12 Rice Dishes You Will Flip Your Lid For

Rice. Simple in nature, popular internationally, completely understated rice. 

Rice is so amazing. It is a versatile grain that goes with any protein and vegetables to be made into a perfect meal. Although, I definitely do not, nor recommend to have it daily (I do believe in a versatile diet), I honestly could!

My kids love rice, I think most do. So, it is an easy go to for dinner once in a while. It allows me to mix in key nutrition while filling them up.

I personally opt for parboiled and brown rice. But to make it more interesting, I am always looking to make inventive rice dishes. Typically, being Fijian/Indian, we have rice plain but mixed with daal or curries or chutneys.  Even still, I love one pot meals, and to kick it up a notch with rice. Given, I don't want to just always have it there as a compliment often.

So...

I took to my South Asian Blogger Network friends because they were sure to have some awesome ideas (no I'm not being stereotypical, it's knowing what library to look in), and, BAM!!! They did not disappoint, that's for sure.

I rounded some of the, I kid you not friends, best rice dishes...ever!

If you love rice, and need to change it up and make meal ideas, then bookmark or pin this post and try these recipes.

Mom's Homemade Chicken Biryani

Photo Credit: The Write Balance

Fish Biryani

Photo Credit: Flour and Spice

Bibimbap

Photo Credit: Food Mamma

Roasted Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese, Mushrooms and Rice

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Lemon Rice

Photo Credit: Madh Mama

Chicken Yakhni Pulao

Photo Credit: Super Urdu Mom

Qeema Chawal - Rice & Ground Beef Pilaf

Photo Credit: Flour and Spice

Spicy Chicken Burrito

Photo Credit: The Spicy Eggplant

Soy Pulao Biryani

Chicken Dum Biryani

Photo Credit: Live Laugh Mirch

New York Style Street Cart Chicken and Rice

Photo Credit: Pantry Diva

Yum yum yum...which one are you going to try first?

I Finally Decided to Breathe

When I became a mom, I fell so deep in love with this phase of my life that all else didn't matter. Not my relationships with others, not my career, not even my own self. The only thing that mattered was my connection with my child, my child's health (of course) and me being the best mom I could possibly be.

I would read about every recommendation and was on top of all the suggestions (both medical and familial). I was that new mom that rolled into each doctor's appointment with a note with a list of questions.

I was in charge of a rigurous schedule that worked well for my child (because I knew exactly how many hours of sleep they needed and when and why). I counted each hour, with each nap, each day, and if it fell below that minimum, I freaked.

I breastfed exclusively, and mastered every obstacle that came with that (because it was not easy at first for me). I watched the clock and timed every feed and every ounce I would have to leave behind, if I had to leave, and ensured I was back before that amount of ounce per hour saved was up. I took no chances.

Afterall, I was responsible for human life. Fricking HUGE responsibility right?

Yes...but what I failed to realize, what that you know what, I was a good mom regardless. I was a good mom for trying, but that didn't mean I had to be perfect.

Enter child #2. Wow. It's like she was my Ativan. She was the vapourizer, and my realization that I needed to breathe.

While, yes I still monitored her closely, she clusterfed. So, keeping track of how much was nearly impossible, and I didn't even bother to pump...I just took a wrap and her and out the door I went. I did mind her sleep, but I didnt agonize, because I knew she needed x amount and she was getting it, because I listened to her cues vs. A chart only. I didn't always have questions now, but that didn't mean I always had the answers either.

But that was alright.

When Rayna was born, I also had Caiden as  young dependent toddler. They were different in so many ways, that not one set of methods seemed to make sense anymore. I trusted myself, because I felt like a good mom. My babies loved me, and me asking for help, me taking breaks, and me sometimes going with the flow, didn't alter that.

Of course, I have my ways of parenting, and that works for me. But having two different personalities in my kids taught me that you have to do what works for you.

You can listen to a world of advice, but breathing and taking it in, and being true to yourself is key.

All new moms go through a learning curve and some paranoia. But it is perfectly ok. Once you got it...that's just it, you got it.

So breathe moms.

Because you are doing great, no matter how you are doing it.

Sigh.

2 Toddlers, 2 To Watch Grow, 2 That I Cherish

This toddler phase is so amazing. It really truly is.

I mean, well...ok, it is tough. They are at an independence seeking stage, where they want to have their way, throw tantrums occasionally, always on the go, become selective eaters, make you late by not wanting to get dresses, and pretty much stop hearing you call their name or tuning you saying, "please stop that," repeatedly to the point you want to scream...and then you sometimes do. SIGH.

Yes toddlerism is all those things. No doubt.

I have 2 of them. Being 23 months apart, while they love and play with eachother, I do go through 2 sets of little people acting like big people, and wanting their way.

Sometimes I catch myself even pleading with them for 5 minutes of quiet time...and hand them crayons and paper, only to get them to be hush hush for a small fraction of time. Then of course, someone wants the blue crayon and only that one specific blue crayon that the other is using, while the other is trying to eat it. BIG SIGH.

Here is the irony.

As annoying and exhausting as it can be, at times, I catch myself being in total awe.

Yes, I mean that.

I am constantly trying to soak up all this goodness due to my anxiety of just how fast time is going. They won't be this age ever again...they won't always want to sing and dance in their pjs, and they won't always speak in these cute voices totally mispronouncing words like "delicious" or "ok" (which are currently "dishus" and "otay").

I am actually okay with the occasional tantrum or meltdown in the restaurant, or them not wanting to get dressed (notice I say occasional). This is because, frankly they are kids. They are kind of supposed to do all this and go through all this...and hopefully come out half decent. There is no need to stress about why they are being crazy, because they won't always be this little...and I fear I will long for those days again.

So grab your toddlers and go play hide and seek and colour with them, leave the chores once in a while, and just cherish moments when you can.

After all, these critters are not that bad...they are pretty darn fun and we could all use a little fun.

Thank you my babies for reminding me to just stop and "come play me momma."