Wordless Wednesday/Meatless Monday Update

I’m posting a day early or a day late, depending on how you look at things. And this doesn’t technically classify as a Wordless Wednesday but I know you all are dying to hear  about my Meatless Monday (and I’m off campus this week for a conference, so I’m writing when I can).  For my meatless lunch I went to Willys Mexicana Grill. I think know that I am in love. I had a burrito bowl with rice, black beans, cheese,  cilantro, grilled onions/green peppers, roasted red peppers, pico de gallo and cucumbers (next time I’ll 86 the cucumbers). All in all a great meal, I literally put my fork down and wanted to order another bowl! For dinner I had cereal….again. Another successful Meatless Monday! How did you fare with on your Meatless Monday?

And now Wednesday’s picture…..

Meatless Monday

Welcome to another installment of Meatless Monday. Once again I am unprepared for lunch (whats new?). Thankfully my co-workers are participating with me so we’ll put our heads together for lunch. This morning, I went to grab the turkey bacon and just didn’t feel like cooking it. Yes, I was too impatient to wait the 2 minutes it takes to cook bacon! Then I realized I couldn’t have it anyway, disaster averted. So I had my usual breakfast of apple cinnamon oatmeal.

If you’re a Food Network  fan you’ll recognize this face.

It’s Iron Chef Mario Batali, a big supporter of Meatless Mondays. I think his quote sums up the meaning of the Meatless Monday Campaign.  “The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet. Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn’t a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet, and support the farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably. That’s why I’m such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement!”

Well said. 

Recipe of the day submitted by loyal reader Kimberly Jimenez

Double Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 French baguette
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Photo Source: allrecipes.com upnorthmedia.org

Happy Campus Sustainability Day!!

Join Life University as we celebrate the 8th Campus Sustainability Day! Campus Sustainability Day will be celebrated on hundreds of college and university campuses on today, Wednesday, October 20, 2010. The theme for this year is “Is Your Campus Sustainable? How Do You Know?”

My response would be that our campus is making great strides towards making less of an impact on the environment. Are we completely sustainable? NO! But we are working hard towards reaching our goals. This is evident all over campus including….

•  The Socrates Café. Our café features conservation through trayless dining, and carbon emission reduction through the use of local vendors and organic products.  
• The addition on greenspace. While not popular with regard to parking, studies show that 16 times more stormwater runoff is produced by a one-acre parking lot compared to a one-acre meadow. 
• Recycling. Life currently recycles paper, plastic, aluminum and toner cartridges. The average American creates about 4.7 pounds of waste every single day, much of which is recyclable.
• Carpool Program. Most cars on U.S. roads carry only one person. We have so much extra room in our 140 million cars that everyone in Western Europe could ride with us.

 So I’ll pose the question to you….“Is Your Campus Sustainable? How Do You Know?”

Rustle the Leaf

Meatless Monday Update:

For lunch I had veggie lover’s pizza. A couple of my co-workers decided to embrace their inner vegetarian and wanted to give Meatless Monday a whirl, so we decided to have pizza. For dinner, we went out so I ordered a salad. Not bad for my second attempt at Meatless Monday. Looking forward to what next week has to offer. I also appreciate all the support I’ve received on my journey. Please continue to send your tips and recipes so that I can share them with others. If you’re a vegetarian or just trying Meatless Monday let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Rustle the Leaf

I was introduced to Rustle the Leaf while teaching a community college course. My students loved to share the cartoon with me and I thought I’d return the favor.

Rustle the Leaf uses a comic strip to communicate essential environmental themes and truths. The goal of the creators is to facilitate the sharing of environmental views in an engaging, nonconfrontational manner and to introduce and reinforce environmental education with people of all ages.

 We hope that you enjoy Rustle……..

Source: Rustle the Leaf

Meatless Monday

Welcome to another Meatless Monday! I have actually been looking forward to this all week. Today I plan to wing my meals. I had my traditional cold weather breakfast of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal for breakfast, but lunch and dinner will be a toss up.  Maybe a nice salad or veggie lasagna for lunch and a bowl of cereal for dinner? Why I eat cereal for dinner is another post in itself !

I love store-bought veggie lasagna but would love to make it myself. I found this recipe that I would like to try:

Cheesy Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 (8 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
• 24 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, zucchini and garlic. Saute for 7 minutes; set aside.
4. Place flour in a medium saucepan and gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture. In a small bowl combine cottage and ricotta cheeses; stir well.
5. Spread about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer noodles, ricotta mixture, vegetables, spinach mixture and 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ending with noodles. Top with reserved spinach mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

I think I would also add basil, oregano and tomatoes, after all a recipe is not your own until you jazz it up a little, right?

I have had a lot of positive feedback about Meatless Mondays and some questions. One question came from a very particular (picky) eater that I know. She asked if she could have seafood (mainly fish) and still consider it Meatless Monday.

As for myself I plan to only eat veggies but if eating fish is the difference between someone participating and not doing anything at all…I say eat fish. What do you think? Please weigh-in with your opinion. Eating seafood on Meatless Mondays, is it ok?

