that blog post! 

    Not having the temptation to open Instagram means I have gained literal hours back in my day, and I’ve been using that time to focus on the high-impact work I enjoy the most (and to do more fun things!).  

    I feel less anxious

    Lez be honest, social media can be a dumpster fire sometimes. And even when it’s fun and light, there are certain things that make me anxious and feel like I’m not doing enough. Like seeing how prolific other content creators are (i.e., posting new recipes daily!). 

    Not exposing myself to this inundation of content means I can stay laser-focused on what I actually have control over. That helps me enjoy the process and feel proud of the work I’m doing instead of feeling anxious, envious, or inadequate. 

    I no longer experience sensory overload

    Short-form videos—which started with TikTok and have taken over Instagram and increasingly YouTube—have made social media platforms places of sensory overload (at least for me). 

    The distraction of a fast-moving, endless loop of quick videos can overstimulate our nervous systems. This overstimulation makes it harder to accurately sense how we’re feeling, which can worsen our fears, anxieties, and stress. 

    Taking 2 months off from social media has not just solved that problem for me. It’s also given me a glimpse into what life used to be like before the digital overload era. 

    For instance, I now find myself craving silence from time to time. The last time I can remember truly sitting in silence and enjoying it was back in college and law school (10-15 years ago). Since then, I have often used social media (and to a lesser degree, podcasts and music) as a tool of distraction when I don’t want to feel my feelings, think about hard things, or do the work that needs doing. 

    That sobering realization has made me seek out silence more often these days. I’ve even found myself driving or cooking without listening to any podcasts or music (an unthinkable fact just months ago). 

    All that to say, my hiatus from social media has been really great for my mental health, productivity, and overall well-being.

    Though, of course, I recognize the irony of being a “content creator” who doesn’t post on social media LOL. 

    At least for now, though, I still feel like I’m creating the most high-value content that I can: long-form YouTube videos, detailed recipes on the blog (not as many as I’d like, but still), and meal plans (for the near future!). 

    That doesn’t mean I won’t ever return to Instagram. I probably will soon, but my relationship with it has definitely changed. 

    being off social media = more time for fun stuff too, like baking cornbread for my family.

    What I’m watching, listening to, and reading

    📺 Watching

    We’re still slowly working our way through The Americans, which is one of the greatest shows ever made and arguably the greatest TV show about spies (though the French spy thriller Le Bureau is also a fave; I would 10/10 recommend it). 

    And a few days ago, we started watching Season 5 of Fargo. I loved seasons 1 and 2 of this franchise and am extra excited to watch this season because two of my favorite actresses star in it: Juno Temple (who played Keely on Ted Lasso) and Richa Moorjani (fellow vegan and IRL friend of mine who played Kamala on Never Have I Ever). We finished episode 3 last night and it’s been brilliant so far.

    📚 Reading

    In a recent edition of RPL at Home, I mentioned I was reading The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. The novel centers around a family in Kerala, a tropical state in southern India that I visited back in college with my best friends Lucia and Sonia (more on them below!). 

    I was enraptured by how his writing evoked such specific images and feelings of life in India, and Kerala specifically, at precise historical time periods. So I decided I wanted to read more books that take place in India (it is the motherland, after all!).

    While I’m not ordinarily one to re-read books (too many books, too little time!), I decided to revisit two books I previously read ~15 years ago.

    First, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, which I finished a few days ago, and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, which I’ll start in a few days. 

    As soon as you start reading The God of Small Things, it becomes clear why this book was so popular when it was first published in the 1990s and has gone on to sell 6 million(!) copies. Roy has a very unique style of prose, but it’s her narration that sets this book apart. Like any great novel, each character comes alive in your imagination with the most ordinary and extraordinary of details. 

    She effortlessly weaves together personal tragedies and family resentments with larger historical forces, like the Indian caste system and the powerful force of Communism in Kerala to produce a profound and beautiful yet agonizing novel.  

    🎧 Listening

    I haven’t listened to as many podcasts as usual (see above!), but I loved loved loved this recent episode from Modern Love: Two Boys on Bikes, Falling in Love. The writer and narrator, Eric Darnell Pritchard, has the loveliest voice and his narration about his first love is so pure and so sweet that I want to listen to it all over again.

