How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.
Can’t tell you how often people say, “Well I’m off on holiday and of course that means I won’t be Fasting, since that would be impossible.” And I think, “Why would you say that?” Having been at this for 5 years, perhaps it is easier for me to see the possibilities on a menu and do a mental calculation of calories. But even without that, if one sticks to lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables at meals on Fast Days, then one might even allow the odd glass of wine! Other days, enjoy whatever local fare is offered. The bottom line is this: Fasting on vacation does not mean ruining your trip or spoiling the fun. Rather, it gives you a framework which enables you to partake of local foods sensibly without the groans of disappointment when you read the scales upon your return.
Breakfast the Hotel: Most hotels serve a Breakfast Buffet, often of grandiose proportions. If you view it with a Faster’s eye, you will spot some offerings which exactly fill the bill. On Slow Days, one can sample more freely from the other tempting treats. Breakfasting from the buffet in Rome looked like this: It was the perfect prelude to a day at the Colosseum and the Church of San Clemente, with its 5 levels of historic interest.
Dinner at the Restaurant: If your accommodations are not of the self- catering type, you will find yourself dining in a restaurant on a Fast Day. Seafood to the rescue! At Botequim Açoriano in Rabo de Peixe, Sao Miguel, Azores, grilled fish with a side salad was a great meal. Enough for two, it just what we needed.
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.
According to the ancient calendar of northern European “pagan” culture, we are now 5/8 through the solar year. Those worthy sun observers noticed 4 major astronomical events: 2 solstices and 2 equinoxes. Those were ‘Quarter Days’ and deserving of a festival. Split those in two, and you have the 4 Cross-Quarter Day. There were calendars in most of the pre-Christian cultures, based on the sun and/or moon, marked often by the location of the sun over standing-stones. The parts of the year therefore have different names in different cultures: Thorri, Goa, Einmanudur, Harpa, in Iceland. Imbolc, Beltain, Luignasa, and Samhain to the Irish Celts. Candlemas, May Day, Lammas, and Martinmas to the Christian peoples of England. Lammas is the harvest festival, marking the gathering-in of wheat or other cereal crops. Despite its Christian associations, it is steeped in pagan traditions: baking special breads, crafting corn dollies, feasting and dancing.
Baking bread with sprouted grain is part of a Lammas festival, so we will have sprouts in our eggs at breakfast. The yield of the field will be evident in the dinner, made with fresh vegetables, wrapped in a grain-based crêpe.
Sprouted Bake: 270 calories… 5.6 g fat… 3.7 g fiber… 13.8 g protein… 36.6 g carbs… 226 mg Calcium… PB GF Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.
++1 two-oz egg ++++ ¼ c radish sprouts ++++1/2 oz avocado ++++1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese ++++¼ cup blueberries++++optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea ++++ optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider
Mash the avocado and mix with the cottage cheese. Heat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray and put the sprouts in it. Whisk the egg with the avocado mixture and pour over the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and pour the beverages.
Crêpes with Chicken Ratatouille: 249 calories… 5 g fat… 6 g fiber… 27.6 g protein… 32 g carbs… 190 mg Calcium… PB Galettes/Crêpes are wonderful to have on hand for use with a variety of fillings. If you had the crêpes and the filling previously-made, then the meal goes together in no time.
+++2 buckwheat galettes** ++++ 1.5 oz chicken breast ++++ ½ cup Mediterranean Vegetables++++1/2 Tbsp goat cheese ++++ 1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese ++++ herbes de Province OR tarragon++++ 3/4 oz carrots+++
If making galettes from scratch now: prepare the batter and let stand 30+ minutes. If using frozen galettes, put them in a plastic bag on the counter and let them thaw. Turn on the oven to 250 degrees. Cut the chicken into <1/2” pieces. Put into pan with the Med.Veg. and heat enough to warm the veg, reduce the liquids, and cook the chicken. Take off heat. Prepare the crêpes: either cook them now from batter or finish the thawing process by putting them in a warm oven. Add cheeses to mixture in the pan, and stir to combine. Toss in lots of herbes de Province or fresh herbs to taste. Arrange the crêpes on a cookie sheet and divide the filling among them. Fold over, pressing down gently. Heat in the warm oven and serve with the happy crunchy carrots. **BUCKWHEAT GALETTES: 1 batch makes 20 galettes, each using 3-4 Tbsp batter each galette = 50 calories … 0.5 g fat … 1.4 g fiber… 2 g protein… 8.5 g carbs… 6 mg Calcium…TIP: Keep some cooked galettes in the freezer for ‘instant’ use.
