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.

The Feast of Saint Martin used to be a really big thing. Fairs were held; it was the end of the grape harvest in France; and it was the start of the standard pre-Christmas Fasting period. What? You knew about Lent: 40 days of fasting prior to Easter. In olden times, there was a similar time of penance, reflection, and preparation prior to Christmas, beginning at Saint Martin’s day. Saint Martin followed his father as an officer in the Roman army, and was posted to Amiens, France. One cold winter day, he met a half-naked beggar man. Martin took off his cloak, cut it in half, and gave it to the man. His friends scoffed that all anyone got out of that was half a ruined cloak. That evening, Martin had a dream: Christ himself walked into his room — wearing half a cloak. Whew. That would change your life. Martin then converted to Christianity and left the army as a conscientious objector. Although he wished to be a hermit, he was pressured into being the bishop of Tours. Until the end of his life he served the church in France and Italy with great vigor. Martin died in 397 and was buried at Tours on November 11.

Martinsdag [a Northern European name for Martin’s Day] is the time to lay in supplies for winter. This included slaughtering animals to salt or smoke. Thus St Martin’s day is associated with meat-eating all over Europe. From Scotland’s sheep, we have haggis at breakfast and and from cattle pastures the world over, we have beef for dinner. Eat meat and give clothing to the poor on November 11.

Haggis ScrOmelette:  156 calories 9.2 g fat 0.9 g fiber 13 g protein 6 g carbs [3.9 g Complex] 74.4 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. GF  Haggis could be described as a Scottish lamb sausage. Some of the variety meats in the original recipe are not readily available, so this is an updated/simplified version.

Three 2-oz eggs of which you will use 1-½ eggs per person 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 and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 Tbsp haggis [see SPICY II 12-Sept-2018 for recipe] 1/2 tsp HP Sauce 1 oz pear slices 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]

Spritz a non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the haggis, cheese, salt & pepper to taste and scramble or cook as an omelette in the pan. Plate with the applesauce and pour the optional beverages. A gateway to Scottish cuisine.

Beef BBQ Sliders:  269 calories 5.6 g fat 4.9 g fiber 22.6 g protein 30.7 g carbs 162.6 mg Calcium When a gift box of Corky’s Memphis BarBQue arrived, sliders seemed like a wonderful idea. Such fun to eat and easy to prepare, especially when the filling has been made for you. HINT: This serves TWO. Share with a friend or save half for lunch tomorrow.

3 Martins potato whole wheat slider buns  [MARTINS buns — get it?] 3.5 oz Corky’s Beef BBQ, meat and sauce per serving: 1.5 oz cherry tomatoes + ½ oz carrots

Warm the slider buns while the beef and sauce are heating. Assemble the sliders and cut each in half.  Each serving is three halves of slider. Plate with the vegetables.