Waste Not

One of the issues dearest to my heart is to live as environmentally responsible as I can. No, I don't have a house with solar panels and a water tank in the backyard (Although I wish I did), but I do what I can. When it comes to food, there are several things that I try to live by:

• Try to buy raw foods (less packaging);
• Always buy organic;
• Try to buy as much local foods as I can;
• Always take my recyclable bags into the supermarket or farmer's market;
• If I have to buy something that is packaged, make sure the packaging is recyclable;
• If our family goes out to eat, don't order more than what we can consume (My husband and I often split a meal and so do my kids); and
• Whatever I do, I do not ask for a to-go container (usually, they are styrofoam so we ask the waiter for foil and use it instead).

I am also a firm believer in portion control so I tried something the other day at a restaurant that worked wonderfully. I went out to eat with my coworkers and knowing that I would not be able to share a meal, I took a glass container with me in a bag. When I was done, I simply put my leftovers in my container. I was worried I might get some looks but surprisingly, nobody seemed to care (or if they did, they did not say anything). It was a win-win situation because my food was stored in a leak-proof container that is safe to heat up and that I don't have to throw away when I am done. Since that day, I have made it a habit to have a pyrex container in my car in case I need it.

Summer Bounty

Yes, I know it is not quite summer yet. However, zucchini already showed up in my Greenling box and I know from talking to friends that are growing it, that there is plenty more coming my way. So, in order to use up the zucchini I had on hand before I got even more, I went searching for a recipe and found a delicious lasagna recipe through MyRecipes.com (follow link below).

NOTES: This lasagna might be just as delicious as mine was if you follow the recipe but I should at least mention what changes I made due to what I had on hand:

• I did not use fat-free cottage cheese. I tend to prefer low-fat products;
• The instructions say to spread 1/4 cup zucchini mixture in the bottom of the pan and I thought that this was not enough so I used way more than 2 cups of tomato sauce total (I think I used about 4 cups);
• I did not buy the brand of tomato sauce recommended because I had some plain Muir Organic tomato sauce on hand.
• I did not have onions left in my pantry to chop, but I had chopped and sauteed some the previous night with bell peppers, olive oil, and oregano for another recipe and had about one cup left. I used it all on this recipe.

The basil was from our garden, the egg was from local pastured chickens, and the mozzarella was from a local farm. Everything else was non-local but organic. It was so good I plan to make this for as long as I have zucchini!:

Zucchini and Basil Lasagna