About Saving Time

November 7, 2021January 30, 2026 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to GrabThisPromo who is now Following.

A day is defined as the 24 hour period during which the Earth turns once on its axis. [Formerly, it was the time it took for the sun to go once around the Earth, an idea disproved by Galileo in 1632.] A year is defined as the 365.25 days that it takes the Earth to orbit once around the sun. A month is around 1/12 of that time, roughly 30 days. Ancient people defined a month as the cycle of full moon to full moon, but that is only 28 days, and there are 13 full moons in a year, which doesn’t work out well. This is why the calendars had to be reformed in 46 BCE by Julius Caesar, who invented Leap Years. Calendar reform occurred again in 1582, under the direction of Pope Gregory. These times are set in fact. And then there is Daylight Savings Time [DST]. What a misnomer! The amount of daylight hours is determined by the season and by latitude. On the Equator, the sun rises and sets daily at 6 o’clock; while at the Arctic Circle, daylight hours vary wildly. You can’t ‘save’ daylight. Benjamin Franklin wrote a satirical essay in 1784, suggesting that the French government should force people to wake up at 6 am in the summer to gain extra hours of daylight. In 1895, a New Zealand entomologist proposed setting the clocks forward in October by two hours, so he could have extra time to hunt insects in the Summer. The town of Port Arthur, Canada [now Thunder Bay] changed their clocks ahead in July of 1908. They loved the idea. During World War I, Germany and Austria adopted a time change to save on lighting fuels for the war. Other European countries took up the idea, then dropped it after the Armistice. World War II saw us again fiddling with the clocks, and the idea stuck. The USA is one of 70 countries that observes DST: in March we ‘spring forward’ and set the clocks ahead one hour. In November, we ‘fall back’ and lose an hour of time and sleep. All for nothing, except to disrupt fragile sleep patterns. Often States have discussed changing the practice, but it remains. DST is a dumb idea in my opinion. Unite! You have nothing to gain but your sleep!

At any time of year, you might find yourself pressed for time. Our meals today are very quick to cook, so give them a try. They taste good too. Is it about time that you moved from thinking about the Fasting Lifestyle to actually doing it? You have nothing to lose but your extra pounds.

Ham & Cheese Bake: 137 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 10.6 g protein 3 g carbs 99.5 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. GF This is the baked version of the ham&cheese omelette. Just as good, but with only one egg per person. Mmmmm….yummy.

One 2-oz egg 1/3 oz/ 2.5 Tbsp Jarlsberg cheese, grated 1/3 oz 3% fat ham [from deli], diced fresh parsley + dried sage + salt + pepper to taste 1 oz applesauce or 2 oz strawberries, whole or sliced, fresh or frozen Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Set toaster oven at 350 F. Grate the cheese and chop the ham. Whisk together the cheese, egg, and seasonings. Spritz some cooking spray into an oven-safe dish or ramekin or custard cup, and pour the egg mixture into it. Bake 12-18 minutes, depending on how well set you like your eggs. It will puff up and start to brown a bit. Heat your beverage, shake the smoothie, and portion the fruit. Enjoy a good start to a good day.

Taiwanese Shrimp Meefun: 270 calories 6 g fat 3 g fiber 19 g protein 33.6 g carbs 84.4 mg Calcium PB GF This recipe is from Susan Livia New York Times Cooking. Some recipes call for dried shrimp, some for smoked tofu. For convenience, I used frozen shrimp. HINT: Recipe is enough for two [2]. Invite a fellow Faster or enjoy the other half of the recipe warm or cool for lunch or dinner later this week. Photo below shows one serving.

2 sv
2 oz [brown] rice vermicelli	Soak in cold water until softened, 5-10 mins. Drain, reserving water. Warm water for next step.
2 dried shiitakes	Soak in warm water until hydrated + softened, ~10 mins. Drain, reserving water. Slice ¼” thick.
Cooking spray 1 egg, lightly beaten	Heat wok over medium, spray with PAM. Add egg, swirl to create a thin, even layer, + cook until set + cooked through, ~1 min. Cool egg slightly, then slice as julienne. Set aside.
1 tsp oil + 2 Tbsp water 2 T thinly sliced shallot soaked mushrooms	Put a wok on the stove + raise heat to medium-high. Add oil, water, mushrooms and shallots. Sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring often, until shallots begin to brown, 3-4 mins.
1 cup carrot, shredded + salt	Add carrot and salt, then cook, until softened but still crisp, 1-2 mins.
1½ c cabbage, shredded	Add cabbage to wok. Season + cook, stirring, 1-2 mins until slightly wilted.
4 oz shrimp, fresh or frozen 1 Tbsp soy sauce drained vermicelli ½- 1 c water from soaking ½ tsp white pepper julienned egg	Remove shells from shrimp and cut them in pieces. Add to wok with soy sauce and drained rice vermicelli. Add water from steps 1 and 2, in ½ cup increments. Cook, stirring often, until noodles absorb the water, 5-6 mins. Season, add reserved egg and stir to combine. optional: Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Yohl Ik’nal

