Recipes for healthy dieting

James Thurber

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

My parents’ library had many books, but my sister and I went back to one again and again: Thurber Carnival, by James Thurber. It was full of adult humor, yet it appealed to us, too. There were funny stories [The Secret Life of Walter Mitty], odd cartoons, and just enough mystery [why would adults think this is funny?] to make us come back for more. James Grover Thurber was born on December 8, 1894, in Columbus, Ohio. He was second of three sons, and lost sight in one eye at age six, when one of his brothers accidentally shot him with an arrow. Their father was a political aide, his mother was a story-teller with an out-sized sense of humor. Thurber attended Ohio State, but was not graduated. He tried newspaper work, then was sent to France as a code clerk at the end of World War 2. When he returned to the States, his career and his marriage were both very rocky. Newly divorced, Thurber moved to New York, where he met E.B. White. Through White, he got a job as an editor at the neophyte New Yorker magazine. It was White, too, who recognized Thurber as a cartoonist, urging him to publish his art. And so the world was introduced to Thurber’s style: stories of weak-willed married men who dream big dreams as a way to escape their scoffing, criticizing wives; fairy tales that fracture the traditional mode; and delightful parodies of popular norms [Pet Department spoofing the advice column.] As he aged, the vision in Thurber’s ‘healthy eye’ deteriorated, so he drew his cartoons on huge papers, using heavy, dark lines, and composed whole stories in his head for later dictation. In 1961, he was operated on for a blood clot in his brain. He died one month later, taking all his whimsical animals and angsty mid-century urban men with him.

If she had served this for breakfast, perhaps Mr Prebble wouldn’t have wanted to get rid of his wife. Animals such as dogs, seals, and owls populate Thurber’s cartoons, but I liked his rabbits the best. Rabbit Pie for dinner.

Ham Bake: 142 calories… 7 g fat… 1.6 g fiber… 11 g protein… 5 g carbs… 61.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The baked version of a ham omelette.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 oz 3 %-fat ham from the deli, minced ++++ 1.5 tsp reduced fat ricotta +++ 2 tsp chives/scallion, chopped ++++ ½ tsp Dijon mustard ++++ large pinch of crumbled sage + salt & pepper to taste ++++ Clementine or 2 oz unsweetened applesauce ++++ 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] ++

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 F. Vigorously whisk the egg, ham, cheese, and seasonings and pour into ramekin. Bake 12-15 minutes until puffed, not until golden. Portion the fruit, pour the beverages and this will surely be a good day.

Rabbit Pie: 275 calories… 6.6 g fat… 4.6 g fiber… 25.6 g protein… 27.5 g carbs… 77 mg Calcium…  PB Rabbit is a common meat in recipes the world over. It is high in protein and low in fat. And yes, it does taste like chicken. You could substitute.

++ 2 oz mushrooms ++++ 4 oz chicken stock ++++ 2 tsp potato starch ++++ 0.55 oz [1 slice] ham from the deli ++++ 3 oz rabbit meat ++++ ¼ cup onions, chopped ++++ big pinch dried thyme + big pinch savory + salt + pepper ++++ ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin OR a 4” circle cut from whole-grain bread ++++ 1.5 oz carrots ++

If the rabbit is uncooked: Cut it into bite-sized pieces and quickly cook in a saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Remove the meat. Chop and cook the mushrooms in non-stick spray, but do not evaporate all of the liquid they give off. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and the stock to the pan along with the mushroom juices and ¼ cup water. Simmer to cook the onions. Whisk in the potato starch and the seasonings. Continue to whisk over heat until the potato starch is dissolved. Cook at a simmer until the liquid measures ¼ cup and is thickened. Add the rabbit meat, ham, and the mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasonings. Pour and scrape into an oven-proof dish. Top with the Sandwich Thin. Bake at 350 F for15 minutes. Cook the carrots. Plate the meal by first putting the Sandwich Thin on the plate, then covering it with the rabbit-mushroom mixture. Pour any extra liquid so that it is soaked up by the bread. Plate the carrots to complete the meal.

