nutritious weight loss

Edith Cavell

~ 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.

Edith Louisa Cavell was born in 1865, to a small-town vicar and his wife in Swardeston near Norwich, England. The family was not well to do, but they always shared with poorer neighbors. Edith loved the plants and animals of the village, and she became an accomplished painter. She and her sister sold painted cards to raise money to build a Sunday School room at the vicarage, where they and their mother taught. Edith was educated to be a teacher, taking jobs as a governess. In addition to a love of tennis and dancing, Miss Cavell was very good at speaking French, so she was recommended for a job in Brussels, Belgium. For five years, she was a beloved governess, returning to her family home for the summer. Her father became ill, so Edith came home to tend him. He survived, and she began to view nursing as a career, so she went to London to apprentice as a nurse. Her supervisor thought that Cavell was unsuited for the field, but Cavell persevered. Following her training, she worked as a private nurse, then from 1899 to 1907, Edith worked as nursing administrator at a series of hospitals. A call to tend a sick child had Cavell returning to Belgium. There she was asked to head a school to train nurses in modern methods, and she leapt at the chance. There was the cultural hurdle that said that women should not hold jobs, but when the Queen of Belgium sought a trained nurse to heal her broken arm, the school earned a good reputation. Edith’s nurses were in demand at hospitals and schools, and Edith was in demand as a lecturer to nurses and doctors. In the summer on 1914, while on vacation in England, she heard of the start of World War I. She returned quickly to Belgium, saying that she was needed there ‘more than ever’. The nursing school continued its work and became a Red Cross hospital, treating any wounded soldier who needed help. When the Germans invaded Belgium, English nurses were sent home but Edith and her assistant remained — even if it meant caring for Germans. When two wounded British soldiers showed up, they were cared for and then turned over to the Resistance to be smuggled to safety. This happened again and again, saving 200 soldiers. Edith knew that this was dangerous and also unethical — a Red Cross hospital staff is not supposed to be taking sides. After about a year, Cavell was caught in the act of aiding Germany’s enemies, and she was arrested. Under interrogation, she was tricked into confessing her involvement with the Resistance and was given a death sentence. Outrage and protests poured in, demanding clemency, to no avail. Attended by an English chaplain the night before her death, Cavell said, “Standing as I do in view of God and Eternity, I realise that patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone”. She faced a firing squad with dignity on October 12, 1915. Her death inspired men to sign up to fight, and women to volunteer for nursing, and is credited as a factor in America’s entering the war. Following the Armistice, Edith Cavell’s body was brought back to England for burial in Norfolk. The Church of England honors her on October 12th.

Our foods for Edith Cavell contain Belgian ingredients.

Cepe Bake: 174 calories… 8 g fat… 1.7 g fiber… 12.6 g protein… 7.5 g carbs… 90 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 +++ 1½ oz cepes/porcini [fresh or dried and rehydrated in hot water] +++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated +++ 1 oz tomato +++ 0.25 oz proscuitto +++ 2 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 proscuitto. 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 peaches for a real mid-Summer delight.

Meat & Broccoli Galettes: 295 calories… 9 g fat… 3.4 g fiber… 21.6 g protein… 36.6 g carbs… 190 mg Calcium…  PB This utilizes crepes from batter which you can prepare now, use for tonight, and freeze for later. Having prepared galettes on hand can speed dinner preparation.

++ 1½ oz broccoli, cooked +++ 1¾ oz chicken breast, cooked OR 1.75 oz ham from deli [3% fat] +++  3 savory galettes/crepes +++ 2½ Tbsp bechamel sauce with cheese +++ ½ oz cherry tomatoes +++

Prepare 3 galettes and lay flat on a baking sheet. Warm the oven to 320 F. Chop the broccoli and dice the meat. Stir together with the bechamel sauce. Add salt/pepper/herbs to taste. Divide the mixture among the crepes. Fold the crepes over and press gently. Cover the crepes with foil so they don’t dry out. Heat until warmed through, about 15 minutes. Plate with the tomatoes. Voila!

Radagaisus v. Stilicho & Reparata

~ 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.

The Battle of Fiesole.

The Roman Empire was under attack in the early years of the 400s CE. Defenses were over-stretched, the Empire had been subdivided into two parts, and the government of the West was ruled by the regent, Stilicho. A horde of Ostrogoths lead by Radagaisus crossed the Danube River in Central Europe and marched across present-day Austria and Slovenia into the Italian peninsula. They took northern Italy by storm, capturing even the fortified hill towns. Stilicho, a great general in his own right, was left scrambling to muster an army large enough to counter the invaders. Radagaisus divided his very large army into three units, and Stilicho was clever enough to persuade the chief of one unit to defect to the Roman side, along with all his men. At last reinforcements came in from Gaul to assist Stilicho’s troops, and his army engaged as the Ostrogoths were about to attack Florence/Firenze. The Romans beat the invaders back to the hill town of Fiesole, where Radagaisus found himself encircled. Seeing defeat to be inevitable, he surrendered, hoping for clemency. Radagaisus was beheaded. Stilicho was lauded. Firenze was saved. Since Saint Reparata [an early Christian martyr], was patron saint of the city, some said that the victory was due to her intervention, and the saving of the city has always been celebrated on October 8, even though it occurred in August. An early Christian church in Firenze was rechristened ‘Saint Reparata’ in honor of her victory. On the site of that church was built a larger one, known as Santa Maria Del Fiore, the cathedral of Florence. As a result of the Ostrogoth incursion, the weakened Empire suffered further strife — both internal and external. Stilicho was blamed as things went down hill, and he was deposed in 408. Guess you can’t win them all.

Foods for the adversaries: sausages for the Franks, pasta with spinach for the Romans. Everybody wins.