++ 1 cup unbleached flour ++++ ¾ cup buckwheat flour ++++ scant 2 cups water ++++ 2 two-oz eggs ++++ ½ tsp sea salt ++
Whisk the flours and the water until batter is smooth. Add the salt, then the eggs one at a time. Whisk vigorously. When you lift the whisk, the batter should fall off in ‘ropes.’ Let sit for 2 hours or over night. HINT: batter could be divided into 1 cup or ½ cup portions and frozen.If using frozen batter, whisk it vigorously after it thaws, and add a bit of water. Heat an 8” cast-iron pan or ceramic saute pan. Lightly spritz with oil. Dip a ¼ cup measure into the batter and let the extra drain off. Grasp the handle of the cook pan with one hand as you slowly pour the batter into the center of the pan. Tilt the pan quickly in a swirling pattern to let the batter form a circle roughly 6” in diameter. Don’t get hung up on perfectly round or perfectly flat. Watch the galette cook and look to see when the edges start to dry and curl a bit. Using a heat-resistant but non-scratching tool [I use my fingers], lift the galette and turn it over. Cook the other side until done. Time will vary, depending on the heat of your pan. Lift the cooked galette out, put it aside, and cook the next one. HINT: if storing them for later today or tomorrow, let them cool on a tea towel, then stack and store in a plastic bag with waxed paper between them.
Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to loseweightmotv8 who is now Following.
Have you ever found that you were wandering over the Yorkshire Moors calling, “Heathcliff! Heathcliff!” OK, maybe not, but the yearning of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff for each other transcends time and leaps off the page at you. Emily Brönte, under the pseudonym “Ellis Bell,” wrote the deathless novel Wuthering Heights in 1847. Tomorrow will be the 200th anniversary of her birth. Like her heroine, Emily could not bear to be away from her Yorkshire home, even though she was supposed to go off to work to contribute to the family’s income. She was a woman of conservative political beliefs who nonetheless was swept up in the Romantic Era‘s ideas of literature. Bronte was the daughter of a clergyman yet she wrote a book about a passionate, illicit love. Though she lead a sheltered life, Emily successfully played the stock market and ran a house on a frugal budget. She died at age 30 having produced one book and several poems.
Kippers, preserved herring from Northern waters, would have been popular in Yorkshire, even away from the coast. The economical Emily would have made sure that the parsonage was well supplied. Fish cakes, which also serve a household inexpensively, are what we will have for dinner. Is the wind howling around the house? Are there voices on the wind? Curl up with a good book.
Kippered Eggs: 294 calories 9.4 g fat 3 g fiber 18 g protein 34 g carbs [31 g Complex] 217 mg Calcium PB GF Kippers are traditionally served with eggs, but why not have them in eggs? We did and it is terrific!
++ 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 ++++1/2 oz kippered [smoked, salted, dried] herring ++++ ¼ tsp dried mustard ++++ 1 tsp lemon or lime juice ++++4 sweet cherries ++++optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie ++++ optional: blackish tea or blackish coffee ++
The night before: Soak the kipper fillet in warm tap water for 30 minutes. Mince the fish. In a small bowl, combine the juice and mustard, then mix in the fish. Leave it until morning. Next morning: Put the fish with its flavorings into a lightly-spritzed hot non-stick or cast iron pan to warm. Whisk the eggs and pour over the fish. Let the eggs cook without disturbing them, then fold and plate with the cherries. The beverages are a nice counterpoint to the savory richness of the eggs and herring.
