recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

Frida Kahlo

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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.

Is there an artist more recognizable than Frida Kahlo? She is the icon of the strong woman; of innovative art; and of over-coming adversity. She was born in 1907, and suffered from polio as a child. Ever after, Kahlo wore long skirts to hide her atrophied leg. While attending the prestigious National Preparatory School in Mexico City, Frida first saw the famous Diego Rivera as he painted a mural. She told a friend that some day she would marry him. After a traffic accident that left her with numerous broken bones, she took up painting to keep her occupied while enduring life in a full-body cast. Frida most often painted herself — she said that she was the subject that she knew best. In 1928, Kahlo approached Rivera, asking him for advice on her career. They became romantically involved and married in 1929. A tempestuous relationship ensued. Their’s was an open marriage with separate studios and separate living arrangements. Both of them had other partners and there was so much arguing that no one was surprised that they divorced — only to remarry in 1940. Through it all, she painted: pictures filled with pain and symbolism; with anger and Mexican heritage; with suffering and nature; with sensuality and political fervor. In her lifetime, she was recognized as a fine artist, selling works to collectors in New York City and Paris. After she died on July 13, 1954, her reputation languished, only to be resurrected in the 1990s, followed by a sort of Fridamania. Today she is honored as one of Mexico’s greatest artists and as a major contributor to feminist ideology.

Our meals, are from Frida’s Mexico, probably a bit Americanized, as has been Frida’s legacy.

Mexican Bake: 124 calories 6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 8.4 g protein 8 g carbs 76 mg Calcium  PB GF Queso, adobo, Mexican oregano – how much more flavor can we pack into these eggs? Try this, it is good.

¼ oz queso fresco one 2-oz egg 1 Tbsp green or red New Mexico chili 0.2 oz roasted red pepper Mexican oregano ½ tsp adobo 1.5 oz mango OR 1 oz blueberries + 1 oz melon, diced   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] or lemon in hot water

Spritz a ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband prefers to use a 4×6” oval casserole] with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350F. Chop the roasted pepper and stir them into the chili, queso, and other flavorings. DO NOT ADD SALT. Whisk the egg and stir in the above mixture. Pour into the oven-proof dish and bake 12-15 minutes. Plate the fruit, prepare your beverage of choice. Eat con gusto/with pleasure.

Fajitas with Chicken + Vegetables: 286 calories 5 g fat 4 g fiber 24 g protein 35 g carbs 183 mg Calcium  PB GF – using corn tortillas  It is quick, delicious, and a good way to use vegetables. EatingWell is the source of this super easy meal.  HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] people.

1 tsp oil + 3 tsp water + 6 oz chicken breast
2 c.[9.5 oz] veg, including: 3 oz sweet pepper + 4 oz zucchini + 1 oz red onion + 1.5 oz broccoli
1 tsp chili powder + 1 tsp Adobo 		Cut meat into strips or shred if already cooked. Cut vegetables into strips or other edible sizes. Heat oil in wok, stirfry meat, vegetables, water, and seasonings  ~ 7 minutes or until cooked and vegetables begin to brown
four 5” yellow corn tortillas @ 60 cal each Wrap in damp kitchen towel and nuke 30-45 seconds. -OR- Warm on a griddle or in a dry skillet until pliable and starting to brown.
3 Tbsp plain nonfat yog = 2 tsp per tortillaSmear yogurt on each tortilla. Divide the meat/veg among the tortillas.
1 lime
¼ c cilantro leaves		Serve lime on the side, squeeze juice on fajita contents. Sprinkle with cilantro.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs  + mixed herbs
1 slice whole-grain bread, 70 caloriesJarlsberg cheese
apple or melonzucchini
peach or applesauce
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

olive oil + onion + mushrooms + garlic + thyme1 pound dried green split peas
carrot + potato + green beans + caulifloweruncured streaky bacon
vegetable broth + cornstarch + soy saucethyme
puff pastry + Gouda cheese + rosemary, za’atar
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Ape-Man & Monkey Trial

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to strategyninja2023 who is now Following.

