Why is Changing Your Eating and Drinking Habits So Challenging?

Over the years you become so accustomed to certain food and drink, that a suggested change in your diet isn't a change ... it's a challenge!

Hope you’re in the mood for some delightful foodie humor. Here goes.

When you have developed certain eating and drinking habits over the years, you think that either you will absolutely never change your ways OR you reluctantly make the change while whining about how hard it is to change. But once you make that change … which is usually for the better … your body (and mind) adapt so easily that you wonder why you thought it would be difficult. 

Has that happened to you? It has happened in my life so many times.

I talked about my first food experience with veggie burgers in another post.

Several years before that experience, I told a friend that I would never eat meatless spaghetti. I used my kids as an excuse and said they would never agree with that change in the menu. Truth is I had never even tried to get them to eat it. I just assumed they wouldn't. Several years later, my daughters took over some of my meal preparation duties and decided that they were perfectly OK with meatless spaghetti. Served it with garlic bread and a huge salad and they were happy! Well! There went my excuse. LOL. The meal is great! To my surprise, I don't mind meatless spaghetti at all! And of course, my objection to a plate of meatless spaghetti was totally ridiculous. After all, I'll eat a large plate of vegetable lo mein without batting an eye. And what is lo mein? DUH!

Image Credit:  Amazon.com

My latest dietary change pertains to drinking less coffee and consuming more tea. I think back again to that same friend, who was my office mate. She drank tea religiously while I consumed gallons of coffee. Once again, my daughters decided that they would become tea drinkers instead of coffee lovers. Hey, wait a minute! Is this a conspiracy? LOL.

I am not a total convert. I still have to have my daily dose of java. But I am enjoying experimenting with the various flavors of teas that my kids purchase from the local grocery store and also making my own teas with herbs and spices in the kitchen cabinet. Teas have numerous medicinal purposes and lots of health benefits. On top of that, tea tastes good and some teapots are really pretty!

Have you been challenged to make any dietary changes?

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If You Like This You Might Also Like:

Food and Drink History: The Evolution of Tea

How to Pimp Up A Glass of Water:

https://www.tumblr.com/myfoodieluv/792978292281114624/via-12-infused-water-recipes-to-help-meet-your

https://www.tumblr.com/myfoodieluv/792978292281114624/via-12-infused-water-recipes-to-help-meet-your

Source: My Foodie Luv newsletter

Finally Bought My Christmas Gift: A Rice Cooker

This is my story. My alternate title for this post is: “Why I Finally Bought My Dream Rice Cooker (And What I’m Cooking First)” For almost five (5) years, a rice cooker has been on my Christmas wish list. Not sure why, but nobody wanted to gift me one. Every year, I received some other gift that I had asked for, or gift cards, which I always used to buy groceries. But never a rice cooker. One of my kids bought a rice cooker for his apartment, but broke it. (Long story. Broke the waffle maker too!) Another one of my kids bought a rice cooker, but it's too small. I'm trying to feed a group of 6 to 8 people. So I needed a bigger pot. 

FINALLY!! I decided to buy a rice cooker for myself. It's my birthday/anniversary/mother's day/holiday… whatever reason I could think of gift. LOL.😄

I am very pleased with MYAroma Housewares 32-Cup (Cooked) (16-Cup UNCOOKED) Pot Style Rice Cooker (ARC-7216NG) , White. It's bigger than I thought it would be, and I don't just want to cook rice. As soon as I watched a cooking video and the person cooked a pot of chicken stew … I'm on a hunt for rice cooker recipes. DID YOU KNOW you can cook hard-boiled eggs in a rice cooker? Just add water and let the steam do the work. Some say you can make cheesecake in a rice cooker. But I haven't tried that yet.

If you visit my blog, then you know I love sharing links to recipes found on the web. Keep scrolling, and you'll find the rice cooker links at the end of this post. IF you're just cooking rice, here are a few ideas on how to turn your rice cooker into a flavor powerhouse. You can infuse flavor into your rice while it cooks.

♦ Savory Infusions

• Broth instead of water: Use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth for a richer base.

• Bouillon cubes or granules: Dissolve in the cooking liquid for a punch of umami.

• Garlic butter: Sauté garlic in butter, then add rice and broth—this combo is heavenly.

• Herbs & spices: Toss in bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, or cumin seeds while cooking.

