Author: me

Mole Day

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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.

What comes to mind when you hear of a ‘mole’? If you were a fan of The Wind in the Willows, you would think of the lovable Mole who becomes the BFF of a Water Rat. If you were a groundskeeper, you might wish to exterminate those moles that dig up your lawn. If you were a dermatologist, you would think of nevis — small, dark-colored skin growths that bear watching. If you were a chemist, you would think of a unit of measure for large amounts of very small things. One ‘mole’ of any sort of atom = 6.02214076 × 1023 of them. And if you wanted one mole of electrons, you would need 6.02214076 × 1023 electrons. That very large number is called Avogadro’s Number or Avogadro’s Constant. We can also talk about the weight of a mole, which is determined by the Atomic Numbers of the atoms in it. Carbon has an Atomic Mass of 12. Therefore, one mole of Carbon has 6.02214076 × 1023 atoms and a mass of 12 grams. On October 23, Chemistry teachers often observe Mole Day with their students, to reinforce the concept of moles and molarity. If you are wondering “Why October 23?”, it is because of the last numbers in Avogadro’s Number: 10. 23.

I’m certainly not going to calculate the atomic mass or the molarity of the following foods, but I have calculated the nutritional value for you. Happy Mole Day.

Ham Florentine Bake: 133 calories… 6.5 g fat… 1 g fiber… 8 g protein… 6 g carbs… 61.5 mg Calcium… NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF This bake is so flavorful that you will not notice the tiny calorie count. Same ‘Ham Florentine’ used to fill crepes for dinner. Same kind of deliciousness.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp ham Florentine mixture**++++ 2 oz applesauce++++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 F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg and stir in the ham Florentine mixture. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the applesauce and pour your choice of beverages. This is a breakfast to prepare often.

**Ham Florentine Filling: makes 1.5 cups  –½ cup no-cheese Bechamel Sauce —-1 cup ham in ¼ ” dice —-1 cup [5 oz by weight] cooked spinach, fresh or frozen —-½ cup chopped celery—- ¼ cup chopped onion—- celery salt + dill + garlic powder + basil– Be sure to squeeze the cooked spinach until most of the liquid is out of it. [save the liquid] Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and add some of the spinach liquid. Cook celery and onion until onions are transluscent, adding more spinach liquid as needed. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low heat until warmed through.

Chicken Stirfry: 268 calories… 7 g fat… 6.5 g fiber… 28 g protein… 21 g carbs… 113 mg Calcium…  PB GF From the official FastDiet.com website! You just know it has to be a keeper.

++4 oz raw chicken breast ++++ 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice ++++ 2 tsp soy sauce ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced ++++ 1 clove garlic, crushed ++++ 1.5 cups cabbage, sliced ++++ 1 cup carrots, julienned ++++ ½ cup snow peas OR 2 oz asparagus OR 2 oz bell peppers OR 1 oz broccoli ++

Cut chicken into strips and marinate in lemon juice and soy sauce while you prepare the vegetables. Stirfry the vegetables in oil and 2 Tbsp water for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Count to 30, then add the chicken and marinade. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes more to cook the chicken through.

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

1 two-oz egg = US largeFelafel patties
scrapple: sausage of pork and cornmealpineapple/cantaloupe
apple or applesauceGreek yogurt
fresh mint leaves
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

potato + carrot + mustard1.5 eggs = 3 ounces
onion + egg whiteuncured bacon + chèvre
nutmeg + Rye bread + milkchives + potatoes
3% fat ground turkey side salad with blueberries 
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saturday Night Massacre

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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.

In June of 1972, five men were caught breaking into an office in The Watergate, a modern business complex in Washington, DC. The office in question belonged to the Democratic National Committee. Who would want to break into their office, they queried? An investigation into the burglary seemed to implicate the president, so in August, it was announced that John Dean, White House counsel, had investigated and found no White House involvement. By May, 1973, Dean had been fired and was co-operating with the investigation. It turned out that the burglars were employed by the Committee to Re-Elect the President — his name was Richard Milhouse Nixon. Meanwhile, the Attorney General, a Nixon appointee, named Archibald Cox as Special Prosecutor for a Senate Select Committee to get to the bottom of all this. Things heated up for the president, and he refused to hand over documents and audio tapes to the Special Prosecutor. For good measure, Nixon told his Attorney General to fire Cox. Rather than do something illegal, the Attorney General and his deputy chose to resign on Saturday, October 20. By the next day, the firing and the two resignations came to be known as the “Saturday Night Massacre”. There was outrage throughout the US government and the public — for a president to demand that his employees flaunt the law was shocking and against the mores of society. Although Nixon continued to profess his ignorance and non-involvement, the Watergate Hearings showed his full knowledge of multiple wrong-doings. When Nixon resigned in 1973, to escape an impending impeachment, the nation heaved a sigh of relief — we had weathered a crisis that had threatened our democracy, and we had emerged intact. The Constitution and the balance of power in the government had worked! Today? not so much. Are our government officials brave enough to stand up for what is constitutional? Increasingly, no. Are the three branches of government going to provide the required checks and balances on the power of each other? That remains to be seen.