In 1859, Charles Darwin published the book that was to change science forever, yet ruin his life: On the Origin of Species. It stated that plant and animal life were not static since the start of time, but changed bit by bit over time evolving into new forms of life. In 1871, he followed it up with The Descent of Man, saying that humans are animals just like any other, and that they too evolved — from a non-human ancestor. Cue the torches and pitchforks! Critics said, “Where is the proof? Where are the fossil remains of an ‘ape-man?” In 1856, fossils were found in the Neander River Valley of Germany that looked human — sort of — except they clearly had an ‘ape-like’ jaw and teeth. This was dubbed the Neanderthal [‘thal’ = ‘valley’ in German] Man. Was this the ‘missing link’ between apes and humans?? The issue was hotly debated for decades. On July 10, 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee, John T. Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution to his high school biology class. [Evolution was an approved part of the state curriculum, although the Butler Act forbad it.] A committee of town leaders had decided that the way to put Dayton on the map would be to stage a ‘show trial’ based on the hot-button issue of evolution. They were right. Media swarmed to the trial, due especially to the participation of two high profile lawyers: William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow for the defense. The two former allies were poles apart on religion, and the highlight of the trial was when Darrow put Bryan on the witness stand, producing a confused set of answers about events from the Book of Genesis. The trial was famously [mis]represented on stage in Lawrence and Lee’s 1955 Inherit the Wind, made into a movie in 1960 [the clip of Darrow on the stand is from the film — not court transcripts]. The guilty verdict against Scopes, subsequently set aside by acquittal, did not end the controversy of creationism vs. evolution. In 2005, a case in Dover, Pennsylvania took on the constitutionality of teaching creationism. Evolution won. On July 11, 1997, German scientists used DNA to analyze the Neanderthal genome — a major step in determining the relationship between them and us. Results showed that Neanderthals were humans, Homo neanderthalensis, but not ancestors of modern humans, Homo sapiens. Analysis of Homo sapiens DNA, shows that most people of non-African origin carry some genetic material from Neanderthals. The study of the past, through archeology, paleo-biology, and geology, has much to teach us about human evolution. The Bible has much to teach us about religious evolution.

Our meals today are from the Eastern-Central part of the US, where the Monkey Trial was held. The foods are traditional and familiar, just the way the people liked it. William Jennings Bryan died of a heart attack five days after the conclusion of the trial — some say it was from over-eating at a turkey dinner.

Scrapple Scramble: 168 calories 14 g fat 2 g fiber 11.4 g protein 9.4 g carbs 64.6 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF – scrapple is supposed to be made with cornmeal and buckwheat flour, not wheat flour. Check the label.  This is a great way to use any left-over scrapple, in case you cooked too much earlier in the 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 scrapple, cooked, diced 2 Tbsp scallion or chives, sliced thinly 1.5 oz strawberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Dice the scrapple and slice the scallion. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and cook the scrapple and scallion until they are warm. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the ingredients in the pan. Scramble to your liking. Plate with the strawberries and enjoy your beverage of choice. This is a real taste of South-Eastern Pennsylvania!

Turkey Dinner: One of the great American meals is “Turkey with all the trimmings.” This could be found at a country restaurant [often with white or yellowish gravy] or at the holiday table. What if you ate ‘some of everything’ as one commonly does? I’m not going to tell you what to eat, but I will provide you with some calorie counts for common foods:

4 oz turkey breast, roasted, skinless 153 calories
½ cup green beans21 calories
½ cup breadcrumb stuffing176 calories
½ cup peas62 calories
1/2 cup mashed potatoes118 calories
2 Tbsp cranberry sauce55 calories
4 Tbsp gravy32 calories
pumpkin pie, 1/8th of a 9” pie316 calories

Religions: Hussites

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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.

