Passing: Charley Parkhurst

December 28, 2025December 26, 2025 ~ 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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Parkhurst ferries a slightly apprehensive passenger.

“Passing” means living your life as someone you are not, and getting away with it. The term can be used for people living as a member of another race or of a different sex. Charley Parkhurst was a rip-snortin’, rough-ridin’, rootin’-tootin’, six-gun-shootin’ stagecoach driver of the Old West. Being a stage coach driver, or ‘Whip’, was the job for only the strongest, bravest, most daring of men. They were highly respected, and little boys wanted to be just like them. Parkhurst was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1812. Orphaned as a child, there were some hard years spent in an orphanage. Charley escaped and went to Rhode Island, getting employment at a livery stable. The boss took a shine to Parkhurst, teaching the youth about horses and coach-driving. When gold was discovered in California, Charley headed there and on the way, acquaintance was made with a man who owned a carting business. He hired the 37-year-old to drive delivery carts. Shortly after arriving in the Gold Fields, Parkhurst was kicked in the face by a horse, losing the use of one eye and earning the sobriquet “Cockeyed Charley”. Parkhurst reconnected with his old boss from Rhode Island, who ran a stagecoach line. Thus, Charley became a Whip. The other drivers soon recognized that, despite short stature and small hands, Charley was one of the best. Roads were muddy and rocky, steep and twisty through the mountains. Other dangers included bandits who wanted the bank strong-boxes that the coaches carried, plus bears, and mountain lions. Despite bad weather, floods, and washed-out bridges, Charley’s coaches were always on time, cargo and passengers intact. In 1868, Parkhurst registered to vote and participated in the election. Eventually, railroads took over the transport of people and goods, so Charley retired to a small property, farming in the summer and logging in the winter. When arthritis made motion less easy, Charley down-sized to the cabin where death finally overcame the famous coachman on December 28, 18–. Friends and neighbors had encouraged Parkhurst to see a doctor for his tongue cancer symptoms, but he refused. They found out why when they found him dead and began to prepare Charley for burial — Charley Parkhurst, who had been born “Charlotte”, was in fact a woman. Many of his friends refused to believe it. Parkhurst was so well-known, and the revelation so amazing, that newspapers across the country carried the obituary. Would Charley be considered a trans man today, or was Charley astonishingly adept at concealing his sex? [Before you try to correct me, ‘sex’ is determined by your chromosomes, while ‘gender’ is how you present yourself. Charlotte Parkhurst had the sex of a woman, but presented herself in the gender of a man.] Whatever. Does it matter? Charley showed that a woman can indeed do a “man’s job”, and that they can vote, too.

What did Charlie Parkhurst eat? Most likely simple, hearty foods found at a post stop while the horses were being changed, or meals prepared at home.

Ham ScrOmelette: 150 calories… 7.6 g fat… 1 g fiber… 12.4 g protein… 7 g carb… 45 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Here’s another classic of the breakfast table.

++ 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. ++++ ½ oz ground or chopped 3%-fat ham ++++ 2 oz melon or apple ++++ herbs to taste ++++ 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] ++

Chop the ham, slice the fruit, prep your beverage. Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. When the bottom begins to set, distribute the ham over half of the eggs. {OR warm the ham briefly in the hot pan, pour in the whisked eggs and scramble together until cooked.] Fold the omelette and cook to your favorite degree of doneness. Pour your beverages, and you are off to a good start to your day.

Chicken/Turkey Dinner: 284 calories… 4.5 g fat… 9 g fiber… 31.6 g protein… 34 g carbs… 58 mg Calcium… PB Perfect use for left-over roasted or lemon-marinated grilled chicken breast. Instead of potatoes, enjoy the crunch of high-fiber crackers. So low in calories that you may even have some lovely fruit for dessert!

++4 ounces roasted breast meat, without skin ++++ ½ cup/3 o z green beans ++++ 2 oz carrots, sliced as coins ++++ 2 pieces Finn Crisp crackers ++++ ½ cup sliced strawberries ++

Warm the cooked meat or not, according to your taste. Cook the vegetables and plate with the meat and crackers. Enjoy those strawberries as a sweet conclusion to the meal.

The Grange

December 3, 2025December 2, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Have you heard of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry? Probably not, but you might recognize its common name: The Grange. The name is from the French word for “barn”, a necessary outbuilding on every farm. The Grange was formed following a tour of the American South by a commissioner tasked by President Andrew Johnson to look into agricultural practices on small farms. Oliver Kelley visited farms in the former Confederate States and also in the territories and new states of the Midwest. He was horrified by farmers’ lack of knowledge about ‘progressive agriculture’. Kelley thought that if there were a national organization of farmers, that they could trade information and best practices to improve farm output and profits. Through the work of likeminded people, Grange #1 was established in Fredonia, New York on December 4, 1867. The group went national in 1873, setting up an office in the nation’s capital. From its start, the Grange was egalitarian, recognizing the work of women and teenagers on the farm. Every Grange was required to have at least four women among its elected officials, and teenaged boys ‘old enough to push a plow’ were permitted to join. Grange members not only promoted modern farming, they were a major part of the social fabric of the town. They sponsored patriotic celebrations, summer lawn parties, community suppers, and theatrical performances. Eventually, as forms of entertainment became more available and family farms became fewer, the Grange was no longer the sole way to meet people or to spend leisure time and membership dwindled. Today there are still around 2100 Granges in 37 states. We will always need farmers.

Our meals are from the garden and the hen house, just the right food for a Grange member.

Leek & Tomato ScrOmelette: 153 calories… 7.4 g fat… 3 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 12 g carbs… 73 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Eggs taste great — leeks and tomatoes always make them even better.

++1½ 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 tomato++++ 0.35 oz leeks, sliced and cooked++++ pinch garlic powder++++ 2 pinches basil++++ 1 clementine OR 2 oz apple++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]++

Dice the tomatoes and put them in a pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Add salt and the basil, and cook until warm. Add the cooked leeks along with the garlic powder. Whisk the eggs and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Cook to your liking: as a scramble or as an omelette. Plate with the fruit, serve the beverages of your choice, and enjoy a fine day.

Gazpacho: 171 calories… 6.5 g fat… 2.4 g fiber… 14 g protein… 14.6 g carbs… 57.6 mg Calcium… PB GF– if using GF croutons This is from Craig Claibourne’s Gourmet Diet cookbook from 1980. We used to make this, then it fell out of the repetoire. Time to re-embrace this classic Summer soup. HINT: Serves 3 [three]. Makes a fine follow-up lunch.

++1 pound red ripe tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp minced garlic ++++ ½ cup diced onion++++½ cup green or red pepper in ½” dice ++++ ½ cup cucumber, diced ++++ 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ++++ 1 Tbsp olive oil ++++ ¼ cup tomato juice ++++ generous grinds of black pepper + pinch piment d’Esplette OR Aleppo pepper OR cayenne pepper ++++ garnish per serving: 2 oz shrimp, peeled, cooked, cut in ½“ pieces ++++ ¼ oz whole-grain croutons ++

Core and dice the tomatoes. Put them into a blender. Add the next seven ingredients in order. Put the spices on top and turn the blender on to medium speed. When you are finished, all the ingredients should be mixed throughout but there should still be chunks of vegetables. Measure 1 cup of the soup into each bowl and top with the garnishes and a pinch of finishing salt. Just what we need in the Summer.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large	1.5 two-oz eggs + Parmesan cheese
applesauce + chives/scallions	tomato sauce + bell pepper
3%-fat ham + sage	garlic + parsley
part-skim ricotta + Dijon mustard	piment d’Esplette + apple or pear
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

3 oz rabbit meat + portobello mushrooms	Bay scallops + sun-dried tomatoes — not in oil
ham + onions + carrot	parsley or basil + butter
chicken stock + herb savory + thyme	olive oil + garlic
Arnold Sandwich Thin or slice 70-calorie bread	red lentil pasta + lemon juice
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Hoaxes, Regency Style

November 26, 2025November 20, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

People like to play tricks on each other, and for many different reasons. For amusement [as one does on April Fool’s Day]; for fame [like the Piltdown Man hoax]; to make a point [like the Cardiff Giant hoax]. During the Regency Period of the United Kingdom, there was a very curious sort of hoax that was perpetrated again and again by different people. On November 26, 1810, deliveries began to arrive at the house at 54 Berners Street, the home of Mrs. Tottenham/Tottingham. England at the time was the most powerful nation on earth, and London was its mercantile hub. Any sort of good or service was available to the consumer in Greater London, and this was evident when many hundreds of purveyors converged on Berners Street. Barbers and bakers. Fish mongers and felters. Costermongers and colliers. Each had received a letter, purportedly from the wealthy widow Tottenham, requesting a delivery to her house. The street was blocked for hours and the vendors were vexed when they were turned away at the door. The police were called to restore order, but no one knew who had perpetrated the hoax. Years later it was revealed/hinted that a young man named Theodore Hook — a bon vivant and prankster — had pulled it off. Oddly, the situation was not unique. Similar events took place in 1809, in London; in 1810, in Edinburg and London; in 1812, in London. Today’s equivalent is ordering dozens of pizzas to be delivered to someone you don’t like. This is why fast food places now get phone verification before filling the order. Fun for some, but not for all. I do not recommend this sort of prank!

Our meals today have an elegance that is fitting for the Regency Period.

Powder Mill Scramble: 155 calories… 9 g fat… 1 g fiber… 12.6 g protein… 6.7 g carb… 52.4 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF This recipe is straight out of Jerry Willis’ “Powder Mill Pond Restaurant” where it was a favorite. Alas, that restaurant is not more, but you can enjoy this at home.

++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 ++ 1oz smoked salmon++ ½ oz/ 2 Tbsp sliced scallion greens ++ 2 oz melon OR 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]++

Whisk the eggs [salt and pepper may not be needed depending on the seasoning of your salmon]. Pour into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. Before the eggs set, add the salmon and scallions. Scramble to taste. Prepare your optional beverage. Plate with fruit of choice.

Langostino with Garlic: 264 calories… 3.4 g fat… 9 g fiber… 26 g protein… 35 g carb… 120 mg Calcium… PB GF I wish I knew the source of this recipe, because I really like it. ‘Langoustine’ is either a large shrimp or the tail of a Norway lobster, according to LaRousse. Sometimes you find them frozen and when I see them, I buy them. HINT: the amounts shown serve TWO people. This is a good meal to share and more difficult to cut down for one serving. If you are into leftovers, make the whole thing and enjoy it for lunch or even dinner on a Slow Day.

++1 tsp olive oil+++ 2 clove garlic, chopped ++ pinch of hot pepper flakes+++ 5 oz langostino chunks or 4½ oz cleaned shrimp++++ 5 oz broccoli florets or asparagus, cut into 2” pieces ++++ 1 cup cabbage, sliced [3 oz]+++ 2 Tbsp dry white wine+++ salt & pepper ++++ 15 oz tomatoes, coarsely chopped or canned diced tomatoes ++++ ¾ c white beans, rinsed and drained++++ ½ cup fish stock++

Pour the tomatoes through a sieve, saving the juice that drains out. Heat the oil in a saute pan or wok. Add the garlic and hot peppers to the pan and stir for 10 seconds or less – you don’t want to burn the garlic. Add the broccoli [or asparagus] and cabbage. Saute for 3-4 minutes. If the pan gets too dry [ie: no sound of cooking], add some reserved tomato juices and/or some of the fish stock. Pour in the wine, then sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Cook to reduce the wine to almost gone. Add the beans, tomatoes, and fish stock. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add the langostine/shrimp/prawns and cook to thicken the broth. The prep is fussy, the cooking is quick, the result is delicious. If you wish, serve with a side salad of 1 cup baby greens, sprinkled with a quality vinegar and herbs. Or stir the greens into the saute pan at the last minute to wilt a bit.

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

Next week, I will be mentioning recipes for Advent.	1.5 two-oz eggs
Choose a new favorite breakfast from Archives.	leek + tomato
	garlic powder
	basil + clementine or apple
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

Next week, I will be mentioning recipes for Advent.	tomatoes + garlic + onion + croutons
Choose a new favorite dinner from Archives.	bell pepper + cucumber + red wine vinegar
	olive oil + tomato juice + shrimp

Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Anne de Bretagne

September 8, 2021December 14, 2024 ~ 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.

Brittany/Bretagne has long been a land apart. In the Neolithic, people constructed menhirs and the remarkable field of Standing Stones at Carnac. Once, it was called Armorica — a name that shows up in the North-Central coast being called “Cotes d’Armor.” Despite the 56 BCE Roman invasion, the native people still clung to their local language. Next came Celtic people from England, displaced by the incoming Angles and Saxons from Germany. This solidified the affinity between the Bretons and their neighbors across the English Channel in Cornwall — some place-names and the languages are similar. The Frankish Empire rolled over the land, creating the early nation of France, but as the centuries turned, Bretons had their own government, language, coinage, and were exempted from the onerous Salt Tax because they harvested that precious commodity near Guerande. Perhaps this is why the Bretons prefer their butter to be salted. Brittany was a [mostly] independent Duchy from the 900s, governed by an hereditary nobility. Until 1514. The only heir to Duke Francois II was his daughter Anne de Bretagne. She had been engaged many times, but now the duchy was in the hands of a 14-year-old girl, making her a pawn in the game of thrones. The prior King of France had declared during negotiations with her father that the French king should have a say in whom Anne married. So King Charles VIII married her himself in 1491, when she was 15 and he was 20. They were happy together, but had no surviving children at the time of his death in 1498. Anne, age 22, returned to Brittany as Duchess, but of course she had to marry again. The next king of France was her cousin-in-law, Louis XII, which made Anne Queen of France for the second time. Their’s was also a happy union, producing two daughters. Anne was an accomplished administrator, patroness of the arts, and an avid reader. She scribed and read official documents to her unlettered husbands. Had she lived past the complication of her last childbirth in 1514, who knows what mark she would have made in history. Upon her death, her daughter Claude married the future king, Francois I, forever joining Brittany to the nation of France.

Every Breton will tell you that the ‘crepe’ began in Brittany — a fact hotly disputed in Normandy. In Brittany itself, there is discord about the name: in the North and West of the region, they are called ‘galettes,’ while everywhere else they are ‘crepes.’ I use galette to designate the savory ones made of buckwheat, whereas I call the sweet dessert ones ‘crepes.’ Both our breakfast and our dinner today involve galettes. Not at all difficult to prepare at home.

Egg-Mushroom Galette/Crepe: 153 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 9 g protein 17 g carbs [11.3 g Complex] 39 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg crepe and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB This is yummy and very filling. The eggs are creamy, the mushrooms are earthy, and the crepe is nutty.

1 galette/savory crepe one 2-oz egg 1 oz mushrooms, chopped 1 Tbsp chives, chopped 1 tsp thyme generous dash of granulated garlic 1 oz raspberry OR strawberry 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]

Warm the crepe. Spritz the non-stick saute pan with oil or spray and gently cook the mushrooms. Put the chives, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in with the egg and beat it up. Scramble lightly with the mushrooms, keeping the eggs moist. Turn eggs out on the crepe and fold the galette over the egg. Plate the fruit. Sip your beverages and have a very fine day.

Leek & Bacon Galettes: 260 calories 5.5 g fat 4.6 g fiber 10 g protein 37 g carbs 114 mg Calcium PB Joanne Harris writes in her French Market cookbook about buying these at a market stall in France. Now you can make them at home. NB: It is easier/quicker if you prepare the galettes/crepes in advance.

2 buckwheat galettes/crepes ½ cup Leek & Bacon Filling ** 2 oz fresh tomato, diced and seasoned with basil or thyme + salt

**Leek & Bacon Filling: Makes 1½ cups Excellent in galettes and mixed with eggs. 2 oz American streaky bacon, uncured 3 cups leeks, cleaned and sliced cross-ways 1 clove garlic, chopped ¼ c Gruyere 2 tsp mayonnaise Saute the bacon until it is almost crisp. Remove from the pan, blot, and slice cross-ways. Saute the leek and garlic in the pan with the bacon fat until the leeks are limp. Take off heat and immediately stir in the cheese and mayonnaise. Ready to use

Gently warm the galettes and place them on a baking sheet. Warm the Leek&Bacon filling and divide it between the crepes, spreading it on one half of each. Fold the crepes in half, then in half again, placing them on the baking sheet so that the filled part is upper-most [this prevents unfolding in the oven]. Cut and season the tomato. Warm the galettes/crepes thoroughly in the oven. Delicious!

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

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
pear OR apple	Basquaise Sauce
Yorkshire Pudding batter	blueberries

Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

5 oz cod fillet	chicken breast meat + zucchini + eggplant
fresh beets	broccoli + bell peppers + carrots
carrot	plain yogurt + brown rice
garbanzo beans	tandoori sauce, purchased: 1/2 cup = 140 calories
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

The Canaries

September 5, 2021September 2, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The Canary Islands lie off the NW shoulder of Africa, 71 miles out to sea. They were first settled in pre-history by unknown people, perhaps fisherman blown off course. The Romans, venturing beyond the Pillars of Hercules, arrived in the 1st century CE and found ruins built by previous settlers. They also found lots of ‘dogs of great size.’ Pliny said that the islands were thus named “Island of Dogs,” or “Canariae Insulae.” Berbers from Morocco called on the islands in 999 CE, but departed. When the Spaniards came in the 1400s, they found a native population living a stone-age life. Eventually the eight islands became the last port of call for Spanish ships headed across the Atlantic or down the coast of Africa. Columbus stopped there on September 6 before sailing West to ‘the Indies.’ Spanish sailors took as pets the little yellow birds that lived on the islands, calling them “canaries.” Back in Europe, the Canary Birds were bred for color and singing ability, and they became the status pet of the rich and famous. In the 1800s, the birds were a fad pet for the masses. Around 1913, John Scott Haldane proposed that small mammals or birds could detect deadly Carbon Monoxide gasses in the air of coal mines. The small animals would sicken or die when the air quality was degraded by undetectable toxic gasses, hence the ‘canary in the coal mine’ as an early-warning system. Today the islands are an autonomous region of Spain. Although the indigenous Guanche language is extinct, Silbo Gomero, a whistled communication method of the Island La Gomera, is being taught in some schools.

The Romans would have recognized the ingredients of our breakfast, and the dinner reflects the tastes of Morocco.

Roman Breakfast: 149 calories 3 g fat 3 g fiber 9 g protein 28 g carbs [21 g Complex Carbs] 35 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Though my Roman Breakfast is not the morning meal, this is a very good plate of breakfast food. It is based on ingredients available to Romans in the 1^st century BCE. The meal is satisfying and flavorful. Try it.

1 Pan Muffin** OR 0.75 oz whole wheat bread 1 oz pear 1 oz cooked chicken 1 oz radish 1 oz cucumber [optional: ½ medjool date = ¼ oz] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Dice all the fruits and vegetables. Add a good finishing salt and gently stir to combine. HINT: I did this the night before and refrigerated the mixture. Prepare the pan muffin or take from freezer with time to thaw/heat. In the time it takes to brew the coffee, you can plate the muffin and the fruit-veg mixture. Romans did not drink smoothies or coffee, but we will. Hope you’ll enjoy your throw-back breakfast.

**PAN MUFFIN each: 71 calories 2.5 g fat 1 g fiber 2 g protein 11 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix 1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk [combine cereal + milk and let sit while preparing other ingredients. 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup unbleached flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda Cream the butter and sugar; mix in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and the cereal/milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Use 2 Tbsp batter for each griddlecake/pan muffin. [use 4 Tbsp batter to bake in a muffin tin for Slow Days]

Moroccan Tuna: 278 calories 1.4 g fat 7 g fiber 34 g protein 20.4 g carbs 129 mg Calcium PB GF Moroccan spice blend can really add zest to a simple meal.

4 oz tuna steak [frozen tuna steaks at the supermarket are good] Moroccan spice blend or ground cumin or mint 1/3 cup white beans, rinsed and drained 1 slice preserved lemon OR 1 slice fresh lemon per person: 1/3 cup peas with mint OR ½ cup broccoli florets sprinkled with cumin OR 1/3 cup green beans sprinkled with cilantro AND ½ of a clementine

Rub tuna generously on both sides with Moroccan spices. Chop the lemon and stir into the beans. Bake the tuna on a cast iron skillet for 4-5 minutes per side in a 400F oven. When the vegetable is cooked, drain and stir in the seasoning. Section the clementine and plate it all as pleases your eye.

Tomatoes

September 1, 2021August 31, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

80,000 years ago, there was a wild plant in Ecuador, Solanum pimpinellifolium, which produced red fruits the size of a cherry. Seeds spread by animals/people traveled south and north, to Peru and Mesoamerica. By 7,000 years BP [Before Present as geologists say], there was a larger tomato being cultivated in Mexico, where they entered the local cuisine. Post Conquest, the Spanish took tomatoes and other local food plants back to Spain. Not so fast! European botanists recognized them to be members of the Nightshade Family, which they equated with poison. Not only were people leery of tomatoes, there was even the legend that tomatoes were the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ of the Garden of Eden, and you sure don’t want to eat that! By the mid 1500s, tomatoes were being grown as a curiosity in Italy and in 1694, the tomato had arrived as a recipe in a cookbook. In September of 1820, a local promoter of good agriculture, Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson, let it be known that he would eat tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, from his garden in Salem County, New Jersey, USA. A throng of locals showed up to watch him sicken and keel over in agony. He didn’t die, of course, and people accepted the tomato as a new addition to their cooking. Is there a cuisine between Latitude 45N and 45S that does not use tomatoes? I think not. Although some people associate nightshades with arthritis, the tomato is GOOD for you — high in Vitamin C, Potassium, and the antioxidant lycopene. The United States is the largest producer of tomatoes in the world and ‘Better Boy’ is one of the most popular in home gardens, while other gardeners opt for heirloom varieties.

It was not difficult to choose today’s meals. These tomato dishes are so good to eat that I do hope you will try them. Whenever tomatoes are ripe in your area, eat some fresh.

Tomato-Curry ScrOmelette: 148 calories 8 g fat 3 g fiber 11 g protein 9.5 g carbs [8 g Complex] 78 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF This delicious recipe was loosely inspired by Fifty Breakfasts, a book by Col. A. R. Kenney-Herbert, detailing “dishes men like” and containing many flavors redolent of his years serving the Queen in India.

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. ½ Tbsp curry powder 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained 1½ oz strawberries dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt 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]

Drain the tomatoes so that they are not too juicy. Combine with the curry powder and whisk with the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Cook to your liking. Top with a dollop of yogurt for the full effect. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. A rousing good start to your day.

Tomato Soup w/ Sandwich 289 calories 5 g fat 5.6 g fiber 16 g protein 30 g carbs 210 mg Calcium PB GF Comfort food can also be low in calories. The soup recipe is from Fresh Ways with Soups and Stews, published by Time-Life Books. HINT: the soup is enough for 3 servings, so it is worth the time to make enough to freeze for later, rather than making a single serving.

Cook Soup: 1 tsp olive oil 2½ cups onions, chopped 1 cup carrot, thinly sliced 1 tsp fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried thyme 3 cloves garlic, chopped black pepper 28-oz can whole tomatoes, coarsly chopped with juices 1¼ cup unsalted chicken or vegetable stock ¼ tsp salt

Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp water in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot, thyme, garlic, and pepper for 7-10 minutes or until onions are translucent, adding more water if needed. Add the tomatoes their juice, stock, and salt. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. [more directions later]

Prep Sandwich: 1 slice 70-calorie bread [such as Nature’s Own] ½-oz slice Swiss cheese from the deli ½ oz ham, 97% fat free

Cut the bread in half. Cut the cheese in pieces the size of the bread halves. Construct a sandwich of bread, ham, cheese, bread. Save out one bread-sized piece of cheese. Wrap the sandwich in foil and put in the toaster oven at 350F until cheese is beginning to melt on the inside. Unwrap the sandwich and put the cheese on top. Toast the sandwich so that the top cheese becomes melted and might start to brown.

Finish Soup: 1 tsp ricotta or small-curd cottage cheese 1 tsp plain non-fat yogurt Puree the cooked soup in food processor or blender. TIP: Pour 2 cups [2/3 of the amount] into freezer containers to cool before storing. Put the remaining soup in the serving bowl. Stir the cheese and yogurt together and dollop it in the middle of the hot soup. Use the tip of a knife to pull the mixture out from the middle in several radiating arms. A few grapes add a dash of color.

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

1 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg + mushrooms
	chives + thyme
	1 buckwheat galette [savory crepe]
	strawberry OR apple
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

4 oz tuna steak + Moroccan spice blend	2 buckwheat galettes/savory crepes
white beans, canned	leeks + bacon + garlic
preserved lemon OR fresh lemon	Gruyere cheese + mayonnaise
peas OR broccoli OR green beans	carrot + broccoli + cauliflower OR tomatoes
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

The Bench on the Back Porch

August 25, 2021August 24, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

In South-Central Pennsylvania, where my family originated, there is a traditional piece of furniture: a bench on the back porch. The fancier front porch faced the road or street in town. It might have comfortable rocking chairs on which to sit in the evening, watching the world go by and conversing. The more simple back porch was tucked into the ell of the house, facing the garden. Furniture there was more utilitarian and in my experience it included a wooden bench about 6′ long. The bench was painted and had been built by an earlier ancestor who had perhaps built the house. I like to imagine an ancestress, perhaps my great-grandmother Annie Ely Bertholet [1850-1919] or her mother-in-law Hannah Mattis Berthelot [1818-1853], coming out of her hot, dark kitchen in Oley on a summer day, to sit on the bench, with her back to the brick or stone wall of the house. Was she taking a coffee break? No, she would be pitting cherries in July and peaches in August, peeling apples in September. She would be shelling peas or stringing beans or shucking corn in season. Working, yes, but in a pleasant location where she could feel the breeze and enjoy the hummingbirds in the Trumpet Vine. My mother inherited the bench, using it to store cushions for the terrace furniture. And now the bench is mine. It lives inside and serves as a plant stand in the Sun Room during the winter. It is in retirement after many, many decades of service on the back porch.

The summertime ingredients for today’s meals can be shucked, pitted, peeled, and cut while sitting on the Bench.

Corn Scramble: 130 calories 7.6 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 6 g carbs 44 mg Calcium PB GF If you enjoyed corn on the cob for dinner previously, and cut off some of the kernels, then that’s what goes into the eggs. What a fine late summer meal!

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. 2 Tbsp/ ½ oz cooked corn kernels 1 Tbsp chives 1 oz peach 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]

Put the corn and snipped chives into a non-stick pan spritzed with cooking spray for long enough to heat them. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper then pour over the corn and scramble to your liking. Plate with the peach. If possible, enjoy your breakfast on the porch.

Minestrone Soup: 1 cup = 145.5 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 8 g protein 27 g carbs 86.4 mg Calcium ½ cup = 73 calories 1.5 g fat 2.6 g fiber 4 g protein 14 g carbs 43 mg Calcium PB GF [if you use GF pasta] This recipe can be doubled easily, and it is a fine dinner soup for a hot Summer day. Prepare it in the cool of the morning so it can be served in the evening.

1 tsp olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 2/3 cup carrot, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 3 slices pepperoni, chopped	Prepare these ingredients as described, and put into a sauce pan together. Cook over medium heat until onions begin to wilt.
½ cup sweet potato, cubed ½ cup zucchini, diced ½ cup mushrooms, chopped 2 cups crushed tomatoes ¾ cup small white beans, canned lots of sage and rosemary, chopped 1 cup water 2 cups chicken broth/stock	Prepare the vegetables as described. Drain and rinse the canned beans. Add these to the pan, along with the water and broth. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes. NB: low sodium broth is preferred
1 oz pasta, whole wheat is preferred to boost fiber [orzo/ dinetelli/broken spaghetti]	Add the pasta and cook until it is soft, 5-6 minutes.
2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated salt and pepper to taste	Add remaining seasonings and adjust to taste. TIP: Soup is always improved by letting it sit for several hours before reheating and serving hot.

HINT: One serving is one cup, but you could go to 1¼ cups each. This recipe made 4 cups for me – multiple meals from one prep!

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

1 two-oz egg + 10%-fat cream	1.5 two-oz eggs
yellow curry powder + cooked brown rice	yellow curry powder
smoked haddock	fresh tomatoes
asparagus + nutmeg	strawberries
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

sole or perch fillets + scallions	olive oil + onion + garlic +canned whole tomatoes
96% fat-free ham, sliced at deli	carrot + thyme + low-salt chicken/vegetable stock
70-calorie whole-grain bread	1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread + Swiss cheese
Worcestershire sauce + carrots + beets	97% fat-free ham + ricotta + plain non-fat yogurt
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Cuvier

August 22, 2021August 21, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

In 1800, the field of ‘science’ was fairly new. One had a day job and dabbled in natural science. Ben Franklin and the Comte de Buffon in the 1700s were such men. Georges Cuvier broke the mold. His work as a naturalist earned him a professorship at the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle, during the French Revolution. He maintained the post during Napoleon’s reign and into the Empire. In that time, he became the most knowledgeable person in the Western world in the field of vertebrate paleontology. Paleontology was a new field too. Since it is the study of fossils, that assumes that fossils are the ‘preserved remains of ancient life’ as my textbooks used to say. This was not everyone’s assumption. Many people of that time thought that ‘fossils’, such as shells, were mere designs in rock to confuse the unwary and unwise. Further, the idea that entire species of animals had lived and become extinct was considered to be anti-religion. Yet Cuvier made a career of studying and identifying fossil bones and promoting the idea of extinction as scientific fact. Continuing the work of Hutton and Smith [correlation], Cuvier studied the layers of rock that rimmed the Paris Basin. He concluded that the area had once been a warm shallow sea, and that the rock strata changed over time — in direct opposition to prevailing thought. So well-known and widely-published was his work [Cuvier would work on 9 projects at the same time] that scientists from all over would send him fossils to identify. It was said that he could name the original animal from seeing one bone or one tooth. The only time he was stumped was by the first dinosaur fossil — no one had ever seen that before! Then next time you visit a natural history museum, think about Cuvier’s contributions to our knowledge of the ancient world.

During his hours of study in the Paris Basin, perhaps Cuvier packed a lunch of cheeses and sausage meat. Those are the core of our breakfast. Even though he was a student of bones, he had used fossil shells to help him to correlate the layers of rock across the Paris Basin. Our dinner can be served in clam shells on his birthday, August 23. Cuvier was a ‘catastrophist‘ and his way of eating was a catastrophe. Very slim as a young adult, he became very fat at maturity. We can admire his scientific intelligence but not his nutritional choices.

Charcuterie Bake: 137 calories 10 g fat 1 g fiber 11.4 g protein 8 g carbs [6.6 g Complex] 37 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. GF One Sunday, we invited friends over for what we call a “French Lunch” – bread, sausage, cheese, fruit, wine, and good fellowship. Dear Husband thought, “I know what breakfast will be.” And he was correct: left-overs reborn as breakfast.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz chorizo sausage ½ Tbsp chevre cheese, the creamy type ¼ tsp Dijon mustard herbes de Province 1½ oz pear 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 the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Cut the sausage into a small dice, then cream it together with the goat cheese, mustard, and herbes. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin/dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the sausage mixture and pour into the dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes while you pour the beverages and slice the pear. As simple as the meal which preceeded it.

Stuffed Clams: 262 calories 7.5 g fat 5 g fiber 28 g protein 34 g carbs 423 mg Calcium PB GF– if using GF bread crumbs If you served stuffed clams to guests, they would not consider themselves to be ill-used. The inspiration for this dish was a meal at the Georgetown Inn, Georgetown, PEI, Canada.

1 oz red bell pepper, sliced	In a small pan, cook the pepper in a small amount of water. Reserve water.
2½ oz [½ medium] tomato 1½ purchased turkey meatballs	Chop the pepper, dice the tomato, dice the meatballs.
4 oz asparagus OR 2½ oz broccoli florets OR 2½ oz carrots	Choose your vegetable and prep it for cooking. Add water to the pan in which you cooked the red pepper, then put in the prepped vegetable.
½ c [2 oz] clams, diced ½ slice 70-cal bread, diced 1½ Tbsp plain non-fat yogurt garlic powder, thyme, salt, pepper	Combine these with the chopped pepper/tomato/meatballs, and gently stir to combine.
2 oz carrots	Heap into two [2] large, clean, empty clam shells or oven-proof dishes which have been lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Bake 10 mins at 350F while you cook the vegetables.
½ Tbsp Parmesan cheese	Sprinkle cheese on the stuffed clams in the last minutes of baking. Plate with the vegetables.

Coco

August 18, 2021August 17, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19 in 1883. Her father placed her in a church orphanage at age 12, where the nuns taught her to sew. There the young girl was impressed with the plain lines of the Romanesque architecture and the ornate fabrics in the garb of the priests. On her own at age 19, Gabrielle became a hat-maker, with cabaret singing as a side hustle. Audience members called her “Coco” after a song she sang frequently. Using money from her polo-player boy friend, Coco opened a hat shop in Paris in 1910. In her hands, hats were stripped of feathers and bows, looking more mannish and very modern. The shop was such a success that she was able to pay back all the loaned money — Coco was fiercely independent in everything she did. A dress shop followed, and her styles became le dernier cri for modern Parisiennes. Over the decades, Coco Chanel became a major force in fashion, an influencer and style mavin. Chanel’s hallmarks were fluid fabrics such as jersey; the sailor shirt; pants for women!; knitted twin sets; the signature suit with the boxy jacket; and the little black dress with pearls. Fashion was never the same once Coco began changing the rules. Elegant, ground-breaking, stylish, comfortable clothes…what more does one want? Well, then there was WW2… Was Coco Chanel a Nazi collaborator? So it seems. Do with that as you will.

Coco makes me think of cocoa, so I’ll give you some beverages that contain cocoa yet make it possible to maintain Chanel’s slim profile. The dinner is also slimming and elegant.

Mocha Cafe au Lait: 65 calories 4 g fat 1 g fiber 4.4 g protein 10 g carbs [1.5 g Complex] 168 mg Calcium PB GF High in Calcium, this has 4.5x the protein and 5x the Calcium for only 10 calories more than Black-ish coffee. Some might call this a mocha latte, since it is made with regular coffee instead of espresso. So what.

½ cup cocoa milk [½ cup skim or whole** milk + 1½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder] ½ cup hot black coffee ½ level teaspoon sugar

**values when using whole milk: 87 calories 4 g fat 0.5 g fiber 4 g protein 9.4 g carbs 140 mg Calcium

The night before, put the milk and cocoa powder in a jar with a tight lid. Shake it well, then put in the refrigerator over-night. TIP: It is necessary to combine the cocoa powder and milk hours before, since they do not readily mix. Next morning, shake the coffee-milk well, and warm it in the microwave or in a hot water bath on the stove. Pour the coffee into a large [one cup+] cup or mug. Pour in the warm cocoa milk and sugar. Use a frother to whip up the milk and coffee. Elegant.

Cocoa-Banana Smoothie: 250 calories 4 g fat 6 g fiber 14 g protein 44 g carbs 405 mg Calcium PB GF If you were in a hurry, this makes a complete breakfast meal. Lots of protein to keep you going. Lucious and chocolatey. Or, this could be a lunch on a Slow Day.

1 cups fat-free milk ¼ cup/ 2 oz regular tofu OR 2 Tbsp/1 oz part-skim ricotta 2.5 oz banana 2 Tbsp cocoa powder 1.5 deglet noor dates, minced 4 ice cubes grated nutmeg

Put everything in the blender and wizz it on “Low” until it is all blended. Then run it at a higher speed until it is smooth. Top with grated nutmeg.

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad: 289 calories 20 g fat 6.4 g fiber 18 g protein 15 g carbs [14.5 g Complex] 75.5 mg Calcium PB GF This is delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. Real food. Good food.

1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled 2½ oz avocado [this was half an avocado], sliced in 4 pieces 4 sections of pink grapfruit 1¾ cups lettuce, sliced/shredded 1 oz cooked chicken breast [you could substitute 4 shrimp for a meatless meal] ½ tsp white wine vinegar + ½ tsp lime-infused olive oil + ¼ tsp ground ginger lemon finishing salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and ginger in a meduim-sized bowl. Add the lettuce and toss to coat with the dressing. Remove the lettuce to a serving plate, letting some of the dressing drip back into the bowl. Spread the lettuce evenly over the plate and sprinkle with the finishing salt. Starting at the center with the egg, arrange the grapefruit and avocado around the plate. Place the chicken as you wish. Brush the remaining dressing on the grapefruit and avocado.

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

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
chorizo + creamy chevre	cooked corn kernels
Mustard + herbes de Provence	chives
	peach
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

Clam meat, fresh, frozen or canned + Parmesan cheese	olive oil + zucchini + pepperoni
Tomato + red bell pepper + Garlic powder	carrot + celery + small pasta + onion
½ slice 70-calorie whole grain bread + thyme	crushed tomatoes + mushrooms + garlic
Purchased Turkey meatballs + Plain, non-fat yogurt	small white beans + sweet potato + Parmesan
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

T.E. Lawrence

August 15, 2021August 10, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888, offspring of a nobleman and the family governess. His parents and siblings, moved to Oxford where Ned was schooled. He loved history and on a study-abroad in Syria, Lawrence hiked 1000 miles to examine Crusader Castles, about which he wrote a book in 1910. Along the way, he learned Arabic and immersed himself in the culture. Ned put his archeology knowledge to use on a dig in Syria, 1910-1914. Wishing to help the war effort, Lawrence was posted to Cairo. He was the liaison between the English army and the Arab rebels who were fighting to overthrow the Ottoman Turks. Lawrence made a name for himself with the daring, unsanctioned, and successful strike against the Turks in the capture of Akaba. While flush with his successes, Ned Lawrence was disturbed by the knowledge that his Arab allies and friends were fighting to free the land from foreign rulers, while his English commanders were fighting the Turks so that Britain could expand its Empire. In 1926, his wartime autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was published. Later in life, Lawrence refused a knighthood because the British would not consider an Arab State. He was made famous by journalist Lowell Thomas in the 1920s and the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, where he was portrayed by 6′ 4″ Peter O’Toole.

Lawrence was a little man, only 5′ 5″, slim and fit. On a Fast Day, we eat little meals so you can remain slim and fit. Since Lawrence was not following the army’s playbook, we will enjoy an ‘improper’ breakfast. The dinner would have hit the spot with his Syrian-Arab allies.

Improper English: 148 calories 2 g fat 5 g fiber 11.4 g protein 37.6 g carb 24.5 mg Calcium NB: the food values shown are for the plated foods only and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF – if using GF bread or eliminating the bread. A “proper English” is the full Victorian breakfast, serving every conceivable food you can imagine. This version leaves out the eggs, cold toast, and kippers [how improper!], but keeps the protein-rich baked beans along with the rest of the usual stand-bys.

¼ cup baked beans one oz 3%-fat ham ½ of a 2.5” diameter tomato 1 oz mushrooms 1 oz apple or a few grapes 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]

Cut the tomato around its equator and put one half away for another use. Salt the tomato and put under the broiler until it softens. Cook the ham and mushrooms in the same pan to heat through. Warm the beans – perhaps in the microwave. Toast the bread and brew the optional hot beverage. Pour the optional smoothie and plate everything. Cheerio!

Felafel with Red/Green Salad: 287 calories 14.5 g fat 9 g fiber 11.6 g protein 29 g carbs 113 mg Calcium PB GF Looks great, tastes great, SO healthy. Win-win-win.

5 felafel patties 1 cup baby spinach leaves ½ cup red cabbage slaw** ¼ c pickled beets, sliced or cubed ½ hard-boiled egg, chopped 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice

**Red Cabbage Slaw makes 2 cups, serves 3-4

2 c. thinly sliced red cabbage 1 Tbsp finely chopped red onion	Prepare and set aside.
1 Tbsp plain yogurt, drained1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar1 tsp sugar or maple syruppinch dried dillpinch celery seed2 pinches Kosher saltfreshly ground pepper	Drain 3 Tbsp plain nofat yogurt through paper toweling for 15 minutes. Measure 1 Tbsp into a large bowl, then whisk in these ingredients.
	Add the cabbage and red onion and toss to combine.
	Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Thaw the felafel patties and warm them. If unbaked, heat them in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the lemon juice and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and the chopped egg. Quick and easy.

	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

dieting

Passing: Charley Parkhurst

The Grange

Hoaxes, Regency Style

Anne de Bretagne

The Canaries

Tomatoes

The Bench on the Back Porch

Cuvier

Coco

T.E. Lawrence

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