Smoked Sausage ScrOmelette: 207 calories… 14 g fat… 1 g fiber… 16.5 g protein… 8 g carbs… 95.8 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Having been gifted with smoked chicken sausage, we decided to make it a breakfast. The sausage adds a nice smokey Autumnal flavor to the eggs. If substituting another sausage, choose one that has 30 calories per ounce.

++ 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 Dakin Farm cob-smoked chicken sausage, diced +++ 1.5 tsp each oregano and parsley, chopped +++ ½ oz Cheddar, grated +++ 3 oz apple OR apple sauce, unsweetened +++ 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 prepared sausage and stir to heat . Whisk the eggs with the herbs and a grind of pepper and pour into the pan, stirring to incorporate the sausage. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. Plate the fruit, pour your beverages and off you go.

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 uncooked 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.

Dwellings: Half-Timbered

~ 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.

To me, one of the most picturesque styles of old northern European architecture is the ‘half-timbered’ building. These were used for houses and commercial properties from the 13th century into the 1700s. Houses in the past were made from the materials at hand. Stone was used only if you had access to a quarry. Wood was used if you had your own woodlot. Half-timbering was used when timbers was scarce. A stone foundation was laid, if possible. The house in the photo from Paris was built in the 13th century with an entire first floor of stone. Then a framework of timbers was erected, the horizontal pieces called
sablières, the vertical ones called colombes. If there were more timbers to use, then diagonal pieces were put into place. At that point, the walls were only a frame of wood with nothing between the timbers. Then the spaces were filled with hourdage, a mix of gravel, soil, straw, and possibly animal dung to glue it together. In the British Isles, this infilling was done with ‘wattle and daub‘: mats of woven willow branches covered with mud. After time to dry and firm up a bit, a layer of lime and clay called torchis was plastered on the outside and inside of the walls to seal against rain. A final touch might have been a coat of whitewash, giving the characteristic black and white look. During the reign of Henry IV in France, building with wood was outlawed for fear of fire in the crowded cities, so all future structures were made of stone. Domestic buildings in England were so frequently built in this manner from 1485 to 1588 [the reigns of the Tudor line of monarchs], that the method came to be known as ‘Tudor style’. Early houses in the Americas were not built in this way because there was abundant lumber to build either log cabins or houses with wooden walls. In the late 1800s and up to the 1930s, there was a Tudor Revival in the United States, creating a romantic Disney-fied look to the new suburbs around major cities. Whatever you call it, this distinctive look is not just to provide illustrations for cookie tins and chocolate boxes. It was the method of building that gave the rising middle class sturdy, affordable homes and business space during the Renaissance in Europe. I am always tickled to see half-timbered buildings in the old cities, a visible link to the past.

France, especially Normandy, has its share of half-timbered buildings, and our breakfast is French-inspired. England also abounds with charming village structures. Manchester City formerly had so many black and white buildings that it was called Magpie Town. Our dinner is typical of a medieval meal from England or Holland, probably served in a half-timbered house.

Bleu Cheese ScrOmelette: 220 calories… 11.5 g fat… 1 g fiber… 14.5 g protein… 2 g carbs… 129.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. GF PB Bleu cheese is delightful in eggs – do try it this week.

+++ 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 oz bleu cheese ++++ 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese ++++ 1.5 oz pear/1.5 oz blueberries/2 oz applesauce, unsweetened ++++ 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] ++

Mash the cheeses together with a fork or the back of a spoon. Whisk the eggs and put into a hot pan spritzed with cooking spray. Once the bottom of the eggs are set, dab on the cheese, then scramble or fold into an omelette. Portion the fruit, prepare an optional beverage and get ready to say “Mmm-yummy!”

Vegetable Pie: prepared with LATTICE + cheese: 1 Serving = 236 calories… 9.4 g fat… 4.6 g fiber… 7 g protein… 44 g carbs… 115.6 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF puff pastry. This excellent recipe is from allrecipes.com. I removed most of the oil and half of the puff pastry, and it still tastes wonderful. The grated cheese is my addition. HINT: This recipe makes enough for 3 servings.  For 2 servings, I used an 8” casserole dish.

Sv 3: 1 Sv= 1¼ cupPreheat oven to 425 F /220 C
1 tsp oil+ 1 tsp H20—½ c onion—4 oz mushroom—1 clove garlicHeat oil+water in a large skillet/ saucepan. Chop the vegetables and cook in oil 3-5 mins, stirring often.
1 lg carrot, peeled—¼# potato, peeled—1 7” stalk celery—
1 c. cauliflower—½ c green beans—1½ c vegetable broth—
1 tsp salt—1 tsp black pepper		Dice carrots and potato. Slice celery and beans into 1” pieces. Cut cauliflower into florets. Add all vegetables to pan, then add broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook until vegetables are barely tender, ~5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. TIP: I added fresh thyme and rosemary, more salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of za’atar.
1 Tbsp cornstarch—1 Tbsp soy sauce—2 Tbsp water—rosemary + thymeMix until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, ~3 minutes. TIP: can prepare the meal up to this point day before. For 2 servings, remove 1¼ c and freeze for another use or make a 1-person serving.
1 oz Gouda cheese, grated—½ sheet puff paste OR ¼ sheet, cut for latticePour filling into a baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Roll out dough and arrange over filling. If not using lattice, cut slits to vent steam.
Bake until crust is brown and filling is bubbly, ~25 mins

Bayeaux Tapestry

~ 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.

