no meat, day 4

Add comment June 11th, 2008

the wednesday report:

– for lunch, i had the baked ziti with the meat alternative, per my previous post. it was pretty good, though my husband thought it was a bit too garlicy. kids liked it, too.

– for supper, i had a boca burger at the swedishamerican hospital cafeteria: with plenty of ketchup and mustard. pretty good. had baked lay’s, too. the place works pretty hard to have options that are good for you.

 – tonight i made tuna salad for thursday…

‘be a green consumer day’

Add comment June 11th, 2008

for the city of rockford’s “green community week,” here are today’s suggestions:

– ask for paper rather than plastic or bring your own bag. (or ask for no bag for small purchases, i could add.)

– pack a garbage-free lunch (reusable containers, cloth lunch bags and leftovers).

– make this the day you purchase energy-saving light bulbs, timers or light sensors for your home or business.

day 3 of not eating meat

Add comment June 11th, 2008

on tuesday:

– i ate leftovers for lunch again. this time? gingerbread pancakes, pineapple, an orange and bugles.

– i ate a hodge-podge for supper. while my children practically demanded bologna, i made peanut butter toast with an apple and grapes, plus a bite of pancake. it was just one of those nights where i didn’t have time to cook because we had swimming lessons.

– after the kids went to bed, i made baked ziti without cheese and substituting beef with boca ground meat. i’ll try it for lunch wednesday.  see original recipe below.

Baked Beef Ziti
12 oz uncooked ziti
5 sprays of olive oil spray
4 tsps garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 pound raw lean ground beef (or boca meat)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (i used organic)
1 cup reduced fat Italian blend cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.