Recipes source: All Recipes.com

MeatlessMonday.com

Green Business Works

GreenBusiness WORKS is an organization dedicated to creating awareness and providing education to businesses and industry regarding corporate sustainability.

-They are looking for volunteers for the GreenBusiness Works Expo on Tuesday Oct. 26 through Thursday, Oct. 28 at the Cobb Galleria. Volunteers are needed from  6:30 am til 7: 30 pm on Tues. and Wed. and until 2 pm on Thursday. Positions include Registration/ Check-in, Security (checking credentials) and Human Arrows (giving directions).  If you are interested please contact Morgan J. Parker, 404.934.9868, morgan.j.parker@gmail.com.  

As an added bonus volunteers are welcome to attend the Expo free of charge on the day they are signed up to volunteer with a minimum commitment of 2 hours. Lunch will also be provided to all volunteers on the day they work.

This looks like a great opportunity for students and faculty in our business department. Attendees will learn from leading experts through exclusive educational programs, networking opportunities, best practices, leading case studies, and products and services that support corporate and municipal environmental stewardship.

To view the schedule of events check out the Green Business Works Expo website.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Worldess Wednesday

Source: The Huffington Post

NBA & NFL GO Green

Meatless Monday update: I successfully completed my first Meatless Monday. Oatmeal for breakfast, veggie pizza for lunch and veggies for dinner (leftovers from Sunday). Not bad (If I must say so myself) for my first attempt at a day without meat. A couple people suggested that I focus on what I could eat, rather than would I couldn’t eat and that really made the difference for me. I’m actually looking forward to next Monday!

And now back to our regularly scheduled program……

The 2011 NBA season will be a little more eco-friendly as they have unveiled a new lighter, faster-drying jersey made from 60% recycled materials. The new jerseys are part of a system called the Revolution 30.

 

Not to be outdone by the NBA, the NFL’s N.Y. Jets have placed more than 3,000 solar panels on the roof of their team headquarters and training facility located in Florham, Park, New Jersey. The new solar system will provide the facility with 750,000 kwh of energy annually, saving the team tens of thousands of dollars. The project will reduce CO2 emissions by 540 MT a year, about the equivalent of taking over 100 cars off the road A statement by team official says that “this project is the first of many green initiatives on behalf of the team, and we are proud to be green in color and also in deed.” Im traditionally a Steelers fan but in this case…GO Jets!!!!

 

Source: ecorazzi.com

Meatless Mondays

Today begins my Meatless Monday journey. Last night I politely placed the turkey bacon in the back of the fridge so that I wouldn’t be tempted (or simply forget) this morning. So my day started with the usual bowl of oatmeal sans the bacon.

Lunch is still up in the air…but I did make enough veggies for Sunday dinner that I have left-overs for tonight. I think the biggest key to my Meatless Monday success will be planning ahead and not waiting until I’m starving to find a meal. So what do you plan to eat on this Meatless Monday? Share your ideas and thoughts.

As I read more about vegetarian meals a lot of different terms arise. Let’s explore the different types of vegetarians……

 Vegan. Strictest of all, eats only plant products.

Lacto-vegetarian. Eats dairy products along with a plant-based diet.

Ovo-vegetarian. Eats eggs along with a plant-based diet.

Lacto-ovo vegetarian (the most common type). Eats both dairy products and eggs.

Pesco-vegetarian. Eats fish along with a plant-based diet.

Flexitarian. While there’s no formal definition, this generally refers to a lacto-ovo vegetarian who occasionally eats meat, fish, or poultry. Sometimes called semi-vegetarian.

No matter what classification you choose to identify with, you’re choosing a healthier lifestyle. Your body and the planet, Thank You!

Source: WebMD.com

Image: Ohio Wesleyan University

Dont forget Meatless Monday….

Dont forget Meatless Mondays starts next week! Please join A Sustainable Life in this effort towards wellness.

When it comes to food, I don’t have much discipline! If  I want to eat a steak, Im going to eat a steak. My strong southern roots have made meat a big part of my diet. But my lack of discipline is not restricted to meat…I live by the motto “everything in moderation” so diets that prohibit certain items just don’t work for me. For example…I’m not a huge fan of chocolate but sometimes I need a Snickers fix. I don’t have to have a king sized candy bar…the snack size will suffice…but I just have to have it.

On that note I have great respect for people who choose (what some may consider alternative) eating habits. Vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians have all chosen to eliminate certain items from their diet for various reasons. But ultimately studies show that eliminating or reducing the intake of meat from your diet has healthy implications for your body and the planet.

Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people not to eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.

Why Monday? Well Monday is the beginning of the work week, the day when individuals settle back into a weekly routine. You also have a scheduled recurring reminder to start your week off on a nutritious note. In my case, I can do one day a week. You have to start somewhere, right?

So each Monday A Sustainable Life will offer meat-free recipes, reviews, nutrition and health news. I’ll also chronicle my journey towards healthier eating habits. So please join me for Meatless Mondays. Send your comments and favorite recipes to help others in their quest towards wellness.

Source:Meatless Monday.com