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.

January 6 is the feast of the Epiphany,”Festa dell’Epifania” in Italian, celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the Child Jesus. This is celebrated around the Christian world. But in Italy, it is associated with another tradition: a visit from Befana. [Some say her name is based on the local word for Epiphany.] Tradition says that she was an old woman in the Marche Region who prided herself on her clean house. As the Three Wise Men traveled to Nazareth, they stopped at her house to ask directions. She had never heard of the Baby Jesus, nor where he was to be found, but she invited the three men to stay the night. The Wise Men left the next day, and suggested that the kindly woman come with them to find the baby. But no, Befana had her housework to do. Within a few hours, she reflected that she would like to see this wonderful child and to give him a small gift. She filled a basket with sweets and toys, took up her broom, and set out to follow the trail of those Wise Men. No matter how far she wandered, Befana could not find the Christ, but she gave treats to every child that she met. Still today, she travels the length and breadth of Italy searching for the holy child and leaving gifts for good children. Thus it is that Italian children must wait until the very last day of the Christmas season to get presents — not from Saint Nicholas, who gives gifts on December 6; nor from Santa Claus, who leaves gifts on the night of December 24 — they wait until January 6th. A lesson in patience.

Our breakfast is flavored with the famous sauce of Naples in western Italy. Our dinner is from the Marche on the Adriatic coast, the source of the mussels in the meal.

Puttanesca Bake: 130 calories… 6 g fat… 0.6 g fiber… 8 g protein 10 g carbs… 78 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. —PB GF— Once you have Puttenesca Sauce in the freezer, preparing this breakfast is very easy.

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp Puttanesca sauce, drained of excess liquid ++++ ½ Tbsp Parmesan, grated ++++ ¼ cup peaches, fresh or canned in light juice ++++  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] ++

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or small casserole [if serving 2 or more] with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the sauce and cheese. Pour into the baking dish and heat for 12-15 minutes. Portion the peaches and prepare the beverages. Que bella!

Moscioli Pasta:  296 calories… 10 g fat… 7.5 g fiber… 20 g protein… 37.5 g carbs… 91 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF pasta  This dish from the Marche region of Italy features the small local mussels. Traditionally, the pasta is spaghetti, but I have substituted a small penne or gemelli for ease of eating.  HINT: Serves four [4] diners.

Sv 4
1 T. EVOO +++++ 1/3 c. onion, minced	Cook onion in oil until wilted
2 T tomato paste +++++ 1 T parsley, chopped ++++++++2 cups water ++++ salt & pepper	Add these to pan, stir, cook until thickened.
227 g mussel meat +++ ½ c mussel liquor or clam juice	Chop mussel meat, add to sauce with mussel liquor.
8 oz whole-grain or chickpea penne/ gemelli	Cook and drain, add to sauce
1 T. parsley, chopped	Sprinkle with parsley, serve