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 asterisk1598 who is now Following.

“Midsummer” is celebrated on the first full day of Summer, which this year was June 20. I always won-dered why midsummer was observed at the start of Summer, but it is half-way between the start of Spring and the start of Autumn….so, maybe…. The French blend it with the Fete St-Jean on June 24, but in Sweden, where the midnight sun will be shining, Midsummer is always observed on a Friday, some-where between the 19th and the 25th of June. Everyone who can goes to the countryside to celebrate with floral wreaths, native costumes, May Pole dances, and food with friends. Young ladies must be sure that seven different types of wildflowers will be picked at night to put under their pillow, and by the end of the day, everyone will have danced like a little frog. Many of the traditions surrounding the date hark back to ancient fertility rituals, praying that the fields and farm animals would produce a bounty that summer. The parties and dancing would go on all night, except that there is no night at Midsummer because it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

We will celebrate Midsummer with the garden’s bounty: spinach muffins from Greece at breakfast, and eggplant with tomatoes for dinner. This should remind us that celebrating the 1st day of Summer can happen on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, just as well as on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Spanakopeta Muffins: each muffin = 142 calories… 10 g fat… 0.5 g fiber… 9 g protein… 3.5 g carbs… 132 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the muffin and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  In this recipe, the delightful Greek ‘pie’ comes to the breakfast table – much easier to prepare without the many sheets of filo dough. The ‘muffins’ freeze well for a make-ahead treat. The recipe is from “The Mediterranean Dish” by Suzy Karadsheh.

4 muffins	Rack in center of oven, preheat to 350°F. Standard muffin tin, 8 or 12 wells
olive oil	Brush on bottom and sides of 8 wells of muffin tin. fill any other cups w/ water.
4 two-oz eggs++++½ tsp dried oregano++++++¼ tsp black pepper++++++¼ tsp sweet paprika+++++++1/8 tsp baking powder++++++ Kosher salt	In a 1-Qt measuring cup, combine these with a pinch of salt. Blend well with a whisk or hand mixer.
3-oz frozen chopped spinach++++++¼ c. yellow onion ++++++ ½ c. flat-leaf parsley ++++ 1.5 T. fresh mint leaves +++++  2 large garlic cloves +++++ 2-oz/56 g feta +++++  4 brined black olives	Thaw spinach and squeeze out water. Finely chop onion, then measure. Chop parsley roughly. Chop mint. Mince garlic. Crumble feta. Chop olives. Add all of these to eggs, and whisk until well blended.
	Pour egg-spinach mixture into muffin cups about ¾ full.  leave enough room for rising.
	Bake 25-30 mins, until eggs are fully set.
	Let cool briefly, run a butter knife around each muffin to loosen. Take from pan and serve, or store for later.

For breakfast: 1.5 muffin per serving plus 1 oz strawberries OR pear OR grapes.  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Eggplant With Pearl Couscous: 1 cup= 216 calories… 2 g fat… 3 g fiber… 6.5 g protein… 41.4 g carbs… 20 mg Calcium…  PB  Julia Moskin of the NYT provided this recipe. Being a fan of eggplant, I served it. What a delightful meal! And Dear Husband’s I-don’t-like-eggplant comments disappeared.

3 Sv = 3 cups	heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid
½ tsp ground cinnamon ++++¼ tsp ground cumin ++++pinch ground cayenne +++ salt & ground black pepper	In a small bowl, combine the seasonings.
¾ cup turmeric pearl couscous	Toast couscous in a hot, dry pan stirring, until golden + fragrant, ~3 mins. Put aside.
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil ++++2 c. cubed eggplant with skin ++++ ¼ tsp salt + pinch pepper ++++ ½ cup yellow or white onion, chopped	When oil shimmers in pot on med-high, add these. Cook, stirring often, until onions soften + eggplant is browned + slightly shrunken, 8-10 mins. OR roast eggplant.
2 garlic cloves, minced	Add garlic and stir just until fragrant.
1½ tsp tomato paste ++++ spice mixture from above	Add paste and prepared spice mix. Cook 1 min, stirring.
Toasted couscous +++ ½ c. tomato, diced +++¾ cup water	Stir in these. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until couscous has absorbed the liquid, 8-12 mins.
pinch smoked paprika++++2 T. fresh chopped parsley++++plain Yogurt, for serving (optional)	Turn off heat, let rest 2 mins. Stir in paprika + parsley. Taste, adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

For the dinner: 1 cup eggplant couscous + 1 oz zucchini, cooked in tomato juice.