RPL at Home (April 2023)

Welcome to the April 2023 edition of RPL At Home, where I share what I’ve been 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 developing, things that make me happy, books/TV shows/podcasts I’m enjoying, and more. Think stream-of-consciousness blabbering meets life updates by filling out a semi-curated list of recommendations.

This month’s edition
1. What I see, hear and read
2. What am I doing (in life)
3. What am I working on (bj)
4. Recipes you may miss
5. Products I enjoy
6. Time to celebrate!

What I see, hear and read

📺 watching

I just finished season 2 Sex life of college girls, the HBO series created by personal icon Mindy Kaling. I think I might be a little Older than the target demographic, but it was a fun show when Max was out of town. The witty repartee between the characters reminds me of the chemistry between the main characters Gilmore Girls, friendsAnd happy endingBut very inclusive for college girls in 2023.

Also, I just watched the first episode The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. A charming yet poignant exploration of going outside your comfort zone (to some of the best places on earth).

📚 Reading

A few weeks ago, I finished Homegoing, a historical fiction novel by Ghanaian-American novelist Ya Gyasi. And by finished, I mean me Raced through it And read it every chance you get because it was so good.

Gyasi weaves a powerful narrative about a family torn apart by slavery in the mid-18th century. Each chapter alternates between these two families over seven generations: one chapter from the perspective of a family member in Africa’s Gold Coast (present-day Ghana), the next from the perspective of a family member living in the United States.

Despite having no single central character, the storytelling is compelling, and the narratives, when read in sequence, paint a very clear picture of the reality of slavery and its lasting legacy on our nation.

I’m sure this is a book that many politicians would want to ban, which makes it all the more important to read.

🎧 Listening

This episode of Hidden Brains explores how experiencing wonder can boost happiness. I was listening to this in early March when I noticed an unexpected bright orange flower blooming on the side of the concrete 6-lane freeway I was driving on. It took my breath away and I found happy tears in my eyes.

At that point, I had the urge to pull over and assume the role Indifferent girl in particularBut luckily my instincts for safe driving kicked in. And I was satisfied with what I had just experienced surprise In this very ordinary part of my day.

what am i doing (in life)

As I indicated before, walk! I’ve always enjoyed walking, so to be honest, this is more Build a current habit type of sich instead of a Develop a whole new habit.

When I first moved to San Diego, I tried to live my NYC lifestyle by walking everywhere. The 30 minute walk to the farmer’s market was lovely. Walking down a main road at night with literally zero other pedestrians…not so much. So I quickly got into the car culture, and for the first year of living here, I didn’t average 3,000-ish steps a year.

Finally, I realized what is clear to me now. If I want to maintain an active lifestyle, I need to actively wear sneakers, leave my house, and walk with no purpose other than to walk.

Why specifically walk? For one, these wobbly joints are not built to run. Trust me, I tried. I even developed after going very hard with a year long injury Apprentice Peloton class. And two, me the love Being outside for a walk, even if it’s not in big open fields or huge mountains, is restorative for my soul.

For the past year and a half, I’ve taken at least one walk almost every day, sometimes two. And it’s definitely better than staying indoors all day.

But what I’m working on now is stretching it out: at least two walks a day, if not three, and stretching. type I take a walk.

Walking more frequently because I noticed that the only way I could hit my 10,000-step-a-day goal during the workday was 3 walks a day (or two long walks). And, yes, 10,000 steps is kind of arbitrary because you can still get a lot of health benefits from 7,000 steps a day. But it’s better to set a goal that you find challenging.

And, as mentioned, I’m trying to find little ways to experience more wonder in my everyday life. And going for a walk, especially right after sunrise or before sunset, really sparks it for me. Sometimes I actually do Stop and smell the roses. yes i am that I pause to admire the way the person or the late afternoon sun makes simple shrubs look ethereal and flowers glow with absolute brilliance.

It’s only been a week or so of hitting 10,000 steps a day, but I can already feel the benefits. I feel more energized, in a better mood, and more efficient. Downside (for Max): I need more frequent foot massages.

what am i doing (bj)

👷🏽‍♀️ Building the RPL Team

I’ve had my hands on a lot of different pots this month.

Working on the first big-picture round of editing for my next cookbook (more updates next month!), filming long-form YouTube videos and short-form videos, creating new fun springtime recipes, working on a product we hope to launch this Turn on Fall (more that soon-ish!), and more that I can’t remember.

I love all of it. But its a lot. Last week, Max and I spent a day writing down all the major areas of our business and related daily/weekly/monthly tasks, and to be honest, the list was so ridiculously long that we both started laughing (crying) uncontrollably.

We realized that if we wanted to go ahead with all these initiatives and still have a social life, We need to hire some talented people to join the RPL team.

If you’d like to be notified when we post those job openings, be sure to sign up for our newsletter (sign up if you love vegetarian recipes!).

👩🏽‍🍳 Introducing RPL Recipe Club

We just launched our first monthly RPL Recipe Club!

Each month, I’m choosing a different recipe for the RPL community. Anyone can make the recipe, then submit a photo to win amazing kitchen prizes. This month we’re giving away great cookware from Great Jones!

See the April 2023 edition of the RPL Recipe Club for all the details.

🎥 What’s new on YouTube

We just shared a new YouTube video on how to master vegan pancakes Not only are these pancakes life-changing, but you’ll also hear my mom’s hilarious story in this video.

I am enjoying the product

🥫 Italian chili paste. You all know I love my masala (spicy food), and I did in one Calabrian Chili Paste Like all the best spices, Lathi offers multiple layers of flavor: spicy from chilies, tangy from vinegar, and rich mouthfeel from olive oil.

I found this brand at a local Italian market, but Cento also makes a variety. I spread it on (vegan) buttered toast, mash it with vegan ricotta or feta and spread it on toast, add it to pasta…basically all the carby stuff.

🧴 Choose new skin care. For the past year or two, I’ve been using some products from OSEA, which makes seaweed-infused vegan skincare and bodycare products. I started using last month i want to say Hyaluronic C Serum on my face before moisturizing in the morning and in the afternoon, and I already love it. Dewy, hydrated, plump, soft, non-greasy. All objects!

Time to celebrate! 🎉

We recently hit one million subscribers on YouTube last month! banana Thank you very much for your support and spending time with our channel.

Well, that’s it for this month! I love writing these more personal posts, and I hope you enjoy them too

Drop me a line below and let me know what you’d like to see in next month’s edition!