How to eat if you want to lose weight

Hedy Lamar

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

What must it be like to have both great beauty and an excellent mind? Most of us will never know, yet that describes Hollywood glamour girl Hedy Lamar. Hedwig Eva Kiesler was born on 9 November 1914. Her father, although a bank director, knew a lot about how things worked and would instruct his little girl about street-car engines or printing presses while they took long walks together. From an early age, little Hedwig was curious about machinery. She was taught piano and ballet as well. At age 16, she was ‘discovered’ by a director and was in two movies in quick succession. The film Ecstasy became infamous, and Hedy left films for the stage. An infatuated arms dealer married her, stopping her career. Their dinner parties had Nazis and other fascists at the table, discussing munitions and radio-controlled weapons. Hedy, of Jewish ancestry, left her over-bearing husband and met Louis B. Mayer in London. He signed her up for Hollywood fame and fortune, and a new career was launched for “Hedy Lamarr”. Hedy was paired with the leading men of the 30s, starring in many hit movies. But she still loved mechanical devices, and worked on innovations in her trailer between takes while filming. In 1940, Lamarr was upset that she could not contribute to the war effort. She teamed up with film composer George Antheil, another would-be inventor. They knew that one problem in war was that radio-controlled torpedoes could be jammed if their radio signals could be intercepted. Lamarr and Antheil worked out a way to operate a torpedo on a signal that jumps from frequency to frequency in a random pattern, thwarting its interception. This was called frequency-hopping spread spectrum. They patented the idea and tried to give it to the Navy, but it was rejected. Lamarr then did her best to sell War Bonds, and she was very good at that too. Skip to 1962, when the US military employed the idea during the Cuban Missile Crisis. If the patent hadn’t expired, Lamarr might have been paid for her development. In 1985, communications corporations saw a need for FHSS as they developed mobile phones and internet transmissions. Too bad Hedy Lamarr could not profit from her invention. She is quoted as having said,  “Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.” Hedy Lamarr was always glamorous but she was never stupid.

A breakfast from Miss Lamarr’s youth, and a dinner of Cesar Salad that was popular in the California of her adulthood.

Wiener Fruhstuck:  287 calories 10.5 g fat 3.4 g fiber 16 g protein 18 g carbs 140.6 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the plated items only, not the optional beverages.  PB In Vienna, this is a very popular meal, as I am sure you will agree when you sample it. The name means “Viennese Breakfast”.

One half of a 2-oz egg, hard-boiled 1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread ¼ oz Emmental or Gruyere cheese 1 oz pear or apple or 1.5 oz melon 27 g/1 oz veal sausage, such as Bockwurst   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Steam or cook the sausage in a pan with cooking spray. Slice needed amount of sausage and enjoy the remainder at lunch or dinner tomorrow. Plate all the elements, sip your coffee, and imagine yourself in a Viennese coffee house. Very pleasant.

Cesar Salad:  240 calories 9 g fat 4 g fiber 33 g protein 5.4 g carbs  106 mg Calcium  PB GF Straight out of the Fast Diet book, with quantities clarified a teensy bit. Large portion, good flavor.

2.5 slices Canadian bacon 3 oz chicken breast, left over from a roast 2.5 c chopped romaine or 2.5 c. mesclun 1 T grated Parmesan 3 oz tomatoes salad dressing: 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + Mexican oregano [Cesar Salad after all is of Mexican origin, not from Roman rulers]

Heat the bacon on a hot, ungreased griddle until it begins to brown. Remove and slice into strips. Cut chicken meat into strips or chunks, as you wish. Roughly chop or tear the romaine, if using. Whisk the oil and lemon juice in a salad bowl. Add the lettuce and toss to coat with the dressing. Plate the greens and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and oregano. Arrange the meat and tomatoes on top of the greens. Isn’t that a big meal?!

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

Whole wheat ‘sandwich thin’1 two-oz egg 
pineapple canned in juicescrapple + scallion
3%-fat hamraspberries
fat-free vanilla yogurtfat-free vanilla yogurt
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

5 cups whole-grain bread cut in cubes  3 cups shredded cabbage
four 2-oz eggs + 3%-fat ham corned beef
20 oz can crushed pineapple  + brown sugarBechamel sauce, no cheese
1 Tbsp butter +  side salad with beets Swiss cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Sax

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

All Seven Saxophones

Antoine-Joseph Sax should not have grown up, but he did and he changed the way music is played. Between his birth in Dinant, Belgium, on November 6, 1814, and his 14th birthday, young Adolphe fell from a height of three stories; drank a bowl full of acid-water; swallowed a pin; was badly burned in a gunpowder explosion; burned his side when he fell onto a hot frying pan; was almost asphyxiated from sleeping in a room where varnished furniture was drying; and was hit on the head by a cobblestone, then fell into a river and almost drowned. Maybe that is why he changed his name to “Adolphe.” His father,  Charles-Joseph Sax, an excellent wood-worker, was hired by William I of Orange to re-design the wooden instruments of the Belgian Army’s band, such as fifes and bugles. Adolphe grew up in his father’s workshop and learned the trade first-hand. When he was 14, he improved upon the clarinet. Adolphe studied flute, voice, and clarinet at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Sax wanted to invent a range of new instruments that would cover a wide range of notes. Combining a reed [found in clarinets and oboes, both wooden wind instruments] with a wooden instrument that had larger fingerings, Sax produced a hybrid. He called it the ‘Saxphone’. He entered an instrument-building competition in Belgium in 1840, and when he did not win, he went to Paris, France. There he hoped to supply the French Army with new band instruments. He was off to a rough start until he met Hector Berlioz, composer and music critic. Berlioz was enraptured by the new sound of the saxphone and wrote glowing praise about it. The original instrument was made of wood, but soon Sax switched to brass, creating the ‘saxophone’ we know today. But wait! Not just one saxophone, but eight sizes of different ranges! Then Sax made a wide array of other brass instruments which defy description. The French Army Band adopted the saxophone right away and Sax should have been raking in the money. Unfortunately, he did not patent it until 1846, then spent many years and much money fighting off those who would copy his invention. Sax was a lousy money manager, going bankrupt three times. His invention is still in use — in brass bands, in orchestras, and in jazz bands. Yet Sax died in poverty. Even brilliant innovators need good financial advisors.

