It’s Monday, it’s lunchtime, I’m hungry, and I’m thinking about what to make for dinner tonight when suddenly I get an e-mail from my friend Cindie. Cindie always comes through at just the right time and she’s a real inspiration to me in so many ways: Cindie’s an animal rights activist and a vegan, and she also has boundless energy and enthusiasm for all things green. To top it all off, she also happens to be an amazingly talented fabric artist. Her quilts are magnificent.

Today’s e-mail from Cindie was a promising and seemingly easy-to-prepare recipe from Meatless Monday called Sweet Potato Barley Soup. Meatless Monday’s premise is very simple: We improve our health and the health of the planet by not eating meat on Mondays.

I’m going to commit to Meatless Mondays. Do give it a try. If today’s recipe tastes as good as it sounds, my friend Cindie’s going to get a special acknowledgement of thanks when I say grace before I eat tonight. And, I’ll sleep just a little better knowing that I made the right food choices for me, our environment, and for the animals.