I started off the food challenge a little more than a week ago with 3 goals:

1.  Get some veggies planted
2.  Start composting
3.  Don’t eat out (unless it’s an event with friends)

I’m happy to say that I got the first two done (more on those below) and have been successful with the last as well. I ate out only once last week—when I had friends over Friday night to drink beers and celebrate the gorgeous spring weather, we ordered from the Chip Shop in my neighborhood and it definitely was worth the wait.

Besides having amazing grub, the Chip Shop also uses packaging that’s really easy to get rid of: newspaper (which will biodegrade, like, tomorrow), foil containers (recyclable), or hardy plastic containers with lids (which I save and use for food storage). No styrofoam or flimsy non-recyclable containers here. And the chips are to die for, even when a bit soggy from being delivered. Definitely check them out when you are in the neighborhood.

The veggies are going like gangbusters. We planted them a week ago today and there are already seedlings poking their little heads up in every pot. The lettuce and the beets have been the fastest out of the gate, but there are also baby tomato, cucumber, and cilantro plants. Today I woke up to a bunch of brand new onion shoots, too.

One thing I hadn’t anticipated is how exciting it is to plant things and watch them grow. Can you believe that, at age 35, I’ve never grown anything from seed before? I feel like a little kid, squealing over every new eensy plant. When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is check the pots to see what’s going on, and I whisper to them, “Grow, grow, keep growing!” So far, they seem to be happy to grant my request. :)

After calling the Lower East Side Ecology Center last week to arrange the date, I picked up my worms and bin last Friday at the Union Square Greenmarket (I also got some purple basil plants, my favorite). Friday afternoon I tore up some newspaper and cardboard, dampened it, put in some scraps I’d been saving for the last week, and let the worms wriggle into their new home. Since they are mine, they are of course the cutest worms that ever lived. I have been checking in with them every day, too, and they seem pretty happy. I can’t wait till it’s time to harvest the compost and enrich the garden with it!

From preparing food at home and composting, I’ve noticed a big reduction in my trash—since this time last week, I’ve produced only about half a grocery-size plastic bag of garbage.

I’m really glad I took this challenge on. Knowing that I need to report back on The Sunny Way is keeping me honest, and seeing the results (in my garden, trash production, and even the way my clothes fit) is making it easy to keep going.

How are you doing with your goals?