Jan Hus

A general world history course often rushes from the Middle Ages to the Protestant Reformation as if not much happened in between. Then up pops Martin Luther, 95 Thesis in hand, as if he were the first to want to reform the Roman Church. There were reforms of the monastic orders by Benedict in the 6th century and by Bernard in the 11th. But after one and a half millennia, the original thread of the Christian Church had become a bit tangled. Jan Hus had worked his way up from being a poor farmer’s son in Bohemia to being Rector at the Prague University. After reading the [banned] works of John Wycliffe, Hus saw flaws in the church hierarchy and he proposed changes to get it back to the original ways. At that time, the Roman Church was striving to overcome schisms and disunity, so they did not want to hear any criticism from the ranks.

Jesus’ church reforms, 30 CE The Roman church in 1400 CEHus’ reform ideas 1400 CE
Poverty for all preachersPopes and bishops lived lavish lifestyles, like princes with perks Poverty for all clergy
Said the church is not a place for buying and selling Selling indulgences to raise funds for churchesNo sales of indulgences
Preaching in local languages Preaching in latin onlyPreaching to Czechs in Czech 
Gave followers bread and wine at the Last SupperAt communion, priests got wine + bread. People got only bread.At communion, both bread and wine for all people.
He read scripture in his own languageAll bibles were in latin and translation was forbiddenBibles should be in local languaages for all to read.

His views against indulgences put him at odds with the King of Bohemia. His insistence on preaching in Czech angered the Church. Daily, he gained followers. Hus was called to the Council of Constance to discuss his views. They immediately condemned him [and the deceased Wycliffe] for heresy. Hus was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. His ashes were shoveled into the river so there would be no veneration of his remains. Everyday Czechs were infuriated by his death. Hus was seen as a reformer and a patriot. The Hussites took arms against the Church and the King, engaging in the 14-year war of religion in which they defended the ideas of Hus. One Hundred years later, the Reformation began in Germany and two-thirds of Czechs left the Catholic church and became followers of Luther.

What was then Bohemia, became the western part of Czechoslovakia, and is now Czechia. But they still like the same food traditions that have been handed down through the centuries. Our breakfast and dinner are typical of foods from the time of Jan Has.

Bohemian Breakfast:  174 calories 9 g fat 4 g fiber 8.6 g protein 17.6 g carbs 130 mg Calcium  PB A typical farmer’s breakfast from Medieval Bohemia makes for a fine modern-day Fast meal. Very easy preparation.

1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce 1 oz Camembert cheese.

Lightly toast the bread. If you wish, lightly warm the applesauce to take off the refrigerator chill. Spread the applesauce on the bread and plate with the cheese. Simple, satisfying, delicious.

Czech Garlic Soup Česneková polévka: 194 calories 5 g fat 4 g fiber 9 g protein 27 g carbs 84 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF 100% rye bread  What could be better on a cold winter’s night than a cozy bowl of soup? This is a classic from czechcookbook, but feel free to make it your own. The calorie count is so low that you could add other vegetables or low-fat meat.  HINT: This recipe makes 8 cups of soup. One serving = 1 cup

1 Tbsp unsalted butter OR bacon fat  
7 cloves garlic		Chop garlic and saute in butter/fat in a stock pot.
7 cups water OR Chicken OR Beef Broth
1½ tsp salt
3 cups cubed potatoes  3 cups cubed parsnips 		Peel potatoes and parsnips and cut in cubes. Add with salt and broth to the stock pot. Simmer 20 minutes, until vegetables are just under-done.Remove ½ cup soup stock and cool.
1 two-oz egg ½ cup of soup stock
1 tsp marjoram		Whisk egg, then whisk it into reserved soup stock. Return to the stockpot, stirring, and add marjoram. Taste for seasoning. Let sit in a cool place 8-24 hours.
Per person: ¼ oz rye/whole-grain bread Per person: ¼ oz Swiss cheese
Per person: side salad		Cut bread into cubes and toast them. Grate cheese over them while hot. Use to garnish the reheated soup at serving time. Add a side salad for more nutrients.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs1.5 two-oz eggs  + Mexican oregano
scrapple made with cornmeal + buckwheat queso fresco + New Mexico green chilis
Scallion roasted red pepper + adobo powder
strawberriesblueberries + melon
optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

roast turkey + ‘all the trimmings’chicken breast meat + yellow corn tortillas
an analysis of a feastcilantro + sweet peppers + zucchini
red onion + adobo powder + broccoli
chili powder + plain yogurt + lime
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Québec City

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

Quebec City, 1688.