Legend has it that when something big is afoot concerning the government in Washington, DC, that late-night workers order out for pizza. So when pizza orders go up, some big announcement must be forthcoming. Hence, our pizza for dinner. Next morning, one guesses that breakfast and coffee would be in high demand. Thus, our simple breakfast scramble.

Herb Scramble: 145 calories… 9 g fat… 0.6 g fiber… 15 g protein… 8 g carbs… 80 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Take a walk in the herb garden, then put the herb garden in the breakfast.

++ 3 two-oz eggs of which you will use 1½ eggs per person  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 ++++  3 Tbsp chopped herbs: chives, rosemary, oregano, thyme, lavender ++++ 3 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese or 2 Tbsp part-skim ricotta cheese ++++ salt & pepper to taste ++++ 2 oz cantaloupe or 3 oz strawberries or 2 oz peach ++++ 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] ++

Whisk the eggs with cottage cheese, salt & pepper to taste. Pour into a hot pan sprayed with cooking oil. When bottom of eggs are set, sprinkle the herbs over the eggs, fold, and plate with fruit. Pour the optional beverages and you are good to go.

Cep Pizza:  274 calories… 6.4 g fat… 7 g fiber… 10 g protein 42 g carbs… 109 mg Calcium…  PB Pizza on a Fast Day?? With a real crust?!? Yes. And it is made with delicious cep mushrooms, dried ham, and Parmesan for a feast of rich flavors.  HINT: This one 8” pizza serves 2 [two] people — even though the photo shows it all on one plate.

++6-oz whole wheat pizza dough, at room temperature ++++ 1 oz cep/porcini mushroom, chopped ++++ ½ oz cooked spinach, chopped ++++ 3 Tbsp crushed tomatoes ++++ 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped ++++1/3 oz proscuitto, chopped ++++ 4 tsp grated Parmesan ++++   per person: one  side salad with beets and cucumbers ++

Heat the oven to 490F. Have one rack in the middle and one rack at the bottom position in the oven. Brush a baking sheet with enough olive oil to cover an area 8” in diameter. Press and stretch the pizza dough into an 8” round on the oiled baking sheet. If the dough won’t cooperate, let it rest for 2 minutes. Combine the spinach, tomatoes, and parsley, and spread the mixture on the pizza crust. Top that with the chopped mushrooms and meat, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Place the pizza on the baking sheet in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Time to prepare the salad. Now open the oven and see if you can lift the pizza off the pan with a turner. If the pizza is too floppy, return it to the oven for another minute or so. When the pizza is baked enough not to be floppy, take it off the baking sheet and put it on the lower rack, with no pan at all. Continue to bake another 3 minutes, until the top begins to bubble. Remove the pizza to a rack to cool and ‘out-gas.’ It must be on a rack, not the cutting board or counter or plate. Remove the pizza to a cutting board and cut into 6 pieces. On each of two plates, place the salad and 3 pieces of pizza. A bit of Pizza Heaven on a Fast Day.

Cardiff Giant

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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.

People naturally seek the unusual. They crave excitement to relieve their everyday routine. In 1868, people in Cardiff, New York State had a real ‘nine-day wonder’ right in their own town. George Hull was in a huff. As an atheist, he argued with a Methodist minister about the veracity of the Bible. When the minister quoted a verse stating that in olden days there were giants, Hull decided to test the public’s gullibility. He secretly commissioned a sculpture to carve a 10-foot high statue of a man. [Legend says that Hull was the model for the nude male.] Then he had it buried on the farm of his confederate, William ‘Stub’ Newell in Cardiff. On October 16, workers digging a well “discovered” the statue. It was proclaimed to be a ‘petrified man’ from ancient times — perhaps one of the giants mentioned in the Bible! As news got out, folks came from far and wide to view it. Even after Farmer Newell started charging 50-cents to see it, people still came. Some thought it was a statue carved by a lost race. Others said it was carved in the 1700s by a Jesuit missionary preaching to the Algonquins. A scientific analysis by renowned paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh proved it to be modern, rather than thousands of years old, and that it was crudely carved from the mineral gypsum. Nonetheless, the Cardiff Giant still attracted throngs. Circus man and huckster P.T. Barnam offered to buy it for his sideshow, but was denied. So he had a copy made and put his fake duplicate on display instead of the genuine fake. Hull eventually admitted to the hoax, but nobody cared — the Cardiff Giant had become part of the folklore of New York State and the world. The original is on display at the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Barnum’s faux fake is viewable at Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum near Detroit, Michigan.

Our meals cater to those seeking unusual flavors.

Flavor-full Scramble : 152 calories… 8.5 g fat … 1 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 7.5 g carbs… 45.4 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Sometimes our meals get into a rut. This scramble has punchy flavors to wake up your mouth in the morning.