Fish Cakes: 212 calories 4 g fat 5 g fiber 9.6 g protein 34 g carbs 52 mg Calcium [food values for dinner using ONE 1/3 cup-size cake and side dishes.] PB GF This recipe is fromLegal Seafood Cookbook, from the restaurant chain in Boston, Mass. Fish cakes have been popular where ever there are folk who want a little fish to go a long way. NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 6 cakes, each 1/3 cup in size. >>Each cake = 92 calories 1.7 g fat 0.8 g fiber 8 g protein 11.8 g carbs 22 mg Calcium NB:The Fish Cake recipe produces 8 cakes, each 1/4 cup in size. >>Each cake = 69 calories 1.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber 5.3 g protein 8.8 g carbs 16 mg Calcium 1/3 cup green or white onion, chopped 1 2/3 cup mashed potatoes [no milk, no butter] ¼ tsp dry mustard + salt + pepper 1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp milk 6 oz cooked fish [cod, haddock, salt cod, salmon or a mixture], flaked into small pieces 1 tsp butter ½ cup pickled beets 1 cup baby greens or sliced lettuce leaves + ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp vinegar + salt + pepper
Combine the onion, potatoes, egg, seasonings, and milk, stirring well. Stir in the fish, gently but thoroughly. Using a 1/3 cup measure as a mold, portion the fish/potato mixture into 6 cakes. Put on a plate or cookie sheet while the pan heats up. Heat a heavy fry pan, such as cast iron, and spray with non-stick spray. Cook the fish cakes on one side, flattening them slightly with a turner. Remove from the pan and add 1 tsp of butter to the pan. Spread the butter around, return the fish cakes, and cook them on the other side until they are browned. Serve while hot. What you don’t eat today, let cool completely, then freeze with waxed or parchment paper between the cakes.
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.
The breakfast is based on ingredients from a favorite restaurant’s pizza. The pizza was baked in a brick oven and came sizzling to the table. In your own kitchen, under cooler circumstances, you can make a no-fuss breakfast. The dinner is simplicity itself since the roasting was done in advance, and it can be carried to the nearest shady spot for consumption.
ForeStreet ScrOmelette: 278 calories 8.7 g fat 3 g fiber 15.8 g protein 35 g carbs 228 mg Calcium PB GF Based on a pizza from one of our favorite Portland, Maine restaurants, these flavors are teriffic together.
Three 2-oz eggs of which you will use 1 ½ 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. 1/8 oz bleu cheese 1/4 oz mushrooms 1/8 oz leeks 1 oz pear Blackish coffee or tea or lemon with hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider
Spritz a non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Slice the leeks and saute with the mushrooms until both are cooked. Whisk in the eggs and pour over the leeks and mushrooms. As the eggs begin to set, crumble the bleu cheese on top. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the pear, serve with the beverages of choice. Breakfast in a cool kitchen on a warm morning.
Pork Salad: 144 calories 4 g fat 2.4 g fiber 17 g protein 7 g carbs [6.8 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium PB GF When there is leftover meat from a roast, the easiest meal is to turn it into a salad with lots of yummy components. NB: I sprinkled each serving with 1/4 oz flax-seed corn chips which added 40 calories and only 4 g carbs.
2 cups salad greens, cut as chiffonade if leaves are large 2.5-3 oz pork tenderloin, cooked, sliced 2.5-3 oz tomatoes 1 oz red bell pepper, cut in 1/2” dice 1 oz whole fresh cranberries, not dried 2 oz zucchini sticks 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar + ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp blue cheese herb mustard
Prepare all the vegetables as described. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a wide bowl and toss with the greens. Plate the greens and decorate the salad with the other components. That was fast!
Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion
1.5 two-oz egg
1 two-oz egg
kippered herring
low-fat cottage cheese
dry mustard
radish sprouts
lemon juice
avocado
cherries
blueberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your smoothie
Dinner, single portion:
6 oz cooked fish
2 crepes [see Sidekicks I, 17 Sept ’17]
1 two-oz egg + dry mustard
chicken breast
mashed potatoes + butter
carrots + chèvre/goat cheese
green or white onion
low-fat cottage cheese
beets + salad greens
Mediterranean Vegetables [see Sidekicks II, 4 Oct 2017 for recipe]
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome chefmoonu who is now Following.
Sing along with me: “Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen./ Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men./ Feared by the bad, loved by the good/ Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood.” That of course, was the theme song to the TV series Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Richard Green. I loved that show! Yet even more, I was enraptured when watching the movie The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn. [There is NO BETTER movie about Robin Hood.] Robin Hood was my childhood hero. I read the Howard Pyle book and everything I could get my hands on about “Robin of Locksley.” Was he real or was he popular sentiment grown into urban legend? There are many ‘facts’ about him and his life, as well as many historians who say he is fiction. I certainly want to believe that his spirit is real and alive across time and space.
We will feast on foods associated with the good man: an egg dish named after him and a salad of venison, made from the King’s own deer of Sherwood Forest.