When Samuel de Champlain sailed up the Saint Lawrence River in 1608, perhaps he thought that he had found the fabled Northwest Passage through North America to the Pacific. Instead he ended up in a place with a great potential. The broad river narrowed as it turned, and it was dominated by huge cliffs. Below the cliff was a low, flat area for landing boats. This was a natural fortress and on July 3, Champlain claimed it as the site for his trading post: fur trappers and explorers seeking trade. The area was called Québec, from the Algonquin language, meaning ‘where the river narrows.’ For a few years, it was run by distant France, but it 1645, it came under local control and grew into a real settlement: priests and nuns set up schools for the population influx. When Louis XIV named it the capital of New France, the town grew: bureaucrats, soldiers, and nobility seeking status and wealth. Government buildings and residences were built on the heights, surrounded by a palisade. The lower town bustled with merchants, tradespeople and their houses. In the mid-1600s, Québec City had a cathedral [Notre-Dame de Québec, 1647], the Jesuit College [1637] and a seminary [which became Université Laval]. Tensions between France and England lead to the Battle of Quebec in 1759, when British rule ensued. Trade in lumber became the new cash cow for the port as Québec tried to strike a balance between its French past and the modern British influence. They succeeded well: the Old Town, with its fortifications, its elegant upper town and tourist-quaint lower town, is a destination for those seeking a sojourn in the most European city in North America.

Preserved meat and local mushrooms no doubt were common menu items in early New France. If the colonizers had been smarter, they would have eaten more like their indigenous neighbors, as we will do at dinner.

Mushroom-Sausage Bake: 138 calories… 7.6 g fat… 0.5 g fiber… 10.5 g protein… 6.5 g carbs… 40 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF This is a happy combination of flavors, especially when mushrooms are fresh.

1 chicken breakfast sausage at 33 calories each 1 two-oz egg ¼ oz mushrooms ¾ tsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1.5 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] or lemon in hot water

Cook the mushrooms [if raw] by poaching in a little hot water for a minute, then chop. Slice sausage thinly. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350F degrees. Put sausage slices in the baking dish. Whisk the egg with the mushrooms and cheese, and pour into the ramekin. Bake 12-15 minutes. Spoon out the applesauce and pour the beverages.

Abenaki Feast: 281 calories 6 g fat 5 g fiber 27 g protein 36.4 g carbs 13 mg Calcium   PB GF This meal is made from ingredients available to the Abenaki People of Northern New England: corn, shell beans, salmon, and maple syrup. A fine feast for Indigenous Peoples and the rest of us too. The salmon I chose is from the West Coast, but that is because there is very little wild salmon left in the North-East.

3.5 oz salmon, such as wild-caught Sockeye 2 tsp real maple syrup ¼ c lima beans 1/3 c corn kernels

Choose a heavy saute pan with a lid and spray it with cooking oil. Place the fish in the pan and brush it with some of the maple syrup – using just enough to cover the fish but not so much that it runs into the pan. Salt and pepper it, cover and cook on medium-high for 4 minutes. Combine the vegetables, and warm them gently. Uncover the fish, brush with more syrup, cover and cook another 2 minutes. Brush on the remaining syrup, cook fish until it is done. Plate and enjoy a proper pre-colonial meal.

Celia Thaxter

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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.

Teen-aged Celia.