French meals today, for Adolphe Sax’s adopted nation.

French Toast:  187 calories 6 g fat 2.6 g fiber 12.6 g protein 15 g carbs 95 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. HINT: This recipe makes French Toast for 2 people or two breakfasts. If serving one, prepare all the toast, but put the remainder in a bag in the freezer for a really fast breakfast later.

4 slices 70-cal whole grain bread one 2-oz egg 2 Tbsp fat-free milk   per person: 1 oz strawberries, fresh or unsweetened frozen per person: 1½ tsp maple syrup per person: one 60-cal chicken breakfast sausage   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Whisk the egg and milk together. Cut the pieces of bread into appropriate shapes using a cookie cutter small enough to cut two shapes from each slice of bread. [This step is important for the calorie count to come out right, so don’t skip it even if it seems too much like ‘crafty food.’ The bread that is left over can be fed to the birds or saved to make Stuffed Clams] Put the bread into a pan with a rim which is just big enough for the bread pieces. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread, making sure it is all wetted. Let stand OVERNIGHT. Also, mash the strawberries and stir into the syrup.

THE NEXT MORNING, cook the batter-soaked bread in a hot non-stick pan with a spritz of non-stick spray. Cook until browned on both sides. NOW PUT ½ OF THE PIECES ASIDE TO COOL. PUT INTO A BAG AND FREEZE THEM FOR A LATER DATE. Cook the sausage, too. Warm the mix of berries and syrup, and smear onto the plated toast. Enjoy with the sausage and beverage of choice.

Asparagus Omelette:  270 calories 14.5 g fat 3.5 g fiber 18 g protein 10 g carbs 178 mg Calcium  PB GF Susan Herrmann Loomis comes up with another super dinner omelette. HINT: This recipe serves two [2], but you could cut it if you wish, or double it to serve four [4]. 

4 two-oz eggs  ½ oz [3 Tbsp] Parmesan-Reggiano cheese Whisk eggs, just to blend in the yolks. Grate cheese and stir it in.
4 oz asparagus, tough ends snapped offCook until tender, ~7 mins. Cut off bud ends and slice the stalks thinly.
2 slices uncured bacon [30 cal/slice], cut into ½” pieces Cook in a non-stick pan until ‘lightly golden’, 2-3 minutes.Drain off all but ½-1 Tbsp fat.
1 scallion [1 oz], thinly sliced reserved bud ends cooked baconSaute in fat until transluscent and add asparagus. Heat until hot. Add eggs without disturbing the other ingredients. Sprinkle with chopped bacon.
Cook until top is done to your liking. Fold and plate. Garnish with bud ends.
Side salad with beet and tomatoToss the salad and plate with the omelette.

All Souls

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

At the end of October/early November occurs one of the four ‘Cross-Quarter Days‘ of the solar year. These days fall half-way between the two Solstices and the two Equinoxes. In Pre-Christian times, societies around the world observed holidays on all eight of these days, as they watched the progression of the sun through its year. To the Gaelic Celts of North-Western Europe, this time of year was Samhain [Sow-an], a dividing point between Summer and Winter, between Light and Dark, between warmth and coldness. On that day, the veil between our world of the living and the world of the dead was pulled aside — who knows what could happen then! Part of that multi-day festival of yore has turned into Hallowe’en on October 31. The Catholic Church then instituted All Saints Day for November 1, dating from the early middle ages when the church was young. The ‘saints’ were defined as the martyrs who had died for their faith and thus their souls had gone straight to Heaven. In the 10th century, Bishop Odilo of Cluny established the next day to pray for the ordinary people, those departed family members who were not martyrs and might not be in Heaven yet. [To the Catholics, those souls end up in ‘purgatory‘ and one’s prayers might move them on to Heaven.] The idea became popular and was adopted quickly among the faithful. Thus November 2 became All Souls Day. There are many homey ways to observe the day. In Guatemala, people fly giant kites with messages to their ancestors attached to them. In Poland, people return to their ancestral homes for a visit to the graveyard. In the Philippines, families set an extra place at the table and eat a meal of foods their ancestors enjoyed. [In our house, we cook special meals on our parents’ birthdays.]

For breakfast, eggs [always a symbol of rebirth] are paired with sprouts, to symbolize life. For dinner, a version of “Soul Food” from the American South, where collards and pork are popular New Year’s Day foods. [Samhain was considered the start of the New Year for the Celts.] On All Souls Day, walk in nature, visit the cemetery, look at photos of your ancestors, or fly a kite to celebrate all the Souls who came before us.

