How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

This time of year, two great monotheistic religions have major holidays which over-lap: Passover and Easter. The reason they overlap is that Jesus, who’s resurrection is celebrated by Christians on Easter, was Jewish and the last meal He shared with his friends was a Passover meal.  These days, it can be a busy time, attending religious services and preparing special foods for family and friends.  On Monday,  we’ll take a day of eating simply so we can catch our breath, and use some of the leftovers from Easter dinner to have some easy meals. [On Wednesday, we will eat Seder leftovers.]

Parmesan-Chive Bake:    279 calories   7.5 g fat   3.7 g fiber   15 g protein   30 g carbs    275 mg Calcium   PB GF   While I was away for 10 days, Dear Husband invented this breakfast to take advantage of the fresh chives in the garden. Clever man.

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                          1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated                                                                                                                     1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped                                                                                                                               1.5 tsp reduced-fat ricotta cheese                                                                                                                        1 oz kiwi fruit                                                                                                                                                           5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                             blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

First set the toaster oven to 350° F. My Dear Husband is the one who prepares the breakfasts. He says to start the coffee next and then to prepare the smoothie. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the cheeses and chives and pour into the ramekin. Bake in the toaster oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Prepare the kiwi fruit, pour the beverages and have an easy day.

Ham-Asparagus Popover:  280 calories   14.8 g fat  4.6 g fiber   17 g protein   33 g carbs [16 g Complex Carbs]  146 mg Calcium   PB   What a fine way to recycle the components of a Sunday dinner. Especially nice after Easter. HINT: Recipe serves 2 [two] people. Easy to cut in half or to double.

3 oz ham [from a roast, this has 11% fat]                                                                                                           6 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces                                                                                                  1/2 cup Béchamel sauce with cheese [see Sidekicks I, Sept 17, ’18 for the recipe]                               ½ oz Swiss cheese                                                                                                                                                    1 cup Yorkshire Pudding batter enough for 2 popovers [see ..Not by Bread.. Feb-7-’18]                                          per serving:  2 oz fresh pineapple

Set the oven to 400° F.  Prepare the Yorkshire Pudding batter one hour + beforehand. If asparagus is raw, snap off the woody ends. Slice the spears and cook until tender. Cut ham into bit-sized chunks. Grate the cheese and add it to the Béchamel sauce in a pan. Warm gently until the cheese melts. Add the ham and asparagus. HINT: This could be done hours in advance. Beat the pudding batter until it is frothy. Lightly oil 2 holes of a muffin pan. Warm the pan briefly in the oven, then pour in the batter. Bake 20 minutes until puffed and browned but not dry.  Plate the fruit.  Split the popovers in half and spoon the warm ham mixture over the popovers. Bliss. Draw a deep breath and relax a bit.