One of the most famous tapestries in the world is the Bayeaux Tapestry. It is a 75 yard/70 meter piece of linen fabric, embroidered with scenes depicting the planning, execution, and aftermath of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 by William [the Conqueror]. That event was the last time that a foreign force ever successfully invaded the island nation. And it changed life, culture, language, and history of England forevermore. The tapestry was commissioned in 1077 by Odo, Bishop of Normandy’s then new Bayeaux Cathedral. He was half-brother of William the Conquerer, so he wanted to display his family’s great accomplishment on the walls of his church. Most likely the embroidery was done by nuns and other pious women associated with the church. The stitching was done in 10 colors of woolen thread, hand-dyed with herbs: woad, madder, dyer’s rocket. Only four types of stitches were used: stem, chain, split, and the “Bayeaux stitch” which fills in large areas. The illustrations are like a comic strip, scenes that flow from left to right, with captions in latin to explain the action. The details of the actions give us a real insight into warfare and daily life in the 11th century: weapons are made, cargo is loaded on ships, meals are cooked. We see the death of King Harold [arrow to the eye] and the coronation of King William I. For the first 700 years, it was stored at the cathedral and taken out once a year for display. Legend says that the tapestry was going to be cut up during the Revolution, but it was saved by a local lawyer. In the late 1790s, it was moved to Paris. Napoleon put it on display, perhaps to gin up enthusiasm for another invasion of England. [Although the English feared that was imminent, it was never attempted.] In the 1850s the tapestry was back in Bayeaux, displayed in various ways: on rollers with a stationary viewer, then tacked to the wall so that the viewer walked its length. The Nazis moved it to Paris in the 1940s, and poured over it, perhaps with the same dreams of a repeat invasion. After their eviction [some see the D-Day action as a reverse of the Norman Invasion], the tapestry returned home and was available to the public again. In 1983, it was moved to the seminary of the Bayeaux Cathedral until this year, when it was carefully crated and loaned to the British Museum. As a piece of art, it is outstanding in the design and execution of its colorful images. As a piece of history, it is unique — since Odo was a member of the invading army, the tapestry is an almost eye-witness account of a battle that changed Europe. It has been much parodied, which shows how much of a cultural icon it is. If you ever have a chance to view it in person, I recommend that you do.

Are meals are French-inspired, from the mushrooms in an omelette at breakfast to the goat cheese in a tart for dinner.

Mushroom Pate ScrOmelette: 223 calories… 16 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 12 g protein… 7.5 g ccarbs… 89.5 mg Calcium  PB GF We enjoyed this pate SO much as a restaurant appetizer, that the chef gave us the ingredients list. A brief internet search yielded the recipe. It is a late summer treat in eggs.

++ 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 wild mushroom pate* +++ ½ oz bleu cheese +++ rosemary leaves, crumbled +++ ¼ cup blueberries +++ 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] ++

Cream together the pate and cheese. Whisk eggs with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Either whisk in the pate mix or spread it on the eggs in the pan before you fold them. Plate with the fruit for a taste of Autumn.

*Wild Mushroom PatePreheat oven to 350 F /175 C 

1 cup walnuts Spread walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast 10 mins, until fragrant and lightly browned.

1/2 cup minced shallots— 
1/2 cup unsalted butter 
In a saute pan, cook shallots in butter over medium heat until translucent.
¼ pound chantrelle mushrooms—¼ pound meadow mushrooms—¼ pound buttons or other white mushroom—1 Tbsp roasted garlic puree—¼ cup fresh Italian parsley —
1 Tbsp fresh thyme —

1/2 tsp salt —
½ tsp white pepper 
Chop mushrooms and herbs.Add these and cook in shallot-butter, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
++ lacking roasted garlic puree, use 2 closves garlic, pressed
Toasted walnuts—2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
Run nuts and oil in a blender/food processor until mixture forms a thick paste. 
Cooked mushroom mixtureAdd, and process to desired texture.
Pack into well-oiled ramekins or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate a few hours or overnight or freeze.

Asparagus Tart: 275 calories… 12.5 g fat… 3.3 g fiber… 8 g protein… 20.8 g carbs.. 192 mg Calcium…  PB When I saw this recipe by Melissa Clark in the New York Times, I had to try it. It is as good as it looks, and rather simple to prepare.  HINT: The preparation serves 8 [eight] = 1 slices per person.

This is the entire tart, fresh from the oven. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
8 servingsHeat oven to 425F. 
1 cup/ 4 oz soft goat cheese—one 2-oz egg, lightly beaten—1 large garlic clove, pressed—1½ Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves—½ teaspoon fine sea salt—Pinch freshly grated nutmegHave all ingredients at room temperature.In a medium bowl, mash together these ingredients until smooth.
1 cup/8 oz crème fraîche/sour cream/yogurt Have at room temp. Whisk into cheese-egg until smooth.
1 sheet or square/9-14 oz all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen On a lightly floured silicone sheet, roll out puff pastry to 13×11” rectangle. Put sheet on cookie pan. 
With sharp knife, lightly score a ½” border around edges of puff pastry.
Cheese mixtureSpread evenly inside scored border. 
8 oz thin raw asparagus, trimmed ~16 spears—-Extra-virgin olive oil—2 Tbsp grated Parmesan—½ tsp saltArrange asparagus spears on top, spray/brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and Parmesan over asparagus.
Bake until puffed and golden, 20 mins. Cut in 8 pieces
Let cool on cookie sheet 15 mins-4 hrs before serving. 
Freshly ground black pepper—Red-pepper flakes—1½ oz Parmesan/Gruyere—tarragon leaves — 3 oz tomato slicesShave cheese with a vegetable peeler to get ~ ½ cup. Sprinkle pepper, cheese and tarragon leaves over the tart while still warm. Serve with sliced ripe tomatoes.

Saint Fermin

~ 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.