++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 slice pepperoni [ 2” diameter], chopped ++++ 1 Kalamata olive, chopped ++++ large pinch of Winter Savory ++++ salt + pepper ++++ 2 oz pear ++++ 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] ++

Whisk the chopped meat, olive, and seasonings with the eggs. Pour into into a lightly-spritzed non-stick saute pan and scramble to your liking. Plate with the pear and pour the beverages. You now have a meal prepared in a short time to usher in the shortest day of the year.

Pineapple Pompeii: 286 calories… 9.5 g fat… 5 g fiber… 15 g protein… 40.6 g carbs… 85.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is served in South-Eastern Pennsylvania as a side dish to baked ham. The fanciful name is unique to the neighbor who gave me the recipe. I put the ham in the casserole to make a complete meal. HINT: Serves 6 as dinner.  This was a real hit at a pot-luck.

++5 cups whole-grain bread cut in ½” cubes ++++ four 2-oz eggs ++++ 1 Tbsp butter + ¼ cup loosely-packed brown sugar ++++ 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained and saving the juice ++++ 1 cup 3%-fat ham, cut in ¼” dice ++++  per person: 1 side salad with beets ++ 

Cream butter and sugar together, then whisk in the eggs. Add bread cubes to the bowl and stir together to combine. Add the ham and drained pineapple. Stir to combine thoroughly. The batter should be moist, so if it is too dry, you may add some of the drained pineapple juice to bring it to the right consistancy. Spray a 6×10” baking pan with non-stick spray and pour in the batter. Smooth it into the corners and bake at 350F for 25 mins, until set and starting to brown on the top. Cut into 6 pieces. Serve with the Side Salad. Freeze the pieces that you don’t use today for another meal.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large1 two-oz egg + ham 
lots of fresh herbsspinach + bechamel sauce, without cheese
part-skim ricotta OR 2%-fat cottage cheese onion + celery + basil + applesauce
peach/melon/strawberriescelery salt + dill weed + garlic powder
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

6 oz whole wheat pizza dough + parsleyraw chicken breast + lemon juice + garlic
Cooked spinach + crushed tomatoes fresh ginger + cabbage + soy sauce
+ fresh cep mushroom + Proscuitto + Parmesan olive oil + Carrots
Side salad with beets & cukes  snow peas/ asparagus/broccoli
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Aristarchus of Samos

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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.

Later copy of Aristarchus’ work on sizes of sun,
earth, and moon.

The Sun revolves around the Earth, right? The Earth is flat, right? Those formerly cherished notions were popular for many millennia. After all, it looks as if the sun is moving across the sky while it seems that the apparently flat Earth is standing still. Who would challenge such evident logic? We were told in school that Columbus was first to believe that the world was round. We know that Copernicus published a revolutionary book in 1543, hinting that the sun was in the center of our system. We know that Galileo got into hot water for stating the same truth more emphatically in 1610. But who said it first? Aristarchus, 310-230 BCE, was a mathematician who lived on the Island of Samos in the Greek archipelago. From observing the shadow creep over the face of the moon as it became eclipsed, he had a huge ‘Aha!’ moment. The shadow was curved! The shadow was the Earth’s! The Earth was round! The shadow was cast on the moon by the Earth, as the Earth circled the sun! [That is called heliocentricity] Therefore, a round Earth orbited the Sun!! He wrote down his ideas, with illustrations and calculations, but the work was lost. Archimedes quoted it, and several parts were copied, so we know some of what Aristarchus said. But his brilliant insight was overshadowed by Aristotle’s insistence on a flat Earth circled by the Sun, Moon, and five planets. [Geocentricity] Just as the arrival in the New World by Brendan and Vikings was overshadowed by Columbus’ voyage, the guy who gets it right is often bested by the guy with a better press agent. Let us remember Aristarchus of Samos, and give him credit for being way ahead of his time.

Our meals are from modern Greece, to honor the ‘modern’ ideas of an ancient Greek.

Moussaka ScrOmelette: 175 calories… 13.5 g fat… 1 g fiber… 14 g protein… 5 g carbs… 70 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF A good sauce makes a fine moussaka casserole. So why not carry that flavor over to breakfast by folding it into eggs? Great idea!

++ 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 fluid ounce/2 Tbsp moussaka sauce  +++  ¼ oz feta cheese, crumbled ++++ 2 oz strawberries +++ 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] ++

Warm the moussaka sauce. Whisk the eggs and pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook, tipping the pan and lifting edge of cooked eggs until the bottom is set but the top is still moist. Top with the sauce and cheese, fold and plate. Serve with the berries.

Meze Meal with meat: 297 calories… 6 g fat… 6 g fiber… 21.5 g protein… 22 g carb… 174 mg Calcium….  PB GF  ‘Meze’ is the Greek equivalent of Spanish Tapas. Small servings chosen from multiple small plates which make it easy to eat on a hot Mediterranean night. Well, we don’t live on a vast inland sea, but we’ll take good low calorie, low fat, delicious food where ever we can find it. There are lots of good recipes in the book Meze by Rosemary Barron.

