Sattva: Issue 26

Schedule joy | Use up the scraps in jars | Decor ideas with cake stands

Hello! If you are new to my newsletter, a warm welcome to my space.

Sattva (सत्त्व) is a beautiful Sanskrit word that has many meanings—spirit, true essence, good sense, wisdom, quality of purity, energy, consciousness and mind, among other things.

Through this fortnightly newsletter, I want to bring to you all things good, which will make your life better. My focus will be on topics such as mindfulness, productivity, slow living and sustainability, accompanied by genuinely useful recommendations of products, books, music, links to read, and of course food and recipes. Through these, I hope to instil some Sattva in your life.

---

Schedule joy

Our calendars are used to schedule or note deadlines, work meetings and other important life events like parent-teacher meetings or birthdays. The must-do stuff. No one associates calendars with fun unless you are a page 3 person and socialising and having fun is part of your ‘work’ calendar.

I recently came across this profound tweet that says it all.

We need slivers of joy to soften the pressures of work and life. And what better way to ensure we find them than by scheduling them in our calendar. You don’t need to finish the work on hand or wait until the end of the day to enjoy something little that will boost your mood and make you happy.

Add 5-10 minute slots in your calendar a few times a day for things that you love and the things that bring you joy. Practising happiness consciously, just like any other skill that needs regular practice, is the best way to build the habit of being happy.

Some ideas on how to schedule joy in your everyday calendar. This is what I plan to do. You may have your own list.

1. Making and sipping tea

2. Savouring a piece of dark chocolate

3. Reading a few pages of my favourite book

4. Having a video call with a loved one

5. Play my favourite song and walk or dance around, depending on the mood and where I am

6. Playing with my pet

7. Watch a video from my favourite Youtube channel

8. Plan my next holiday using these little slots of time

9. Browse Pinterest for a new recipe to try

If you have any favourite bite-sized things that bring you joy, do share them in the comments. Let’s do this and let me know how it goes for you.

---

Use up the last scraps in the jar in your fridge

Call it being sustainable or being frugal or plain kanjoosi, it’s time to deal with the many jars occupying precious real estate at the back of your fridge or on your pantry shelves. 

The benefits are threefold.

You get to make interesting things with these bits of leftovers.

You get a bunch of empty bottles for use.

You free up space in the fridge.

Let’s get cracking!

All these ideas are for the last bits or 1-2 spoons of leftover condiments.

Pickle - Pour a bit of hot water into the jar, cover with the lid, shake well and add to cooked dal for an achaari flavoured dal.

Jam or marmalade - Add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and chilli flakes and shake well to get a creamy fruity salad dressing

OR

Add 3-4 tablespoons of oats, milk of choice or yoghurt, cinnamon sprinkle, give it a stir and refrigerate overnight for a delicious breakfast of overnight oats. 

Chilli crisp - add some sesame oil, vinegar, palm jaggery and sesame seeds to get a delicious dipping sauce or dressing

Mustard - add some mayo and honey to get a delicious dipping sauce for fries

Peanut butter - Got this delicious idea from Refinery29. Add some cooked noodles, a couple of spoons of hot water, a bit of hot sauce, vinegar, and sliced spring onion greens to the jar. Give it a good shake and your noodle salad is ready. Garnish with sesame seeds and toasted peanuts.

Nutella - Add a bit of warm milk and give it a good shake. Add ice, a sprinkle of cinnamon powder and more milk to fill the jar three-quarters of the way and shake well to get Nutella flavoured milk.

If you have a glass Nutella jar, add milk, cocoa powder and a touch of sugar, and stir well. Microwave this for 45 seconds or stir well to get delicious Nutella hot cocoa. 

Hot sauce or Sriracha - add tomato juice, some wasabi paste and ice, and give it a good shake. Add a stick of celery and have yourself a nice virgin bloody Mary.

Honey - add a bit of warm water, a bit of ginger grated and squeezed to get 1 tsp of ginger juice, juice of half a lemon and 1/2 cup of water. Shake well to make your ginger honey lemon juice.

---

New on my YouTube Channel

This high protein mixed bean salad is perfect for lunchboxes or as a part of a brunch.

A healthier version of sabudana khichdi - Given all the hype over sabudana khichdi in the last few months, here is my way to make it way more nourishing than using the highly processed tapioca pearls or sabudana. It tastes as delicious and you can eat this more frequently, knowing that it is good for you.

---

9 decor ideas using a cake stand. None of them involves cake.

If you have a pretty cake stand or two sitting in the cupboards because let’s face it, we aren’t baking cakes every day, it’s time to bring it out. There are many creative ways to put a cake stand to use that do not involve any cake. Here are my favourites.

1. Display your favourite books on a coffee table or sideboard. If you are an author, then display your own books. After all, shameless self-promotion starts at home.

   

2. As a plant stand - If you have a few water plants in small bottles, keeping them together on a cake stand makes a more impactful display than keeping these bottles as a stand-alone. This also works with tiny pots of succulents.

   

   3. To organize perfume bottles on your dresser

4. On the dining table for your condiments - Place a lazy Susan on top of the cake stand and place your everyday condiments such as salt, pepper, pickles and herbs on this arrangement for easy access while eating.

5. In a corner of your kitchen counter to hold bottles of oils, vinegar etc.

6. As a table centrepiece with tealights in pretty glasses that gives it height

7. To hold a glass or wooden bowl full of seasonal fruit

8. A multi-tier cake stand can be placed on a console table to keep keys, wallets, cards etc.

9. Multitier cake stands also work great in bathrooms or on a dressing table to hold nail paints and small items of make-up.

If you want to check out some cake stands that you can use in home decor, I’ve curated some in my Amazon store.

---

I would love your feedback on my newsletter. If you like what you read, please share it with your family and friends. I am grateful for your help in reaching my newsletter to a wider audience.

Check out my books here.

Blog | Amazon store | Twitter | Instagram

This newsletter may contain affiliate links for some products. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you purchase something by clicking on my link, at no extra cost to you. It helps support the newsletter. 

None of the product mentions are sponsored unless explicitly mentioned.