I was getting settled in my room at a chain hotel. There on the sideboard was a printed note: “It is my pleasure to keep your room clean,” signed “Fermin”. That was a name I had never heard before, so I Googled it — as one does. And that lead me to find out about Saint Fermin and his association with a popular and daring ‘sport’. Fermin lived during the time that Spain was part of the Roman Empire. One story says that he was the first son of the Roman Governor Firmus who had threatened to behead the first Christian to be baptized in Pamplona. When his own son revealed that he had become a Christian, his father beheaded him. The other, more likely, version says that Fermin, son of a Roman senator in Spain, was baptized in Toulouse, France, perhaps by Saint Saturnine, aka: Sernin, and became a priest. He returned to Pamplona as a bishop. Later, in the year 303, while on a trip to Amiens, France, Fermin was martyred by being beheaded, and buried. He is associated with Pamplona’s famous Running of the Bulls due to a different martyrdom that had little to do with Fermin. Saint Saturnine, an early Christian proselytizer in Toulouse, was killed by being dragged by a bull through the streets of the city. Somehow, that became confused with Fermin. [Because Fermin was beheaded, those who ‘run the bulls’ wear white (for martyrdom) with red scarves around their necks (for his bloody neck)]. The Feast Day of Saint Fermin is September 25th, the Running of the Bulls occurs in July — said to be in honor of Fermin. So to add to this jumble of dates, I am publishing this post on September 23. Sort out your own calendar.

Our foods today are from Spain, in honor of Saint Fermin. No bulls were killed for today’s meals.

Flamenco Eggs: 147 calories… 5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 8 g protein… 19.5 g carb… 51.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the plated foods only, not for the optional beverages.  PB GF From Everyday Tapas, this recipe shows how a meal can go from being a dinner to being a breakfast. Similarly, any breakfast could also be a dinner. 

++ 3 Tbsp tomato puree or 6 oz tomato, chopped ++++ 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped ++++ 5 Tbsp/ 2 oz onion, chopped ++++ 4 Tbsp Italian sweet [bell] pepper, chopped ++++ salt & ¼ tsp cayenne ++++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 3 oz applesauce or apple slices or cherries++++  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]++

As Shown above: Saute fresh tomato, parsley, onion, bell pepper, season with salt and cayenne. Plate and top with a poached or fried egg. Alternately: Spritz a ramekin with cooking spray or olive oil. Put the tomato, parsley, onion in the ramekin. Microwave 4-5 minutes to cook the onion. Add the bell pepper and seasonings, and microwave for another 4 minutes. [Alternatively, saute the above ingredients, instead of microwaving].  HINT: you can do this the night before. Remove from microwave and make a ‘nest’ in the cooked vegetables. Crack the egg into the nest. Another alternative: Put cooked vegetables in an oven-safe dish, whisk the egg, and pour over vegetables. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Meanwhile, plate the fruit. Prepare the optional beverages and have a snappy day.

Barley Paella: 260 calories… 3 g fat… 8 g fiber… 21 g protein… 43.5 g carbs… 88.4 mg Calcium… PB Spain is known for its paella, that succulent dish often made with rice and shellfish. The rice and saffron were brought in by the invading Moors and Berbers, and they also introduced barley. This recipe is not a classic Paella Valenciana, rather a Paella di Marisco. It tastes good and is even good for you. Son #1 was instrumental in the development of this recipe. 

2 Servings
½ slice smoked uncured baconCut the bacon into strips cross-ways. Put into a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. 
½ c bell pepper +++ ½ c onion ++++ 1/3 c carrot ++++ 1 tsp paprika ++++Chop the pepper and onion. Dice the carrot. Add these and cook slowly until soft and transluscent.
2 cloves garlic, chopped +++¾ c tomato, diced ++++Add the garlic and after 60 secs, add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are softened.
¼ preserved lemon ++++ 2 pinches saffron ++++ 1 cup seafood stock ++++6 Tbsp quick barley, uncookedAdd these. Partially cover and cook 15 mins. Stir it sometimes.
3 oz mussels, shells or no shells +++ 3 oz shrimp, no shells Put mussels and shrimp on top, cover, and cook until barley is soft and the liquids are absorbed.
per person: 1.5 oz green beans [Roma beans recommended]In the last few minutes, cook the green beans and serve.

Benedict Arnold

~ 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.

One of the most hated names in the United States is that of Benedict Arnold. It is the name of a real person, but it is an epithet used to accuse someone of being a traitor. It is fitting to tell his story during the sesquicentennial of our nation’s independence. He was born in Connecticut Colony in 1741, and in his teens his parents apprenticed Benedict to his uncles to become an apothecary. Either he didn’t fancy that profession or because he imagined something more glorious, Arnold enlisted twice to fight in the 7-Year’s War. And twice his parents forbade him to fight, so he deserted. After his parents’ deaths, Arnold moved with his sister to New Haven where he set up a shop in the bustling port town. Through shrewd investments, he bought ships and traded from the Caribbean to Canada. As soon as armed conflict broke out between the Colonies and the English in April of 1775, Arnold formed a militia with himself as captain and went to Massachusetts to help out. Urging the importance of following up on the English defeat at Concord/ Lexington. Arnold was sent in May to upper New York Colony to attack Fort Ticonderoga. Along with Ethan Allen’s men, the fort was taken, followed by two other English forts on Lake Champlain. He thought he should be rewarded for that. He wasn’t. In September, Arnold was leading an unsuccessful attack on Quebec City in Canada, during which he was wounded in the leg. [Yes, the US did invade Canada, with the aim of making it the “14th Colony”.] Back in the Colonies, he had an encounter with the English navy on Lake Champlain. Arnold managed to avoid the capture of his men, but did so by scuttling most of the ships of which he was in charge. He was criticized for that, he thought unfairly. His wife back in Connecticut died at that time. At the Battle of Saratoga, he was so outstandingly brave and daring that he helped to turn the tide of the battle to end in a stand-off with the English. He thought he should get a promotion. He didn’t. In the fight, his leg was wounded again and he was sent to Philadelphia to recover. Arnold was appointed governor general of the city, which lead to some high living — frequent parties with society members put him in debt. The Beau Monde of Philadelphia were Tories, wealthy conservatives with English sympathies. The belle of the ball was Peggy Shippen, a teenaged beauty for whom Arnold [age 37] set his cap. Finding himself poor, unliked by his rebel compatriots, but liked by the Tories, Arnold began to rethink his position. Perhaps with a lot of convincing from his fiancee, Benedict Arnold hatched a plan to aid the English. He was put in charge of the strategic fort at West Point, New York. On September 21, 1780, Arnold met with Major John Andre, head of the English spy network. In exchange for his offer to weaken the defenses of West Point, Arnold would be given money and military rank by his former enemy. Soon afterward, the plot was discovered, Andre was hanged, and Arnold escaped to an English ship. His wife Peggy was left behind when men came to arrest her husband. She feigned a fit of hysterical distress to buy him time to get away and to convince the men that she knew nothing of the plan. She was never arrested. Arnold served the English in some minor harrying of the American coast, then moved to London in 1781. He and his wife and sons then moved to New Brunswick, Canada. Arnold engaged in smuggling and running a store, but those were not profitable. Peggy Arnold was bored by the lack of social life and sophistication in Canada, so they returned to England. They thought that they would be feted and petted for their loyalty to the Crown, but they were shunned as traitors. When they died, they were buried in the crypt of a small church in Battersea, London. These days, the crypt is used for Sunday School and on weekdays, it houses a kindergarten. No glory, no riches, no fame.