    New Recipes and Videos

    New Recipes you might have missed

    • Vegan Apple Crisp. Hot take: I like apple crisp better than apple pie. It’s so much easier to make and tastes just as good (if not better). This version features gooey, maple-spiced apples baked underneath a crispy, crunchy and slightly chewy streusel and strikes the best sweet-salty balance. A must-make for your holiday dinner
    • Sausage & Fennel Pasta with Crushed Tomato Sauce. In need of a quick but gourmet-tasting pasta dinner? Look no further than this rich and meaty 10-ingredient pasta inspired by the Italian classic dish, Bucatini all’Amatriciana.

    VIDEOS you might have missed

    • Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells. If you’ve ever been curious about my recipe development process and journey, this recent video walks you through how I approach my older recipes and how I improve them. I brought a gourmet upgrade to one of my favorite OG recipes on the blog: pumpkin ricotta stuffed shells! The original is great, but the upgraded version is mindblowing
    • Aloo Gobi. This has been one of the most-requested Indian recipes and I finally filmed a video on how to make it! Bonus: my hilarious and adorable parents do a blind taste test with my version and a restaurant version. 

    RPL Recipe Club

    We’re still going strong with the RPL Recipe Club! Each month, I choose a different recipe for the RPL community to make, and December’s recipe is my Vegan Chili! Anyone can make the recipe, then submit a photo to win amazing kitchen prizes. 

    This month, we’re giving away an apron and knife from Hedley & Bennett (you probably have peeped me wearing their aprons and using their knives in my YouTube videos!). 

    For all the details check out the December 2023 edition of the RPL recipe club.

    Fun Things 

    In the most recent edition of RPL at Home (in October), I mentioned that my sister and I were #blessed to have two best friends (and fellow sisters), Lucia and Sonia. 

    Our moms met in the 1980s as new immigrants from India while both of their husbands (our dads) were busy working as medical residents, often pulling 48- and 72-hour shifts. 

    Despite the fact that, in 1989, my family moved to California and theirs to Maryland, our moms continue to be besties and so do the four of us gals (we’re more like sisters than friends). 

    In November, my whole family took a 2-week trip to Baltimore to celebrate both Sonia and Lucia’s back-to-back weddings! My sister was the maid of honor in Sonia’s wedding the first week, and I was the maid of honor in Lucia’s wedding. 

    It was such a pleasure to be there for our closest friends on their special days and to spend time with both of our families together. 

    PS: Max and I stayed in DC in between the weddings. Similar to our DC trip in October (for another wedding!), we had incredible vegan food at Planta Queen. If you have a Planta Queen in your area, the Pressed and Torched sushi is probably my favorite-ever dish from a restaurant so don’t sleep on it. 

    Okay, that’s it for this last RPL at Home post of 2023! Thank you for reading these personal posts this year. I have so enjoyed writing them and sharing a glimpse of my life behind the screen.

    Drop me a line below and let me know what you’d like to see in the first edition of 2024!

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    78 comments on RPL at Home (December 2023)

    1. Patricia Carbonneau

      I always need to know if a dish is freezable…I know you often mention this, but it is the first thing I look for in a dish…thanks

    2. Jenny

      It was great to hear about you having a break from social media. I also felt like you, I was wasting too much time with FB, I don’t do any other platforms, it was just going to be a month off but nearly 3 years down the line, I still don’t use it and I don’t miss it. What made me come off it, was when I saw a old school friend I hadn’t see since leaving 20+ year before, I realised I knew everything that was going on with her life and because she was a little way off from me, I didn’t call out. I’m ashamed it had come to that, so decided, I wanted to talk to people not read about them.
      I still do YouTube, I wouldn’t have found you and your great recipes, if I didn’t lol.

    3. Katelyn B

      I just love how I get content from you in my email and not through social media. Don’t compare yourself to others, you are doing an amazing job being you and being amazing! I love your authenticity, kindness and thoughtfulness in what you do. And I know I’m not the only one! Also, you are creating new delicious recipes all the time! I love it. Thank you.

    4. Kim

      Nisha, thank you so much for sharing your superpower by being vulnerable with us. Thank you for being a normal person and not minimizing yourself to a character. You are a world of things, and content creator is just a part. You are a jewel and I appreciate you reminding us that, in case we may be starting something new out of our comfort zone, perhaps, we don’t have to meet others’ expectations; just being ourselves is enough. And those who want it will come back for more. And those who don’t will go elsewhere, and that’s to be expected. Perfectly simple. Be blessed, beautiful soul!

