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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

“Passing” means living your life as someone you are not, and getting away with it. The term can be used for people living as a member of another race or of a different sex. Sarah Rosetta Wakeman was born in 1843 in Coventry, New York, USA. She was the eldest of nine mostly female children of a farm family. Farm life was difficult, so Sarah grew up strong and accustomed to hard work. But Sarah was not happy with her life. There wasn’t enough food, her father was in debt, and maybe something else was going on that drove her to leave home when she was 19 years old. Sarah wanted to get a job — not the sort that women did, the jobs with no income. She wanted to earn a man’s wage — for herself and to help her family. So, calling herself “Edwin”, Sarah dressed in men’s clothes and got a job on an Erie Canal boat. At one port of call, she met a recruiter for the Union Army. He was offering good pay and a signing bonus to anyone who joined up, and the money sounded really good to Sarah. She enlisted in the 153rd New York State Volunteers, this time as “Lyons Wakeman”. The 153rd was stationed near Washington DC for a few years before they were sent into combat. Sarah wrote several letters home, relating her experiences as a soldier, sending some money and a photo of herself in uniform. Her family back home knew she was posing as a soldier, but her mess-mates did not know her secret. Finally, her regiment was done with guard duty, and was sent into battle. In February, 1864, Sarah/Lyons participated in an engagement at the Red River Campaign in Louisiana. Following that action, Sarah became ill with dysentery, a common condition due to drinking tainted water. She was evacuated to a hospital in New Orleans where she died on June 19, 1864. Sarah was buried at Chalmette National Cemetery, under a stone marked “Lyons Wakeman”. Her collected letters were published as An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman.

Our breakfast might have been eaten on a New York state farm in the mid-19th century — if they had enough food to eat. Our dinner evokes the location of Sarah/Lyons’ death: New Orleans, a long way from home.

Sausage-Apple ScrOmelette: 152 calories… 10 g fat… 0.5 g fiber… 13 g protein … 3.5 g carbs… 43 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  A hearty breakfast to start your day right.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ 1 link chicken breakfast sausage = 35 calories ++++ ¾ oz apple ++++ sage, fresh or dried ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Dice the sausage and apple. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the sausage/apple and stir to warm them and cook them a bit. Whisk the eggs with the sage, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the sausage/apple in the pan. Scramble to your favorite degree of doneness. Partake of your beverages of choice.

Jambalaya: 275 calories… 5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 15 g protein… 39 g carbs… 81 mg Calcium… PB GF What else would you eat for Mardi Gras? Or any other time you want delicious Cajun comfort food: jambalaya, of course.  HINT: This recipe makes enough to serve 4 [four]. Invite friends.

Serves 4
2/3 cup onion, chopped +++++++ dash olive oil	Cook onion in a little water and oil until translucent
2 cloves garlic, chopped +++++2 tsp cajun seasoning	Add the garlic and cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant.
½ cup green pepper ++++++1/3 cup celery +++++++  2 oz andouille or sweet Italian sausage  ++++++ 3 oz chicken breast ++++++ 2 oz [½ cup] ham	Chop pepper and celery. Stir in the green pepper and celery. Slice the sausage, cube the meats, then add to the pan.
12 oz crushed tomatoes+++++ 1/3 tsp crushed red pepper+++++1/3 tsp black pepper +++++ 2/3 tsp salt ½ tsp Tabasco sauce++++++1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ++++ ¾ tsp file powder ++++¾ cup brown rice, uncooked ++++ 1½ cups chicken broth	Pour in tomatoes, seasonings and sauces, the rice, and broth. Cover and simmer 25-40 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking. The mixture will not be soupy, as the rice will have absorbed the liquids. Cook uncovered if too much liquid remains.
2 oz broccoli	Cook broccoli and plate with the jambalaya.

<<<<<<<< Ingredients for next week >>>>>>>>> Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg = US large	hummus
bleu cheese + blueberries	whole-grain, unleavened lavash bread
mushroom pate: wild mushrooms, thyme, walnuts..	melon
… olive oil, shallots, butter, garlic, parsley	grapes
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday:………………………….. single portion for Thursday:

canned garbanzo beans + parsley	Granite stones + carrot
garlic + Parmesan cheese + white wine vinegar	cabbage + parsnip + herbs
thyme + salad greens + olive oil	green beans + red potatoes
tomato + canned tuna + lemon juice	spinach + white beans
Sparkling water	Sparkling water