Sprouted Bake: 129 calories 5 g fat 2 g fiber 9.5 g protein 8 g carbs 45.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.

1 two-oz egg ¼ c radish sprouts OR microgreens ½ oz avocado 1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese ¼ cup blueberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurtsmoothie [88 calories]

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 optional beverages. 

Collards & Bacon w/ Pasta:  276 calories 9 g fat 6 g fiber 10 g protein 10.6 g carbs 161.6 mg Calcium  PB GF  In the American South, collard greens and pork are a popular meal, especially for New Year’s and Mardi Gras. The pasta used here is made with chickpea flour, so it is gluten free and full of fiber. HINT: This preparation is enough for two [2].

4 oz collard greens 2½ oz chickpea pasta, uncooked 1 oz uncured bacon 1 clove garlic, chopped ¼ c onion, sliced thinly ¾ tsp crushed red pepper ½ tsp oil 2/3 c crushed tomatoes 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated   optional: 2 tsp red wine vinegar

Chop the collards and cook in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain, saving the cooking liquid. Cook the pasta in the liquid from the greens, plus extra water as needed. Drain, saving the pasta water. Chop the bacon and cook in a 10” skillet until browned. Take bacon from the pan and pour off most of the fat. Cook the garlic, onion, and red pepper in the pan over low heat until the onions soften and the garlic is golden. If the pan gets too dry, add some of the pasta water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the greens, bacon, pasta, and tomato to the pan and stir to combine. Some cooks like to add vinegar at the last moment. Divide into two portions and top with Parmesan.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled 
a few slices whole grain 70-calorie bread70-calorie whole-grain bread
maple syrup + fat-free milkbockwurst + Emmentaler cheese
strawberries + 60-cal chicken sausagepear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

eggs + Parmesan-Reggiano cheese‘Canadian’ or back bacon + Mexican oregano
asparagus + baconchicken breast + olive oil
scallionlemon juice + tomato
Side salad with beet and tomatoRomaine lettuce + Parmesan cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

War of the Worlds

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

In 1897, a book by H.G. Wells called The War of the Worlds was serialized in the Pearson’s Magazine in the UK and the US’s Cosmopolitan. It was a science fiction tale of creatures from Mars invading Earth. Science Fiction had been around since 1616, but Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein had reignited interest in the genre in 1818. Wells, who had trained as a science teacher, was up-to-date with the science of his time. In 1895, American astronomer Percival Lowell proposed that the random lines seen around the equator of Mars were irrigation channels, constructed by an intelligent race of sentient beings. Wells said that his book about invaders wiping out the indigenous population was based on what happened to Aboriginal Tasmanians. The book was popular and still makes a good read today. Skip ahead 41 years. Actor and script-writer Orson Welles [no relation to H.G.] lead a weekly radio program on CBS called Mercury Theater on the Air. On October 30, 1938, they presented an adaptation of War of the Worlds. Cleverly written, it lulls the listeners into thinking that they are hearing music from a New York ballroom, but then the program is ‘interrupted’ by news flashes about an object that has landed in New Jersey. Horror, death, madness, and despair ensue, narrated by a scientist character voiced by Welles. According to Welles, the show created a nation-wide panic:  “Six minutes after we’d gone on the air, the switchboards in radio stations right across the country were lighting up like Christmas trees,” Welles said. “Houses were emptying, churches were filling up; from Nashville to Minneapolis there was wailing in the street and the rending of garments.” Or maybe not. Rather few people listened to the show, so Welles was probably hyping the result. My parents were both in college at that time. My father recalled listening to the radio play and thinking that it was a well-played joke. My mother, typically, was doing her homework. It is a good radio play, that still holds up well today — especially as an example of early “fake news.” If you have never read the book, give it a go. Then listen to the 1938 version, and enjoy a little shiver at Hallowe’en.

In all the versions of the story, Martian ‘cylinders’ and ‘Tripods’ appear all over the world in the wide-spread invasion. Our foods come from wide-spread areas of the world: Wales and India.

Welsh ScrOmelette: 156 calories 9 g fat 0.6 g fiber 11.5 g protein 6 g carbs 91 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF This is a real taste sensation and a great way to start the day. Reward yourself by making the effort to find the correct cheese.

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 to store in the ‘fridge for next week.  0.3 oz Cheddar cheese, preferably Caerphilly or Red Dragon  ¾ oz sliced leeks, white and green 1 oz melon  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]

Slice the leeks across the leaf and rinse under running water. Put into a small sauce or saute pan, add a few tablespoons of water, put on the lid and ‘sweat’ the leeks until they soften. HINT: I did this the night before. Cut the cheese into small dice. When ready to cook, spritz a non-stick pan with cooking spray and add the leeks. Cook about 10 minutes more until limp and maybe beginning to brown on the edges. Whisk the eggs with salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme. Pour over the leeks in the pan, scramble until cooked. Then sprinkle the cheese over the eggs at the last minute. Serve with melon and beverages of your choice. Fabulous.

Mushroom-Pork Vindaloo: 250 calories 7 g fat 5 g fiber 21 g protein 15 g Carbs 52.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  This unique curry dish comes from southern India. If you can’t find packaged Vindaloo Seasoning, you can prepare your own.  HINT: this recipe serves 2 [two]. 

