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.

March 14th is Pi Day. Why? As any math student will tell you, the value of Pi = 3.14………, thus 3-14 is the day to celebrate that value. What is Pi? If you took a bowl and measured the distance through the center from one side to the next, you have measured the ‘diameter’ of the bowl. Now you use a measuring tape to determine how far it is around the rim of the bowl and you have found the ‘circumference’ of the bowl. If you divide the circumference by the diameter, the result is always 3.14…….. This concept dates from the ancient Greeks, and Archimedes was the first to quantify the number. Actually, it has been considered impossible to quantify the number fully, because it is ‘irrational.’ Nine divided by three = 3.00 — it comes out evenly. But no matter how many decimal places you take it to, the value of Pi does not seem to end. So we thought… This is a common device in Sci-Fi films and TV shows: the wayward computer is told to ‘resolve Pi to the last decimal place,’ knowing full well that it was impossible. [If you prefer fractions to decimals, Pi can be approximated as 22/7.] In 2010, a super computer and a super mathematician finally resolved Pi to its 2-quadrillion digit end. Sorry, Mr. Spock.

A baker would celebrate March 14 as PIE Day. On a Fast Day, we will enjoy our pies without crusts — but they are pies just the same. Pie for breakfast is a lovely tradition in New England. Quiche is a pie by another name. Enjoy pie as you calculate the value of Pi to the 100th decimal place — by hand.

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast:  216 calories 4 g fat 2 g fiber 7.4 g protein 38.5 g carbs 98.5 mg Calcium   PB GF  My mother developed this recipe and to me it is the Gold Standard of pumpkin pies.  When prepared without a crust, it becomes more suitable for a Fast Day. NB: Mind the optional calories in the beverages to stay under 300 for the meal. Prepare the custards the day before

1 ramekin of Pumpkin Pie ** 1 chicken breakfast sausage [36 calories each]  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] 

Remove a ramekin of custard from ‘fridge and place on a plate. Do this first to take off some of the chill. Cook the sausage and prepare the optional hot beverage. Enjoy being a ‘Yankee’ who has pie for breakfast.

**Pumpkin Pie Custards Serves 6	Heat oven to 400 F. Spritz 6 ramekins with non-stick spray.
1½ cups pumpkin puree ½ cup brown sugar, not packed ½ cup white sugar	Combine in a sauce pan and heat at a low setting.
1 cup milk, non-fat 2 two-ounce eggs	Whisk together, then stir into the pumpkin.Take sauce pan off heat.
¼ tsp mace + ½ tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground ginger + ½ tsp salt pinch ground cloves 1 tsp cinnamon + pinch allspice	Stir the spices into the mixture. Taste to see if any flavors need to be adjusted.
	Pour into ramekins. Put in oven, bake 10 minutes.
	Turn oven down to 350F, bake 20 minutes or until a knife poked in the center comes out clean.
	Cool custards and refrigerate. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Salmon Quiche: serves 6  Per serving: 110 calories 6 oz fat 0.5 g fiber 9.6 g protein 3.5 g carbs 56 mg Calcium  PB GF This goes together so quickly and tastes so nice, that I urge you to serve it at your next luncheon or guest occasion. You can serve as a dinner and then for a subsequent breakfast and/or lunch. 

2 oz salmon, cooked 1 cup grated zucchini ½ cup coarsely-chopped onion 6 eggs 2 Tbsp reduced-fat ricotta 2 Tbsp plain fat-free yogurt dill weed salt to taste pepper to taste   salad, per serving: 48 calories 2.4 g fat 2 g fiber 1 g protein 6 g carbs 25 mg Calcium ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp flavorful vinegar 1 cup greens such as baby greens or mesclun 1 oz tomatoes, diced 1 oz cooked, chilled beets, sliced or cubed ½ oz carrot, grated

Spritz an oven-proof quiche pan [I used one that is 8.5”diameter x 2” deep] with non-stick spray. Crumble the salmon into the bottom of the pan and top with the zucchini and onion. Whisk eggs with the ricotta, yogurt, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour into the pan and bake at 350 F. for around 30 minutes, or until puffed and set in the center.  Serve with a side salad and some local, seasonal vegetables.