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.

Do a popular fashion magazine, “Mary had a little lamb,” and American Thanksgiving have anything in common? Of course they do! And the reason is Sarah Josepha Buell Hale. She was born on a New Hampshire farm on October 24, 1788. Perhaps because she had no formal education herself, she was a life-long advocate of education for women. When her lawyer husband died, leaving her with 5 children and no income, Sarah went into dress-making with her sister-in-law. Within the next five years, Hale published a book of poems and her novel Northwood. 1828 saw her based in Boston as the editor of ‘The Ladies’ Magazine” which then became Godey’s Lady’s Book. As such, Hale became an arbiter of American taste — a social influencer of her day. She wrote much of the content of the magazine and also solicited leading literary luminaries. For 17 years, Hale lobbied five American presidents to expand “Thanksgiving” from a regional, New England observance to a national day of celebration. President Lincoln declared it so in 1863. An amazing trajectory for a poor farm girl’s life. An amazing woman.

In Northwood, Sarah Hale lovingly described the family around the holiday board and the foods that were served there. We will begin our day with a Thanksgiving theme: turkey and stuffing in our egg. Our dinner will feature lamb. But this is a lamb for eating, not ‘making the children laugh and shout.’ [A black humor parody of Hale’s 1830 “Mary’s Lamb” swept through my elementary classroom: Mary had a little lamb./ Her father shot it dead. /Now Mary takes her lamb to school/ between two hunks of bread.]

Turkey/Stuffing Bake:  135 calories 6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 11 g protein 8.7 g carbs [6 g Complex] 44 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  GF- if using GF bread  Another in the dinner-for-breakfast series.

1 two-oz egg ½ oz turkey breast ¼ slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread [¼ oz] 1-2 Tbsp onions 1-2 Tbsp celery lots of rosemary + thyme + sage + salt + pepper ½ tsp olive oil 1 oz pear Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

In a saute pan, cook the onions, seasonings, celery, and turkey [if it is raw] in a little water and a ½ tsp olive oil until vegetables are softened. Cut the bread in 1/4” dice and add it to the pan of cooked vegetables. Stir to mix all ingredients completely. If turkey is pre-cooked, dice it and add to the vegetables/bread. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and pour in the turkey mixture. Whisk the egg thoroughly and pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350 until puffed and starting to brown. About 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the pear and prepare the optional beverages. Be thankful for the start of another good day.

Lamb With Mediterranean Vegetables: 295 calories 14 g fat 9.3 g fiber 22 g protein 40.5 g carbs 205.6 mg Calcium   PB GF  Here’s a fine meal, full of complex carbohydrates and good flavor. 

1 oz cooked lamb, ground 1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables [see Sidekicks I, 17 Sept, ’17 ] ¼ cup cooked brown rice ½ oz Gruyere cheese, grated OR mozzarella cut in strips

Cook the ground lamb, keeping it in biggish chunks rather than tiny flecks. Pour into a sieve to drain any fat and rinse in hot water. Season the meat well with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Heat the Mediterranean Vegetables TIP: so much easier if they were waiting for you in the freezer. Preparing food ahead is such a good idea. Mix the lamb with the vegetables. Plate the rice, then pour the Lamb/Veg on top. Serve with the grated cheese.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled	1.5 two-oz eggs
dried fig	crushed tomatoes
chèvre cheese	Kraft brand Cheddar Spread
fresh baby spinach leaves	horseradish + apple
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

hake + onion + garlic	beef steak, cooked + olive oil
sugar + olive oil	corn on the cob + tomato
white tomatoes + red wine	canned black beans + basil
feta cheese + Side Salad	red onion + red wine vinegar
Sparkling water	Sparkling water