1½ Tbsp Vindaloo seasoning  2 cloves garlic ½ tsp ground ginger 2 tsp canola oil ¾ cup onions [2.5 oz] 3 Tbsp cider vinegar ½ tsp sugar 5 oz cubed pork tenderloin or turkey breast [1.25 cups] 7 oz mushrooms [200 g] 3 oz broccoli florets, steamed ½ cup cooked brown rice

Press the garlic and stir into the vindaloo powder. Combine with the vinegar. Marinate the meat in that mixture for 30-60 minutes. Saute the onions in the oil until beginning to brown. Add the ginger, then add the sugar right away. Pour in the meat with the marinade and stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat until the sauce is thick. Plate with the rice and top with the broccoli.

dei Mille

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

Italy in 1860.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Italian Peninsula ceased to be one, united nation. It broke into city states and small fiefdoms which lasted until the 1800s. Some parts were dominated by strong families, others were owned by neigh-boring nations, and varying amounts of land were the property of the Pope. There was no “Italy.” Napoleon conquered the peninsula and divided it into three sections, one of which he personally governed. During that time, the ideas of the French Revolution were introduced, and some Italians began to think about unification and throwing off the old ways. The Congress of Vienna, 1814-15, broke up the landscape again, reverting to conservative rule. Plotting began, fueled by the continent-wide reforms in 1848, and people began to yearn for Risorgimento [Rising Again]. Through elections, the Northern realms began to consolidate, but a larger effort was needed. Giuseppe Garibaldi, a Genoese who had been a freedom-fighter in South America, raised an unlikely army of 1000, “dei Mille” to aid the cause. They were often called the “Red Shirts” because that was their uniform. They were doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, students, and one woman, and in May 1860, they sailed to Sicily. Despite their lack of training and their antique weapons, they were victorious in battle after battle. They moved up the peninsula and on October 26, Garibaldi met Victor Emmanuel II [King of Sardinia, see above map]. Garibaldi officially gave the King all the lands he had conquered. The march of the Mille was ended and the unification of Italy had begun.

Foods from the Italian Peninsula will naturally be on the menu today: with cheese from Parma at breakfast, and pasta for dinner.

Parmesan-Chive Scramble: 159 calories 9.5 g fat 1 g fiber 12.5 g protein 5 g carbs 139 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the Scramble and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  This is the Scramble version of Dear Husband’s ‘Bake’ of the same ingredients. Still wonderful! So is he.

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   1.5 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1.5 Tbsp minced fresh chives 1 oz kiwi fruit or pineapple or 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]

Whisk together the chives, cheese, and eggs. Turn into a hot pan spritzed with oil or non-stick spray. Scramble to perfection and plate with the fruit. Pour your choice of beverages and dig into a bright breakfast, even on a grey day.

Tortellini with Sausage & Spinach:  234 calories 10.6 g fat 3.6 g fiber 15 g protein 25 g carbs 202 mg Calcium   PB  This meal is from the site Salt & Lavender. I jiggered it around a tad, which cut the calories in half and reduced the fat by 75%. AND it still tastes great and goes together in a flash.

Serves 2 –
70-80 g Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing, crumbled or sliced in small piecesCrumble into a skillet. Cook over med-high, stirring a bit, until browned. Drain fat, if there is any.
56 g/ ½ c/2¼ oz dry cheese tortelliniPar-cook tortellini 4 mins in boiling water. Drain
2 cloves garlic
4 T. chicken broth
8 fl oz canned diced tomatoes with juices ¼ cup whole milk
par-cooked tortellini		Slice garlic thinly. Add to pan with these ingredients. Cook 5-7 mins, until tortellini is tender and sauce has reduced to your liking. 
2 c spinach, loose packed baby leaves Cut spinach if large leaves. Add, stir in until it wilts. 
Salt & pepper to taste 1 Tbsp. fresh Parmesan/servingSeason w/ salt & pepper as needed, plate, and top with cheese.

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

1.5 two-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg  + avocado
Welsh Cheddar cheese2%-fat cottage cheese
leekradish sprouts or micro greens
melonblueberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

pork or turkey tenderloin + mushroomscollard greens + chickpea pasta
vindaloo seasoning + ground gingeruncured bacon + garlic
canola oil + onion + cider vinegaronion + crushed red pepper
broccoli + brown rice + garlic + sugarcrushed tomatoes + Parmesan cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Camille Claudel

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

Poor Camille! Her’s was a life of family strife, thwarted love, artistic yearning, artistic muse, and involuntary incarceration — a real-life ‘soap opera.’ She was born in 1864, to a well-off family in Fère-en-Tardenois, northern France. Recognizing her talent as an artist, her father moved the family to Paris in 1881, so that Camille could study. [Her mother was against it.] She learned at the studio of a friend of Auguste Rodin. Impressed with her talent, Rodin took her on as an assistant in his busy studio in 1884. He was smitten with her looks as well. He was 44, she was 21. Camille posed for some of his statues and was assigned to sculpt the hands of several pieces — including those of the Burghers of Calais. As Camille learned new skills from her teacher, she was also in love with him. They inspired each other’s work. Claudel exhibited her sculptures at exhibitions, but they were often thought too sensual for general viewing. Two of her most famous pieces are Sakuntala, 1886, and The Waltz, 1889. Their love affair came to a halt in 1893, when Rodin made it clear to the 29-year-old that he would not leave his original partner, 49-year-old Rose Beuret. Camille was shocked, incredulous, and desolate. From that time, Claudel actively tried to distance herself from Rodin. Within a few years, she created the amazing Age of Maturity. To see it is to enter into the emotional state of the three characters: the older woman, her arm around the man, confidently leads him away; the man goes willingly, although a bit numbly, having just released the hand of the younger woman; the younger woman, on her knees, implores him to stay with her. Whew. Over the next 20 years, Claudel would be awarded commissions, but then they would be canceled. She blamed Rodin for scuttling her career, but behind the scenes he was her champion and secretly funded her life. She became reclusive, living alone in her studio, until her brother Paul had her committed to an asylum in 1913. Was she certifiably mad? Was she put away so her siblings could have her inheritance? Did her mother’s distaste for her career have something to do with it? We will never know. On October 19, 1943, the life of the talented and tormented Camille Claudel ended. Her work is on display at the Musee Rodin, where Rodin insisted that it be on view, and at the Musee Camille Claudel outside Paris.