November 3, 2021October 29, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

What do you know about the Maya civilization? That they lived in Central America? That they grew corn? That there was a Maya calendar? All true. The Maya lived in what is now Mexico, Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. When they changed from nomadic hunting and gathering and began to grow corn/maize around 1800 BCE, their culture began to evolve. City states developed, and one of the greats was Palenque. Known then as Lakamha, it was the finest city of the Americas. From ca. 226 BCE to ca. 799 CE, the city grew and flourished. In addition to the city planning and the fine architecture is the fact that one of its great leaders was a woman. Yohl Ik’nal was the 8th ruler of Lakamha. Lady Yohl was on the throne for 21 years, not as a regent or place-holder, but as a full-fledged leader. Those days were difficult for the Maya. Possibly war had left the city without a male heir. Lady Yohl is presumed to be the daughter of the prior ruler and she ‘put on the head-band‘ in December of 583 CE. Twice during her rule the city was invaded and possibly sacked, but she had the respect and trust of her people, so she continued to reign until November of 604 CE. During that time, she insured the succession of her son who, unlike his mother, was not descended from royal male line. So revered was she, that Lady Yohl’s symbol is depicted several times in the tomb of her royal son and grandson. Almost 200 years later, the civilization dwindled — not because of the conquistadors; not because of disease; but most likely by climate change. Less rainfall, perhaps due to deforestation, made food production for the large cities untenable. People moved into the countryside from the cities and the jungle reclaimed them. Sic transit gloria mundi. Can we learn from this?

The MesoAmericans enjoyed corn, squash, chocolate, and chilis, which made for a tasty cuisine. Our breakfast and dinner call on those ingredients for use in preparing some fine food. If you choose the mocha cafe au lait for your breakfast beverage, you will be following the Mayan tradition of drinking chocolate as a frothy beverage.

Breakfast Burrito: 225 calories 12 g fat 3.5 g fiber 12 g protein 29 g carbs [20 g Complex] 108 mg Calcium NB: The food values shown are for the plated items, not the optional coffee. Inspired by breakfasts enjoyed at the Frontier Restaurant in Albuquerque, N.M., this has all the tastes of the Southwest – right down to the mocha coffee — in a filling yet low-calorie meal.

one 6” corn tortilla, MUST be 65 calories per tortilla one 2-oz egg 1 oz roasted green chiles, available canned under the ‘Hatch’ brand 1 Tbsp carne adovada Large pinch oregano, Mexican oregano if you can find it. Hot sauce to taste 1 tsp cheddar cheese, finely grated 1 oz of apple Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water

Whisk the egg with the chiles and carne. In a dry, well-seasoned cast iron pan heat the tortilla until it is warm, soft, and just beginning to brown. Remove to a plate. Scramble the egg to your preference in a spritz of oil on your pan. Put the egg on top of the tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese on the egg and put it all in the toaster oven for about a minute. Douse with hot sauce if you wish, serve with the apple and hot beverage of your choice.

Green Chili-Chicken Posole: 207 calories 4 g fat 4 g fiber 17.5 b protein 24 g carbs 35 mg Calcium PB GF Friend Cheryl shared this recipe out of the blue one day and it turned out to be a real winner. Despite the low calorie count, it is filling. Did I add, delicious?

Makes 3 cups = 3 Sv.
6.35 oz chicken breast meat ½ tsp thyme salt + pepper	Shred or cube the chicken breast meat. Season with thyme, salt, & pepper, stir to combine and set aside.
2 tsp canola oil ½ cup onion ½ jalapeno, more if you wish 1 clove garlic	Chop onion, pepper, and garlic. Heat oil over medium heat in saucepan. Add vegetables and cook ~ 4 mins, until soft. Cool a little bit.
6-7 oz chilies ½ tsp thyme	Scrape cooked vegetables into a food processor. Add green chilis + thyme. Process until smooth.
	Pour vegetables/chilis into saucepan. Cook, stirring, on med heat ~5 mins as sauce thickens.
1 cup chicken broth 15 oz can of posole, drained	Add chicken and these to saucepan. Simmer until chicken is tender + cooked, ~10 mins.
Mexican oregano 6 oz zucchini, sliced, cooked	Serve in bowls, topped with Mexican oregano.Plate zucchini, drizzled w/ some of the sauce

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

1 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg
3%-fat ham, from supermarket	chèvre cheese [creamy goat cheese]
Jarlsberg cheese	apple or pear + lemon-dill seasoning
sage + strawberries	spinach, frozen or fresh
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

[brown] rice vermicelli + shallot	olive oil + onion
dried shiitake mushrooms + peanut oil	scallion + garlic
carrot + cabbage + 2-oz egg	tomato + chickpeas, canned
shrimp + soy sauce + pepper + [cilantro]	chicken stock + herbs of your choice
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

All Saints

October 31, 2021October 24, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

October 31 is Hallowe’en, which is short for ‘All Hallows Eve.’ That means ‘the day before the Day of all the Holy Ones.’ The official churchy name for November 1 is ‘All Saints Day.’ So what is a ‘saint’? In the early days of Christianity, the term was used to include all believers. St Paul addressed a letter [Romans I:7] to “all that be in Rome, called to be saints…” to say that every member of the community of believers was a saint. Years passed and when Roman Emperors grew tired of Christians, a saint was synonymous with ‘martyr,’ one who died because of his/her faith [ex: St Perpetua; St Lawrence]. Centuries passed and Christians mostly thought of saints as dead people, though they often hailed the living as saints if they were holy hermits or seemed to perform miracles [ex: St Clair; St Robert]. Then there are saints who’s stories are used to explain or illustrate a certain point [St Wilgefort; St Veronica; St Christopher], but who never lived at all! Today the Roman Catholic Church has a vigorous vetting process for prospective saints — it is not as easy as it used to be. But when I think of saints, I start singing a hymn written by Lesbia Scott and put to music by John H. Hopkins. It sweetly goes back to the original idea of Paul to tell us that saints are everywhere and that even we can aspire to sainthood. Here’s the end of the hymn. Amen.