A breakfast in honor of the hot-bed of revolutionary fervor, Boston. A dinner that might have pleased the traitor’s traitorous wife with its French culinary influence.

B-O-S-T ScrOmelette: 172 calories… 7.6 g fat… 1.6 g fiber… 13.5 g protein… 9.6 g carbs… 63 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF The beans are for Boston’s nickname: beantown. The green onions are for the ‘Green Monster’ at Fenway Park. The shrimp are for the strong maritime tradition of the port. The tomatoes are for New Englanders’ fervent wish to raise just a few ripe tomatoes before the end of summer. The perfect beverage would be a cup of tea – for the Boston Tea Party, of course.

++ 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 white beans, preferable small ‘navy’ beans ++++ 2 Tbsp green part of scallions, sliced ++++ ½ oz shrimp, preferably tiny Northern shrimp OR larger shrimp chopped ++++ 1½ oz tomato, diced and drained in a sieve overnight ++++ 1½ oz nectarine slices ++++ 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] ++

Put the beans, onion, shrimp, and tomato in a warm non-stick pan spritzed with non-stick spray or olive oil. Cook until warmed. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the other ingredients in the pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Pour the beverages of your choice, plate the fruit, and plate the eggs. 

Mushroom Tart: 268 calories… 10 g fat… 3 g fiber… 22.6 g protein… 16.4 g carbs… 241 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if you substitute 25 calories of GF bread  The Gunflint Lodge Cookbook supplied this recipe. Then, of course, I altered it to suit our requirements. Mushrooms are so traditional for Autumn, whether foraged or purchased.

++ 1 small clove garlic ++++ ¼ cup leeks, white and/or green parts, sliced ++++ 6 oz mushrooms, cut into chunks or slices ++++ 2 Tbsp white wine ++++ two 2-oz eggs ++++ ¼ cup fat-free milk ++++ ¼ cup Gruyere cheese, grated ++++ ½ cup 2%-fat cottage cheese, drained ++++ 1¼ oz carrots ++++ ¼ Arnold Sandwich Thin ++

Saute/steam the leeks, garlic, and mushrooms in a little water until soft. Add the wine and cook uncovered until the liquid is nearly gone. Season with salt and pepper. Put the vegetables into a lightly-oil-spritzed baking dish, and cover with the cheese. Whisk eggs, milk, and cottage cheese together and pour over everything in the baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees until the filling is set [knife stuck into center comes out clean]. Remove from oven and cool 15-20 minutes before eating. Prepare the carrots and slice the Sandwich Thin, toasting it if you wish. A tasty Autumn meal.

Tapestry

~ 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. Welcome to lifeinspiration4all who is now Following.. Join us in the Fasting Lifestyle!

On the left, a Peruvian textile. On the right, a Coptic tapestry.
German tapestry from mid-12th century.

If you go into any museum of European Medieval art, you will see a lot of tapestries. They range in execution from folk art to exceptional. But though they proliferated in Medieval Europe, in manufacture and use they were found far and wide in the world. A tapestry is a piece of weaving. Most weaving is a simple over-and-under, like a pot holder you made as a kid or like a lattice pie crust. The up and down threads are called ‘warp’ while the left to right threads are called ‘weft’. In your blue jeans, the threads are equally distributed, but in tapestries, the weft threads cover the warp threads. This permits designs, even pictures, to be woven onto the tapestry, without the color of the warp interrupting the pattern. While some tapestries are embroidered, most are woven. Before the Incas ruled Peru, a prehistoric people were producing tapestry weaving on clothing and on decorative fabric panels. The Coptic Christians of Egypt were weaving tapestries as early as the third century CE, showing religious images. Tapestries in Europe have been found in Norway [9th century] and Germany [11th century]. By the 1400s, the workshops in Arras and Brussels [both now in Belgium] and in Paris, France were famous. So famous that the English word for ‘tapestry’ was ‘arras’. Wall hangings were a popular way to cover and insulate the cold stone walls of castles. You might remember that Polonius in Hamlet, hides ‘behind the Arras’ to eavesdrop on the prince and his mother. Although there was some interest in Italy, in the 1500s the bulk of the tapestry industry was still centered in Northern Europe. In addition to the word ‘arras’ making its way into the English language, the French word for ‘rug’ is ‘tapis’ which surely had its origin in the word for tapestries. [While tapestries were sometimes used as table or bed coverings, they were never used as rugs. The popularity of rugs came later, and no doubt their resemblance to tapestries inspired the new word.] In France in the 1500s, Francois I promoted the industry by setting up tapestry workshops at Fontainebleau, followed by the state-owned factories at Gobelins and Beauvais in the 17th century. In Tennyson’s Arthurian poem The Lady of Shallot, the woman is cursed to weave a tapestry all day, rather than look down the river to Camelot. Tapestries are still being made today. In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, an exhibit will open on September 14 at Seaton Hill, Pennsylvania, USA displaying 13 embroidered tapestries, each representing one of the original 13 colonies. Made by 2000 volunteers, America’s Tapestries will be touring the country for the next three years.