Celia Laighton was born in Portsmouth, NH on June 29, 1835. Although a mainlander by birth, her life and legacy are tied to a tiny group of islands off the coast: the Isles of Shoals. When Celia was four years old, her father was appointed Keeper of the White Island Lighthouse and the family moved there. One might think that an isolated childhood on the two-acre rock would have been horrible for Celia, Oscar, and Cedric, yet they remembered it as an enchanted time, that “filled [her] with awe and wonder.” She loved the infinitely changing ocean, the shore birds, and the vagaries of weather. Celia and her brothers were educated by their parents, and from an early age Celia read the poems of Tennyson. Her father Thomas recognized his dream of building a hotel on another island, Appledore [formerly Hog Island] which he owned with his brothers. The family moved to the larger island in 1847, and, as Celia learned to swim and row and garden, her love affair with the islands deepened. A Summer visitor and investor in the hotel, Levi Thaxter, a highly educated 20-something who had aspired to the theater, became the children’s tutor. When he was 27 and Celia was 16, they married. At first they spent Summers on the Isles and Winters in Massachusetts, near his family. After the birth of their first son, Karl, Celia could not visit her family often and Levi, who survived a terrifying ship-wreck on the islands, refused to go back. Being separated from her parents, her Isles, and the ocean was a great trial for Celia. Two more sons followed, and Celia was even more tied to her house and children. And she despaired. While cooking one day, she began to compose a poem in her head. She showed it to Levi, who secretly sent it to his friend the editor of the Atlantic Monthly. It was published as Landlocked in 1860. Thus was born Celia Thaxter’s career as an author. That was a good thing, because her husband never did settle into a career. By turns he was a preacher, school-master, and declaimer of poetry, but not for any length of time, nor for much income. Eventually, disagreements over raising their disabled son Karl, Levi’s health, and Celia’s longing to see her family lead to separation: Celia and Karl to Appledore Island for the Summer; Levi and the two other sons off to Florida for the Winter. Celia helped at the family’s hotel, nursed her parents as they died, and wrote poetry. Her cottage was surrounded by the flowering plants that she loved and her salon included the A-list of literature of the time, as well as of art and music. Celia turned journalist when a shocking double murder occurred on Smuttynose Island, owned by the Laightons. She became a prose writer with her essay series Among the Isles of Shoals and An Island Garden, popularized through paintings by Childe Hassam. Celia campaigned unsuccessfully against the use of actual bird feathers in women’s fashion, even while her husband shot birds to sell to museums. She died in 1895 and is buried near her cottage. The family hotel and her cottage burned down in 1914, never to be rebuilt. But Celia’s garden has been revived on her plans and may be visited. Appledore Island is owned by the Shoals Marine Lab.

Celia Laighton Thaxter probably never ate an avocado, but seafood such as lobster and oysters would have been plentiful around her beloved Isles of Shoals, so we will eat these meals in honor of her.

Avocado-Lobster Bake: 145 calories 7 g fat 2 g fiber 11 g protein 10.5 g carbs 64 mg Calcium  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages.  PB GF  When I thought that avocado and ricotta would make a nice bake, Dear Husband had one suggestion: add lobster! Well why not?

1 two-oz egg ¼ oz avocado ¾ Tbsp ricotta ¾ oz lobster meat OR crab 2 oz pear  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] or lemon in hot water 

Set the toaster oven to 350 F. Spritz a ramekin or other oven-proof dish with cooking spray and put the lobster meat on the bottom. Mash the avocado with the ricotta, then whisk in the egg. Pour over the lobster, season as you wish. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Slice the fruit and prepare the optional beverages. Sumptuous.

Baked Oysters: 267 calories 10 g fat 5 g fiber 14.6 g protein 31.5 g carbs 90.6 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF bread or omitting   Ordinarily, we like our oysters raw, but sometimes a change is delicious.  HINT: This preparation serves two [2] people.

