Drowning in Plastic Post

There's been an interesting development in my plan to eat better and waste less. Turns out, it's the amount of plastic, containers and bags, that comes with this choice which I find annoying though necessary. Luckily I have a huge (I mean HUGE) blue recycling bin. But seriously, I hadn't noticed this "problem" when actually buying unprocessed foods and preparing/cooking them. There was much less packaging.

This was a stunning revelation to me yesterday as I noticed how quickly my garbage bag filled up and needed changing. The amount of plastic I saw forced me to retrieve all plastic containers from the garbage, wash them out, let them dry and dump them in the recycling bin. I probably don't have to wash the containers, but with this heat (going over 100 F {37+ C} tomorrow) I don't want to encourage any ants.

I had never noticed the amount of packaging in prepared food before, since I seldom purchased it. This may be just the thing I need to get back to my basic meat (chicken, turkey, fish) and veggie cooking ways. I have to say though that not being "stranded" by myself at 9 p.m. with no dinner on the horizon ('cause I didn't cook it) has been a benefit to my mental and physical health.

Maybe it's a combo of realizing that for me to buy a whole melon, is silly. I'll never finish it before it spoils. So maybe, that's the kind of thing to purchase prepared. And if I get my rear out early enough before the heat, and set up the patio umbrellas for shade, it won't be so torturous to contemplate grilling some chicken.

This is an embarrassing post in the sense that so many individuals around the world have nowhere near what I have in options, going hungry and homeless. So right now, I'm saying a silent prayer to all the gods of the earth to send blessings to those less fortunate than me. I am truly lucky.