Stuffed Zucchini & Tomatoes

I should start off with saying that this would have been a WHOLE lot easier with a food processor.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Cherry Tomatoes
3 Zucchini
2 cups of cauliflower
1 cup of nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of italian seasoning
1/4 tsp of pepper
dash of salt


I started off by taking a melon baller and removing the inside of the zucchini to make little boats.



I then cut up and cooked the inside of the zucchini that I had scooped out, along with the garlic.


While that cooked down until the zucchini was tender, I steamed the cauliflower. You can also use Bird's Eye bagged cauliflower that you steam in the bag to make this a little easier and faster.


Next, I mixed the zucchini & garlic mixture with the cauliflower with a mixer.


And added the cottage cheese, italian seasoning, salt & pepper and mixed.


Then added all of the grated parmesan cheese and half of the shredded parmesan cheese, mixed together, then stuffed the mixture into the zucchini boats and tomatoes, and sprinkled the remaining shredded parmesan cheese on top.


Finally, I placed them in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for 20 minutes and served hot.

Nutritional Info:
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 122.3
Total Fat: 4.4 g
Cholesterol: 13.5 mg
Sodium: 603.9 mg
Total Carbs: 8.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
Protein: 13.2 g

The American Dream....just a Fairy Tale

Growing up, I was taught to work hard and give 150%. I bought into the Protestant Work Ethic, and the American Dream, where anyone can succeed if they work hard enough and get a good education. I heard stories of companies that valued their employees. Where the employee wanted to work hard and help their employer succeed, and in return for their loyalty, the companies valued their employees, treated them like family and helped and supported them in hard times. The companies and employees worked hand in hand to help a business succeed in times of recession. Companies didn't layoff thousands of employees because profits had dropped a little, instead, they worked with their employees on plans to turn the business around. Or worse...when profits were still rising, companies didn't layoff half the workforce and work the other half to death, just in hopes of a 1% increase in profits.

I grew up believing that if I worked hard, and received a good education, then my future and career would be successful. I believed this was the key to success, but all it was, was a fairy tale. Instead companies function on Contingent workforces, where the same work is performed by professional, college educated employees without benefits or any certain future. Eventually, their Contingent assignment will end or they will be laid off. Women make up two-thirds of the Contingent Workforce. This isn't surprising since women historically are under employed and under paid. The Contingent workforce is the new way employers keep women underpaid.

I am saddened to see that everything I grew up believing was a lie. I'm saddened by the way hard working people are thrown by the way side, to make just a few more bucks. I'm especially saddened when I see MY company do this very thing…when I know the people being laid off, and know how good they are. I'm saddened that in a town, where jobs are few and far between, these laid off former Contingent employees will struggle to keep their roof over their head. I'm saddened when I see one of the sweetest girls I've ever met, who has worked her butt off working 40+ hours a week, while going to school full time, and was told that she would be back after the shut down; I'm saddened to see a Personnel Movement Authorization Document for this person, with her assignment permanently ending. She grew up in this small town with hopes of one day making a career at John Deere. I'm saddened for her dream that is now lost; for her dream that was just a fairy tale.