You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
in church, by the sea, in the house next door;
they are saints of God, whether rich or poor,
and I mean to be one too.

Lest one think of saints only as ‘dead Europeans,’ our meals will honor saints from other parts of the world. Many of the Caribbean Islands are named for saints, but oddly, there are no native saints. There are many ‘blesseds’ and ‘venerables’ from the Caribbean, and maybe they once enjoyed a breakfast like our’s. From India, there are several native-born Christian saints, so our dinner might have been familiar to them. If we each resolve to be more kindly, the world would be a better place. If you resolve to eat less, your weight will be in a better place.

Caribbean Breakfast: 228 calories 7.4 g fat 4.4 g fiber 5 g protein 40 g carbs [27 g Complex] 24.6 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Although the protein values are low, this makes for a lovely little tropical meal.

1.8 oz mango 1.5 oz roasted plantain slices 1.5 oz pineapple ½ oz goat cheese 1 coconut dumpling** Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

**COCONUT DUMPLINGS: makes 9 A Caribbean favorite. Each: 73 calories 4 g fat 2 g fiber 1.6 g protein 9 g carbs 3.6 mg Calcium ½ cup [37 g] coconut, grated, unsweetened 1½ cups white whole wheat flour 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp butter ¼ tsp salt 125 ml water [that’s correct: there is NO leavening. I think there should be…]

Put everything except the water in a bowl and work the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers. Once it is all incorporated, stir in the water with a fork. Knead slightly on a work surface and roll into a cylinder which is about 1-½“ in diameter. Slice off equal pieces. To cook them, bring a pan of heavily salted water to a strong simmer. Add several of the dumplings. They will sink to the bottom and stay there. After 10-15 minutes, remove them and put on a cloth towel to dry and cool. Cook remaining dumplings.

Tandoori Fish Curry w/ Naan: 294 calories 12 g fat 5.5 g fiber 18.6 g protein 29 g carbs [10 g Complex] 69 mg Calcium PB An easy recipe, made from some off-the-shelf ingredients, that packs a lot of flavor into a meal. The naan is fun to make at home. If you have access to purchased naans, pay attention to the calorie count so it ‘fits’ our needs – cut the naan smaller if needed.

3 Tbsp ‘tandoori simmer sauce,’ purchased 3 Tbsp low-fat coconut milk, purchased 2.5 oz haddock or other firm-fleshed fish ½ cup small broccoli florets 1.6 oz carrots, sliced as coins 1 oz red bell pepper, sliced 1 naan bread @ 92 calories

Put the sauce and coconut milk in a saucepan with a little water. Add the vegetables, cover the pan, and simmer until almost cooked. Break the fish into pieces and lay it on top of the vegetables. Cover and continue to simmer another 5 minutes until the fish is cooked. Warm the naan and serve. Delicious.

Lady Liberty

October 27, 2021December 2, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

October 28, 1886 saw the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Nothing says ‘America’ like a view of Lady Liberty. But she wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi had originally envisioned a colossal statue at the entrance to the Suez Canal. But when that was shot down, he planned with a French abolitionist to offer it to the United States, now that the Civil War had ended slavery. A deal was struck: France would pay for the statue and the Americans would build a pedestal for it to stand upon. Bartholdi designed the statue, its wooden frame clad in copper sheathing. Gustave Eiffel, who knew a thing or two about constructions with iron beams, designed the interior scaffolding to hold it all in place. On July 4, 1876, the statue was ‘given’ to the US ambassador to France. Then it was taken apart, boxed, and shipped to New York. On Bedloe’s Island, there had been a star-shape fort from the 1800s. A pedestal was built inside it, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, and completed in1886. The statue, called “Liberty Enlightening the World,” was quickly assembled [by immigrant laborers] and President Grover Cleveland was on hand at the ceremony. A poem by Emma Lazarus had been used as a fund-raiser for the pedestal project. It was called The New Colossus and was soon forgotten. In 1903, the poem was rediscovered and a plaque with the sonnet’s words became part of the base of the statue. There is a 1/4-scale model of the Lady in Paris, presiding over the River Seine. It was one of Bartholdi’s models. There is a knock-off in the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Our foods are from cuisines of the ‘huddled masses’ who looked to Lady Liberty as they sailed into New York harbor and hoped for a better life. From the Jews escaping central Europe, horseradish and cheese in eggs. For the refugees of the Eastern Mediterranean, felafel, and for those from South Asia, cucumber raita.

Horseradish-Cheesy Bake: 143 calories 7.5 g fat 1 g fiber 8 g protein 7 g carbs 78.6 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the Bake and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF David Rosengarten’s unusual cookbook It’s All American Food takes the reader on a tour of American ethnic and regional foods, and tells you how to make those treats in your own kitchen. This recipe is from the Manhattan restaurant Barney Greengrass, where they are renowned for their breakfasts.

One 2-oz egg ½ Tbsp crushed tomato 1 Tbsp cheddar/horseradish spread*** 1 Tbsp chives, minced 2 oz apricots Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

***Cheddar-Horseradish Spread 2 Tbsp WisPride Cheddar spread OR Kraft Old English Cheddar spread 4 [or more] tsp prepared horseradish [the kind in a jar] Cream together thoroughly. Save the rest for another day or another use.

Set the toaster oven at at 350 degrees F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Vigorously whisk the egg, cheeses, and chives until well combined and pour into the ramekin. Put in the oven [it doesn’t need to be hot yet] and bake 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, brew your beverage of choice and prep the apricots. This will kick-start your day.

