Okay, I have to admit: I cheated. I used strawberries and cherries instead of melon because that's what I had. And I cut out some fat. (I'm now wondering if I've been cutting out too much fat overall.) I used skim instead of low-fat milk because that's what we buy. And instead of actual butter on my real toast, I used "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter - Light." Because...that's what we buy. REAL butter on REAL toast? That's so indulgent that I think I would pass out from the joy of it.
But let me tell you...the toast! Oh, the toast! How nice to have real, THREE ppv per slice toast, with actual grains and seeds and texture, rather than the 1 or 2 ppv bland, smooth, light, airy, cardboard bread or toast that I normally buy. Bread with personality, that's what I like!
The eggs were a little disappointing. I was going for a poached-yolk kind of a center. After baking 15 mins, the eggs were decidedly NOT done at all. I baked them 10 mins more and ended up with essentially two hot hard cooked eggs. Not the most appealing way to eat eggs, but whatever. The herbs added a nice flavor, as did the obligatory hot sauce (eggs require hot sauce).
Again, 8 ppv is more than I would use for a regular, everyday breakfast. It left me satisfied, but I have to admit...the rest of the bread loaf is starting to talk to me from the kitchen counter. You know what it's whispering. "C'mon, just another slice...and this time with real butter. You know you want to..."
This is exactly why I generally do not have real bread in the house. Cardboard bread doesn't talk to me. Real bread does. And it's just not a conversation I care to have anymore.
Lunch
Okay. Zucchini on pita, sprinkled with a little part-skim mozzarella? You gotta give me more than that! I added some thinly sliced tomatoes to convince myself it was a pizza and went with light sprinkles of oregano, garlic powder and a touch of salt instead of rosemary. And of course, no pizza-like food would be complete without a dash of crushed red pepper.
With my changes, this ended up being pretty good. I would definitely make this again for a quick, regular, every day lunch. The key is toasting the flatbread in the oven before adding the toppings which made it (the "crust") nice and crisp.
I was rather skeptical that adding sliced almonds to some grapes would magically turn it into a "salad." However, slicing the grapes and adding the almonds makes it juicy and messy enough that I had to eat it with a fork. Viola! It's a salad! And a yummy one, too. I will definitely do that again.
For taste, DH rated this vegetarian meal the 2nd best overall so far, with yesterday's Po'Boy lunch in the lead. THIS is a ringing endorsement from a staunch carnivore who has in the past requested that every meal have some sort of animal protein.
Dinner
Another okay meal. It's funny. I make roasted vegetables all the time and I have always drizzled them with a tsp or two of olive oil. Not tonight, though, since it wasn't in the recipe. And you know what? DH and I both liked the broccoli better this way! Somehow, it got "crispier," which is a nice discovery.
The potatoes were really good, too. Must have been the generous 1 tsp olive oil they were coated in!
The pork chop was, well, a pork chop with barbecue sauce on it. Not much to write home about, but that's okay.
All in all, it was a day of reasonably tasty food. However, DH and I were both famished in the late afternoon. We filled up on a couple servings of fruit, saving our remaining 3 ppv for a Nestle Drumsticks "L'il Drum" (think mini "Nutty Buddy" ice cream cone).
Best of all, I have managed to not engage in the conversation the remaining loaf of real bread has been trying to have with me since breakfast. That in itself is an accomplishment.
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