    5. Gail

      -I’m so very grateful that you are taking a break from social media: it’s soul-sucking, and you are wise to step away, at least for now.
      -I’m also grateful that you are continuing your journey into making wonderful food that relies on spices and nuance rather than meat or dairy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
      -I look forward to cooking the recipes in The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, and will order a spare seal ring: thanks for the tip!
      -Thank you for steering me to local, small grocers who specialize in Indian and Mid-Eastern spices. A whole new world of not only cooking, but community, has
      opened up to me. Thank you, thank you!

    6. Jackie

      Props to you for taking a break from social media. I live in VA so I’ll definitely have to try Planta Queen now. Can’t wait to hear more about your meal plan next month. For the January edition, could you update us on how your second cookbook is coming along? Do we have an estimate of when it will publish? I’m so excited for that! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, Nisha! Take care :) xo

    7. Leslie

      Based on your book readings, consider Shantaram, a 2003 novel by Gregory David Roberts. It will transpose you to India page after page.

    8. Liz

      I also recently finished re-reading Cutting for Stone in anticipation of The Covenant of Water, which I’ll begin soon!
      If you’re still looking for an India-based book when you’re done, may I recommend A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry? One of my all-time favorites. Might have to read that one again soon, too ;)

    9. Trish

      How cool that Richa Moorjani is a vegan, and that you’re friends with her! Her character on Never Have I Ever is so sweet and so real; I bet she’s like that IRL as well. I love Juno Temple too – will have to check out Fargo for sure!

    10. Cheryl

      Love your constant support and information 💕
      I have watched your YouTube videos since the beginning and love them.

    11. Loretta

      I would like to say thank you! You truly hit the mark! So many people I know will try vegan recipes short term because knowing how to shop for what we need becomes the challenge. The devil is always in the details. Well done!

    12. Caterina

      I am also reading “Covenant of Water.” I love it. But, have you also read his most famous book, “Cutting for Stone?” It’s the best book I have ever read and I recommend it to everyone I know and strangers, too!
      Another book you might like is a BBC book, “India” with Sanjeev Bhaskar. He is
      an actor and is recently appearing in the PBS series, “Unforgotten.” He plays a detective. The book “India” is obviously. about India and that is where Sanjeev grew up. I love anything about India and am just starting to read this book. Hope you like that one, too. I think your parents would like it, too.

    13. Anna

      Love these posts and love that you’ve prioritized yourself and your well-being in making the choice to (temporarily) distance yourself from social media. I only consistently started using social media in 2019 and shortly after that I found the ‘Offline 48’ movement, which encourages folks to spend the weekends away from their phones and especially away from social media. I’ve taken that a bit farther and take days, weeks, but oftentimes months-long hiatuses from the platforms. The breaks truly provide all those things you describe and more. Wishing you and your team all the best!

    14. Ina

      I loooove these posts so much, I wait for them every single month. Precious, and whatever I have decided to follow your recommendation on (show, book, podcast) has been super interesting and enjoyable. This is vegan food for the soul! Thank you, Nisha!

    15. Linda

      Hey Nisha! I’ve been stuck in a car for 3 hrs, on my way to a family trip, and this post was such a welcome distraction. So thanks for that! I really enjoyed reading about all your news, from the meal planning service to the books. I just bought the Covenant of Water and am excited to read a story set in Kerala, my motherland. The only problem was seeing previews of your yummy recipes because I’m starving and the snack bag is buried under the suitcases. Arrggh!!

    16. Vicki

      I am SO excited for your meal plan service! Every since you announced, I’ve been dying to see it go live! I’m afraid I’m going to miss it because Gmail Shays puts your emails in the wrong place no matter how many times I try to teach it where you go! Anyway! I’m excited! Made the semi-prep week from your video twice now and it was delicious and easy! I REALLY can’t wait!! Thank you so much for taking such a huge task on!

    17. Palmeira Vargas

      Hola ! Thanks a bunch for all the amazing information you share with us . I am a huge fan of your work. Even though I am not vegan, I do cook many of your yumminess . I do have your e book salads and I truly enjoyed it .

      Happy holidays and keep it up .

    18. Palmeira Vargas

      Hola ! A bunch of thanks for all the information you share with us .
      I am a huge fan of your work even though I’m not vegan but I cook many of your recipes bc they are so yummy and nutritious.

      Happy holidays and keep it up !

    19. Demi

      Thank you for the updates!! When will we know more about prices for the meal plan service? My broke ass needs to plan accordingly hahaha.

    20. Riley

      Thank you for sharing these updates! They’re so fun to read. I am indescribably excited for your meal plans. Thank you for creating and sharing the tastiest recipes! ^⁠_⁠^

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