12 East Coast oysters 1 Finn Crisp cracker 2 oz chevre cheese ½ c cooked spinach Per serving: 1 oz oatmeal bread 1 Side Salad

Remove one shell from each oyster and arrange on an oven-proof dish. Pulverize the cracker and sprinkle crumbs evenly on the oysters. Squeeze moisture from spinach and chop. Cream spinach with the cheese and distribute the mixture evenly over each oyster. Broil 5 minutes until starting to bubble. Serve with salad and bread. Yum.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large70-calorie whole-grain bread 
mushroomsunsweetened applesauce
chicken breakfast sausage @ 33 caloriesCamembert cheese
Parmesan cheese
apple sauce, unsweetened optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

wild-caught salmongarlic + potatoes + parsnips
genuine maple syrup beef or chicken stock + egg
lima beansmarjoram + rye bread
corn kernalsSwiss cheese + butter
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Coney Island

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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.

Coney Island is situated at the southern edge of Brooklyn, a borough of New York. It was an island when the Dutch arrived in the 1600s, and was left in isolation by the subsequent English and Americans. Fishermen, farmers, and shell-fishers who lived there in the early 1800s served cooked meals to visitors from the interior of Brooklyn who found that the sea breezes were refreshing in the Summer. In the 1820s, a bridge was built to the island and a road was constructed — ‘paved’ in crushed sea shells. By the 1830s, two hotels were in business, and the wealthy sojourned there, far from the crowds of the city. In the 1850s, the middle class began to visit, aided by the new ferry service. The aftermath of the Civil War saw railroad lines going to the peninsula. Shifting currents and developers filled in the water, making the former island part of the mainland. New hotels were built as everyone from immigrant families to the very rich flocked to Coney’s beaches. Then the Boom Times came: amusement parks, racetracks, and other attractions sprung up in profusion. Steeplechase Park, 1897; Luna Park, 1903; and Dreamland, 1904 vied to see which could sport the most electric lights. Outside the parks were the B&B Carousell [sic] with its hand-carved wooden horses and roller-coasters. The famous wooden Cyclone was open for business on June 26, 1927. Dear Husband recalls the clackety-clacking sound of the cars climbing up before a heart-stopping descent. Of course visitors needed food. Charles Feltman began selling hot dogs from a push-cart and ended up with an entire restaurant. His employee, Nathan Handwerker thought he could do better and Nathan’s Famous still exists. Fires, the automobile, and the 1964 World’s Fair caused the fortunes of Coney Island to wane. In the 1960s, Fred Trump wanted to tear down many of the old buildings to develop new residential and entertainment sites. The plan fell through. Luna Park has been re-built, the Cyclone still runs, and tourists still flock to Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, just as they have for 160 years.

By the early 1900s, Coney Island was the playground of the young and single residents of New York — factory and shop workers who wanted to play on the weekend. Our breakfast might have been eaten by one of them before hopping on the trolley to Coney. For dinner, what else but a hot dog!

Shop Girl’s Breakfast: 231 calories 9 g fat 4.6 g fiber 14.5 g protein 27.5 g carbs 7 mg Calcium  PB  The Industrial Revolution brought young women by the thousands from the farm to the city, to work in the factories and as shop girls. Breakfast would have been served cold, made from dinner leftovers and other foods that required little preparation or refrigeration.

1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread [not white bread on her budget] 1 two-oz hard boiled egg 1 oz chicken dinner sausage 1 oz onion, sliced 2 prunes [0.6 oz]   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea

The night or day before, slice the sausage and the onion. Place in a small pan with some water and a spritz of non-stick spray. Cook until the water has evaporated, sausage slices have browned a bit and the onions are limp. In the morning, toast the bread lightly and top with the sausage-onion mixture [rewarmed if you like]. Plate with the egg and the prunes. Only blackish coffee or tea for our shop girl – no stop at Starbucks on the way to work for a fancy brew.

Hot Dog & Beans for Summer: 263 calories 18 g fat 6 g fiber 13 g protein 21.6 g carbs 68 mg Calcium  PB GF This is what you want for a summer meal on the deck – all the flavors without the bun.  HINT: This is enough for two.

Two <110-calorie hot dogs ½ c canned baked beans 1 deviled egg* ¾ c. coleslaw**

Grill or steam the hot dogs while you warm the baked beans. Prepare the deviled egg and coleslaw. This is a good old summer-time meal.