Felafel with Cucumber Raita: 223 calories 7.5 g fat 6 g fiber 11 g protein 22.4 g carbs 130 mg Calcium PB GF The felafel recipe is from Molly Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. Having some felafel patties in the freezer makes meal prep rapid.

6 felafel patties 1 cup raw spinach ½ tsp olive oil large pinch ground nutmeg 4 oz plain, non-fat yogurt 1 scant cup cucumbers, cubed 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1½ tsp fresh mint, chopped or dried dill weed

Thaw out 5 of those felafel patties that you have in the freezer. Heat them in the toaster oven or in a non-stick pan on the stove. Do not cook them in oil. Cut the spinach into a chiffonade [make a pile of leaves and cut thinly across their width] and put into a bowl. Cube the cucumbers. Stir together the yogurt, vinegar, and dill or mint. Add the cucumber cubes and stir gently to combine. Toss the spinach with the olive oil and nutmeg. Plate it, eat it, and love it.

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

coconut dumpling: unsweetened coconut, flour, oil, butter, salt	1 two-oz egg
mango + pineapple	one 65-calorie corn tortilla
plantain	carne adovada
goat cheese	roasted green chilis + Cheddar cheese
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

Tandoori Simmer Sauce, purchased	chicken breast + thyme + canola oil
low-fat coconut milk + haddock	jalapeno pepper + roasted green chilis
broccoli florets + carrots	chicken broth + canned posole
red bell pepper + 92-calorie naan	Mexican oregano + zucchini
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Marcellin de Berthelot

October 24, 2021October 19, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

One of the interesting things about tracing one’s ancestry is finding out who shares your name. They might not be an ancestor, but there is a common link. In several of my family trees, there are mistresses and illegitimate children. There are nobles and there are those who rebel against the establishment. Such is any family. Marcellin de Berthelot and I share a family name on my mother’s side. Ancestors of the Berthelot family were from Brittany. Marcellin was born in 1827, on October 25 in Paris. In school he excelled in latin and philosophy but decided to study science. With a doctorate in chemistry and a degree in pharmacy, he plunged into research into compounds containing Carbon and Hydrogen. Since Carbon is in living things, chemists of his time thought that Carbon compounds could be made only in the presence of a ‘life force.’ Berthelot proved that wrong, separating the field into Organic and In-Organic chemistry. His interests were wide-ranging: history of science, industrial chemistry, explosives, archeology, endothermic and exothermic reactions [words he coined], alchemy and its contributions to modern science. He had 1600 articles and 25 books to his name On top of that, he served in the government in elected and appointed positions, and was a teaching professor. Berthelot never patented his chemical processes, saying that they should belong to humanity. His devotion to his wife was so strong that he nursed her night and day as she died, and he followed her in death one hour later. In honor of their bond, the Senate, when they voted to have Marcellin interred in the Pantheon along with other luminaries, allowed his wife to be buried with him. This is a family member of whom I can be very proud.

Our breakfast contains apples, popular in the foods of Brittany. The dinner might have been a course at a banquet attended by the elegant citizens of Paris in who’s company Berthelot would have dined.

Flamusse aux Pommes: 223 calories 15 g fat 4 g fiber 17 g protein 68 g carbs 171.5 mg Calcium PB GF – if using GF flour Once again, a fruit dessert can become a breakfast – without breaking the bank. A flamusse is simply fruit baked in an eggy batter. Very easy to prepare, looks fancy. When there is some left over from a dinner party dessert, I tap it for an easy breakfast the following week. Paired with a chicken sausage, the amount of protein amps up. What’s not to love? HINT: This recipe is enough for 4 [four] servings for breakfast. NB: as a dessert, it can serve 6-8.

Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Sv 4-6	Preheat oven to 350 F/180 degrees C.
2¼ c apples, sliced 4 tsp butter	Peel, core and slice the apples. Cook slowly in a 10″ cast iron skillet with butter until they become golden-yellow.
2 eggs 3 Tbsp sugar 40 g Whole-Wheat flour pinch salt	Meanwhile, beat eggs with sugar. Add flour and salt, and beat again.
200 ml milk	Pour milk in slowly, mixing well. Let rest 10 mins.
	Pour batter over cooked apples in skillet. Bake in oven uncovered 20 mins.
1 oz egg white ¼ tsp sugar	Beat egg white with sugar until forming peaks. Remove pan from oven and pipe or dollop the meringue in a wreath on top of the batter. Return to oven 20 minutes or until golden.
1 chicken breakfast sausage, 36 calories	Remove from oven and cool. Serve Flamusse slightly warm or cold with a side of sausage.

Fish Timbale: 276 calories 17 g fat 1.6 g fiber 23.5 g protein 8 g carbs 95 mg Calcium PB GF Sounds high-falutin’ but really very easy. Lots of good protein, low in carbs.

1.5 oz mackerel or salmon or halibut 1 1/3 oz haddock or cod ¾ oz egg [either pullet egg or an egg white] 1/3 oz white beans 2 Tbsp cream + 2 Tbsp spinach + ½ Tbsp shallot 1 oz Swiss chard 1/8 tsp olive oil nutmeg + granulated garlic

Wash the spinach and leave water on the leaves. Put in a lidded pan along with the chopped shallot. Put on the lid and let cook until the spinach is limp. Remove, chop, and squeeze the water out of the spinach. Thoroughly mash the white beans and add the cream. Stir the spinach-shallot into the bean/cream. If fish is raw: Put in a pan with a little water. Cover and steam until fish is cooked. Flake the fish and combine with the other ingredients, except the chard. Turn into a spritzed ramekin and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsley chop the chard and cook it in a little water until done. Drain and season with nutmeg and granulated garlic. Run a knife around the sides of the timbale and invert the plate over it. Turn the plate right-side-up and remove the ramekin. Plate the chard around the fish timbale.

