How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

“Hello, CQ, CQ.  Hello, CQ. This is W3DHO calling.”  My father was a real Ham.  No, not one who mugged on stage or monopolized a party with corny jokes: he was an Amateur Radio Operator, and a member of the world-wide community of ‘Hams‘.   As a child, he built a “crystal set” and plucked radio waves from thin air.  When he was 13 years old, the youngest you could be to qualify, he passed the test to get an amateur license and a call sign.  For the rest of his life, he was a dedicated Ham, sitting up late to catch a conversation with a fellow Ham on the other side of the world and then exchanging QSL cards with him or her.  When I was a child, he taught me to build a ‘cigar-box radio’ and then a receiver from a kit. That’s how I learned to wire and to solder. To his disappointment, I never became a Ham.  Tomorrow would be his birthday. “73“, Dad.                                                                                                                                                     We will enjoy two of my father’s favorites today: Western Omelette and for dinner, what else? Ham!

Western ScrOmelette: 140 calories  8 g fat  2.2 g fiber  10 g protein  8 g carbs [7.4 g Complex]  54.5mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  My father used to love a western sandwich for lunch on Saturday and I developed a taste for them too. Here’s all the flavor, without all the bread.

1 ½ two-oz eggs   HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid to store in the ‘fridge for next week.                                     2 tsp catsup, made without corn syrup                                                                                            1.5 Tbsp green pepper                                                                                                                       1 Tbsp chopped onion                                                                                                                      ¼ cup raspberries OR 3 Bing cherries                                                                                             Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                               Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Prepare the beverages of your choice. Chop the green pepper and onion, and put them in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook until soft. Whisk the catsup and eggs and scramble with the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate the fruit and tuck in.

Ham & Asparagus Popover:  298 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.  HINT: Recipe serves 2 [two] people.  Easy to double.

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

Set the oven to 400° F. Prepare the Yorkshire Pudding batter and let it sit at room temperature for 30+ minutes. If asparagus is raw, snap off the woody ends. Slice the spears and cook until tender. Cut ham into bite-sized chunks. Grate the cheese and add it to the béchamel sauce in a sauce 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 4 holes of a mini-muffin pan OR 2 holes of a full-sized muffin pan. Warm the pan briefly in the oven, then pour in the batter. Bake 20 minutes until puffed and browned but not dry. Rewarm the ham/asparagus sauce,  if needed, while the Yorkshire Pudding bakes. Plate the fruit along with the ham mixture and mini-puddings. OR break open the full-sized popover and spoon the ham filling over it.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

Next Monday, I will continue the	1.5 two-oz eggs
discussion of Food in Wrappers	Danish blue cheese
	herring marinated in wine
choose a favorite from the Archives	apple
	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday: …………………………. single portion for Thursday:

	shaved roast beef, rare
Choose a favorite dinner from	provolone cheese   +  onions
the Archives	broccoli
	Potato bread
Sparkling water	Sparkling water