My heart is so full. Thank you for being here. The support and encouragement you’ve shared since I started this newsletter last week has meant everything. If you're new here, welcome! Each week, I share a recipe, a healthy habit I’m working on, something I’m loving, and a journaling prompt to help us pause and reflect.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to pursue goals in a way that feels sustainable and true to me. For years, I said I wanted to write a cookbook… but never started. I felt like a failure. But writing weekly here feels way more sustainable, and having you all here gives me the gentle accountability I need.
I’ve been feeling a similar way about running. I got caught up training for a half marathon because my friends were doing it. But I wasn’t enjoying it. So I shifted. I dropped the race, signed up for my first Chicago Sprint Triathlon (yes, the week before my wedding! 😅), and started running for fun again.
It’s been such a good reminder: it’s okay to change the plan. You don’t need to do the most—you just need to do what feels right.
This week, I stopped by my friend Nicole's house, where she has several giant mango trees that are starting to pop off—plus two extremely sweet golden retrievers. We picked mangoes and played fetch with the fallen, unripe ones. Naturally, I went home and made mango sticky rice.
It’s one of the easiest crowd-pleasing (gluten-free and vegan!) desserts out there. You'll need: glutinous rice (also called sticky rice, available at most Asian grocery stores), coconut milk, a sweetener (like sugar, maple syrup, or honey), and perfectly ripe mangoes (Alphonso or Haden are my faves!)
let’s keep it simple:
Soak & cook the rice: Rinse 1½ cups glutinous rice until water runs clear, then soak it for 10–15 minutes. Cook it in a rice cooker or on the stove with 1½ cups water. Don’t be intimidated—just treat it like regular rice now that it’s soaked.
Make the coconut sauce: In a small pot, warm up 1 cup coconut milk with ¼ cup sweetener (I used sugar, but you can sub in maple or honey) and a pinch of salt. Stir until it’s dissolved, then take it off the heat.
Combine: Pour the warm coconut milk over the cooked rice, mix, cover, and let it sit for about 20 minutes so it can soak it all in.
Optional glossy drizzle: Simmer another ⅓ cup coconut milk with 2–3 Tbsp sweetener until slightly thickened. You can add a little cornstarch slurry (½ Tbsp cornstarch + water) to thicken faster if you’d like.
To serve: Spoon some rice onto a plate, top with fresh mango slices, drizzle with glossy coconut sauce, and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top if you want!
send a voice memo to a friend instead of texting
Why: It feels more connected than a quick text and makes conversations more meaningful—especially when you’re craving connection but a full-on phone call feels like too much. It reminds me of when my friend Greta and I used to speed-talk on a timed Snapchat, anyone else?? 👻
Doing butt stuff (the gym kind!)—strong glutes = fewer running injuries.
Where in your life are you forcing something that could use a softer approach?
Thank you for being here! It means so much. If something stood out to you, or you just want to chat, comment or hit reply to email me. I’d love to hear from you!
🫶🏽 Ratih
core Ratih memory forever - mochiko chicken + mango sticky rice 😋
*(Immediately tries to figure out how to leave a voice recording comment) … (disappointed)😕