Something Different

2.20
Making great wellness choices and stocking a power pantry can yield a lot of changes. The hope is that the changes we're making are not only sustainable, but welcomed and ultimately enjoyable and to our benefit. Last night we made a dinner choice which proved to be a great idea, and it is really the result of years of small changes.

Have you ever had a fresh springroll? Years ago, I was invited out to lunch by a good business friend who introduced me to thai foods, and fresh spring rolls. I remember there being peanut dipping sauce as well. Yesterday, after we had an abundance of fresh veggies left over from a family party, we decided to make stir fry, and something brought rice paper and spring rolls to mind.

I had been told that rice paper (the thin, filmy wrappers that spring and egg rolls are surrounded in) are readily available at the grocery store. The fact is, I had never thought to look for these until yesterday. So, combining our fresh veggie opportunity with some skillful shopping at Giant, we had a great idea for supper.

And what a supper it was! We ended up making two rounds of chopped and julienned stir fried veggies (with some shredded chicken in round one), and everyone built their own fresh spring rolls with the rice paper. Add some wasabi and hot Szechuan sauces, and good-old soy sauce, and we had quite an enjoyable supper. And the kids loved it... (whenever they rave, "let's make this again!" you know you have a winner.)

The end result is that we enjoyed very healthy food, shared some great family time together, and found something different that everyone agreed was worth repeating (soon). But without stretching our thinking and a willingness to try something new, this never would have happened.

Have you stepped out into the unknown lately, to try a new dish or tackle a new habit? Maybe today is your day, or this is your week... I know the rewards of a well-chosen change are very much worth the investment.

By the Way

If you're used to seeing egg rolls or spring rolls all browned and crusty on the outside, that's because they have been deep-fried after rolling them up. If you take the same simple fresh spring roll and deep fry it, you get the brown, crusty version (and it's a bit less healthy as well).