+++ ¼ cup white beans + ½ Tbsp capers ++++ ½ oz marinated mushrooms +++ 2½ oz tomato, cubed or sliced and sprinkled with sea salt + a generous pinch Greek oregano ++++ 1¼ oz cooked chicken breast -OR- 1½ oz sliced Loukanico [Greek lamb sausage]++++ 1 oz mozzerella cheese -OR- feta cheese ++++ 1½ oz lemon-marinated carrots ++++  marinade: 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + pinch of granulated garlic + pinch oregano

Combine the white beans with the capers in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the tomatoes and the oregano. Slice the carrots into small logs or coins and cook until tender. Drain and combine with the marinade in a small jar with a lid. Shake well, remove the lid and let the carrots cool in the marinade. Attend to the chicken or sausage by cooking it and cutting into bite-sized pieces. Plate the ingredients to please the eye. Look at photos of the Aegean Sea…. 

Keeping Time

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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.

How do humans mark time? From the Stone Age to the Iron Age, it was by the sun, and where it is in the sky. Non-human animals are similar, in that they are active either all day or all night, their lives regulated by the hours of the sun. The idea of dividing the daylight time into segments brought us the shadow clock in Egypt, around 3500 BCE. The round sundial was invented circa 280 BCE by Aristarchus of Samos, a Greek astronomer and mathematician. The first clock that we would recognize, a mechanical clock, the Astronomical Orloj of Prague. It was originally designed by Mikuláš of Kadaň, a mechanic, and Jan Šindel, a mathematician/astronomer. They made a clock face to tell the hour, and an astronomical dial which showed the Earth’s position relative to the sun, moon, and planets. The first mention of the clock in print was on September 9, 1410. Soon, other cities wanted a mechanical clock on their town hall, and how people interacted with time changed forever. No longer did a man do ‘a day’s work’, for a day in Winter was shorter than a day in Summer. Now the employer could stipulate how many hours would be in that day — year in and year out. People’s lives were regulated by a machine that rang out the hours. The relationship of ‘first-world’ humans to the sun was shattered. The Orloj of Prague is a mechanical wonder, and has been enhanced over the years. Such an ancient mechanism has broken often. The first major repair was in 1552. In the first half of the 1600s, four wooden statues were added around the clock. In the 1700s, mechanical apostles were integrated into the design, making quite a show. The golden rooster first crowed in the 1800s. Today, this historic clock is a major tourist attraction in the old town of Prague, and our dependance on clocks is stronger than ever,

Our meals for the day are easy to prepare, so they will save you time!

Watermelon Breakfast Bowl: 200 calories… 6 g fat…5 g fiber… 6 g protein… 30 g carbs… 60.5 mg Calcium… PB Having some ripe watermelon on hand, I decided to turn a recipe for panzanella into a breakfast. I substituted farro [TIP: I always cook more farro than I need, and freeze the remainder in small portions to pull out as needed.] instead of bread for its hearty wholesomeness. It was a hit! I prepared it the night before and put it in the ‘frige. Next morning, with the feta on top, it was a cool, satisfying start to the day. HINT: this preparation serves two [2].

½ tsp fresh thyme leaves——-pinch red-pepper flakes——pinch ground black pepper—-2 T white wine vinegar—–1 T olive oilWhisk these together or put in a jar, cover and shake vigorously. Makes 3 T dressing 1 Tbsp: 39 calories.. 4.4 g fat… 0.5 mg Calcium 
2/3 cup farro, cooked [<60 g dry farro]—-½ tsp olive oil—-½ tsp fresh thyme leaves—pinch fine sea saltCook per package directions. Combine with oil, thyme, salt, and stir well.
1 cup watermelon in 1” cubes—-½ cup heirloom or ripe tomatoes—-½ cup seedless cucumberCut tomatoes in 1” cubes. Cut cuke in ½” cubess. In a big serving bowl, combine let sit. Drain off any excess liquid. 
Cooked, seasoned farroAdd these to bowl.
½ Tbsp dressingAdd dressing, salt and pepper. STOP HERE, CHILL
2 T. crumbled feta—–2 fresh basil leaves, tornDivide between individual bowls.Sprinkle with feta, garnish with basil leaves 

Lamb Kabobs: 227 calories… 6 g fat… 5 g fiber… 22 g protein… 31.4 g Carbs… 41 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This is so easy and so perfect for summer.

++3 oz lamb leg in cubes ++++ 1 Tbsp tomato juice OR water ++++ granulated garlic + crumbled rosemary ++++ 1.5 oz red bell pepper, in 1½” chunks ++++ 1.5 oz zucchini, sliced ¾” thick, then cut in quarters ++++ 1 oz red onion, cut in chunks ++++ ¾ cup Corn-Tomato Salsa*** 

Combine the tomato juice, garlic, and rosemary with the lamb. Stir to coat and set aside to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Prepare the vegetables and Corn Salsa while the meat sits. Impale the vegetables and lamb chunks on skewers, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan [indoors] or an outdoor grill and cook the kabobs on all sides. The meat will brown and the vegetables will begin to char a bit. Plate with the salsa for a very colorful meal.

***Corn-Tomato Salsa  1.5 cups ++1 cup corn kernels ++ 1 cup diced tomato ++ 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper ++ 2 Tbsp diced red onion ++ 2 Tbsp cider vinegar ++ 1/8 tsp dry mustard ++ 1/8 tsp turmeric ++ ¼ tsp sugar ++ 2 dashes ground cumin 

Lord Tennyson

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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.

Often, when we asked our mother to ‘tell us a story’, she would recite poems. Long poems, that told a story. One such was The Lady of Shallot [1842 version] by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It was a wonderful tale — vivid imagery, knights, chivalry, and unrequited love. [Either it didn’t register at my age or my mother edited it out, but it was years before I realized that the Lady died at the end!] By dint of repetition, I memorized most of it. When my sister and I played the card game “Authors“, there he was again: Alfred, Lord Tennyson. He was born in 1809, into the family of a vicar with many children. Although money was tight, Alfred was sent to grammar school, where he was not happy. Home life wasn’t very happy either. But his father ensured that his precocious son had exposure to a wide range of literature. While yet a child, Alfred wrote poems in the style of several famous poets, which helped him to hone his craft. He and his brothers collaborated on a book of poetry, mostly written by Alfred, his first published collection. At Cambridge, Tennyson forged a deep friendship with Arthur Hallam who encouraged him to publish again in 1830. Mixed reviews drove the poet to despair, but they also caused him to revise poems, often for the better. All his life, Tennyson hesitated to publish, fearing criticism. Between 1831 and 1833, two deaths rocked his life: first his father, then his friend Hallam. What followed was his best-received work, In Memoriam, published in 1850, also the year of his marriage. Charge of the Light Brigade. The Lotos-Eaters. Crossing the Bar. The Passing of Arthur. Enoch Arden. Tennyson’s poems are romantic, often melancholy, and lyrical. They so captured the zeitgeist of the 1800s, that Queen Victoria named him poet laureate of England. Not long before his death, Tennyson was made a Baron — hence the “Lord” Tennyson. He was the most popular poet of the Victorian Era. My mother loved Tennyson’s work, and I was reading to her from Idylls of the King while she died. I haven’t read it since.

Our meals are quintessentially English, like Tennyson and his poems.

Ploughman’s Breakfast: 232 calories… 16.6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 13. g protein… 32.4 g carbs… 241 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  From The 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley, this meal is a modern take on a traditional English meal, the Ploughman’s Lunch.

++ 2 oz apple slices ++++ 1 oz Cheddar cheese ++++ 1 oz ham ++++ ½ oz walnuts++++ 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] ++

Assemble the meal elements, and plate. Good start to the day!

Ham-Stuffed Fish   260 calories… 3.5 g fat… 23 g protein… 16 g carbs… 139 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread  Another recipe of unknown origin, found in the recipe drawer. Glad I saved it.

++ 4 oz perch or sole ++++ 1 oz sliced ham from the deli ++++ ½ tsp soy sauce ++++ ½ tsp sherry ++++ 1 egg white ++++ ½ piece of whole-grain 70-calorie bread ++++ 1 Tbsp finely-chopped or ground walnuts ++++ 1-2 oz carrots, julienned or sliced as coins ++++ 1 scallion, sliced thinly ++

Slice the fish so that it is in 2 pieces of equal length and thickness. Crumble the bread into the finest crumbs and blend thoroughly with walnuts. Whip the egg white until it is very frothy. Blend in the soy sauce and sherry. Make a ‘sandwich’ of the ham slice between the two pieces of fish. Dip in the egg mixture to coat, then dip in the breading. Cook in a heavy non-stick pan, sprayed with cooking spray, until fish is cooked – about 5 minutes per side. Cook the carrots. Plate the fish and carrots and sprinkle with sliced scallion.

Cheese Riot

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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.

Food riots were not uncommon. This one was about grain.

In Nottingham, England, a Goose Fair has been held for centuries on October 2nd. The time to bring geese to market has been associated with Saint Michael’s Day in late September, hence the timing of the fair. Geese would have been raised and fattened in the surrounding countryside, then walked as far as 50 miles to the city of Nottingham. The fair turned into a celebration of all agricultural products, not just geese, and was well attended due to the many items on sale. In 1766, the cows must have had a bad year, because the price of cheese was elevated. Not only the cows, but farmers all over England and Ireland had bad crops. Food was hard to find, and prices soared. Because food was expensive, there was a lot of cheese for sale at the Goose Fair that year. There were rumors that merchants from Lincoln would arrive to buy the cheese for themselves, which made people anxious, and fair-goers were already angered by the prices of the cheese. It came in very large wheels, and each might cost $235, in today’s money. When the Lincoln men showed up, they were accosted by local lads, and push came to shove. The lads were jailed for disturbing the peace, and then the crowd got really riled up. They stormed the jail [gaol], demanding the release of these local ‘heroes’. The crowd became more unruly still — they began taking cheeses from market stalls and shops, and rolling them away down the street. When the mayor came out to read the riot act, he was knocked down by a cheese. Stores and warehouses were looted, fires were started, and the army was called in. Unfortunately, one man was killed and several others were shot by soldiers before the unrest was quieted a few days later. The Cheese Riot was over, but not forgotten.

Cheese is a wonderful food, full of protein and Calcium, low in carbohydrates. Naturally, our food choices feature cheese at breakfast and at dinner.

Cottage Cheese & Fruit: 164 calories… 3.5 g fat… 5 g fiber… 10 g protein… 26 g carbs… 61 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF This is from the Fast Diet book. You can see some other good recipes there, too. I added the pecans to this for deeper flavor and more protein. A lovely breakfast!

++ 4 oz pear slices [of which Comice is the best] ++++ 1/3 cup 2%-fat cottage cheese ++++ ¼ c. blueberries ++++ ½ Tbsp pecans, finely chopped ++++ 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] ++

Section the pear into slices and remove the cores. Do not bother to peel the pears. Fan the segments on a plate in a circle. Place the cottage cheese in the center, sprinkle with the berries and nuts. Pour the optional beverages of choice. Good stuff!

Palatschinken with Spinach-Cheese: 296 calories… 13 g fat… 4 g fiber…18 g protein… 28 g carbs… 402 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF flour  This Austrian crepe is as versital as the French version – fill it with something savory for dinner, or something sweet for breakfast on a Slow Day. The recipe is from Sydney Oland @ seriouseats.com

10 crepes8” nonstick skillet
2 cups 1%-fat milk…………2 two-oz eggsBeat in medium bowl with wooden spoon until combined. 
1 c white whole wheat flour……..Pinch saltBeat into egg-milk until mixed into a thick batter.
½ tsp butterMelt in skillet over medium-high, wipe out with paper towel. Save towel.
3-4 Tbsp batterAdd batter, swirl pan to distribute. Once golden, ~1-2 mins, flip + brown other side. Remove to plate.
½ tsp butterMelt, wipe out with paper towel. Cook the next crepe.
Cook remaining batter, wiping the pan in between with butter-infused towel. 

For the meal: ++ 2 palatshinken ++++ ½ cup spinach-cheese filling* ++++ 2 oz tomatoes: whole or sliced ++

Put 4 Tbsp filling on each palatschinken, arranging it into a log-shape running from side to side. Roll up and plate with tomatoes.

*Spinach-Cheese Filling:  ½ cup = 136 calories… 8 g fat…1 g fiber… 11 g protein… 5.3 g carbs… 303 mg Calcium…  PB GF This versitle filling is from Pilar Hernandez @ chileanfoodandgarden.com. It is great as a filling in Palatshiken or crepes, or mixed with eggs and baked as mini-quiches.

makes 4 cups, serves 8makes 2 cups, serves 4medium saucepan
For fresh spinach: 425g fresh spinachFor fresh spinach: 212 g fresh spinachPut spinach in boiling salted water over high heat. Return to boil, cook 4 mins.  Take off heat and drain through sieve.
If using frozen spinach:450+ g bag spinachIf using frozen spinach: 225+ g bag spinachThaw spinach in a sieve over a bowl to remove liquid. Weigh out 425 g.
Strain and press spinach to remove as much water as possible. Chop small.
425 g whole milk ricotta……1 c. grated cheese (Havarti, Swiss)…….nutmeg, salt + pepper225 g part skim ricotta…½ c. grated cheese (Havarti, Swiss)…..nutmeg, salt + pepperMix all cheeses in a large bowl. Add spinach, stir thoroughly, add seasonings.

Michael

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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.

Michael, whose name means “Who is like God?”, was the Archangel. That translates as “head or chief of all the angels”. FYI: the word ‘angel’ means ‘messenger’. Confusingly, he is one of several ‘archangels’ — somewhere between two and seven are revered by different sects. You might think that Michael would be mentioned a lot in the Bible, but there are only four verses that actually name him: Jude 1:9,  Daniel 10:13, Daniel 12:1, Revelation 12:7-9. [The Angel Gabriel is mentioned more than that.] John Milton expanded on the Revelation verses by giving Michael a major role in Paradise Lost. In that 1667 epic poem, Michael is the warrior angel who goes into hand-to-hand combat with Lucifer/Satan/the Dragon, and throws him bodily out of Heaven. This is how Michael is usually portrayed in art, as in the famous statue on Paris’ Boulevard Saint Michel [Boul’Mich], on the Left Bank. Michael seems to have several roles. He is the advocate for Israel; he is a healer, especially linked to ‘healing waters’; he is the commander of God’s army; he is the Angel of Death who escorts souls to heaven; and he brings messages from Earth to God. Saint Michael’s Day is called Michaelmas, and was formerly a major time of celebration in Old Europe. Michael is the patron of soldiers, police officers, and others in dangerous jobs, also of France, Germany, and Ukraine.

The Feast of Saint Michael, September 29, is during the autumn mushroom season, so we will have some of them at breakfast. The barley harvest would be over, so some barley will be in our dinner salad.