Coleridge

October 20, 2021October 15, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was raised as a lonely, bookish child in Devon, born in 1772. His pleasant years of companionship with his mother ended abruptly at age nine when his father died and his mother sent him as a ‘charity-boy’ to an orphanage-school for clergymen’s sons. Cambridge followed, along with recognition of his intellect, his gift for language, and increasing debts. Coleridge threw himself into many schemes: a self-written literary journal [twice], needy friendships, and a plan for a utopian commune in Pennsylvania where the men would work 3 hours each day on farming and providing, then retire for reading and educating their children. This was to be a photo-communistic Pantisocracy, but it never came to pass. It is part of the new Romantic ideas which Coleridge came to symbolize and to manifest in his poems. His Frost at Midnight, where scenes of the past, present, and future merge in a frosted window pane, shows Coleridge’s imagination, gifted word-smithing, and mysticism. Throughout his life, marriage, friendships, plans all fell apart, but his poetry continued and later he became one of the foremost literary critics of his age. For me, its the poetry. Kubla Kahn entranced and excited my sister and me as children. The Gustave Dore illustrations of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner are nightmarish and fabulous, just like the poem. Coleridge cannot be dismissed as an opium-addled crazy guy. He was a genius of word and imagery.

For breakfast, some country flavors reminiscent of Coleridge’s childhood. In the late 1700s, the East India Company in India started selling opium to China. In the mid-1800s, the British forced the Chinese to end their ban on the import/export of opium, to adjust a trade imbalance with China. When you read some of Coleridge’s work, you know he was ‘on something’ — and that something was opium. So a dinner influenced by China is appropriate.

Mushroom ScrOmelette: 142 calories 5 g fat 1 g fiber 9.6 g protein 8 g carb [6 g Complex] 64 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Nothing says ‘Autumn’ like mushrooms, apples, and fresh eggs.

1 ½ 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. 1/3 oz mushrooms 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese 2 pinches rosemary 1½ oz apple Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Chop or slice the mushrooms and saute with a little water in a skillet. Remove and set aside. Now whisk the eggs with seasonings to taste. Pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook, tipping the pan and lifting the cooked eggs until the bottom is set but the top is still moist. Top with the mushrooms and cheese, fold and plate. Serve with fruit, plus your beverage and smoothie. You are off to a good start.

Beef Egg Rolls: per roll: 136 calories 4.6 g fat 1 g fiber 9.4 g protein 17.5 g carb 23 mg Calcium PB Egg Rolls are fun to prepare at home, so there is no need to order take-out. HINT: This recipe makes 5 egg rolls. Two make a good serving, so this recipe serves 2 with one left over.

2 oz lean beef steak, sliced in strips 1 Tbsp soy sauce ½ Tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp. cornstarch 1 clove garlic 1 tsp ginger 1 cup cabbage, shredded ½ cup carrot, sliced ¼” thick 1 scallion, sliced ½ cup sliced onion 5 egg roll wrappers 1 tsp oil ¾ cup broccoli Sriracha sauce + soy sauce

Combine the beef, oyster sauce, cornstarch, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. In a heavy-bottomed pan or wok, stir-fry the carrot, onion, and cabbage in ¼ cup water for 3 minutes. Add the beef with the marinade and cook until beef is done. Run the whole thing through a food processor to chop it coarsely. Following the directions on the wrapper package, fill and roll the egg-rolls. [if you end up with filling left-over, fill another wrapper and save for a lunch OR, if it is about ¼ cup, save it to make a ScrOmelette next week.] Turn the oven on to 400 F. Warm the oil in a clean, flat-bottomed, oven-proof pan. Put the egg rolls and broccoli in the pan and roll them to coat with oil. Cook gently over warm heat until warm and starting to brown. Put the pan in the hot oven and bake until the rolls are crispy. You may want to turn the rolls once while baking. Combine the Sriracha and soy sauce to use for dipping.

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

2 two-oz egg + apples	1.5 two-oz eggs
whole wheat flour + salt	crushed tomatoes
skimmed milk + butter	horseradish + Kraft Cheddar spread
1 egg white	clementine or apple
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

3 oz fish, any type + 1 small egg	olive oil + nutmeg + cucumber
cream + shallot + spinach	plain non-fat yogurt + white vinegar
nutmeg + canned white beans	6 felafel patties
Swiss chard + garlic powder	mint or dill weed + raw spinach
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Moby Dick

October 17, 2021November 16, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Moby Dick, originally titled The Whale, was published on October 18, 1851. Herman Melville’s epic was based on the author’s own experience at sea. Melville had crewed on a merchant vessel; served in the US Navy; participated in mutinies; been captured by cannibals in the South Seas; and been a harpooner on a whaling ship. When he wrote about ships and whaling, he knew what he was talking about. Melville had penned two previous novels: Typee and Omoo, both about the South Seas, both best sellers. So Herman was convinced that he could go to that well again. Moby Dick is about obsession [Captain Ahab’s pursuit of the whale] and madness [Ahab and the boy Pip]. The crew is a metaphor of the American melting pot, with different races and cultures coming together in friendship and understanding. The reviews were mixed, from ‘ill-compounded and absurd’ to ‘poetry in blubber,’ and sales were poor. Melville was despondent for the rest of his life, despairing that his goals of greatness and wealth would never be achieved. They weren’t. But in 1919, the Melville centenary started a re-evaluation of his work. Suddenly, Moby Dick was on high school reading lists and the Great White Whale became a metaphor for everything unattainable. Now the book is considered a classic and much ink has been spilled explaining it and comparing Ahab’s quest to all the human errors of the 20th and 21st centuries, from slavery to the Holocaust. Have you read it? You decide. I think it is time to read it again.