Robin Hood Egg: 291 calories 6.6 g fat 3.1 g fiber 20.6 g protein 55 g carbs [48 g Complex] 272 mg Calcium PB What this breakfast has to do with the legendary outlaw, I don’t know. At least no robbery is involved – you can keep your wallet and your waistline.
½ Arnold multi-grain Sandwich Thin one 2-oz egg 1 slice Jones-brand Canadian bacon [round, 1 oz = 20 calories] 2 oz slice of tomato
Slightly toast the sandwich thin and plate it. Season the tomato slice and broil it. Lightly cook the Canadian bacon while you fry the egg in a pan spritzed with non-cook spray. Assemble the layers in your order of preference and pour the beverages. Tuck [not Friar Tuck] in with knife and fork.
Venison Salad: 270 calories 8.5 g fat 6 g fiber 31 g protein 33 g carbs [30 g Complex] 118 mg Calcium PB GF If you have access to venison, this is a great way to celebrate Robin Hood.
3-½ oz roasted venison ¾ oz marinated mushrooms 1 oz roasted red pepper 1 slice dried pear, chopped 2 cups lettuce 1 tsp olive oil + ½ tsp balsamic vinegar 3 oz broccoli, fully cooked or blanched and cooled 2 oz tomatoes
Slice the roasted venison into pieces less than 1/2” thick. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar together, then toss with the lettuce and mushrooms. Place on a salad plate. Arrange the meat on the salad and arrange the red pepper, tomatoes, and broccoli on top. Dice the pear and sprinkle over all.
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.
On 11 July, 911 AD, we find ourselves in the region of Eure in the lower Seine valley. The Viking Rollo [Hrolf to his family] and his merry band of mauraders had made a sweet deal with the locals: you French give us the lands around the lower Seine River and the coastline, and we’ll stop raiding you. King Charles the Simple and his advisors agreed to the deal, and Rollo, a giant of a man who was so large that no horse could hold him [hence his nickname “The Granger” or Walker], became Duke of Normandy. The day almost ended badly. The haughty King Charles told his new vassal to kiss his foot. The unbowed Rollo refused but told one of his henchmen to do it for him. The henchman, unwilling to bow to honor the king’s foot as he sat astride his horse, instead grabbed the foot and raised it to his lips, almost tipping the king over! Rollo was generous to his followers, and gave much land to his half-brother, Bernard, called ‘The Dane’ [even though he was from Norway]. Bernard is my direct ancestor and he settled the town of Thury which is named after his battle cry: Thor-aie! The family name became ‘Harcourt‘, also a place name in Normandy and a well-known name in England. Rollo’s great-great-great-grandson became William the Conqueror, but that’s for another day. Once in France, these Vikings became known as “Normans”, short for “North-men”, and the land they were given became “Normandy”.
Since Rollo and Bernard woke up on July 11 as Norsemen, we will enjoy marinated herring for breakfast. Since they went to bed on July 12 as Frenchmen, we will dine on crêpes made with Jarlsberg cheese, because Rollo and Bernard’s father was ‘Jarl’ [earl] of Møre, Norway. Enjoy your Fast Day, and shout ‘Thor-aie!!”
Herring Plate: 292 calories 8.4 g fat 4.9 g fiber 12.6 g protein 32.8 g carbs 199 mg Calcium PB If you like herring, this is the breakfast for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and this is prepared in no-time-flat. Get your doctor’s OK to eat herring if you are taking a MAOI antidepressant medicine, as herring is high in tyramine.
+++3 Finn Crisp crackers +++ 1.25 oz herring marinated in wine [not sour cream] ++++ 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ++++ 4 Bing cherries OR ½ cup strawberries, sliced ++++ 3 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider ++++ optional: blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water +++
Do I need to describe this preparation? Spread the cream cheese on the crackers and pile on the herring. Delicious and so satisfying.
Crêpes w/ Ham & Cheese, home version: 283 calories 13 g fat 2.8 g fiber 15 g protein 27 g carbs [21 g Complex] 125 mg Calcium PB Not the street-food version of the crêpe, the filling is more like a Croque Monsieur.
++2 crêpes/buckwheat galettes ++++ 1 oz ham, diced or ground ++++ ½ oz Jarlsberg cheese, grated ++++ 3 Tbsp Béchamel sauce, no cheese ++++ 5 oz asparagus OR 2 oz tomatoes + 1 c. lettuce, shredded ++++ dressing: ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp cider vinegar + ½ tsp Dijon mustard
If the crêpes are in the freezer, thaw draped with a tea towel. If the crepe batter is frozen, thaw it, then cook the crepes, keeping them warm in a tea towel. Dice or grind the ham and grate the cheese. Combine ham, cheese, and Béchamel sauce. Divide it between the crepes and warm in a slow oven until warmed through and the cheese is melty. Cook the asparagus OR Whisk the salad dressing, then toss with the lettuce and tomato. Simple and good to eat.
Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion
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 Adrian K. who is now Following.
Jean Calvin [aka Jehan Cauvin] was born on Monday, July 9, 1509. Little did his parents in the town of Noyon, Picardie know of the tremendous impact their son would have on their country’s society and religious life. Destined for the clergy, Calvin grew up in the shadow of Martin Luther’s ideas to reform the Church. His father’s falling out with the local church elders steered young Jean to the law. In the 1530s, Calvin grew into a new theology, a synthesis of the ideas of Luther, Zwingli, and other leaders of Protestantism. Through studies in Basel, Switzer-land and Strasbourg [then in Germany] Calvin went on to organize and codify the new church. From the Cathedral of Saint Pierre in Geneva [where you can still see ‘Calvin’s Chair’], he oversaw the training of priests, the writing of liturgy, and the spread of the Reformation through his homeland. For the next hundred years, France was torn apart by religious wars as the Protestant Huguenots fought with the Catholics to worship as they pleased.
Calvin believed in predestination, but you are not pre-ordained to be over-weight. Enjoy eggs baked with the Camembert cheese of North-Eastern France for breakfast, as a way to begin Fasting. And since Picardie borders the ocean, mackerel will be our dinner and I’m sure Calvin would approve.
Camembert Bake: 146 calories 10 g fat 0.5 g fiber 9 g protein 6 g carbs 90 mg Calcium PB GF The best-known cheese of Normandy stars in this egg dish. Easy to prepare and so delicious. I hope you will try it.
One 2-oz egg ½ oz Camembert 1 tsp Dijon mustard grating of nutmeg 2 oz strawberries OR 1.5 oz apple slices optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider
Cut the cheese [rind and all] into small chunks and leave to soften at room temperature. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, then stir in the cheese mixture. Pour into an oven-proof dish that has been spritzed with non-stick spray and bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. When the beverages are ready, plate with the fruit.
Mackerel with Gooseberry Glaze: 276 calories 16 g fat [Omega 3 fat!] 1 g fiber 22 g protein 7 g carbs 26.7 mg Calcium PB GF This popular dish from Normandy usually features fresh gooseberries. Here in the USA, those are less common, so we make a glaze of gooseberry jelly. The zucchini picks up the color of green gooseberries.
3 oz mackerel, frozen cooked or fresh fillets 2 tsp gooseberry jelly/jam 3 oz zucchini ribbons
Heat the oven to 300 F. Put frozen or fresh fish on a baking tray and brush with melted jelly. Using a potato peeler, carve long, thin slices from the length of the zucchini until you have 3 oz. Toss the ribbons with salt and pepper. Place the ribbons on the baking tray in a heap [if they are in a thin layer, they will over-cook]. Bake for 5 minutes. Rearrange the zucchini so that the bottom layer is now on top. Bake 5 minutes more, or until the fish is thawed or cooked. Plate the fish with the zucchini ribbons and enjoy a meal of remarkable flavor.
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to Jasmine Eclipse who is now Following.
Is there a connection among the atom bomb, swimwear, and the Fasting Diet? Yup. On July 1, 1948, the US detonated an atom bomb on its test site named “Bikini Atoll” in the Pacific Ocean. On July 5, 1946, Louis Réard debuted a novel 2-piece bathing suit in Paris. He had been beaten to the punch by a designer from the Riviera who called his skimpy suit “L’Atome” since the atom was the smallest particle known. Réard dubbed his version “le Bikini”, after the site of the nuclear test. The suit, made from 4 tiny triangles of fabric, was daring in its brevity and that it showed the wearer’s navel. The name stuck but Réard, a mechanical engineer by training, had difficulty making many sales at his mother’s Paris lingerie shop because of social reaction. There was a popular song in 1960 about bikinis, but not until Ursula Andress rose from the sea in a white bikini did the look really take off. The rest is history.
It is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and people are going to the beach. Are you going in a muu-muu or a bikini? The Fast Diet will help you to get into a slimmer body better than any diet I’ve ever tried. What you wear after you achieve your target weight is entirely up to you. Today’s breakfast is delicious and easy to prepare. The dinner is full of the rich flavors of the French Riviera. Both are perfect for getting you onto the beach for a trim swim.
