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.                                                                         Welcome to IBliss who is now Following.

Who is the Little Flower? Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. How did she get to be a saint? By paying attention to the little things. The petted daughter of a well-to-do family in Normandy, she grew up with a strong faith.  But at age 14, on Christmas Eve, she had an epiphany: rather than thinking of herself, she should consider the feelings of others. When she entered the convent, she sought a quiet, simple life of devotion. But she found her calling to be doing everything with joy so that others could be happier.  Her ‘little ways’ were noticed and she was asked to write down her philosophy to share with other nuns of the Carmelite order. She often used flowers as a metaphor for humility, and became known as the “Little Flower.” With my surname of Flower, it is no surprise that I would be drawn to Saint Thérèse. But the main appeal is her simple approach to happiness.  We can learn a lot from that.                                                                                                   How can you achieve your goal of losing weight? By paying attention to the little things: Fasting Days twice each week; avoiding low-nutrition foods; eating mindfully; taking time to savor the taste of food as you eat it; being happy in even small successes in weight loss.  In honor of good Saint Thérèse, our breakfast features Camembert from Normandy, of course.  And dinner evokes Springtime, when the flowers start to bloom.

Camembert Bake: 287 calories  10 g fat  2.5 g fiber  14.3 g protein  35 g carbs [32 g Complex] 241 mg Calcium   PB GF  The best-known cheese of Normandy stars in this egg dish. Easy to prepare and so delicious. I hope you will try it.

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                       ½ oz Camembert                                                                                                                                                         1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                                                                          grating of nutmeg                                                                                                                                                       2 oz strawberries OR 1.5 oz apple slices                                                                                                                                       blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water                                                                                    5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

Cut the cheese [rind and all] into small chunks and leave to soften at room temperature. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, then stir in the cheese mixture. Pour into an oven-proof dish that has been spritzed with non-stick spray and bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. When the beverages are ready, plate with the fruit.

Springtime Shrimp Salad:   192 calories   7 g fat  3.6 g fiber   17 g protein  17 g carbs   114 mg Calcium PB GF  In Spring, the clementines are decreasing in the markets and the asparagus is increasing. A salad with shrimp is delightfully delicious, even if in Autumn you have to swap out some ingredients.

2 cups mesclun OR baby greens                                                                                                                     2.5 oz cold-water shrimp                                                                                                                                     8-9 sections clementine  OR other citrus                                                                                                          1-3/4 oz asparagus  OR green beans                                                                                                                   ¾ oz mango                                                                                                                                                                  ½ hard-boiled egg                                                                                                                                                     2 tsp Spicy Aioli Dressing [see SPICYMay 23 ’18 for recipe]

Prepare all the ingredients, cutting or cooking as necessary. Combine the Dressing and measure 2 tsp into a large bowl. Toss the salad greens with the Dressing and a pinch of salt. Turn onto the serving plate and arrange the other ingredients atop the greens. Enjoy the colors and flavors of Spring. If you can, sprinkle some little flowers on the salad:  pansies, violets, flowers from herbs blooming in your garden.