On a whaling ship, the food was abysmal: filling, but low in quality and monotonous. Dried beans, salt pork, and dried fish were often on the menu. Fresh fish were sometimes caught and when in port, fresh vegetables were added. Bad as the food was, whalers often ate more fresh fruit and vegetables than their countrymen back home during the winter. The sailors never would have seen eggs, but the pork and beans would be familiar, as would the salt cod for dinner.

Pork ‘n’ Beans ScrOmelette: 146 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 7 g carbs 50 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. As for the inspiration for this combination, I thought, ‘Well, why not?’ And it tastes good, too – the breakfast equivalent of a New England Saturday night supper.

1 ½ 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 Tbsp baked beans, straight from the can ¼ oz pork tenderloin, raw or cooked [left-over from a previous dinner] ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp HP sauce 1.5 oz strawberries, thawed or fresh Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

If the pork is raw, mince it and combine with the beans and a little water. Put in microwave for 45 seconds. If the pork is cooked, mince it and combine with the beans. Pour pork & beans to warm into a saute pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with the two sauces and pour over the pork and beans. Scramble to taste, seasoning with salt and pepper. By now the beverage is hot, the smoothie is shaken, and the strawberries are looking wonderful. Sit, eat, enjoy your breakfast at sea, as mariners never ate it.

Saint Kitts Salt Cod Stew: 243 calories 2.4 g fat 3.4 g fiber 39 g protein 14 g carbs 140 mg Calcium PB GF A savory stew of salt cod and fresh vegetables is just the ticket for a filling meal any time of year. In the Carribean, this is served with a coconut dumpling, but they have a lot of calories and I’m not happy with the recipe.

This dumpling is not the coconut one favored in the Caribbean. The recipe can be found at …Not by Bread…

2 oz salt cod 2 oz bell pepper, any color 1 oz scallion 3 oz tomato 1 clove garlic ¼ c onion 1/3 c fish stock

Soak the fish over night in warm water to soften it and to remove some of the salt. Drain the fish, discarding the water, and flake or cut into bite-sized pieces. Cook the pepper, and the alliums in water or fish stock – NOT the soaking water – for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and fish, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Robert The Bruce

October 13, 2021October 12, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Following the death of Alexander III in 1286, Scotland was in turmoil, with many contenders for the throne. King Edward I of England was asked to choose the next ruler [he chose Balliol], and many Scottish nobles pledged fealty to Edward, seeing him as a stronger leader. One of those nobles was Robert the Bruce. “But wait!” you say –“Isn’t Bruce the defender of Scotland?!?!” So who was Bruce, anyway? By 1306, Robert the Bruce, who’s family was originally from Normandie with the name ‘de Brus,’ had decided that he should be King of Scots. After killing his biggest rival, John Comyn, Bruce got himself crowned king. But he was off to a rocky start: several clans were related to Comyn and were against Bruce; several clans had backed William Wallace in the previous fighting and were against Bruce; and now Edward of England was against him too. Edward I died in 1307, but the winter of 1306/7 was a difficult one for Robert I of Scotland. Historians lost track of him, and that is the winter of the Spider Story. Bruce, separated from his men, was lying up in a cave/hut/forest glen. While worrying about his recent defeats, he sees a spider trying to build her web. She swings out to reach an attachment point and misses. Several times she tries and fails. When at last she succeeds, Bruce takes heart, thinking that if a spider doesn’t give up, he shouldn’t either. After a few years of guerrilla warfare, Bruce’s army won a victory against Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. On October 14, 1322, the Battle of Byland was fought in Yorkshire. The victory for the Scots was a decisive one: the English were routed, and King Edward fled for his life to York. Another major defeat for the English. Finally, in 1327, the English made peace with the Scots. Robert the Bruce died in 1329. He did not die of leprosy, as has often been said. He did have a skin condition, but his exhumed bones showed no sign of the debilitating disease. Both de Brus and Comyn are branches on my Scottish family tree. Everyone is related.

Robert wanted to keep Scotland Scottish. So today we present meals with several Scottish food stuffs: oats, salmon, cabbage, cheese. Let it be noted that the potato was not present in Scotland in Bruce’s time, but it was embraced by the Scots at last, and we will eat it with gusto for dinner.

Bannock with Salmon & Applesauce: 190 calories 4.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 9 g protein 30 g carbs `95 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Oat Bannock are a traditional Scottish bread, and the Scots learned to smoke salmon from the Scandinavians. That’s how these items end up on the same plate together.

4 two-inch bannock ½ oz smoked salmon 1/3 c low-fat vanilla yogurt 1/3 c unsweetened applesauce Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Bake, or thaw and warm the bannocks. Stir together the yogurt and applesauce until blended, or serve with a marbled appearance. Plate it all with the salmon for a very fine meal.

Rumbledethumps: 243 calories 10 g fat 4 g fiber 12.6 g protein 19.5 g carbs 171.4 mg Calcium PB GF Where do you get a recipe with a name like that? Sundays At Moosewood of course. Hearty meals like this, made with winter vegetables, are common in Scotland and Ireland. HINT: The recipe makes enough for 2 servings. Wrap half in cling-wrap and foil and freeze for another dinner.

