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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to The Sage Page who is now Following.

In the Anne of Green Gables books, by L. Maud Montgomery, Anne’s host family has the surname of ‘Cuthbert.’ That means that they might have come from Yorkshire or Suffolk, where the name is most common in England. In 634 CE, a boy named Cuthbert [‘bright avenger’] was born in Dunbar [now in Scotland, then in Northumbria] to a non-Christian family, although the area had been Christianized in the 620s. He was trained as a soldier. As a teenager, he was on night watch near a flock of sheep, when he saw a light descend from the sky, then reascend. Since Saint Aiden died that night, Cuthbert was sure that he had seen an angel come down to Earth to escort the soul of Aiden to Heaven. He was converted on the spot. After his stint in the army, Cuthbert entered the Abbey at Melrose where he was noticed for his piety and diligence. He was chosen as the prior of the Abbey in 664. That was the year of the Synod of Whitby, where the Christians of England decided to follow the Roman Rite rather than the Irish Celtic Rite. Cuthbert, as a respected mediator and a revered cleric, was sent to the Priory of Lindisfarne, to help them with the transition to the new form of worship. He preached and traveled widely from there, working miracles and being acclaimed as the “Wonder Worker of Britain.” In 676, Cuthbert needed to recharge his batteries, so he retired to a hermit’s life on a small island off Lindisfarne. He came out of retirement to serve as Bishop of Lindisfarne in 684. Again he retired to his island where he died on 20 March 687. But Cuthbert’s story does not end there. When the Viking raids began in the 700s, the monks of Lindisfarne carried their treasures across the causeway to the mainland — including Cuthbert in his coffin. For seven years the monks traipsed about Northern England, picking up the head of Saint/King Oswald along the way, looking for a safe place to lay Cuthbert to rest. At last their wagon/hearse broke down in Durham and the saint was buried in a new chapel. Cuthbert’s body [along with Oswald’s head] was entombed in a shrine at the Norman-style Durham Cathedral in 1104. The simplicity of the current shrine to Cuthbert is fitting for the ascetic monk. It provokes a sense of calm and reverence in the visitor. Saint Cuthbert’s Way is a hiking path which takes the more athletic pilgrims from Melrose, Scotland, where Cuthbert began his religious life to Lindisfarne, England where he died. An appropriate tribute to a saint who was widely-traveled before and after his death.

Kippered herrings will be part of our breakfast. The fish were common in the coastal waters of Northern England. The pie for dinner is from Whitby, site of the Synod that changed Catholicism on the British Isles forever.

Kipper Bake: 138 calories 7.5 g fat 1 g fiber 11 g protein 5.4 g carbs 90.4 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PG GF  Kippers and eggs are a classic combination for breakfast, and here they are in an easy bake.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz kippered herring ¼ tsp dry mustard, such as Colman’s 1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese 4 sweet cherries OR 1 oz apple   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water

The night before: soak the kippered herring in warm water for 1-2 hours. Remove from water, rinse, and flake or chop finely.  In the morning: Spritz a ramekin or other oven-safe dish with non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 F. Whisk everything, except apple, together and pour into the baking dish and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and have a fine day.

Whitby Fish Pie: 294 calories 15.4 g fat 2 g fiber 17.5 g protein 15 g carbs 139 mg Calcium This fabulous recipe is from Paul Hollywood, of British Baking Show fame. It is simple and delicious. Dear Husband and I loved it. HINT: This recipe is enough for two [2] people.

233 ml/1 cup skimmed milk ½ bay leaf ½ small onion 2 whole cloves [the spice]	Put the milk in a pan with the bay leaf and onion studded with cloves. Bring slowly to the boil, turn off the heat and let infuse for at least 30 minutes. Strain the milk into a measuring cup.
20 g butter 20 g = 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 40 g spinach, fresh or frozen 1 Tbsp chopped parsley salt & pepper	Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook gently for a few minutes, then gradually stir in the infused milk. Increase the heat a little, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the spinach, parsley and some salt and pepper.
133g/3.5 oz haddock 133g/3 oz finnen haddie [smoked] 58 g/1.5 oz shrimp, cleaned salt & pepper	Skin the fish and remove any pin bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces and put into a 4”x 6” dish with the shrimp/prawns. Pour on enough sauce to cover, gently mix with the fish and check the seasoning.
Purchased puff pastry, 1/6 sheet ~47 g	Heat oven to 200°C/400F/Gas 6. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a 4×6” rectangle. Cut into 6 strips and form a lattice atop the pie. Bake 20-25 mins until pastry is golden brown.