*Deviled Egg:  80 calories 5 g fat 0 g fiber 8 g protein 1 g carbs 36.6 mg Calcium  PB GF Old favorite, updated.

One 2-oz egg, hardboiled, peeled 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese Yellow Sriracha or New Mexico green chilis in a jar paprika or sumac

Slice egg in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolk and mash on a plate with a fork. Add cheese and savory liquid, and mash until well blended. Spoon back into the divot of the egg white and sprinkle with paprika or sumac.

**COLESLAW: Makes ¾ cup From Jacques Pepin 1 cup = 81 calories 5 g fat 6.5 g fiber 2 g protein 11.4 g carbs 76 mg Calcium  ½ cup = 41 calories 2.4 g fat 3 g fiber 1 g protein 5.5 g carbs 38 mg Calcium  PB GF 1 cup chopped cabbage ½ oz carrot grated [makes ¼ cup] 1½ tsp ‘Mayo Dressing’ made with olive oil -OR- use plain yogurt  1½ tsp cider vinegar pinch celery seed

Whisk everything but the vegetables together in a wide bowl. Stir in the vegetables, add salt, pepper, or more vinegar to taste.

Fred Astaire

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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.

As children, my sister and I would watch old movies on TV. Our favorites were the Fred Astaire-and-Ginger Rogers hits from the 1930s. Some channels played the same film several times a day, and we would watch them until we had memorized our favorite scenes. To this day, she and I quote lines from The Gay Divorcee. Frederick Austerlitz was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899. His father hoped his son would follow him as a brewer, his mother hoped he would get a job that would take him away from Omaha. When her husband lost his job, she moved the family to New York and enrolled her children in singing and dance classes. Soon 5-year-old Fred and 8-year-old Adele ‘Astaire’ [note the change] were performing in vaudeville. Adele was a natural dancer and her brother mimicked her well. Cute as a button, they were a hit and soon were touring around the mid-West. Little Fred was always dressed in a top-hat to hide the fact that he was shorter than his partner. When Adele had a growth-spurt, the act was put on hold until Fred grew taller. The time was spent in music and acting lessons. As adult dancers, they performed in shows on Broadway. When Adele retired to marry, Fred moved to Hollywood, hoping for a movie career without a partner. But in 1933, he was paired with veteran actress Ginger Rogers in Flying Down to Rio, and, without his sister, the dances could be more romantic. The pair romanced and danced and sang their way through the 1930s. Song writing legends wrote memorable music for the films, including Jerome Kern, the Gershwin brothers, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin — all of whom made the most of Astaire’s weak singing abilities by composing for his narrow range. But could he dance! Tap and ballroom; on the dance floor and on the ceiling. Astaire did the choreography for all his gigs, assisted by Hermes Pan, insisting that the dance should be part of the acting to further the plot. After Rogers, Astaire partnered many other dancers, then took dramatic roles in films. He died on June 22, 1987, but his elegance, grace, and talent live on in his films.

Breakfast is an echo of the Mid-West origins of Fred Austerlitz, and the dinner evokes Astaire’s California success. What a journey.

Egg-Salad Toast: 167 calories 8 g fat 4.5 g fiber 12 g protein 22 g carbs 101 mg Calcium  PB  Toast ‘n’ Egg for breakfast takes a new twist. If you must grab-and-go, this is a good choice. 

1 slice whole-grain bread [70 calories, 3 g fiber] 1 hardboiled 2-oz egg yellow Sriracha, ad lib + 1 Tbsp reduced-fat ricotta -OR- 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese 1 oz sliced tomato OR halved cherry tomatoes 2 oz strawberries -OR- 1 oz blueberries   -OR- 1 oz grapes Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Slice the tomato and salt it to develop flavor. Shell the egg and mash it with a fork on a plate. Squirt some Sriracha on it, add the ricotta, and continue to mash and squirt until you get the consistancy you like. Add salt and pepper and herbs to taste. Lightly toast the bread and spread with the egg salad. Top with the tomato and plate with the fruit. Wholesome and hearty.