Our foods represent tapestry-making countries named in this narrative: Peru at breakfast, the USA at dinner. Want a soundtrack for your day? Listen to Carole King’s album Tapestry from 1971.

Torrejas de Epinaca: 222 calories… 13 g fat… 1.7 g fiber… 8.5 g protein… 9 g carbs… 59.6 mg Calcium… PB Chewinghappiness.com provided the recipe for a simple Peruvian breakfast treat. This is enough batter to make 9 torrejas, enough to serve 2 [two] people with 4 pancakes each.

  • 1 Tbsp canola oil — 1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped OR frozen spinach, thawed and drained — 1/2 cup yellow summer squash, grated — ½ c diced onion — 1 cup diced tomatoes — 1 clove garlic, minced — 2 eggs — 1½ Tbsp whole wheat flour — per serving:  0.8 oz back bacon – 

Whisk eggs with flour, then stir everything together. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, and spray the pan with non-stick spray. Dip a ¼ cup measure into the batter and pour it into the center of the pan, spreading it into a 4-inch circle. Cook until browned on one side, 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side, 3 minutes. Spray the pan again between torrejas. Continue until all the batter is used. Plate with the bacon.  

Ham & Oyster Pie: 256 calories… 4.6 g fat… 3 g fiber… 21 g protein… 25.5 g carbs… 125 mg Calcium…  GF This dish was popular in the Colonial American South at Christmastime. I first enjoyed it in the Fox Tavern of the Hancock Inn. As long as oysters are available, one can have it anytime. HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two].

++ 3 oz [2/3 cup] roast ham in ½” dice — 1 cup oysters with their liquid, about 19 — ½ cup onions, chopped — ¼ cup milk — 2 Tbsp white wine — 2 tsp potato starch — ½ cup peas, frozen — 4 small stars cut from one slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread, 0.55 oz bread ++

Drain oysters and reserve their liquid. Combine onion and oyster liquid in a small pan. Simmer, covered, until onions are transluscent. Stir wine, milk, and potato starch into the liquid until it is smooth. Add oysters and ham. Stir and heat over low until sauce has thickened. Add peas, stir, and turn into a two-cup casserole. Bake uncovered at 400 F. for 15 minutes while you lightly toast the stars. Before serving, nestle the stars into the bubbling sauce.

sources: >>>>Benners, Ethel Ellis. “Ancient Peruvian Textiles.” The Museum Journal XI, no. 3 (September, 1920): 140-147. Accessed September 13, 2026. https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/843/

>>>Kohan Textile Journal, https://kohantextilejournal.com/woven-storytelling-coptic-tapestries/

The Spanish Armada

~ 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.

Throughout the 1500s, England and Spain couldn’t figure out if they were friends or enemies. They kept trying to make a rapprochement through marriages and treaties, but things came to a breaking point when formerly Catholic England broke from the mold and formed the Church of England under Henry VIII. After Henry’s death, there was a Protestant king, then a Catholic queen, then a Protestant queen. Enough!! The Spanish king was persuaded by his advisors to make a three-part play to invade England in 1588, with the goal of dethroning the Protestant ruler. First, ships would sail to the south coast of England to blockade the harbor at Southhampton. Second, to send ships to the coast of Holland to pick up Spanish forces there. Third: to attack the coast of England with overwhelming forces. The Spanish ships entered the English waters with 130 ships, which went down in history as the Spanish Armada. Forty ships were battle ready: heavy, tall galleons that, though formidable, were not easily maneuvered. Also, there were 110 small lightly-armed ships for supplies. On the ships were 27,000 soldiers and sailors. The English sailed out of the harbor at Southhampton, and slipped in behind the Spanish ships. Due to an unfavorable wind, the Spanish could not turn and fight. Over four days, there were 3 skirmishes as the Spanish sailed East to rendezvous with their troops on the Dutch coast. But onboarding them took six days, while the fleet stood exposed to attack, hampered by also needing to protect their supply ships. The Spanish counted on superior skills at hand-to-hand combat, the English put their faith in superior cannon fire at long range. After a night of harrying the Spanish, causing their defensive formation to break, the English attacked on August 8th, destroying several ships. But the English ran low on ammunition and stopped fighting, giving the Spanish the chance to sail away. Due to the wind, the Armada had to run North, planning to round the northern tip of Scotland, skirt around Ireland, and so return to Spain. The wind blew, and the ships sailed North. On August 13, the ships sailed past the Orkney Islands and turned South. They had not counted on the weather of the North Atlantic. Storms battered the boats as they passed the Hebrides, causing many ship wrecks on the Scottish Islands and the West coast of Ireland. Legend has it that the “Black Irish”, the many Irish people with black hair and brown eyes are descended from the Spanish sailors who washed up on the shores. A charming story, but the video on the link debunks it. Only 60 ships of the once-great Armada returned to Spain, defeated by hubris, poor planning, and the weather.

Our breakfast and dinner are Spanish, you can eat them with pleasure even if you are not planning to invade another country.

Flamenco Eggs: 166 calories… 3.5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 8.4 g protein… 24.5 g carb… 64.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the plated foods only, not for the optional beverages. PB GF From Everyday Tapas, this recipe shows how a meal can go from being a dinner to being a breakfast. Similarly, any breakfast could also be a dinner. 

