People tell me, “This is easy for you — you are retired! When do I have time to prepare meals like this?” OK, this one’s for you this Thursday. In a previous breakfast, we put 1.5 eggs in a jar and made the smoothie and put ½ of it in the fridge too. Ahead of the game already!   Thursday menu:       290 calories for breakfast            282 calories for dinner.

Cheese Omelette: Remember how last week we divided 3 small eggs into two equal parts and put one part in a jar in the ‘fridge? Get that jar and whisk the eggs with seasoning to taste.  HINT: Fresh or dried herbs add no calories, but they add lots of flavor.  Pour eggs into the heated pan with a spritz of cooking spray and cook until the bottom is set but the top is still moist.  Sprinkle on ¼ oz grated cheese — we like Gruyère or Cheddar. Fold and plate. Meanwhile toast ½ piece of the 70-calorie bread, pour the smoothie out of the jar where you stored it since last time, and sit down to enjoy this with your nearly [or totally black] tea or coffee.  If you don’t want the toast, serve with 2 oz apple slices.  If you don’t make the smoothie, then make this omelette with 2 entire eggs. It will come out to the same calorie count.

Beans and Franks: It doesn’t get more simple than this! Find hot dogs which are no more than 100 calories and are low in fat. Hebrew National reduced fat are perfect. Pan-fry 1 ½ franks in a dry pan over low heat. Remove hot dogs and add 1/3 cup baked beans from a can. Is this not fast and easy? Heat the beans in the pan where the franks cooked to get all their flavor. Meanwhile slice 1 c. zucchini or summer squash and heat in a little water until soft. In the photo you see bits of red pepper in there too. Add a dab of relish [10 more calories] and 5 celery or carrot sticks [not enough calories to mention] and there you are.  If that took longer than 15 minutes, I’d be amazed.

It can be done and YOU can do it.