Do the next right thing - the benefits.

The benefits of eating a plant based diet are many. Besides health, there are some environmental benefits I've noticed. Our electric bill went down a bit, I use the stove top and oven much less and I only run the dishwasher once a week. We almost never have more than half our garbage can full when they come to collect. I think there is usually only one kitchen bag in there. This is our packaging from two meals, dinner last night and our morning smoothie. Instead of taking the garbage out daily, we empty our packaging into the compost pile sometimes twice a day. It will become groceries sometime next year in the garden. This is only from last night and this morning. I also get kind of excited knowing that we ate that much fruit and vegetables when I look at our colorful packaging. It doesn't look like garbage to me.

The garden is coming along. I will be transplanting the artichokes into six inch pots this weekend. They are getting their third set of leaves and they have definition now. They don't look like every other seedling anymore. The peppers are beginning to come up and we have lots of onions. Gee, basil sure is fast. I set some seeds in a window box just Saturday and the basil are already coming up. I think I will start some peas next, seems a lot of gardeners I know are planting those now, so it must be time. That's how I'm learning, watching the local people who have been growing my vegetables for years.

Sometimes I realize that I have acquired a new responsibility because I have to watch, water, feed, and take care of these little babies. (And now this blog.) A new thing to be fit into the morning routine. But, this morning I found myself running down the stairs first thing after making my coffee to check on them. The planting is giving me a very nice a direction right now.

The healthy snack day at work was great fun yesterday. I think we should do something like that every other month, a healthy potluck. Quite a few people participated and made interesting low calorie treats. It was a fun challenge to come up with something fun to eat under 200 calories. Everyone brought a list of their ingredients and the calorie count. Some got fancy about it and made pretty signs, others just left the recipe. You could tell people really had some fun. It is fun to see what other people prepare too. I am always on the hunt for a recipe. I love the variety and adventure of it all. I have at least three new recipes to try. I brought the dairy free chocolate pudding I saw on my friend's blog. I am a big fan of this already. I can't believe I can eat chocolate pudding and it is just two servings of fruit.

Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding

 My Version

Now the best benefit of the day! I have been on a great exercise track, not missing but one day in the last three weeks. Last night I even did forty minutes straight on the elliptical. This morning the scale finally went backwards five pounds. AMAZING how well things work out when put one foot in front of the other and I do what I know I should do.

I am grateful to Good Orderly Direction and those I have in my life who motivate me when I cannot do it myself.