++ 3 Tbsp tomato puree or 3.5 oz tomato, chopped ++++ 1½ Tbsp parsley, chopped ++++ 2½ Tbsp/ 1 oz onion, chopped ++++ 2½ oz Italian sweet [bell] pepper, chopped ++++ salt & ¼ tsp cayenne ++++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 1½ oz applesauce or apple slices++++  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] ++

Spritz a small ramekin with cooking spray or olive oil. Put the tomato, parsley, onion in the ramekin. Microwave 4-5 minutes to cook the onion. Add the bell pepper and seasonings, and microwave for another 4 minutes. [Alternatively, saute the above ingredients, instead of microwaving].  HINT: you can do this the night before. Remove from microwave and make a ‘nest’ in the cooked vegetables. Crack the egg into the nest. –OR– Put cooked vegetables in an oven-safe dish, whisk the egg, and pour over vegetables. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Meanwhile, plate the fruit. Prepare the optional beverages and have a snappy day.

Barley Paella: 260 calories… 3 g fat… 8 g fiber… 21 g protein… 43.5 g carbs… 88.4 mg Calcium… PB Spain is known for its paella, that succulent dish often made with rice and shellfish. The rice and saffron were brought in by the invading Moors and Berbers, and they also introduced barley. This recipe is not a classic Paella Valenciana, rather a Paella di Marisco. It tastes good and is even good for you. Son #1 was instrumental in the development of this recipe. 

2 Servings
½ slice smoked uncured baconCut the bacon into strips cross-ways. Put into a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. 
½ c bell pepper +++ ½ c onion ++++ 1/3 c carrot ++++ 1 tsp paprika ++++Chop the pepper and onion. Dice the carrot. Add these and cook slowly until soft and transluscent.
2 cloves garlic, chopped +++¾ c tomato, diced ++++Add the garlic and after 60 secs, add tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are softened.
¼ preserved lemon ++++ 2 pinches saffron ++++ 1 cup seafood stock ++++6 Tbsp quickbarley, uncookedAdd these. Partially cover and cook 15 mins. Stir it sometimes.
3 oz mussels, shells or no shells 3 oz shrimp, no shells Put mussels and shrimp on top, cover, and cook until barley is soft and the liquids are absorbed.
per person: 1.5 oz green beans [Roma beans recommended]In the last few minutes, cook the green beans and serve.

John Greenleaf Whittier

~ 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.

He was a Quaker, a poet, an abolitionist, a novelist, a legislator. And he owned a parrot named Charlie. John Greenleaf Whittier was very much a man of his time. [The curious middle name is said to be a translation of the name of a Huguenot ancestor named ‘vertfeuille’.] He was born into a farming family in Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA in 1807. They were Quakers, living with many relatives in the little house built in 1688 by an ancestor. John was not a healthy child, but he did his best to help out. His parents were poor but they filled the house with affection and stories told around the fire. John’s education was limited to 12 weeks every winter at the village school, but it opened the world to him. One year, the school-master read from the poems of Robert Burns, and John was so entranced that he borrowed the book. After mastering the unusual Scots dialect, Whittier was struck by the mission of poetry: to show ordinary things in a new and different light. If that was poetry, then he wanted to do it. When he was 19 years old, his sister secretly sent one of his poems to a local newspaper, which lead to a contract and a long association with William Lloyd Garrison, the publisher. Finances permitted John to attend one year/2 semesters at Haverhill Academy, and that was it for formal education. He became an editor of one publication after another, always championing the abolition of slavery. As work took him from Boston to Hartford to Philadelphia, Whittier gained many like-minded acquaintances, expanding his influence, but he also gained pro-slavery detractors who threw stones at him and picketed his lectures. His poems concerned the evils of slavery. In the early 1830s, Whittier was into politics, serving as a delegate to the Republican national convention [in those days, Republicans were the anti-slavery party], and in the Massachusetts legislature. Whittier, at Garrison’s urging, joined the Abolitionist Party, a very unpopular move. His Quakerism and its inherent humanism lead him to challenge slavery against the opposition of mainstream religion, colleges, and the law. Whittier was a member of the Electoral College in 1860 and 1864, casting votes for Abraham Lincoln both times. By the end of the Civil War, Whittier was physically and emotionally exhausted. Most of his family had died, and he was living alone in the family home in Amesbury, Massachusetts. So he wrote Snow Bound, a Winter Idyl, a lengthy poem set in the past. It opens with a blizzard that changes everything around a farm family, just as the Civil War had changed life for so many. But the family in the story is not defeated by being snow-bound for three days. They heap wood on the fire, roast chestnuts, and take turns telling stories of long ago. Such homey scenes struck a chord with Americans tired of strife. The poem, sold as a book, made Whittier financially secure for the first time in his life, and gained him universal recognition. Throughout his life, he befriended and encouraged other writers and poets, including Celia Thaxter and Sarah Orne Jewett. He died on September 7, 1892, while visiting cousins for the summer.

Breakfast is made of home-raised and foraged ingredients, typical of subsistence farming. The dinner is typically New England.

Ham & Mushroom ScrOmelette: 151 calories… 8.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 12 g protein… 5.4 g carbs… 56 mg Calcium…  PB GF  These flavors go together so well that it would be a shame not to enjoy them at breakfast.

Serve 1cast iron or non-stick pan
¾ oz mushrooms, chopped ++++ 1/3 oz ham [from a roast; if you use 3%-fat ham from deli, the fat will be reduced] ++++ Chop ham and mushrooms and stir together. HINT: I did this the night before.
Heat pan, spritz with oil or cooking spray. Add ham/mushroom combo, stir to heat and cook mushrooms, if raw. 
1½ eggs per person HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip eggs, pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid. Put in ‘fridge for next week.  ++++ chopped fresh herbs Whisk eggs with herbs, and pour into pan gently to maintain distribution of ham/ mushrooms. 
Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. 
Dish up fruit¼ cup raspberries -OR- 2 oz applesauce -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] ++

Pan-Fried Smelts: 276 calories… 9 g fat.. 4 g fiber… 33 g protein …14 g carb… 120.6 mg Calcium…  PB GF if using GF bread When Spring is near, the smelts swim up the rivers and into my frying pan!