Our foods today could be only from France, to honor the doomed life of the woman Rodin called “Madmoiselle C.”

Cepe Bake:  139 calories 6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 10 g protein 6 g carbs 61 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.   PB GF Am I bragging when I say that Bolete mushrooms [aka porcini] come up wild in our front yard? Sort of… but it is the truth – thanks to a stand of oaks which partner with the mushrooms. After researching which flavors go best with Cepes, here is an amazing breakfast.

1 two-oz egg 1 oz cepes/porcini [fresh or dried and rehydrated in hot water] 1½ tsp Parmesan cheese 1 oz tomatoes 0.13 oz prosciutto 1½ oz peach or pear   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Slice the mushrooms into small pieces [your call]. Cube the tomatoes. Coarsley chop the prosciutto. Spray a non-stick or small cast-iron pan with non-stick spray and cook the three above items until they are softened and have lost their liquid. Put the cooked ingredients into a lightly-oiled oven-safe dish and distribute over the bottom. Whisk the eggs with the cheese, and pour into the prepared dish. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until set. Plate with the fruit for a real mid-Summer delight.

Poulet Pierre: 286 calories 6 oz fat 3 oz fiber 31 g protein 24 g carbs 141 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF bread crumbs   A few decades ago, Dear Husband stuffed cheese in a chicken breast, breaded it, and dubbed it ‘Poulet Pierre.’ It was a family favorite. Here it is upgraded for Fasting. Still a favorite.

Two servings
1 chicken breast: that’s half of a whole breast, skin and bones removed.Began with one chicken breast and remove tenderloin. Divide meat in half by cutting parallel to the cutting board to produce two cutlets. 
Two 3½ oz chicken breast cutletsYou now have 2 cutlets, each around 3½ oz. If you wish, you can pound them to create an even thickness or to enlarge the diameter. 
2-3 Tbsp white whole wheat flour Put some flour on a plate on the counter.
One 2-oz egg Whisk an egg and put it in a wide, shallow bowl on the counter. 
one 70-calorie slice whole-grain bread Whirl bread in a food processor along with some thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Put crumbs on a plate on counter.
0.4 oz Gruyere Grate cheese and put it on the cut side of the chicken fillet. Then fold the fillet over the cheese.
Holding the folded chicken in one hand, put it in the flour, turning it over to get the flour to stick to all surfaces. You will not use all the flour.
Then dip floured meat into the egg, turning it so that the egg coats both sides. You will not use all the egg. [feed it to the cat]
Then dip the egged meat into the crumbs, turning it so that crumbs coats both sides. You will not use all the crumbs.
Put prepared meat onto a glass pie plate, spritzed with cooking oil. Bake 10 mins at 350F. Spritz the top of the Poulet Pierre with cooking oil, return to oven, cook 10 mins.
2 oz beets per serving   ¼ c barley pilaf** per serving Heat the beets and prepare the pilaf. Plate it all and enjoy the flavors.

**Barley Pilaf: Makes 1.5 cups  1 serving = ½ c = 160 calories 1.5 g fat 3.6 g fiber 7g protein 31.6 g carbs 10.6 mg Calcium  PB NOT GF  This recipe is from Rush Hour Cookbook. It is a super alternative to plain rice or purchased pilaf.

Yield: 1.5 cupsHeavy, medium-sized skillet
1 cup quick-cooking barleyIn skillet, cook barley over med-high ~5 minsuntil toasted and golden. 
1 clove garlic, finely chopped Add the grlic and stir 1 minute.
1½ c. chicken stock Add stock and bring to a boil.
½ c whole-wheat orzo
1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried 		Add to pot, stir, turn heat to low, cover and simmer 10 mins.
Take off heat, let sit 5 minutes.
2 Tbsp chopped chives or scallions
salt + pepper to taste 		Add these, stir, plate

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

barley flour + white whole wheat flour1.5 two-oz eggs 
2-oz egg + baking powder + deglet noor datesfresh chives
baking soda + fat-free milk + fat-free plain yogurtParmesan cheese
honey + Turkish fig + grapeskiwi fruit or pineapple or apple
optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

pork tenderloin + apples120-calorie Italian chicken sausage
chicken stock + broccoligarlic + Parmesan + chicken broth
Bechamel sauce, no cheese  dry cheese tortellini + whole milk
carrot + thyme + sageCanned diced tomatoes + fresh spinach
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Oscar Wilde