¼ pound potato 3 Tbsp skimmed milk 1.5 tsp butter ¼ tsp ground mace 2 egg whites ¼ pound cauliflower ¾ cup cabbage, chopped ½ cup leek, sliced ¼ cup broccoli, chopped 1/3 cup cheddar, grated per person: ¾ cup salad greens 1 oz tomato ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp cider vinegar

Cut potato into chunks. Boil and mash with the cauliflower, milk, butter, and mace. Let cool. Steam the cabbage, leek, and broccoli until cooked. Take off the heat. Whip the eggwhites until stiff and fold into the potato/cauliflower mash. Taste for salt and pepper. Gently stir in the remaining steamed vegetables. Smooth into a lightly-spritzed baking dish. [choose the dish with the idea that you will be dividing this into 2 equal portions] Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees F. until the cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss in the greens. Serve the cool, crispy salad with the hot, creamy rumbledethumps. Good food.

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

1.5 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
1/4 oz pork loin	mushrooms
canned baked beans + strawberries	rosemary + apple
Worcestershire sauce + HP sauce	Parmesan cheese
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

salt cod + bell pepper	lean beef steak + corn starch
scallion + tomato	oyster sauce + oil + cabbage
garlic + onion	5 egg roll wrappers + carrot + onion
fish stock	broccoli + scallion + onion + Sriracha
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Dwellings: Abenaki

October 10, 2021November 25, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The Abenaki, called the Dawnland People due to their lands in the far East of the continent, are the indigenous people of New England and parts of Canada. There were many sub-sets to the group, but they were related in their Algonquian language and culture. Although at odds with the powerful Iroquois, the Abenaki learned from them their agricultural practice of planting the “3 Sisters” as crops. Primarily a hunter-gatherer-fisher folk, each family within the tribe would travel a singular route throughout the year, reuniting at the sea coast or a river for fishing in the summer. These are the people whom the Pilgrims met when they disembarked in Massachusetts [an Algonquian word] in 1620. These are also the people who sided with the French in the ‘French and Indian War’ of the mid-1700s. Their dwellings were constructed of saplings, covered with woven mats and bark. Extended families lived in domed “wigwams,“ easy to build from found materials. The door of a wigwam always faced East, toward the rising sun. Smaller teepee-shaped wigwams were used on hunting trips, to sleep up to three. In the winter, an oval longhouse, large enough to house more people, was lined with blankets and furs for insulation. Their villages always had a longhouse for council meetings and tribal gatherings to arrive at decisions by consensus. To avoid depleting resources, villages were moved a few times a year — inland for the winter, near a water body for the summer.

It is interesting to me to learn how people lived and ate in other places and times. There have been indigenous people here in New Hampshire since the glaciers melted 10000 years ago. The Abenaki were here before the 1600s and they are still here today. Their cuisine was based on fish as the principle source of protein, along with game. Agriculture centered on the growing of squash, corn, and beans for drying. Today’s menus are based on those foods.

Summer Vegetable Bake: 129 calories 6 g fat 2.4 g fiber 8 g protein 11 g carbs 33 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg-bake and fruit only, not the optional hot beverage. PB GF Corn, beans, and tomatoes are native American foods and they find themselves to be right at home in this breakfast.

++1 two-oz egg +++ ¼ cup corn-black bean-tomato salad ++++ pinch of chili pepper ++++ 2 oz melon ++++ 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] ++

Whisk the egg with the chili pepper. Heat the toaster oven to 350 F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray and put the corn salad into it. Pour the egg on top and bake for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the melon for a taste of Meso-America.

3 Sisters Stew: vegetarian version: 211 calories 3 g fat 9 g fiber 8 g protein 41.4 g carbs 71 mg Calcium meat version: 280 calories 5 g fat 11 g fiber 20 g protein 41.4 g carbs 81 mg Calcium PB GF The author of this recipe, Alex Aguilera, based it on a classic Chilean dish, but First Nations people all over temperate North, Central, and South America would recognize the ingredients of this stew. Turkey was a common food of early Americans and can be added if you wish. HINT: this recipe makes 4.5 cups of stew. One serving = 1 cup. Very filling.

¾#/12 oz butternut squash ……… 2 c corn kernels	Peel, seed squash and cut as 1” cubes. Put vegetables in pan with water to cover. Add a lid and simmer until squash is just tender, ~10 mins.
9 oz kidney beans, canned	Drain and rinse beans, and add to the pot. Cook until beans are hot.
	Put 1½ cups stew in a food processor or blender, along with some of the liquid. Puree, then return to pot to keep warm.
½ Tbsp canola oil …….. ½ c onion … ½ red bell pepper…….. ½ green bell pepper	Coarsley chop onion and peppers. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and bell peppers, and cook over moderate heat, stirring sometimes, until softened, 8 minutes.
½ tsp cumin, seeds or ground ……. ½ tsp oregano….. ½ tsp crushed red pepper… salt & pepper	Add seasonings to vegetables in the skillet. Cook, stirring, ~4 minutes until fragrant. Stir into the stew and season with salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your preference.Serve 1 cup per person, freezing the remainder.
Optional per serving: 1½ oz turkey dark meat	If turkey is raw, add it to the previous step. If turkey is cooked, add it now and heat stew to warm the meat.