Mushroom Bake: 145 calories… 6.6 g fat… 1 g fiber… 10 g protein… 9.5 g carbs… 102 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Goodness has everything to do with this delicious meal.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 2 Tablespoon ricotta ++++ 2 oz chantrelle/cepe or other ‘wild’ mushrooms ++++ 1½ tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 0.1 oz chopped prosciutto ++++ 1 oz peach OR pear OR 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] ++

Spritz a ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband prefers to use a 4×6” oval casserole] with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350F. Chop the mushrooms and stir the cheeses together with the mushrooms and proscuitto. Whisk the eggs into the mushroom/cheeses and pour into the container. Bake 12-15 mins. Add a beverage and fruit, and you are ready for a bounteous day.

Tuna-Barley Salad: 230 calories… 4 g fat… 3.4 g fiber… 26 g protein… 23.6 g carbs… 60 mg Calcium…  PB GF Here is a meal to fit any diet plan, with whole grains, vegetables, and heart-healthy tuna.  HINT: Serves 2 [two]

++ 2 oz quick barley ++++ 5 oz white tuna, drained ++++ 1.5 oz canned white beans ++++ 5 oz grape tomatoes ++++ 4.5 oz baby spinach or baby lettuce ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated ++++   marinade: 2 tsp white wine vinegar ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++

Cook the barley and combine it with chunks of tuna. Put salad greens and marinade in serving bowl and toss. Gently toss in the barley-tuna to combine. Put tomatoes on top, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Gosh its good – and filling!

Johann Strauss

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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.

Vienna! Waltzes! But wait — this is not the Johann Strauss you are thinking of. This is the first of that name, the one who started it all. He was born in 1804, in Vienna, to a family of innkeepers. His parents died when he was still young, and he was apprenticed to a bookbinder. While learning his trade, Johann took viola lessons on the side, becoming proficient enough to form a trio with two friends when he was 19 years old. At the time, dance music was popular, both the highly choreographed “country” dances of society [the type one sees in Jane Austin movies or in Bridgerton] and “peasant” dances like the Ländler. In the former, partners hold hands and perform graceful steps and figures. In the latter, couples pair off, even daring to embrace each other — clearly a lower-class idea. By 1827, Strauss was leading his own group to great success, rivaling the efforts of his former band-mate. He composed music for marches and also for dances like the gavotte. The dance we call the ‘waltz‘ grew from the ländler, popularized in part by Strauss’ catchy tunes. In the meantime, he had married and his family was growing. Strauss took his 12-piece orchestra on many tours around Europe, fraying the fabric of his family life. When it became known that there was a mistress with eight children, Anna Strauss left her husband. Strauss had forbidden his sons to go into the music business, despite young Johann junior’s obvious talent. After the divorce, Anna encouraged her sons to become conductors and composers, rivaling their father. By the time of his death from scarlet fever on September 25, 1849, waltzing was all the rage, and Johann Strauss 1st had conquered Europe with his music.

Our meals today are based on typical flavors of Vienna: breakfast from a street-food sandwich, and dinner from Craig Claiborn’s International Cookbook.

Bosna Bake: 147 calories… 9.4 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 9 g protein… 7 g carbs… 52.6 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages. PB GF I took the ingredients for an Austrian sandwich and mixed them with eggs. That’s turning snack food into a healthy breakfast.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 0.5 oz bratwurst, large dice ++++ 1 Tbsp onion, diced ++++ 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped ++++ 1 tsp ketchup ++++ ½ tsp prepared mustard ++++ ¼ tsp curry powder ++++ 1 oz strawberries ++++   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] ++

Put the sausage, onion, and parsley in a pan and saute them until onion is transluscent and sausage is cooked. Stir together the ketchup, mustard, and curry in a separate little dish. Whisk the egg, stir in the onion-sausage and pour into a lightly-spritzed ramekin or other oven-safe dish. Bake at 350 F. until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Before serving, dollop the eggs with the ketchup mixture, and plate with the strawberries. Yummy.

Viennese Chicken: 263 calories… 8 g fat… 4.4 g fiber… 30.4 g protein… 23 g carbs… 72 mg Calcium PB  GF – if using GF pasta and flour Craig Claiborn presented this recipe in his International Cookbook. It is easy to prepare and very good.

Dinner for 2, sauce for 4.Cast iron or heavy skillet
1 Tbsp butter——¾ cup onion, choppedCook until onion is transluscent but not browned.
Two 4 oz boneless chicken breastsAdd to pan, brown on both sides.
1 c green bell pepper——1 cup carrot——½ – ¾ c mushrooms——-¾ cup tomato——1 cup chicken stock——1 ½ tsp sweet paprika—-few grinds black pepper + 1 tsp saltChop pepper and carrot.Slice mushrooms.Dice tomato.Add all these to pan with chicken. Cover and simmer 25 mins until chicken and vegeables are tender.
2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt, full-fat——1 Tbsp white whole wheat flourStir together, mix into vegetables until well-combined.
Remove 1¼ cup vegetables and sauce, freeze for another day. 
Per serving: ½ oz whole-grain pastaPlate chicken + sauce with pasta

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

1 two-oz egg = US large2%-fat cottage cheese
reduced-fat ricotta + prosciuttoblueberries, fresh or frozen
Parmesan cheese + wild mushroomspecans
peach or pear or applepear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

quick-cooking barley + canned white tuna1%-fat milk + 2 two-oz eggs
baby spinach or lettuce + Parmesan cheesewhite whole wheat flour + sugar
white wine vinegar + olive oilbutter + 425 g fresh spinach
grape tomatoes + canned white beanspart-skim ricotta + Swiss cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Horsetail Fern

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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.