The Grange

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

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

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

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

++1½ eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.++++ 1 oz tomato++++ 0.35 oz leeks, sliced and cooked++++ pinch garlic powder++++ 2 pinches basil++++ 1 clementine OR 2 oz apple++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait  [65 calories]++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]++

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

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


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


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

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs  + Parmesan cheese
applesauce + chives/scallionstomato sauce + bell pepper
3%-fat ham + sagegarlic + parsley
part-skim ricotta + Dijon mustardpiment d’Esplette + apple or pear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

3 oz rabbit meat + portobello mushroomsBay scallops + sun-dried tomatoes — not in oil
ham + onions + carrotparsley or basil + butter
chicken stock + herb savory + thymeolive oil + garlic
Arnold Sandwich Thin  or slice 70-calorie breadred lentil pasta + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Advent Challenge

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Since Dear Husband and I enjoy celebrating holidays with appropriate foods, at Christmas and Advent we always fell back on favorites from our countries of ancestry: Germany, France, England, Ireland. Then one year, it occurred to me that many more nations than those were celebrating Christmas, and that it would be fun to stretch our culinary repetoire to include them. There are 14 countries that do not have Christmas as a national holiday, and five nations where it is illegal to celebrate Christmas. But aside from those, the majority of countries in the world have citizens who keep Christmas. Ever since that epiphany, we have challenged ourselves to eat foods in December from as many different countries as possible: there are 62 breakfasts and dinners in December. It is fun to sample different cuisines — in 2024, 36 countries were represented in our count, since we don’t do a different country every day. I do stretch the boundaries a bit, to include empires that no longer exist: Romans, Mongols; and some that exist in our hearts due to literature, like Tolkien’s Shire. Many of the recipes used for these meals are from my FAST Diet collection, so there is an added benefit — if you ate 300 calories at dinner for even 15 of the days in December, you would have more ‘room’ for eggnog and fruit cake. So many people dread the amount of weight that they gain in December, leading to doomed resolutions in January. By eating Fast meals more than two days per week, we keep our weight down and still enjoy the jolly season.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Here are some suggestions for meals from diverse cultures>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> France, https://fastingme.com/2025/05/07/antoine-laurent-de-lavoisier/ ————————————– Taiwan, https://fastingme.com/2025/04/06/mazu/ ————————————————————- Ireland, https://fastingme.com/2025/03/16/patrick-has-his-day/ —————————————————— The Frankish Empire, https://fastingme.com/2025/02/26/mayor-of-the-palace/ ———————————– Persian and Mongol Empires, https://fastingme.com/2025/02/09/end-of-an-empire/ ————————— Sri Lanka, https://fastingme.com/2025/01/15/pongol/ ——————————————————– Ukraine, https://fastingme.com/2024/12/15/carol-of-the-bells/ —————————————————- First Nations of America, https://fastingme.com/2021/10/10/dwellings-abenaki/———————— Russia, https://fastingme.com/2024/11/27/saint-herman/ ——————————————————— England, https://fastingme.com/2024/11/24/elizabeth-i/ ——————————————————— United States, Southern, https://fastingme.com/2024/11/13/booker-t-washington/ ———————- Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt, https://fastingme.com/2024/08/11/cleopatra/ ——————————- Canada, https://fastingme.com/2024/06/30/canada-day-3/ —————————————————— Roman Empire, https://fastingme.com/2018/10/14/diocletian/———————————————- Morocco, https://fastingme.com/2023/02/12/morocco/ ———————————————————— India, https://fastingme.com/2019/06/09/crossroads-indian-ocean/ —————————————— Germany, https://fastingme.com/2023/04/16/diet-of-worms/ —————————————————-Japan, https://fastingme.com/2021/02/24/plum-blossoms/——————————————————– Peru, https://fastingme.com/2018/08/22/rose-of-lima/ ———————————————————-

I could go on, but you get the idea. Enjoy your run-up to Christmas, but don’t forget that it isn’t about food or gifts or parties. It is about the coming of the Prince of Peace. The world needs a lot of that. Be an ‘instrument of peace‘ in your part of the world.

Hoaxes, Regency Style

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. 

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

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

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

++1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week ++ 1oz smoked salmon++ ½ oz/ 2 Tbsp sliced scallion greens ++ 2 oz melon OR 2 oz strawberries++Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]++Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or  berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]++

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Black Beauty”

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. 

“I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways, do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never [bite] or kick even in play.”