Citrus Breakfast: 290 calories 1.6 g fat 3.6 g fiber 21 g protein 48 g carbs [38 g Complex] 289 mg Calcium PB GF Is this the breakfast you imagine when you think ‘go on a diet’? Does it look like starvation rations? Banish those thoughts! Delicious, nutritious, and filling, this is a great breakfast for anyone, any day. And it has tons of Vitamin C and A and D.
½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese 2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla1 clementine, peeled and sectioned 2 Tbsp black currants 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water
Combine all the dairy and fruit [or combine the dairy and garnish with fruit after plating]. Knowing that I would have a busy morning, I did this the night before and refrigerated it. Great for a grab-and-go meal. With the hot beverage and smoothie, it is a vitamin-blast.
Feta-Tuna-Bean Salad: 306 calories 14.6 g fat 5.3 g fiber 19.3 g protein 24 g carbs [23 g Complex] 230 mg Calcium PB GF This salad has a lot going for it. Perfect for a hot summer evening.
1 oz canned tuna, drained 1/4 cup white beans, drained and rinsed 1 oz feta cheese, crumbled 2 oz tomatoes, cubed 1.5 oz red bell pepper, cut as large dice 1 pitted ripe olives, sliced 1/2 hardboiled egg, in wedges or chopped 1-1/2 cups baby greens OR full-sized leaves sliced cross-wise 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + lots of herbes de Province + pinch garlic powder
Prepare the vegetables as described above. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a 2-cup bowl. Add the greens and toss gently but thoroughly. Place the greens in the serving bowl and nestle the tuna in the center. Arrange all the other ingredients on top in a manner that pleases you.
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to mencanmakehomes who is now Following.
Tomatoes are such a ubiquitous food that it is hard to imagine a time when they were absent from world-wide cuisine and even feared as poisonous. Tomatoes are native to South America, where they might still be growing wild in Peru. They were introduced to Europe in the 1500s by Cortès. Botanically, they are members of the Nightshade Family, which includes the known poison deadly nightshade. Due to that association, this untried fruit was viewed with suspicion. But a few intrepid biologists/physicians/cooks were convinced that they were safe to eat, and their use caught on in Europe. On July 28, 1820, Robert Gibbon Johnson in Salem, New Jersey made a rash announcement: he would sit on the courthouse steps and eat tomatoes!! A crowd gathered, thinking/fearing/hoping [?] that he would die. He didn’t and thereafter, tomatoes grew in gardens and in popularity.
Our meals today feature the famed ‘love apple’, with eggs and enchiladas.
Broccoli-Olive-Tomato ScrOmelette: 291 calories 8.6 g fat 4 g fiber 18 g protein 38 g carbs [36 g Complex] 252 mg Calcium PB GF Sometimes things in the ‘fridge say, “Put us in eggs for breakfast.” Who am I to deny their urging?
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 oz broccoli 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 1 oz tomato 1/2 black olive ¾ tsp Parmesan cheese pinch of basil 2 oz strawberries black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie
Dice the tomato and drain in a strainer, overnight if possible. Drain the cottage cheese overnight if it is very liquid. Steam the broccoli and chop it finely. Chop the black olive. Into a hot saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray, add the tomato, broccoli, and olive. Stir until warmed. Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Scramble or fold as an omelette, hence ScrOmelette, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Prepare the beverages and plate the berries. Bliss.
Enchiladas Suizas: 293 calories 9.9 g fat 11.2 g fiber 31.6 g protein 43.4 g carbs 261.7 mg Calcium PB GF Rick Bayless relates this recipe in his book Mexico One Plate At A Time. Delicious and easy to prepare. Avoid assembling too far in advance, lest it turn to mush.
2 six-inch corn tortillas [50 calories each] 2 0z [½ cup] shredded cooked chicken breast ½ cup enchilada sauce*** ¼ cup grated Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese 1 oz broccoli florets + 1 oz cauliflower florets + ½ oz carrot
***Enchilada Sauce 1 cup = 75 calories two 28-oz cans whole tomatoes 2 jalapeno peppers 3 tsp vegetable oil [canola] 1 cup chopped onion 2 cups chicken broth
Roast the peppers in a dry skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes until splotchy with black areas. Put in a blender with the tomatoes and whirr until smooth. Cook onions in oil until golden, about 7 minutes. Raise heat and add tomato puree. Cook 10-15 minutes until thickened like tomato paste. Add broth, cover partially and simmer 15 minutes until slightly soupy. Season with ½ tsp salt.