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

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. With a moniker like that, what choice does one have but to “make a name for himself.” The man in question was born 16 October, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. His parents were a noted and knighted eye specialist and a multi-lingual writer. Both of them had a fervor for social justice. After winning awards at Trinity College, Wilde went to Oxford on a scholarship. There he began to publish his poetry and to practice ‘aesthetics.’ That philosophy embraced a way of life dedicated to beauty, espousing that the sole purpose of life is to live as artfully and as beautifully as possible. After his degree, his volume Poems was published in 1881. Although reviews were mixed, he embarked on a lecture tour of the US and Canada: 140 engagements over nine months. He met elite writers and dined with coal miners. People lined up to hear him: either to heckle [“Mr. Wilde is too effeminate in his appearance to be a handsome man, and he is too masculine to pass for a good looking woman,” wrote a newspaper in Charlottetown, PEI.] or to soak up the idea that they too could surround themselves with beauty. This was followed by a lecture tour of England and Ireland. Thus he made a name for himself, becoming famous for being famous. The public was fascinated by his flamboyant style and outlook on life. At age 30, he married and fathered two sons. All normal so far, but from 1886, his wife was his ‘beard’ in polite society, for, on the side, he was in love with Robert Ross. Wilde was very busy and productive in the following years — he contributed to several newspapers, edited a moribund ladies’ magazine, and wrote two books of tales for children. In 1891, his life changed forever. In that year, Wilde published The Picture of Dorian Grey and met Alfred Douglas. The book scandalized society at the time with its hedonism and its implied homosexuality, but today it is hailed as a fascinating read, and has been made into films. Alfred Douglas was to be Wilde’s downfall. Over the next three years, Wilde dazzled theater-goers with Lady Windemere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest. The dialogue was witty and the plots wickedly skewered popular mores. They were a hit. Meanwhile, the Marquess of Queensbury [Alfred Douglas’ father] loathed Wilde and accused him of lewd acts. Wilde sued Queensbury for libel, but when the suit was dropped, the Crown charged Wilde with “gross indecency,” a crime in Victorian England. After two trials, he was sentenced to two years of hard labor in Pentonville Prison and Reading Gaol. The conditions broke him physically and emotionally, and upon his release he went to France where he wrote his famous Ballad of Reading Gaol. He died in Paris of meningitis, drinking a lot and in debt. Robert Ross paid for his burial at Père Lachaise Cemetery, where he commissioned the now-famous headstone of Oscar Wilde.

Our meals are not from Wilde’s native land, which he left; nor from England, which he fled. They are from France, where he sought refuge and finally died in 1900.

Charcuterie Bake:  137 calories 10 g fat 1 g fiber 11.4 g protein 8 g carbs 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 pinches of herbes de Provence  1½ oz pear  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

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.

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

1.5 oz mackerel or salmon 1.3 oz haddock or cod ¾ oz egg [either pullet egg or an egg white] 1/3 oz white beans 2 Tbsp cream 2 Tbsp spinach ½ Tbsp shallot 1 oz Swiss chard 1/8 tsp olive oil nutmeg + granulated garlic

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

Oktoberfest

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

Prince Ludwig and Therese.

On September 16, 2023, the 188th Oktoberfest began. It ran for 18 days, closing on October 3. So, if it is called ‘Oktoberfest’, why is it in September?? The answer is: it shouldn’t be. Oktoberfest is billed as ‘the Biggest Beer Party Ever,’ but, again, it is not supposed to be. On October 12, 1810, Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. To celebrate the event, a clever cavalry major suggested to the prince’s father that a horse-race be staged, so that all the citizens of Munich could enjoy the event. Thus, on October 17, at the newly-named Theresienwiese [Therese’s Meadow], a 42 hectare field in Munich, a horse-race was held along with food for all. It was so much fun, that people clamored to hold it again. From 1811 to 1813, a large, food-filled gathering was held at the ‘wiese, sponsored by the Bavarian Agricultural group. The Napoleonic Wars interrupted the fun, but the festival returned, now sponsored by the government. Throughout the years, epidemics and wars have shut it down, but Oktoberfest comes back with big beer tents, brass bands, roasted chicken, and lots of sausage. Oh — and beer. So why does it start in September? Beats me!

Since the original occasion was a wedding, we will feast on hearts at breakfast. Although chicken outsells sausage at Oktoberfest, we will dine on sausages. Happy Anniversary, Therese and Ludwig!

Waffle Fruit Hearts:  211 calories 5.4 g fat 4 g fiber 6.5 g protein 46.6 g carbs 87.4 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB Does your waffle maker turn them out in heart shapes? Save out a waffle or two for this treat on a Fast Day.

4 waffle hearts, each 2×3″ 2 Tbsp vanilla fat-free yogurt 1 Tbsp almond meal 4 sections of Clementine 1 oz blueberries   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]  Optional:blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Stir almond meal into yogurt and let it sit. Briefly warm the waffle hearts, then spread them with the yogurt mixture and top with clementine sections. Plate with blueberries, serve with an optional beverage.

Vegetable-Sausage Bowl: 295 calories 15 g fat 4.4 g fiber 10 g protein 22.5 g carbs 124 mg Calcium  PB GF  A riff on a recipe by Sarah Copeland in the New York Times, this fusion of German sausage and Asian flavors was a real hit at our house. Very quick to prepare and a great way to add vegetables to the diet.