++ 5 oz smelts, cleaned & boned +++ 1 egg white +++ ½ slice 70-cal whole-grain bread, ground into crumbs +++ salt, pepper, thyme +++ 1 tsp olive oil +++ your choice of two sides to total 45-50 calories: 2 oz cooked beets ++ ¼ cup pickled beets ++2 oz broccoli ++2 oz snow peas ++ 2 oz green beans

Trim tails and fins from the fish and pull out the backbones. Whisk the egg white until frothy. Mix the seasonings with the bread crumbs. Dip the fish in the egg whites, then in the bread crumbs. ‘Pan fry’ in oil in a non-stick skillet until lightly browned and cooked through. Prepare your vegetables and season to taste. Plate it all and enjoy the bounty of Spring. Looks and tastes like a lot of calories.

Elements: Sodium

~ 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.

A characteristic of humans is that we want to understand how things work and why. The Sicilian/Greek philosopher Empedocles in the fifth century BCE proposed that all things were made of 4 Roots: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Plato later called them ‘elements’, believing that the smallest unit of matter was an element. [Later, that smallest unit was called an ‘atom’.] In the fourth century BCE, Plato’s student, the Athenian philosopher Aristotle [384-322 BCE] made careful observations of the natural world to try to figure out why things were as they were. He concluded that the natural world was composed of combinations of five basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Ether. Our modern Periodic Table of 118 elements shows that we have knowledge far beyond that of Aristotle. One of the modern elements is Sodium, and it has a history that goes back thousands of years. To chemists, Sodium is a metal, with the chemical abbreviation “Na” — derived from the latin word ‘natrium’. Happily, we seldom see this element in its pure, metallic state because Sodium is highly reactive [explosive] when in contact with water. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!! Humans have been using Sodium for millennia in the form of salt [Sodium-Chloride]. Because those two atoms are bonded together, we have oceans with salt/Sodium in them without fear of explosion. That salt sometimes evaporates in the shallows, creating salt deposits that humans use to season and preserve food. Another useful compound for ancient humans was ‘natron’, a chemical (Na2CO3) used by Egyptians to mummify their dead. Another way we encounter Sodium is in ‘baking soda’/Sodium bicarbonate [NaHCO3] which is used as a leavening in quick breads, cakes, and cookies. Sodium is an element that is important to the operation of the human brain and nerves. We get most of what we need from food, and 2-3 grams per day is all we need. If you dote on salty foods and can’t resist adding more salt before you taste the foods, then excess Sodium can cause problems such as high blood pressure or edema. Sodium has many industrial uses, from putting on icy sidewalks to cooling nuclear reactors. Use it wisely and it will serve you well.

For those of you who need to count your Sodium intake, these meals are prepared without added salt.

Breakfast Casserole:  192 calories… 6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 14 g protein… 13 g carbs… 69 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the plated items only, not for the optional beverages.  PB GF – if using GF bread.  This is my take on strata-type breakfasts – without the layers. It is hearty, flavorful and very satisfying. HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2] breakfasts. If serving one person, enjoy the rest of the casserole as a lunch later in the week.

++ 1¼ oz 70-cal. whole-grain rye bread, cut in ¼” dice ++++ two 2-oz egg + 1 egg white [1.5 Tbsp] ++++ ¾ oz minced 3%-fat ham ++++ 2 Tbsp Gouda cheese, grated ++++ ¼ c milk, skimmed herbs/seasonings of your choice ++++ ½ tsp mustard ++++ per person:  2 oz apple ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Spray an oven-safe dish or two ramekins with non-stick spray. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with milk, seasonings, and mustard. Stir in the bread, ham, and cheese. Stir ingredients together and pour into the dish. HINT: you should prep this the night before so that the bread will asorb the wet ingredients. Cover ramekin, and pop it in the ‘fridge for morning.Bake at 350º for 18-20 minutes. While it is baking, prep the fruit, and prepare your optional beverage.

Shrimp with Lime + Cilantro: 294 calories… 5 g fat…4 g fiber… 34 g protein… 27 g carbs… 130 mg Calcium… NB: Food values are calculated WITH the optional beans.  PB GF This is such a popular combination of flavors that there are many recipes online. This one is from Skinnytaste.com, cut down to a single-serving size and with a few additions. Wonderful flavors!

1 servingPrepare your mise en place. Non-stick saute or cast-iron pan
5 oz raw frozen shrimp, cleaned  [I used tiny cold-water shrimp] ++++ Thaw in a bowl. Once thawed, pour off liquid and save. Cut large shrimp in half.
¼ tsp ground cumin ++ black pepperToss shrimp with these.
3 cups boiling water  ++++1 oz brown rice Maifun noodles Cook noodles for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and reserve.
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled ++ ½ lime ++ 2+ Tbsp cilantro/ coriander leaves Crush garlic. Cut lime in half. Chop cilantro/coriander leaves.
1/3 tsp olive oil ++ drained shrimpHeat pan. Cook shrimp in oil 1-2 minutes,
Shrimp waterTurn over to cook other side. Add some of reserved water to avoid sticking. 
Reserved garlic + noodles ++ optional: 2 oz cannellini beansPut these in pan and cook 1 minute until warm.
Sliced lime ++ chopped cilantroSqueeze lime over all, add cilantro, stir well. Take off heat. 
1 large [½ oz] Romaine or Boston lettuce leaf Center lettuce leaf on plate, spoon shrimp on top.