♦ Tropical & Sweet Twists

• Coconut milk: Swap part of the water for coconut milk for creamy, island-style rice.

• Fruit juices: Pineapple or orange juice adds a sweet tang—great with Caribbean dishes.

• Cinnamon & cloves: Perfect for sweet rice or as a base for Moroccan-style meals.  (Also add in raisins or dried dates.)

♦ Fresh & Zesty Additions

• Citrus zest: Lemon or lime zest brightens up the flavor.

• Fresh herbs: Add cilantro, parsley, or basil right before serving for a pop of green.

• Infused oils: Drizzle with chili oil, sesame oil, or garlic oil after cooking.

♦ Global Inspirations

• Tomato paste or salsa: Stir into the water for Spanish-style rice.

• Soy sauce or miso: Adds depth and saltiness—great for Asian-inspired dishes.

• Pesto or tapenade: Mix in after cooking for Mediterranean flair.

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REFERENCES:

14Ways To Add More Flavor To White Rice | Tasting Table

Garlic Butter Rice | Spend With Pennies

Tasty Ways to Infuse Rice and Inspired Infusion Ideas | Minute® Rice

Elevate Your Dish: How to Add Flavor to Cooked Rice | Easy CleanCook

@aargh42g5. “Rice Cooker Japanese Chicken Stew Recipe.” YouTube, Video, 25 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuFEwgGCW3w.

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RECIPE SHARING:

The Joy of Homemaking. “Cooking Veggies for the First Time in My Rice Cooker! #homemaker #momlife #familyof5 #cooking.” YouTube, Video, 10 July 2022, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s1F8Sc-K-Zg.

@Karebearstare. “Simple Rice Cooker Recipes That Are Awesome.” YouTube, Video, 15 Feb. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YieIRSCHndM.

ONE-POT Rice Recipes for rice lovers | Marion's Kitchen
Dishes like Hainanese chicken rice, lamb biryani, and honey soy chicken—YUM!

10 Easy Rice Cooker Recipes | Food Network
Mac & cheese, salmon bowls, and even pancakes—all rice cooker-friendly.

24 Best Rice Cooker Recipes (Quick and Delicious One-Pot Meals)
A treasure trove of recipes for fried rice, teriyaki shrimp, chili, and desserts like rice pudding and chocolate cake.

37 Rice Cooker Recipes - The Picky Eater
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options galore—this blog shows how to make everything from burrito bowls to Korean sweet rice.

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Aroma Rice Cooker Cookbook: 

Delicious Recipes for Every Occasion: 

Mastering the Art of One-Pot Cooking

Foodie Friday : Pesto Around the World

I'm going to take aim at pesto for my Foodie Friday topic.  Another wonderful delight for enlivening salads, adorning sandwiches, dressing pasta … you name it! Always sing the praises of salsa. This time, doing a song and dance routine for pesto.

Hear the word pesto and one usually always thinks Italian. Right? But different cultures have their own version of pesto. Africa. Mexico. Australia. This link is an awesome foodie find! Not only does it tell you the main ingredients in everybody's version but it introduced me to a new word. “Permaculture”.

Preserving With Pesto – It’s Not Rocket Science | PermacultureNews.org

Wheatgrass Pesto Recipe | inSpiral

Wheatgrass Pesto Recipe | inSpiral

Here is a quick recipe for Raw Wheatgrass Pesto, using our premium, organic, raw super food powder. This will m ake your taste buds go wild! Adds a good dose of vitality to any diet. Made in a blender there is virtually any preparation to do! Just the way we like it!

Mexican Pesto Recipe by emilie_ 1 - Key Ingredient

Thai Basil Pesto

Thai Basil Pesto

This one's for my Thai lovers. But before I even start talking Thai basil pesto, I feel moved to have a little rant about how much I love Thai food. It's like an instant exotic vacation right in my kitchen.

Raw Macadamia Pesto | Vegan Semi-Dried Tomato Pesto | The Blender Girl

Raw Macadamia Pesto | Vegan Semi-Dried Tomato Pesto | The Blender Girl

This raw vegan semi-dried tomato and macadamia pesto is super easy and seriously delicious. Just throw everything into your food processor.