2 servingsbig wok, skillet or cast-iron pan
½ oz almond slivers 
pinch Kosher salt		Add nuts, salt and stir until toasted, 1 min. Remove from pan and save.
1 tsp canola oil/other neutral oil
2-3 celery stalks, sliced on bias
½ c. carrots, sliced in thin rounds		Heat oil over med-high until shimmering. 
Add these and stir-fry until slightly softened, 1-2 mins.
1.5 tsp sesame seeds Sprinkle on seeds, toss until toasted, 1 mins. 
1 c. kale, without stems, fresh or frozen
1 c. torn lettuce		Chop kale roughly.
Add greens to pan, stir to combine. 
1½ tsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
2-3 T. water		Add these, scraping bottom of pan. Cook until greens are lightly wilted, ~1 min
2½ oz bulk bratwurst sausageBrown in separate pan, breaking into small bits. Add.
½ c. cooked brown long-grain rice Add to pan and stir well while rice heats. 
3 T. torn mint leaves 1 tsp Go-Chu-Jang sauce
1½ tsp soy sauce 		Scatter with herbs, add soy sauce and hot sauce. Stir together, serve in bowls with reserved nuts on top.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg + cep mushrooms 
chorizo sausage + chèvre cheesetomato + prosciutto
pear + Dijon mustardParmesan cheese
herbes de Provincepeach or pear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

3 oz fish, raw or cooked [2 different types]chicken breast + Gruyere cheese
1 egg + cream + shallotwhole-grain bread @ 70 calories + thyme
spinach + nutmeg + canned white beans2-oz egg + white whole wheat flour
swiss chard + powdered garlicbeets + barley pilaf + rosemary
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Denis

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

A Roman citizen name Dionysius [granted, that is a Greek name, but the Romans borrowed a lot] was born in what is now Italy in the 3rd century CE. He became a Christian, and was sent to Roman Gaul to tend to the souls of Christians in Lutetia [now called Paris], and to be their bishop. The most of the Roman town was on the hills of the Left Bank, so Dionysius set up on an island in the River Seine now called Île de la Cité. Things were going fine, until the priests of the Roman pantheon became alarmed at Dionysius’ number of converts. The bishop and his two companions, Rusticus and Eleutherius, were arrested and sentenced to death. On a high hill overlooking the river, the three were beheaded on October 9, 250. Some say that is the origin of the name of the hill: Montmartre, Martyrs’ Mountain — or maybe not… But Dionysius refused to die. Legend has it that he picked up his head and walked North for six kilometers. All the while, his head preached the Gospel. Thus he joined the ranks of the cephalophores: saints who carry their heads. He was buried where he finally fell, and a shrine was built — then a chapel, then an abbey. Eventually, it became the town of Saint Denis on the outskirts of Paris and the chapel was rebuilt as the first Gothic-style church ever seen, the Basilica of St-Denis. Since the time of King Dagobert the Merovingian, all French kings were entombed at St Denis. The necropolis is a sight to behold. Along with the tombs of royalty, the church held another relic: the Oriflamme. This was the battle banner of French kings, called the Oriflamme of St-Denis, although he had nothing to do with it in his lifetime. Flying the flag represented the presence of Saint Denis at the battle. It was lost at the battle of Agincourt. Dionysius name was changed to ‘Denis’ in later centuries and he is one of the Patron Saints of France.

Our breakfast is aptly named and fit for a king. Our dinner is from Italy, just like St-Denis.

St Denis ScrOmelette:  144 calories 8 g fat 2 g fiber 12.5 g protein 6.4 g carbs 57 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  James Beard’s comprehensive volume American Cooking gives us the recipe for this breakfast. Delicious, and rich, and wonderful. Worth getting up for.

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 Tbsp leek or scallion, minced ½ clove garlic, minced ¼ oz mushrooms ¼ oz ham [3% fat], minced 1 tsp chicken liver OR chicken liver pate parsley for garnish 4 Bing cherries -OR- 2 oz melon of any sort  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 a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the leek, garlic, ham, and mushrooms and stir to cook. Whisk the eggs with the pate and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Cook as thoroughly as you like. The optional beverages are prepared and the fruit is plated. What a remarkable start to your day.

Polpette Supper:  296 calories 11 g fat 4 g fiber 12 g protein 34 g carbs 166 mg Calcium  PB  GF – if using GF breadcrumbs and zucchini This is one of the ‘poverty foods’ of Europe: meatless, filling, plant-based meals for the people who lived by subsistence farming. The original recipe calls for Ricotta, but Cottage Cheese is less caloric and lower in fat.

2 polpette balls** 2.5 fl oz sauce side salad with cucumbers ¾ oz whole-grain sourdough bread -OR- 1 cup cooked zucchini slices 2 basil leaves, torn in bits 2 tsp grated Pecorino Romano

Warm polpette balls and the sauce together. Plate, topped with sauce, basil, and grated cheese. On the side, the salad, and zucchini or bread.

