I read a study once, over a decade ago now, about when people’s tastes “froze”. It was horrifying to me to learn that for most people, in their early twenties, say, by the age of 23, they stopped trying new foods, stopped listening to different types of music, that their tastes in clothes and a lot of other opinions had frozen.

I made the decision right there and then to start what I’ve always referred to as the “Anti-Stodgy Campaign.” At least once a month I was going to try something new.

I’ve been doing this now, as I said, for over a decade. Some of the new things I tried early on have stuck with me. For example, some nights when I brush my teeth I use a tooth powder, instead of a tooth paste. Little things like that.

This morning I looked back and realized that the last two weeks were kinda full of new, exciting things, and that it was okay for me to stick with some old things for a week or so, not try anything new for a little while.

The new things I’ve tried in the last two weeks include (but are not limited to):

–Making homemade yogurt/kefir out of fermented coconut milk. (OMG yum)

–Buying and cooking a beef heart. This wasn’t as successful, however, I’m willing to try it again.

–Trying kelp noodles. Basically, “noodles” made of seaweed. No taste, no carbs, and good for me! It was lovely to have noodles again. (They’re like cellophane noodles.)

–Making my own stevia extraction, partially from plants I’ve grown. I made two batches, one with water as the base, one with alcohol. I discovered that if I make a stevia extraction from water, it tastes like sugar water. Period. No aftertaste. The batch from alcohol has a slight aftertaste, like what I always taste (and don’t like) from the commercial stevia extracts. The next batch will be just from water. It will be several months before I make it though, as I go through it so slowly. (I rarely add sweetener to anything.)

–I can’t count the numerous recipes I’ve tried, as I am always making new stuff, trying new spices, new combinations, etc. A recipe is at best a set of guidelines…

–Driving new streets that I’ve never been on before, having an “adventure” with my sweetie.

–Trying a new restaurant.

–Trying a new magnesium supplement, only during the time of my period. Plus new methods for dealing with migraines.

I think that’s it? There might be more that I’m not remembering.

And yes, that’s all been in the last two weeks. No wonder I kind of feel like I need a breather! (Though I still plan on making my own vanilla from a water base, and possibly starting that this week. I’ve made it frequently from an alcohol base before, so this isn’t really that new…)

What new things have you tried recently? Or what are you planning on trying? How do you fight “stodgy-ness”?

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