African Blue Basil and Lavender Pesto

African Blue Basil and Lavender Pesto

Combine all ingredients, except cheese, in bowl of food processor. Process, adding additional oil or water, until desired consistency is reached. Stir in cheese. Use immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. (Tip: pesto can also be frozen in ice cube trays.)

Chimichurri Pesto Sauce - Culinary Envy

Chimichurri Pesto Sauce - Culinary Envy

Chimichurri Pesto Sauce combines Italian parsley, cilantro and basil with jalapeño and parmesan cheese. It is vibrant, nutty and tangy. Perfect for pasta. I will never forget the first time I tried Chimichurri Sauce. It was at my incredibly talented friend Bibi's home. She had me over for dinner and prepared the most mouth-watering steak.

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Content first appeared at Persona Paper on July 27, 2015.

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Miso is Good for Your Health

Miso is the fermented soybean paste that is used in Japanese cuisine. It offers many nutritional health benefits. Actually, nutritionists say that most fermented foods are very good for you. But miso is “recognized as one of the top superfoods for gut health”

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FUN FOOD FACTS:

“According to the Japan Miso Promotion Board, there are over 1,300 kinds of miso!”

“...the Japanese drink a bowl of miso soup three times a day ...”


WEIRD FOOD FACT:

Even though miso has a high salt content, it's not bad for your heart like other high-sodium foods.


The Health Benefits of Miso ~ Just One Cookbook

~ You can buy miso ready-made or make your own. 

* * * Homemade Miso 

 

FOOD FACT: Did You Know: Japanese cuisine is one of only three national food traditions recognized by the UN for its cultural significance. 

10 Things You Should Know About Japanese Food

The Cultural Mystery and Charm of Chinese Fortune Cookies

The Chinese Fortune Cookie.
~ How did it come to US?
~ By way of legend, history, tradition?
~ Is it Chinese or American?

What If It All Works Out ?Fortune Cookie

Whether the tradition is Chinese or American, the fact is we can all write our own fortunes, AND we can make our own fortune cookies and enhance this wonderful tradition by adding our own personal touch.

The next time you have a party, consider giving out homemade fortune cookies as party favors. Your guests will love them! This Sunbeam kitchen accessory is easy to use and easy to clean. It comes with a fortune cookie recipe, makes two cookies at a time, and translates into family fun because adults and children can participate in the fortune cookie adventure!

Need a sample fortune to place inside your cookie? Use this one my daughter wrote for me. I’m sure it’s a prediction that can be applied to almost everybody!

• You are not afraid of what the future has in store for you. Go forth!

If you have time, check out these FUN GIFT IDEAS.

Foodie Nuggets: Why I Like Black Food

Black jobs might be a figment of former President Trump’s imagination but black food is real! It is both delicious and nutritious.

AI_Generated Art Using DreamUp Free Art Tool

I never liked black food. Unless it’s ice cream. Just kidding.

When I used to think of black food I thought people were saying that the food was burnt. But that’s not so. I discovered that there is black ice cream, there are black vegetables, and people intentionally add certain ingredients, like charcoal or squid ink, to make the food black.

Doing research I discovered that in London, they have a Black Food Festival. But don’t be confused. The food isn’t the color “black”. It’s called Black Eats Fest and it celebrates food from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. It’s a celebration of culinary diversity.

This content is about food that is the color “black”. It’s a brief introduction by way of sharing fun facts, which are the reasons why I like black food.

(1) Black foods are not just a novelty; they have great nutritional value. So when people tell you “eat the rainbow”, be sure to add black veggies to your diet. Learn more: Exotic Vegetables: Do You Include Black Veggies When You Eat the Rainbow?

(2) At one time, in ancient China, there was black rice (some say dark purple), which was also known as “forbidden rice”. It wasn’t forbidden to everyone. The emperors could have some and of course, the wealthy. But these days, it’s available to the masses and even shows up in U.S. restaurants. Black rice is the “perfect choice for vegetarians and vegans looking for additional protein”. Learn more: What Is Forbidden Rice? | Eating Well

(3) Black sesame seeds are not the lighter sesame seeds that are colored black. The black color comes from anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid with antioxidant properties. Plus, they are a great source of calcium and magnesium. Learn more: What is Black Sesame, Actually? | Sporked

22 Black Foods That Taste Amazing And Are Super Good For You

Black foods are anything but bland; they are full of nutrients and antioxidants! So if you're a fan of this classic…

www.sidechef.com