How this Fast Diet Lifestyleworks: 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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to fquarshie who is now Following.

In the late 700s, Charlemagne, the young king of the Franks, decided to take an army to Spain to teach the occupying Moors/Berbers and the indigenous Basques a lesson. He had many successful battles, strengthened an alliance with the friendly Moorish ruler of Zaragossa, and sacked the Basque city of Pamplona. With news that his son and heir had been born, Charlemagne headed back north through the steep passes of the Pyrenees. On August 15, the vanguard and most of the troops had gone through to the French side, while the baggage train was still on the Spanish side. They did not expect any trouble since the area was occupied by their supposed allies, the Gascons and Vascons. But the Basques wanted revenge for Pamplona and the Vascons wanted the loot in the baggage wagons. Together, they attacked in the area of Roncesvalles. The Franks, lead by the brave Eginardo and Anselmo, were killed, the loot was taken, and the attackers evaporated into the forest. You are asking: “What about Roland? Wasn’t he there at Roncesvalles?” Nope. That was 30 years later and that is a story for another time.

For the Moors of Spain, a breakfast of ingredients from the Levant [except for the pineapple.] For the Basques, a spicy dinner soup.

Felafel Plate: 219 calories 5 g fat 5 g fiber 16.5 g protein 30 g carbs 165 mg Calcium   NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  Here is a simple meal, yet it is full of nutrition and flavor.

4 felafel patties  4 oz canteloup melon or pineapple 3.5 oz fat-free Greek-style yogurt ½ tsp mint leaves  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Warm the felafel patties or use at room temperature. Chop the mint leaves and combine with the yogurt. Prepare the beverage of choice and plate the food to please the eye.

Gazpacho: 171 calories 6.5 g fat 2.4 g fiber 14 g protein 14.6 g carbs 57.6 mg Calcium  PB–GF – if using GF croutons This is from the Craig Claibourne’s Gourmet Diet cookbook from 1980. We used to make this, then it fell out of the repetoire. Time to re-embrace this classic Summer soup.  HINT: Serves 3 [three]. Makes a fine follow-up lunch. 

1 pound red ripe tomatoes 1 tsp minced garlic ½ cup diced onion ½ cup green or red pepper in ½” dice ½ cup cucumber, diced 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp olive oil ¼ cup tomato juice generous grinds of black pepper + pinch piment d’Esplette OR Aleppo pepper OR cayenne pepper   garnish per serving: 2 oz shrimp, peeled, cooked, cut in ½“ pieces ¼ oz whole-grain croutons

Core and dice the tomatoes. Put them into a blender. Add the next seven ingredients in order. Put the spices on top and turn the blender on to medium speed. When you are finished, all the ingredients should be mixed throughout but there should still be chunks of vegetables. Measure 1 cup of the soup into each bowl and top with the garnishes and a pinch of finishing salt. Just what we need in the Summer.