Heat oven to 350 F. On an ungreased heavy skillet, place the tortillas and cook them until they begin to brown on one side. Flip in the pan and continue until each tortilla is pliable and slightly fragrant. Remove to a cutting board or baking sheet. Distribute the chicken between the tortillas, then roll up the tortillas, and place each in an oven-proof dish, seam-side down. Spoon the sauce over and around and between the enchiladas. NB: you don’t have to use all of the sauce. Extra could be frozen or added to eggs or soup. Sprinkle with cheese and put into oven for 20 minutes. Cook the vegetables, drain and dress with salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. So good!
Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion
How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome Rashmi Duneja who is now Following.
Decoration Day was a tradition that began after the American Civil War. Women would go to the cemeteries in the spring and decorate the graves of their dead husbands, sons, brothers, or fathers with flowers. Eventually this came to be known as Memorial Dayand became the focus of community holidays. Many towns claim the title of ‘First to Celebrate Memorial Day’ but Waterloo, New York has the longest recorded tradition. Alas, the ‘day’ has become a ‘weekend’ and that means that the meaning is diminished. Plus, it is difficult to distinguish between Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day which doesn’t help. So come Monday, decorate a grave, watch a parade and remember fallen soldiers. Then go home and eat sensibly because Monday is still a Fast Day. What with cornmeal, stars, and red-white-and-blue, breakfast is so patriotic you’ll want to join the parade. Dinner contains all the elements of a summer picnic, minus the ones that will fatten us.
Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt: 295 calories 4.3 g fat 6.7 g fiber 14 g protein 53 g carbs [46 g Complex] 233 mg Calcium PB Cornmeal and stars are SO American, that they fit in with any patriotic meal.
Cornmeal Stars: This made 3 large stars, enough for 2 servings 1 egg white 1 egg yolk, stirred 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal Whip the egg to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and the meal. Spray a non-stick pan with non-stick spray. Place your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center. Spoon the batter into the star, nudging it into the corners. Loosen the mold from the batter and remove it. Cook the star on one side until starting to brown, then turn carefully to cook the other side. Cool and store until needed. They freeze nicely. Per serving: 1.5 stars 2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla yogurt 2 Tbsp blueberries 2 oz strawberries, sliced or diced Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop the yogurt on top, then strew with fruit.
Memorial Day Hot Dogs & Beans:290 cal PBGF Hot dogs are traditional on Memorial Day. Baked beans are high in protein, low in fat, so they fit right in with a Fast Diet.
1 dog per person {Hebrew National has a reduced-fat hot dog at 110 cal each. And they taste good, too.} 1/3 c baked beans [I use canned, vegetarian beans if I can find them] HINT: You do not use all the beans in the can, so freeze the remainder for another meal. If you want them again for a Fast meal, freeze in batches of 1/3 c, rather than the remains of the entire can together. mustard and/or pickle relish one 2-oz egg, hard-boiled 1 and 1/2 tsp low-fat mayonnaise + 1 tsp prepared yellow mustard coleslaw [see SIDEKICKS II Oct 4, 2017] OR carrot and celery sticks
Cook the dog on the grill or in a little frying pan with a bit of water. Heat the baked beans [nuke ’em], cut up the celery & carrots. Peel the egg and cut it in half. Remove the yolk and mash it with the mayonnaise and mustard. Stuff the egg halves. Fasting on a holiday just got easier. Have non-Fasters over for the picnic? Ask them to bring the side dishes [potato salad, green salad, but not chips & dip] and let your guests eat the side dishes.
often of grandiose proportions. If you view it with a Faster’s eye, you will spot some offerings which exactly fill the bill. On Slow Days, one can sample more freely from the other tempting treats. Breakfasting from the buffet in Rome looked like this: It was the perfect prelude to a day at the Colosseum and the Church of San Clemente, with its 5 levels of historic interest.
accommodations are not of the self- catering type, you will find yourself dining in a restaurant on a Fast Day. Seafood to the rescue! At Botequim Açoriano in Rabo de Peixe, Sao Miguel, Azores, grilled fish with a side salad was a great meal. Enough for two, it just what we needed.
