On Day 4 of the Everyday Elegance experiment, I continued taking pains to elevate my outfit – floral boots and a flat-brimmed hat made me feel a little special as I left the house to go to work.
But the real effort today was spent at meals. During the workweek, my breakfast is usually a homemade smoothie – banana, spinach, berries – it only takes a few minutes to make (once I upgraded beyond a cheap blender) and it tides me over to lunch, which I usually take late. I generally take my lunch to work – that way, I not only save a little money, I can control the ingredients and portion sizes. I have a number of bento boxes and I really do try to eat well at lunch.
But “eating well” isn’t just about the food. It’s also about the presentation. I used to pooh-pooh that idea, but once I tried it, I saw the truth of it. In the break room kitchen, I have a set of stoneware dishes and I keep cutlery and a placemat (along with a glass pitcher and drinking glass) in my office.
Things really do taste better if they’re pleasantly arranged. (And yes, that homemade tomato-and-chickpea soup was fantastic!) Yes, I need an extra two minutes to wash and rinse the dishes, but even that can be a pleasant break between the morning and afternoon slabs of work.
Try this “using the good stuff” experiment at home, too. Dessert last night was cocoa-and-coffee ricotta creme. It’s easy to make and high protein without being loaded with sugar. I got a goblet from the Madonna Inn I bought during a conference trip (that’s a “Good Thing” all by itself!) and added some whipped cream, a cherry, and a slice of a Terry’s Christmas orange. Now it’s not a “diet dessert,” it’s a scrumptious treat!
We’re over halfway through our week of Everyday Elegance – let’s keep it going strong!
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