So said his mother to the title character in Anna Sewell’s classic book Black Beauty. This sounds like good advice from any loving mother to her child, until you get to the ‘trot’ part. ?? What was so unusual about Sewell’s book is that it was written in the ‘voice’ of a horse. Sewell grew up in the early 1800s — the time of Dickens and a dawning recognition of social ills. At that time, the most common beast of burden in Europe and Americas was the horse. Whether for riding, or drawing a carriage or wagon, horses were everywhere. As a teen, Sewell became crippled from breaking both her ankles. Since she couldn’t walk well, she acquired skill as a handler and driver of carriage horses. Sewell was her family’s chauffeur and she loved her relationship with horses. Being out and about a lot, she saw how horses were treated, mistreated, and taken for granted. To give them a voice, Sewell wrote Black Beauty, selling it to a publisher on November 24, 1877. The book was not written to amuse children, rather it was directed at the adults who had some say in the care and use of horses. She wrote that the book’s “special aim was to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses” People took note and reforms ensued: changes in harness and housing came about, all because of how a horse wrote his autobiography.

Anna Sewell and Black Beauty lived in Norfolk. Due to that region’s seacoast, we will have seafood at breakfast and at dinner.

Kippered Eggs: 152 calories… 9 g fat… 1 g fiber… 12.6 g protein… 6 g carbs… 56 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages.PB GF Kippers are tradionally served with eggs, but why not have them in eggs? We did and it is terrific!

++1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week ++ 0.4 oz kippered [smoked, salted, dried] herring +++ ¼ tsp dried mustard +++ 1 tsp lemon or lime juice ++++ 4 sweet cherries ++++   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]++

The night before: Soak the kipper fillet in warm tap water for 30+ minutes. Mince the fish. In a small bowl, combine the juice and mustard, then mix in the fish. Leave it until morning. Next morning: Put the fish with its flavorings into a lightly-spritzed hot non-stick or cast iron pan and warm them. Whisk the eggs and pour over the fish. Let the eggs cook without disturbing them, then fold and plate with the cherries. A delightful meal.

Whitby Fish Pie: 294 calories… 15.4 g fat… 2 g fiber… 17.5 g protein… 15 g carbs… 139 mg Calcium…  PB  This fabulous recipe is from Paul Hollywood, of British Baking Show fame. It is simple and delicious. Dear Husband and I loved it. HINT: This recipe is enough for two [2] people.

Whitby Fish Pie, to serve two diners.
233 ml/1 cup skimmed milk—-½ bay leaf—–½ small onion—–2 whole cloves [the spice]Put milk in a pan with bay leaf and clove-studded onion. Bring slowly to a boil, turn off heat, let infuse 30+ minutes. Strain milk into a measuring cup.
20 g butter—-20 g = 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour—-40 g spinach, fresh or frozen—–1 Tbsp chopped parsley——salt & pepperMelt butter in a pan, stir in flour. Cook gently for a few minutes, then gradually stir in infused milk. Increase heat. Cook at a simmer, stirring, for a few minutes. Add spinach, parsley, salt and pepper.
133g/3.5 oz haddock—-133g/3 oz finnen haddie [smoked haddock]—–58 g/1.5 oz shrimp, cleaned—–salt & pepperSkin fish and remove any pin bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces and put into a 4”x 6” dish with shrimp/ prawns. Pour on enough sauce to cover, gently mix with the fish and check the seasoning. 
Purchased puff pastry, 1/6 sheet ~47 g
Heat oven to 200°C/400F/Gas 6. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a 4×6” rectangle. Cut into 6 strips and form a lattice atop the pie. Bake 20-25 mins until pastry is golden brown.

Saint V

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen was not a saint, not during his life, nor after. He was born in Brussels in 1796, in what was then France. Verhaegen grew up in a Roman Catholic family and was educated in church schools. When he started law school, he was a Frenchman — by the time he became a lawyer, he was a Dutchman, since the Netherlands had taken over that part of the Napoleonic Empire after the defeat at Waterloo. William I was the Protestant king, and the young lawyer liked his more liberal views. Verhaegen became wealthy under the new regime, which he supported. A major shift in Pierre-Théodore’s life and world view came when he joined the Freemasons — a group that had been banned by the Catholic church. Although he did not take part in the 1830 revolution that created the Belgian nation, Verhaegen went from being a burgermaster to serving in the parliament. He was still a religious man but he was very much against the clergy having a role in politics and in directing daily life. In 1834, Verhaegen made a speech to his Masonic Lodge in which he championed education that was free from religious taxes and free from church rule. As a result, the Free University of Brussels was established on November 20, to be in competition with the Catholic universities. He was a fierce defender of and relentless fundraiser for the university, as a faculty member and administrator. Every year, November 20 was a holiday for the institution, and since 1843, alumni would gather on that day. The occasion expanded to include undergrads, and in 1888, 24 years after Verhaegen’s death, students hailed him as “Saint V”, recognizing his contribution to freethinking and democracy in Belgium, and poking a little fun at the Catholic universities with their patron saints. Today, Saint V’s Day is recognized as part of the Brussels-Capital Region’s intangible cultural heritage.