James Whitcomb Riley

October 6, 2021October 5, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

…the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

James Whitcomb Riley wrote those words in his poem When the Frost is on the Punkin. Although my poetry-loving mother disdained Riley’s work, this one struck a chord with me: the Fall of the year; the brilliant foliage; the cool days; the feeling of satisfaction when the ‘harvest’ is in and the pantry is stocked for winter. I have that feeling every Autumn. Riley was born and raised in Indiana. He had trouble in school and finally finished 8th grade at age 16 [some sources say age 20], yet he had a knack for rhyming which he put to use as a sign-painter. A stint as a snake-oil salesman in a traveling show taught him how to read a crowd and how to pitch to everyday people. In his heart, he wanted to be a poet and to be acclaimed nationally, like his idol Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Riley sent poems to local newspapers, which were published, and he sent them to Longfellow, too. The great poet sent a letter of encouragement to Riley, which he took as an endorsement. But it wasn’t enough. Since Riley liked to write in dialect, as seen in the above quotation, his work was dismissed as merely ‘regional’ and sentimental, not on a par with the great poets of the East Coast. Yet he wrote more and more, and participated in poetry-reading tours around the country in the 1880s. There his down-home dialect and ability to play to the audience paid off. In the 1890s, Riley was a best-selling author, hailed as the “Hoosier Poet” [a Hoosier is a native of Indiana] and the ‘Children’s Poet.’ But it wasn’t enough. His alcoholism deepened as he battled the demon who told him that he wasn’t any good. There is a Riley Festival every year in Indiana, and he has been credited with the formation of a Midwest Cultural Identity. And every October, I recite his Little Orphant Annie.

For JW Riley’s birthday on October 7, some foods for Fall featuring seasonal vegetables: pumpkin and corn. Corn is the ‘fodder in the shock’. Enjoy them while the frost is on the punkin’. Read one of his poems to a child.

10-Grain Pumpkin Pudding: 175 calories 2 g fat 5 g fiber 8 g protein 32.6 g carbs [26.6 g Complex] 83 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB The delicious, nutty grains in the cereal seemed to called out for pumpkin and spices, and here’s the result. This recipe is easily prepared the night before and refrigerated for a quick and delicious breakfast.

4 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal Mix ¾ cup water 1 Tbsp ricotta cheese, reduced fat 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree, canned or fresh 1 tsp maple syrup nutmeg + cinnamon Optional garnish: ½ oz raspberries, fresh or frozen [7 calories] Optional garnish: 1 Tbsp pecans, chopped [49 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Cook the cereal with the water for about 8 minutes on the stove. HINT: do this the night before to save time in the morning. Stir in the cheese, pumpkin, syrup, and spices. Pour into a microwave-safe ramekin. HINT: you could get this all done and put it in the ‘fridge until morning. Brew the optional beverages. or not. Microwave the ramekin for no more than 1 minute. Plate with the fruit and optional pecans on top of the hot cereal. Ridiculously easy for a meal so satisfying.

Australian Chicken-Corn Soup: 198 calories 3 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 20 g carbs [6.5 g Complex] 9 mg Calcium PB GF This remarkable version of a Chinese soup is found in the “Australian Women’s Weekly’s” Chinese Cooking Class book. From such an easy preparation comes a wonderful, complex flavor. HINT: this recipe makes four cups of soup. One serving = one cup.

1 liter water 1 pound raw chicken – meat and bones 1.25 cm piece ginger = small knob ½ onion, peeled and quartered 2 peppercorns 2 sprigs parsley ½ tsp salt –OR-3.5 c. chick stock + ginger knob + salt + 2 peppercorns	Put chicken or chicken pieces into saucepan and add water, peppercorns, peeled and sliced ginger, onion, parsley and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat and skim well to remove any scum; reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, for one and a half hours. Remove any scum from top of stock. Strain and reserve three and a half cups of the stock.-OR-Simmer premade stock, ginger knob, salt and peppercorns covered for 30 mins. Strain.
3.5 cups stock 240 g creamed corn, canned 1 stock cube= 1 tsp dry bouillon grains ¼ tsp dry ginger powder 2.5 chopped fresh scallions pepper to taste ½ tsp sesame oil	Combine everything in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Take off heat and taste for salt.
2 Tbsp cornstarch 2 Tbsp water	Make a smooth paste of cornflour + water; add to soup while stirring. Put back on heat and stir until soup boils and thickens. Reduce heat, simmer for 1 min.
1 egg white 1 Tbsp water 2 tsp soy sauce	Beat egg white and water lightly. Add to soup in a thin stream, while stirring well. Add soy sauce. Taste for seasoning.
1 slice ham = 1 oz, thinly sliced ½ cup chicken chopped scallion/chives/spinach leaves	Shred meats finely, add to soup and heat gently. To serve, top with extra chopped scallions or chives or baby spinach leaves.

ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg	four bannock
corn-tomato-black bean salad https://wordpress.com/post/fastingme.com/15381	smoked salmon
crushed red pepper flakes	applesauce
cantaloup melon	low-fat vanilla yogurt
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

butternut squash + corn kernels	potato + skim milk + leek + butter
canned kidney beans + canola oil	ground mace + egg white + broccoli
red + green sweet bell pepper	cauliflower + Cheddar cheese + cabbage
ground cumin + oregano + paprika	salad greens + tomato + vinaigrette
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

Diet recipes that work

About Saving Time

Yohl Ik’nal

All Saints

Lady Liberty

Marcellin de Berthelot

Coleridge

Moby Dick

Robert The Bruce

Dwellings: Abenaki

James Whitcomb Riley

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: