dieting

Caroline Herschel

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to fenderf who is now Following.

You may have heard of Caroline Herschel’s famous brother, William who discovered the Planet Uranus. Or his famous son, John. Caroline was another story. Born on March 16, 1750, in Germany, she learned music along with her older brothers. But two diseases in her childhood ended her education, stunted her growth [she never topped 4’3″], and left her partially blind. Her mother was horrified to have a ‘cripple’ for a child and told her she was worse than worthless. The girl became more of a servant than a daughter. Small wonder that, after William was offered a post as composer/choir master at Octagon Chapel in Bath, England, he called for Caroline to be his housekeeper [I think to ‘rescue’ her] and she gladly accepted. William became interested in astronomy and the faithful Caroline, a self-described “well-trained puppy dog,” was his assistant. Soon, she knew as much about astronomy and telescopes as her brother. In 1782, she began recording her own notes about the sky and the following year she discovered two new nebulae. In 1786, Caroline began to discover comets, not as William’s assistant, but in her own right. Eventually, she wrote a new star catalogue, discovered 8 comets, 14 nebulae, and 2 star clusters. Not bad for a woman almost blind in one eye! Thus she made a name for herself in a man’s world: she was awarded a medal and a salary by George III of England, and a gold medal by the King of Prussia. And to think you never had heard of her.

Our meals today, like Caroline, begin in Germany and end in England. Both are delicious. [The meals, not the countries]

German Breakfast:  136 calories… 2.8 g fat… 4.4 g fiber… 9 g protein… 15 g carbs… 104.4 mg Calcium… Sturdy whole-grain bread, some curd cheese with chives and a slice of ham will get you going in the morning, just as it does for the Germans.

1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread [we like Dave’s ‘Good Seed’] +++ 2 Tbsp small-curd cottage cheese, 2%-fat ++++ 1-2 Tbsp chopped chives [cheese + chives is similar to ‘quark‘ in Germany] ++++ ½ oz slice of 3%-fat ham from the deli, thinly-sliced ++++ 1 oz pear   ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [75 calories] ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

The night before: chop the chives/scallion and mash into the cottage cheese to make the curd cheese more creamy. The next morning: toast the bread lightly and spread with the ‘quark-like’ cheese-chive mixture. Place the ham slice on top of the cheese and plate with the pear. Serve with hot beverages of your choice and have a “guten Morgen.”

Pheasant Casserole: 250 calories… 9.5 g fat… 5.4 g fiber… 22.5 g protein… 21.6 g carbs… 86 mg Calcium… PB This recipe is based on one from English Provincial Cooking by Elisabeth Ayrton and it dates back to the 18th century. Whole partridges were stewed with onion, carrot, and cabbage for 2.5 hours and served on thick slices of bread. Well, this is a modified version and it is delicious. This uses left over cooked pheasant meat and works well.

2-1/2 oz cabbage, sliced ++++ 1-1.5” thick ++++ 1.5 oz baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise ++++ ¼ oz onion rings [which I forgot to put on the top for the photo] ++++ 2 Tbsp chicken or pheasant gravy ++++ 2 oz pheasant [or chicken] meat, cooked and taken off the bone ++++ ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin

Prepare the carrots, cabbage, and onion and steam them for 25 minutes until the carrots are tender. If the cabbage is not yet done, leave it in the steamer with the lid on but off the heat until needed. Warm the pheasant in the gravy + 2 tsp of the water from the steaming liquid. Warm the Arnold Thin in the toaster oven. Plate the bread. Spoon a tablespoon of gravy on top. Place the meat atop the bread. Stir the warm vegetables into the warm gravy and plate them. Put the onion rings on top and pour any remaining gravy over the meat.

Tolkien

~ me ~ 2 Comments

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.

J.R.R. Tolkien did not set out to be a world-famous fantasy writer. Born in South Africa on January 2, 1892, he became a professor of linguistics at Oxford. There he dabbled in writing with a group called The Inklings. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis traded ideas and critiqued each other’s work. [This is why both their fantasy series feature talking trees, elves, and Christian allegory.] At heart, Tolkien was a lover of the linguistic roots of modern English and of old myths.  He wanted to create an English mythology and produced The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Silmarillion, as well as many songs, poems, and short stories. Tolkien’s works are beloved the world over for their universal human insights set in a fantasy landscape.  The Quest and Coming of Age themes are compelling and the characters are memorable. The works may not be the history of England and its language, but they are worth reading at any age.                                                                                                                          

Since Tolkien was such a devoted chronicler of all things English, today’s meals would please him as well as making sure that no Hobbits become fatter.  The mushroom breakfast is based on the casserole given to Frodo by Farmer Maggot’s wife, and the dinner is a classic English meal from the 1700s.

FarmWife Mushroom Pudding: 127 calories… 2 g fat… 2 g fiber… 7 g protein… 33.5 g carbs… 83.6 mg Calcium… NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  Having heard this described in The Fellowship of the Ring, I searched and searched until I found an approximation: this recipe in Theodora FitzGibbon’s A Taste of England.

++ ½ oz [around one strip] American/streaky bacon ++++ ¾ cup assorted mushrooms, chopped ++++ 3 Tbsp chicken stock ++++ 1 tsp white whole wheat flour ++++ 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce + salt & pepper ++++ ½ Arnold Multi-grain Sandwich Thin  ++++ ½ oz pear  ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories] ++

Cook the bacon partially, blot off the fat, and cut in strips. Pour off the bacon fat but return 1 tsp to the pan. Saute the mushrooms in the fat with a pinch of salt, and remove them. Pour some of the chicken stock into the pan and sprinkle in the flour while whisking to prevent lumps as it thickens. Add the remaining stock and some pepper. Put the bacon and mushrooms into the sauce and cook over low heat. Pour into an oiled oven-proof dish and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Warm or lightly toast the Sandwich Thin. Place the bread on top of the mushroom pudding prior to serving.  NB: you can serve it out of the baking dish or turn it out on the bread on a plate.  Enjoy with the pear and have a hearty day, even if you are not escaping from Black Riders.

Pheasant Casserole: 250 calories…   9.5 g fat …  5.4 g fiber…   22.5 g protein…  21.6 g carbs…   86 mg Calcium…  PB   This recipe is based on one from English Provincial Cooking by Elisabeth Ayrton and it dates back to the 18thcentury. Whole partridges were stewed with onion, carrot, and cabbage for 2.5 hours and served on thick slices of bread. Well, this is a modified version and it is delicious. Using left-over cooked pheasant meat, this recipe works well as a quick and nourishing meal.

Pheansant Casserole

2-1/2 oz cabbage, sliced 1-1.5” thick                                                                     1.5 oz baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise                                                                                                            ¼ oz onion rings [which I forgot to put on the top]                                                       2 Tbsp chicken or pheasant gravy                                                                                                                      2 oz pheasant meat, cooked and taken off the bone                                             ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin

Prepare the carrots, cabbage, and onion and steam them for 25 minutes until the carrots are tender. If the cabbage is not yet done, leave it in the steamer with the lid on but off the heat until needed. Warm the pheasant in the gravy + 2 tsp of the water from the steaming liquid. Warm the Arnold Thins in the toaster oven. Plate the bread. Spoon a tablespoon of gravy on top. Place the meat atop the bread. Stir the warm vegetables into the warm gravy and plate them. Put the onion rings on top and pour any remaining gravy over the meat.

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

one 2-oz egg                           +            apple or strawberriesNext week I will provide some favorite side dishes for Fast Days
whole-grain bread, 70 calories 
blend cream/half&half 
parmesan cheeseFind a new favorite in the Archives
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Beef chuck steak +  green pepper 
stewed tomatoes   + onion 
white whole wheat flour 
green beans   +  carrotsFind a new favorite in the Archives
Sparkling waterSparkling water

New Year’s Resolutions

~ me ~ 1 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.

Let’s resolve to be healthier this year. Let’s resolve to eat better this  year.  Let’s resolve to lose some weight, and be healthier, and eat better this year.  That sure sound like following the Fasting Lifestyle.  How? prepare the following meals tomorrow.  That means eating the 300-calories-or-less breakfast. Skip lunch but drink lots of water.  Black coffee and tea are fine too. Then eat the 300-calorie-or-less dinner, again with water. Next Sunday, read the next blog in the series and Fast again. Rinse and Repeat.

Basquaise Omelette:     147 calories…    8 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 9 g carbs… 80.5 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the Omelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basques region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.

Basquaise Omelette

3 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 and 1/2 Tbsp tomato sauce ++++  1 and 1/2 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped ++++ ½ clove garlic or big pinch granulated garlic ++++ 2 tsp parsley, chopped ++++ 1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 2 oz apple or 3 oz melon or 2 oz pear ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Heat the oven broiler. In an oven-safe skillet, put the tomato sauce, peppers, garlic, parsley, and 2 Tbsp water. Cook gently until the veg are soft and the water is evaporated. Remove from pan. Add a spritz of non-stick spray and heat the pan. Whisk the eggs with 2/3 of the tomato mixture and pour into the pan. As the eggs cook, gently lift the edge of the eggs and let uncooked egg flow underneath. Do not flip or fold the eggs. Top the eggs with the cheese and put the skillet under the broiler to finish cooking. Prepare the fruit and beverages. Slide the omelette onto the plate and top it with the remaining tomato/pepper mixture. Alternately, if you prepare the omelette in an 8″ cast-iron skillet, you could serve it from there, as shown in the photo.

Pork Somen Noodles   260 calories…   6 g. fat…   11 g. protein…     28.8 g. carb… PB Found on the back of a bag of somen noodles, this recipe is quick and easy and good to eat. HINT: this is enough for TWO. Dine with a friend or enjoy for lunch another day.

pork somen noodles

2 oz somen noodles ++++ 1 qt water ++++  1 tsp oil ++++ 1- 1/2 cup cabbage, shredded OR 1 cup snow peas ++++ 1 cup carrot, shredded ++++ 2 scallions, sliced diagonally ++++ 4 oz roasted pork tenderloin,  sliced into matchsticks   HINT: this uses pork which was cooked previously.  OR you can use raw pork** ++++ 2 cloves garlic, sliced  ++++ 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat the water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and cool. Slice the pork into 1/2” rounds, then slice cross-wise into sticks. Heat a heavy frying pan or wok. Add the oil and heat it. Add the cabbage, carrots, and scallions. **If using raw pork, add it now.  Stirfry for 1 minute. Then add 1-2 Tbsp water and continue to stirfry for 1 minute more. Add the cooked pork, garlic, noodles, and soy sauce. Saute until contents are warm.

Let’s talk about, um, er, elimination…

~ 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.

Some people find that a change of diet causes a change in their digestive health. Whether you end up too loose or too tight in your bowels, the cause is how your intestines are reacting to the addition of new food [vegetables, fiber] as well as the subtraction of other food [fatty foods, processed foods].  It turns out that the standard American diet degenerates the health of the good bacteria which live in the gut and help to digest our food.  The solution?  Re-populate those good little guys!

“How?” you may ask?  The solution we found lies in those green smoothies which we ingested during the Plant-Based Diet, about which I wrote earlier.  For breakfast we share a Fruited Green Smoothie like this:                                                                             2 cups of greens – spinach or Swiss chard or kale or a combination       1/2 of an apple or pear, seeds and stem removed                                                                  1/2 banana                                                                                                                                   1/3 to 1/2 cup berries – straw- or rasp- or blue or a combination                                      1 and 1/2 cups orange juice

This is blended on high in the Vita-Mix and tastes better than it looks! The recipe makes enough for three 8-oz servings. Put the extra in a jar in the ‘fridge for tomorrow.  We drink this every day, Fast day or Slow day and find it to be very useful for good digestive health.

Smo-o-o-oth

~ 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.

Lots of people think that smoothies are a good thing, but they can be fat traps. Even Michael Mosley advises against drinking them on Fast Days. He does offer a smoothie recipe in his Fast Diet book, and that is where this post begins: a smoothie to drink as part of a good breakfast instead of OJ and then a full-meal smoothie for those who like to sip their breakfast on the go.

Smoothie kits

M&M’s Fruit Smoothie:    91 calories    0.4 g fat 3.5 g fiber    4 g protein    16 g carbs [13.7 g Complex] 131 mg Calcium   PB GF     This is from the Fast Diet book by Michael Mosley and Mimi Sheridan. We make this because we want our Fast Day menus to be similar to our Slow Day menus and we have been accustomed to a juice smoothie for years. This gives us that but with more protein, probiotics, and some dairy.    NB: This recipe makes enough for 2 [two] smoothies.    HINT: I make up ‘smoothie kits’ in advance and keep them in the freezer. The night before a Fast Day, I put one of the kits on the counter to thaw for breakfast. Much simpler.  Two kits are shown above — enough for 4 servings.                                                                                                              3 oz banana [this is approximately 6″ of banana, which I measure]                                                      7 one-inch strawberries, stemmed [these may be fresh or frozen]                              ½ cup fat-free plain yogurt [I like to use Stonyfield Farm brand]                                                         ~10 ice cubes                                                    

Put ingredients in blender [or use an immersion wand] along with a large handful of ice cubes. Start at low speed while the ice breaks up and the fruit breaks down, then turn up to high for about 10 seconds. The mixture should have the consistency of a thin milkshake. If it is too thick, add water. HINT: Since this makes enough for two servings, if you are serving one, put the remainder in a jar with a lid into the ‘fridge for next Fast Day. Shake the jar before serving.

Flax Seed Breakfast Smoothie: 331 calories  9.3 g fat  12.1 g protein  44 g carbs   PB GF        To be perfectly honest, I have never tried this recipe.  I wanted to see how the numbers would work out. The goal was to make a high-protein shake, with fruit and probiotics from yogurt but low in fat. And it should fit within the 300 calorie/meal limit.  You might wonder why you couldn’t just drink all of the fruit smoothie shown above…. The answer is the low protein. This shake has a lot more protein, which you need for a Fast Day.

1 cup almond milk                                                                                                                                                   ½ cup plain, nonfat yogurt                                                                                                                                  2 Tbsp flax seed [2/3 oz]     honestly, I’ve never eaten/cooked with flax seed.                                          1 cup sliced strawberries [about 5.5 oz]                                                                                                             3 oz banana                                                                                                                                                           ~10 or more ice cubes

Put the fruit, flax, ice, and yogurt in your favorite blending device.  Run it on low speed to break the ice and fruit. Add the milk and raise the speed to high for about 10 seconds.

Please note the calorie count! If you were to consume this for breakfast, your dinner would have to have a low calorie count. I would suggest Cesar Salad [Mar 11] or Crab Cakes [Mar 1] or Baked White Fish [Jan 11] or Beans & Franks [Jan 28]. I would also ask you to note the high Carb content of this recipe. If Carbs matter to you, skip this one.