Let me introduce you to Equisetum arvense, commonly called the Field Horsetail. Perhaps this plant is coming up in your garden, and not recognizing it, you yanked it out as a weed. It looks like a young pine tree, and you can see how it got its common name. This ‘volunteer’ in my perennial garden always makes me smile. You see, it is one of the oldest plants in the world — a living fossil! Horsetails are the ancestors of modern ferns, and like them, they reproduce by spores instead of seeds. In a period of Geologic Time called the Mississippian by North American geologists, plants began to evolve and spread across the land. Many varieties of non-vascular plants, ones that had trunks that were soft and spongey inside, grew in forests. By 330 million years ago, one of the tallest was the Giant Horsetail, which grew to be 60 feet high with a 12-inch diameter trunk. Those specimens eventually died out as other plants took over, but there was a niche for its little [8-12 inch] relative, so they survived three wide-scale extinctions and are still alive today. Can you see why I am delighted to see these plucky little plants each year? I love a survivor! Like many plants slighted as mere weeds to be eradicated in the civilized garden, Horsetail Ferns were prized as medicine in the human past and perhaps deserve a second look today. The plants were ingested as a tea or a tincture. What can Horsetail Ferns do for you? This list is verified by scientific studies, albeit on a small scale which need further testing: treatment of osteoporosis; healing burns and wounds; lowering blood pressure; strengthening fingernails and hair; stopping bleeding; controlling urinary incontinence. Wow. Sounds like a substance that modern medicine needs to study more!

The survivability of this ancient plant makes it a ‘super plant’ deserving of a Superfood breakfast. Fossils of Horsetail Ferns have been found all over the world, from South America to Western India, source of our dinner.

SuperFood Bake: 132 calories… 5.6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10 g protein… 11 g carbs… 53 mg Calcium…  PB GF  Hearty, easy, good-tasting, with many of your favorite superfoods baked into a fine breakfast. Whole grains and dark leafy greens at breakfast!

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp cooked quinoa ++++ ½ oz cooked kale ++++ 1 Tbsp cottage cheese, reduced fat ++++ 2 pinches of cayenne, sage, garlic powder, turmeric ++++ ¼ c wild blueberries, fresh or frozen ++++ 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] ++

Plan to cook some quinoa for a dinner a day or two ahead to have some left-over for this breakfast. Tip: The night before cook the kale, squeeze it out, and chop in well. In a small bowl, combine the quinoa, kale, cheese, and seasonings. Add salt to taste. Heat the toaster oven to 350 F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray. Whisk the egg, then stir in the mixed ingredients. Pour into the prepared dish and bake 12-15 minutes. Plate with the blueberries and serve with your choice of optional beverages. Power-packed!

Cafreal Masala Chicken:  298 calories… 8.6 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 22 g protein… 31 g carbs… 40 mg Calcium…  PB GF Indo-Portuguese fusion. Double the recipe, freeze the leftovers for a future meal!  HINT: serves 2

6 oz raw chicken meat, cut in large chunks…….
½ tsp salt…………1 Tbsp lime juice		Put chicken in a serving dish that can be heated over the cook-top. Toss with the salt and juice. Let sit 10 mins.
Half of a batch Cafreal Masala marinade**Stir in masala and let it sit 20-30 mins
1 Tbsp oil Add oil and cook slowly, uncovered, 20 mins. Cook, uncovered, until chicken is brown.
½ cup onions cut in thin rings……..cooking sprayIn a separate pan, saute the onions in cooking spray until they are soft.
Black pepperper serving: ½ cup cooked brown riceScoop the onions over the chicken, add black pepper and serve with rice.

**Cafreal Masala Marinade

4 servingsSpice grinder + blender
1 tsp coriander seeds……1 tsp cumin seeds……1 tsp black peppercorns….4 cloves….4 cardamom pods…..
½” piece of cinnamon stick or cassia bark		Grind whole spices to a powder in a spice or coffee grinder.
1″ piece of ginger…..4 garlic cloves……10-15g fresh coriander leaves and finer stalks…….4-5 green chillies (or to taste)..Roughly chop ginger, garlic, coriander, chilis and put into a blender. add ground spices to blender, and blitz. 
White wine vinegar (approx 40ml)Gradually incorporate vinegar until you have a fairly smooth paste.
Use immediately or store in an airtight jar. This masala will keep for months.