For breakfast, my take on a favorite Belgian side dish. For dinner, one of the most popular meals in Belgium, Fast Day style.

Stoemp for Breakfast: 228 calories…3.4 g fat… 6 g fiber…5.5 g protein…38.4 g carbs… 10.4 mg Calcium…  PB GF A beloved side-dish in Belgium is ‘stoemp’, a mixture of mashed potatoes and cooked vegetables. Why not serve it as patties for breakfast? For the mashed potatoes, I substituted my 3-Root Mash, which is very similar.

++1 cup 3-Root mash** +++2 slices bacon [60 calories]+++ ¼ cup applesauce++

Heat a heavy skillet and spray with cooking spray. Measure a ½ cup of the mash, and put it in the skillet. Flatten it a bit, then do the same with the rest of the mash. Let them cook, low and slow, until a crust forms on the bottom. Take out the patties, re-spray the pan, and cook the other side. Cook bacon, plate with stoemp and applesauce.

**Three Root Mash: 1 batch =1½ cups  ½ cup = 70 calories…0.1 g fat…2.5 g fiber…1.6 g protein…15.6 g carbs…26 mg Calcium…  PB GF  Try this trio for a change – very good. ++4 oz yellow turnip, peeled ++ 4 oz sweet potato, peeled ++ 4 oz red-skinned potato, unpeeled++ Cut all vegetables into cubes and boil until tender. Drain and mash, adding cooking water to get a good consistancy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Moules Frites: 299 calories… 14 g fat… 1.5 g fiber … 21.5 g protein… 15.5 g carbs… 35 mg Calcium…  PB GF  Belgium and France are ga-ga over moules frites, and now it is possible to enjoy them on a Fast Day.  HINT: This serves two [2], so invite a friend.

++ 1½# mussels in their shells, rinsed ++++ 3 Tbsp white wine ++++ ¼ c. heavy cream ++++ 3 oz sweet potato ++

Peel potato and cut into square batons, about 1/8” on a side. Spread on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Put mussels in a large pot, adding wine and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook at a boil 10-12 minutes, until shells are fully open and mussels look plump not stringy. Check potatoes for doneness. Salt generously. Put back in oven for 5-8 minutes if not fully cooked. Strain mussels and their liquid through a sieve, not a collander. Put mussel liquid back into the pan and cook down to ½ cup. Add cream and simmer until thicker. Divide mussels in serving bowls, pour the cream sauce over them, then top with frites.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
dry mustardscallion
lemon juicesmoked salmon
kippered herring + cherriesmelon or strawberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

skim milk + onion + whole cloves + bay leafolive oil + garlic + hot pepper flakes
white whole wheat flour + butter + parsleyfish stock + langoustine or shrimp
haddock + smoked haddock + shrimpbroccoli or asparagus + cabbage + tomatoes
purchased puff pastry + spinachdry white wine + canned white bans
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Childe Hassam

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

You have heard of the French Impressionists Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir, but how familiar are you with the foremost American Impressionist? Frederick Childe Hassam was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA on November 17, 1859. His family was fairly well off, but young Frederick had to abandon his education when his father’s business burned down. A job in a bank was a bust, due to ineptitude with math. But when apprenticed to an engraver, he did well for himself, making designs for print media. On the side, Hassam dabbled in watercolor and oil painting, producing his first canvas in 1879. His art skills were enhanced by classes at the Lowell Institute, and by joining an art club. At age 23, Frederick set up his own studio, worked as a freelance illustrator for magazines and children’s books, and held his first exhibition. The following year, Hassam went on an extended Grand Tour with a painting friend, visiting museums to see the Old Masters, going to exhibitions to see the newest works, and painting en plein aired every chance they got. Hassam was most impressed by the work of J. M. W. Turner, and when he returned to Boston, he began to paint more in that style. Marriage, another trip to Europe, and Hassam became firmly situated as an artist of worth. He is best known for his luminous paintings from around the summer home of his good friend Celia Thaxter [who convinced him to be known as Childe rather than Frederick], and for his crepuscular cityscapes.

For breakfast, a meal fit for the Gilded Age. For dinner, a recipe that the Francophile Hassam would have favored.

Egg for Bice: ..300 calories… 10 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 15 g protein… 25 g carbs… 207.5 mg Calcium… – PB – ‘Bice’ was the nickname of Dante’s adored Beatrix. Eggs Benedict, when made with ham, become Eggs Beatrix. When you add the ‘Florentine’ sauce, this is a perfect meal for the ‘perfect woman’ from Florence.

++ ½ whole wheat English muffin, @ 50 calories ++++ 1 two-oz egg, poached ++++ 0.4 ham, a slice from the deli ++++ 3 Tbsp Florentine Sauce [¼ c Bechamel sauce with cheese mixed with ½ oz cooked spinach and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg] ++++ 1.8 oz grapes ++++  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] 

Poach the egg while the English muffin toasts. Warm the sauce gently while the ham is heated in a dry skillet. Plate the muffin and spoon 1 Tbsp of sauce onto it. Top with the ham, then put the egg atop the ham. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the egg. Plate with the grapes. Perfect.

Nice In Nice: 295 calories… 11 g fat… 5.5 g fiber… 25 g protein… 22.6 g carbs… 59.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF Nice, France is famous for its Salade Nicoise which is often enjoyed with their local bread, Socca. This meal has some but not all the elements of the salad, and it is served with a bit of the bread. Very nice tasting! HINT: This preparation serves two [2] diners.

++ 6 oz salmon fillet, baked or grilled +++ ½ cup chickpeas, drained +++ 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half ++++ 4 black olives, pitted, cut in half +++ 2 cups lettuce, sliced or torn if large leaves ++++ ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp white wine + herbes de Provence + vinegar ++++ 1/8th of a batch of socca** ++

Whisk the oil, herbs, vinegar and chickpeas in a salad bowl. Toss the lettuce in the dressing. Distribute between two salad plates. Top each plate with salmon, tomatoes, olives. Add the socca and enjoy a very nice dinner.

***Socca

8 servings10” cast iron pan
1 c./4½ oz chickpea flour………….. 1 c. water ……1½ Tbsp EVOO……………….½ tsp kosher saltWhisk these together in a medium bowl until smooth. Let rest for 30+ minutes to give flour time to absorb the water.
Put an oven rack 6” below broiler, heat to 500°F. 
5 mins before batter is done resting, put an empty skillet in oven and turn on broiler.
1 teaspoon of oil……..1 tsp za’atar…salt & pepperTake skillet from oven. Swirl in oil to coat bottom of pan. Pour in batter, tilt pan to coat entire surface. Sprinkle with za’atar, salt, and pepper.
Broil until blistering/brown, 5-8 mins. Should be fairly flexible in middle but crispy on edges. If top browns too quickly, move skillet to a lower rack until done.
salt….za’atar
With a flat spatula, ease it from pan onto a cutting board. Slice into wedges, sprinkle with seasonings. 

The Sheik

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

On November 13, 1921, the silent film “The Sheik” debuted, and Hollywood was never the same. The script was based on a popular novel, the star was Rudolph Valentino — and that was a recipe for success! Edith Maude Hull’s book was published in 1919, and its mix of romance and adventure proved to be the escapism that people wanted. In the plot, Lady Diana Mayo is an entitled seeker of new experiences. While on a tour of the Arabian desert, she disguises herself as an Arab dancer to get into a private function hosted by Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan. [Sheik Ahmed, BTW, was not an Arab, but an adopted child of European heritage. That got around anti-miscegenation rules and biases.] He is intrigued by her, and kidnaps her to get to know her better. She resists his advances, but when he is injured after rescuing her from a greater danger, Lady Diana realizes that she is in love with the Sheik. Stockholm Syndrome? With exotic scenery [the film was shot in California], sexy leading actors, a plot filled with the threat of impending danger and a whiff of illicit love, the movie was a big hit. Valentino was not considered to be leading man material for being “too effeminate”, but the women who flocked to the theaters thought otherwise. The film was an instant success and Valentino became the first Hollywood sex symbol. A sequel film followed five years later, and was wrapped just before Valentino’s untimely death. In the 1920’s, a man who was prowling for a hook-up was called a ‘sheik’ and a woman to whom he was attracted was called a ‘sheba’. Make some popcorn [on a Slow Day], and watch the Sheik online to see what all the fuss was about.

Eggs with an Arab spice for breakfast, and a classic food of the Levant for dinner.

Za’atar Scramble: 177 calories… 10 g fat… 1 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 4.3 g carbs… 49.4 mg Calcium…  PB GF Za’atar is a splendid spice combination of the Levant, and it goes nicely with eggs at breakfast.

++ 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 tsp za’atar ++++ 3 black olives, minced ++++ 3 oz melon, your choice+++  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 eggs with spice and minced olives. Scramble in a non-stick pan spritzed with cooking spray. Plate with the melon, and enjoy the warm feelings.

Felafel Pockets: 273 calories… 5.5 g fat… 8 g fiber… 14 g protein… 48 g carbs… 90 mg Calcium…  PB  This preparation uses two pita pockets from one pita bread. Each serving is 1½ pockets. [HINT: Save the other part for tomorrow’s lunch] 

++ 1 whole wheat pita bread, about 140 calories ++++ 6 falefel patties total, 3 per pita pocket ++++ ½ cup vegetable salsa ++

Prepare the salsa and let stand while you warm the felafel. Cut the pita bread into 2 equal pockets. If frozen, warm the felafel. Put some of the salsa into each pocket, then add 3 felafel patties. Spoon the remaining salsa on top. Cut one of the filled pockets in half and eat that tomorrow.

**Vegetable salsa: ½ cup diced fresh tomatoes …. ½ cup diced red or yellow bell peppers… 2 Tbsp red onion, chopped… 1 Tbsp lemon juice… Put everything in a bowl and toss to mix.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large + nutmegbacon + applesauce
half of 50-calorie whole-wheat English muffinyellow turnip
bechamel sauce w/ cheese + grapessweet potato
frozen spinach + thin slice 3%-fat ham red-skinned potato
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

salmon fillet + chickpeas + cherry tomatoes1.5 pounds live blue mussels
black olives + lettuce + olive oildry white wine
white wine vinegar + herbs de Provenceheavy cream
chickpea flour + za’atarsweet potato
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Elements: Fire

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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. 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, 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. The first four made up earthly things, while Ether made up celestial objects: the sun, planets, stars. The ancient philosopher-scientists did not know that the sun and stars are exceedingly hot, although not on fire, so they did not associate them with the Fire Element. Fire was considered to have the characteristics of being hot and dry. Aristotle thought that humans were made in part of the Fire Element, which gave them warm bodies. [Humans were also made in part of Earth — since we decay into soil when we die; of Water because we need to drink it; and of Air because we need to breathe it.] Over time, Fire became associated with the season of Summer, with the Eastern point of the compass, and with masculine nature. In the Hindu tradition, the deity Agni is found in three forms: fire, lightning, and the sun. In Tarot, Fire is a transforming element — an idea that came from alchemy, where metals in fire changed into liquids, and flammable substances were consumed. At this time of year, as the nights get longer and colder in the Northern Hemisphere, Fire returns to its oldest significance: providing light and heat. May you have light and warmth in your life, and if you do, then do something to help others who are without.

“Fire” in food can refer to a method of cooking as well as ingredients that are ‘hot’. Our meals today contain spices that taste hot on the tongue and could cause perspiration if you really like it hot.

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

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  ++++ ½ Tbsp curry powder ++++ 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained ++++ 1½ oz strawberries ++++ dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt ++++  Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait[65 calories] ++++   Optional:  5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

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

Sausage Arrabbiata: 286 calories… 9.4 g fat… 8.5 g fiber… 15 g protein… 44 g carbs… 75 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF pasta  In a riff on Shrimp Arrabbiata, our younger son created this sausage dish, made with his signature addition of New Mexico green chile. HINT: This recipe is enough for two [2] diners. Prepare it all and freeze the other half. “Arrabbiata” means “angry” due to the heat of the spices. Firey indeed.

Sv 2 for FAST day
3 oz whole-wheat pasta Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, saving ½ cup pasta water.
2 oz Polish Kielbasa [2 oz =130 calories]Slice sausage and cook in dry pan. When browned, remove and set aside. 
3 cloves garlicMince garlic, add to pot, and stir until just brown and fragrant. 
6 Roma tomatoes+++½ cup pasta water ++++ saltQuarter the tomatoes. Add to garlic in pan along with pasta water and salt. Cook down until saucy.
2 Tbsp roasted green New Mexico chiles++++½ tsp cayenne+++++cooked sausageAdd seasonings and cooked sausage. Stir until heated through. 
1 Tbsp Parm/Romano, grated Add cheese and pasta to sauce, stir until heated. 
Fresh basil++++1½ oz green beans per personGarnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve with cooked green beans.

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

1 two-oz egg + 1 egg white + milk1.5 two-oz eggs 
butter + white whole wheat flourza’atar spice
high gluten flourblack olives
raspberries/blueberries/cloudberriesmelon
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

six 2-oz eggs + side salad1 whole wheat pita bread @ 140 calories
salmon + zucchini + onion6 falefel patties 
reduced-fat ricotta cheesetomatoes + bell pepper
plain, non-fat yogurt + dill weedred onion + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Hubert and the Deer

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. 

Tomorrow, November 3rd, is the feast day of St. Hubert.  He was born into a noble family in Aquitaine in 657 CE. As was common, he was sent to the court of the Neustrian ruler of the Franks at Paris. There he learned courtly graces and a love of hunting. After a move to the court of Austrasia, the Mayor of the Palace was so impressed by Hubert that he was promoted to rank of Grand Master of the Household. Although Christianity had taken hold among the Franks, Hubert was not especially religious. When his wife Floribanne died after childbirth, Hubert renounced the life of the court and retreated to the Ardennes forest. There he hunted and lived as he wished, without thought to what society might say. On Good Friday, so the story goes, when he might have been in church, Hubert went hunting. He chased a large stag but when he was close enough to kill it, the stag turned and looked at him. Hubert was astonished to see a glowing crucifix between the stag’s antlers. A Voice told him to mend his ways or he would be bound for hell. Hubert threw himself to the ground and asked what he should do to change. The Voice told him to find Lambert, Bishop of Maastricht. Hubert was welcomed by Lambert, who trained him and ordained him as a priest. After a pilgrimage to Rome, Hubert replaced the assassinated Lambert as Bishop. He was a popular preacher and spiritual leader, going back into the Ardennes to convert the inhabitants. Hubert is the patron saint of hunters and the faithful prayed to him to cure rabies.

Breakfast is from the Romans who had left a cultural legacy in France before the fall of their empire. The dinner is something the Germanic Franks might have eaten. Or eat venison, a traditional meal for Hubert, since November 3 marks the start of hunting season.

Roman Porridge: 146 calories… 1 g fat… 4 g fiber… 4 g protein… 29.4 g carbs… 14 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.PB Farro is an ancient grain which was enjoyed by citizens of the Roman Empire for breakfast as a porridge. Here I have included a pear, which the Romans loved.

++ ½ c cooked farro [do ahead] ++++ 1 oz pear, unpeeled, chopped ++++ 1 tsp honey ++++  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] ++

Warm the cooked farro. Stir in the honey until incorporated, then add the pear: stir it in or leave the fruit on top. This will keep a Roman on his/her feet for hours.

Senfeier (Eggs in Mustard Sauce): 323 calories… 15.5 g fat… 2 g fat … 17 g protein… 12 g carbs… 158 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF flour in the sauce + GF bread or omitting  This recipe represents ‘comfort food’ in Germany: simple, homey, the sort of meal your Grossmutti would serve you for lunch or supper. TIP: prepare the bechamel before-hand [handy to have in freezer] and boil the eggs the day before. Very easy to prepare, this is a meal for a busy day.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2] people. 

++ 4 hard-boiled eggs ++++ ½ c Bechamel sauce, no cheese ++++  1 Tbsp grainy mustard ++++ 2 fl oz/¼ c white wine ++++ 1 oz sour-dough rye bread [optional: omit to save 35 calories] ++++ ¾ c frozen, chopped spinach ++++ nutmeg ++

Combine the bechamel, mustard and wine in a saute pan and warm them gently, stirring to combine. Warm the spinach with a little water and many pinches of nutmeg in a covered pan. Peel and halve the eggs and put them in the sauce, cut-side up. Cover and keep over low until eggs and sauce are warm. Warm the optional bread. Either plate the spinach along side of the eggs, or under the eggs, or combine the spinach with the sauce. Delicious any way you plate it, with or without the bread.