**8 polpette + 1.25 c sauce1 Sv = 2 polpette + 2.5 fl oz sauce
2 basil leaves
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 garlic clove
pinch red-pepper flakes  		Tear basil leaves in 1/2.  Smash garlic. 
Stir everything together in a small saucepan. Cook over very low heat 10 mins.  Don’t brown garlic.
Take off heat, strain oil, discard solids and set infused oil aside.
14 fl oz canned crushed tomatoes 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste 3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c. water
infused oil		Combine these in a big pot.  Bring to a boil over med-high, then turn down to a simmer. Partially cover, simmer over low heat, undisturbed.
8 oz 2%-fat cottage cheese
 1/2 c.+ 2 T. dry bread crumbs
1.4 oz unshelled egg
1 T. Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 Tbsp kosher salt 
1/4 tsp black pepper 		Break an egg into a bowl and whisk briefly. Measure out the portion required. Drain cottage cheese of excessive liquid, mash with fork to break up large curds. 
Finely grate Pecorino-Romano.  Chop parsley. In a bowl, mix all ingredients until combined.  The mixture will be quite soft.
With wet hands, pinch off eight portions, each ~2 Tbsp.
Roll into balls: ~2” wide, ~40 g each.  Put on a baking sheet.
Bring sauce to a low boil. A few at a time, add balls carefully to sauce. Shimmy pot back and forth after each addition, to prevent sticking or clumping. Do not stir, lest balls break apart.
Cover pot, cook in sauce, undisturbed, 4 mins. Take off lid and shimmy pot. Balls will have begun to firm. 
Cover pot again, cook 10 mins, until balls are firm, plump and cooked through.

Baedeker

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

In the the late 1800s, everyone who traveled knew Baedeker — if not who he was, then what it was. Karl Baedeker was born in 1801 in Germany. His family were printers and ran bookshops. Son Karl, fluent in many languages, saw a need to specialize in a certain type of book: guides for the far-flung voyager. His was not the first such book, but Baedeker’s guides came along at the right time. In 1832, when he bought out another printer and his line of travel books, Europe was peace, and people had begun to travel again. Baedeker expanded the existing guide to the Rhine River, telling you not only what to see, but where to stay and what to stay away from. He had been to the places which he described, so he knew his subject. More guidebooks followed, covering Holland and Belgium. The idea of including tour routes was ‘borrowed’ from an English rival, but Baedeker had innovations of his own: descriptions of foreign customs, recommendations on tipping [which he hated], first aid tips, and useful local vocabulary. By the time of his death in 1859, the series of small red-covered books included one for Paris. With a new line of books translated into English, the guides were embraced by Britons. Karl Baedeker’s sons continued the business, and expanded the territory. By 1908, the name Baedeker was synonymous with travel. In E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, poor Miss Lucy Honeychurch‘s visit to the Santa Croce in Firenze is ruined because she does not have her Baedeker and thus does not know ‘what to see’ at the church. Baedeker’s books went out of fashion after two wars with Germans, but Karl Baedeker paved the way for Lonely Planet and the Guide Michelin. Much better than anything on-line travel sites have to say.

For the patriotic Karl Baedeker, a breakfast from his homeland — even though Germany was not a unified nation during his lifetime. For dinner, a meal in honor of Lucy Honeychurch’s eye-opening trip to Italy — without a Baedeker.

German Breakfast: 136 calories 3 g fat 4.4 g fiber 9 g protein 15 g carbs 104.4 mg Calcium PB GF — if using GF bread 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 Quark/Fromage Blanc OR small-curd cottage cheese, reduced fat 1 oz pear 1-2 Tbsp chopped chives ½ oz slice of 3%-fat ham from the deli, thinly-sliced    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [85 calories]  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Toast bread lightly. Stir chives into cheese, and spread on the bread. Plate with ham and fruit.

Spinach or Swiss Chard Fritatta:  284 calories 12.5 g fat 4 g fiber 18.5 g protein 24 g carbs 166 mg Calcium  PB GF Susan Herrmann Loomis is the source of this recipe, which also can be a wonderful breakfast, scaled down to serve two. HINT: Serves 2 as a main course. Could serve 4-6 as an appetizer.

3 oz swiss chard or fresh spinach 1/3 tsp olive oil 8 oz eggs = 4 two-oz eggs in their shells 3 pinches granulated garlic + 3 pinches salt + large pinch paprika 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup pickled beets  1 oz 7-grain sour-dough bread, or something similarly hearty

Clean the chard by holding the leaf and pulling off the stem. Chop the leaves. Put olive oil in an oven-proof pan that can also be used on the stove-top. Turn on the broiler and move the upper oven rack to the top. Cook the chopped leaves in the oil until the leaves are limp, adding water as necessary to prevent sticking. Be sure to cook off the water/liquid in the pan. Spray the pan and its contents with non-stick spray. Stir and distribute the cooked chard evenly in the pan. Combine the eggs, cheese and seasonings. Whisk well and pour over the chard in the pan. Cook over medium heat until the bottom is well set, 4-5 minutes. Put under the broiler until the top is cooked. Serve from the pan or slide the fritatta out onto a serving plate, along with the toasted bread and the vegetables.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large + 3%-fat hamfour heart-shaped waffle sections, 2×3″
bing cherries + leek or scallionnon-fat vanilla yogurt
garlic + mushroomsalmond flour/ almond meal
chicken liver pate OR chicken liverclementine + blueberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

basil leaves + olive oil + red pepper flakes + garlicslivered almonds + celery + carrots + lettuce
canned crushed tomatoes + 2%-fat cottage cheesesesame seeds + rice wine vinegar + kale
egg + plain breadcrumbs + Pecorino-Romanobulk bratwurst sausage + brown rice
parsley + zucchini + tomato paste + side saladGo-chu-jang sauce + soy sauce  + mint leaves
Sparkling waterSparkling water