Santa Barbara Salad: 280 calories 13 g fat 5.5 g fiber 16 g protein 21 g carbs 106 mg Calcium  PB GF  From a Washington Post food column, comes a salad that sings of California.  HINT: This amount serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch later in the week.

½ head Boston or butter crunch lettuce 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes ½ medium apple, cored and diced ½ cup diced chicken breast ¼ cup chickpeas 1 oz soft goat cheese 1½ tsp pine nuts 1 Medjool date ½ two-oz egg, hardboiled  per serving: 1½ tsp cinnamon dressing

First prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Next, toast the pine nuts in a small dry pan until they just begin to brown. Take off heat and set aside. Shred the lettuce and put in a bowl along with all the other ingredients. Toss with 1.5 tsp dressing per serving. Play a Beach Boys song and wear your sunglasses.

CINNAMON DRESSING:  makes 4.5 tsp   ½ shallot [¾ oz], minced 1½ tsp balsamic vinegar or raspberry vinegar 1 Tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp cinnamon Shake together in a jar. Refrigerate until needed.

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

hard-cooked 2-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg 
whole-grain 70-calorie breadavocado
prunes lobster or crab meat
chicken dinner sausagepear
onionoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

hot dogs <110 calories + yellow sriracha/green chilis 6 oysters per person
cabbage + carrot + celery seed + canned baked beansFinn Crisp cracker
2-oz hard cooked egg + 2% cottage cheese + cider vinegarchèvre cheese + cooked spinach
‘mayo dressing with olive oil’ or plain yogurtoatmeal bread + side salad
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Juneteenth

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

What could be worse than being enslaved? Having been freed but not knowing it! That is what Juneteenth is all about. The Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves and ended slavery in the USA, was signed in January, 1863. Of course, slave owners in the American South ignored it. As the army of the Northern states conquered Confederate-held land, the proclamation was read and slaves were liberated. But news did not reach Texas so fast [or they didn’t want to hear it], and it was only in June 1865 that Federal troops entered the state. General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston that slavery was over. Thus the 19th day of June became the ‘second independence day in America,’ as the last enslaved people were freed. Ever since then, Black People all over the US have celebrated on June 19th, every way they could. On June 17, 2021, the date was accepted as a federal holiday, and in Galveston a mural to commemorate Juneteenth was dedicated the same year.

Our breakfast for Juneteenth was a great favorite in the American South, eaten by the enslaved and their captors. The dinner is easy to prepare at a traditional Juneteenth cook-out. Foods that are red are a big part of Juneteenth celebrations, signifying the struggles of the ancestors and the strength of the people. Some popular foods are linked to ‘prosperity:’ cabbage, black-eyed peas. It is also common to enjoy southern soul foods: corn bread, fried chicken.

Hoe Cakes with Fruit & Yogurt: 173 calories  1.5 g fat 4 g fiber 13 g protein 36 g carbs 75 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  Here the old Southern meal of cornmeal cakes is updated with healthy fruit and yogurt and some needed protein. HINT: recipe yields 6 hoe cakes, enough for 2 people. For Juneteenth, choose strawberries as your fruit.

3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal  2.5 Tbsp hot water Combine by stirring well to make a mush.
Let sit for 15 minutes
1 oz egg white ¼ tsp yeastStir into the warm cornmeal mush and let sit for 1-12 hours.
This makes ¼ cup/125 ml in volume
2 Tbsp cornmeal 2 Tbsp water ¼ tsp saltMix into the mush. If you take some up on a fork, it will sit on top with a little batter dribbling through. If it is not like this, add more cornmeal or more water. This was ½ cup in volume.
Using 2 Tbsp of hoe-cake batter, drop onto a hot griddle sprayed with non-stick spray. Should make 6 cakes. Cook on both sides. Best if eaten fresh.
½ cup raspberries
2 tsp honey 4 oz plain yogurt
2 slices Canandian bacon		Put the fruit and honey in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds.
Warm the Canadian bacon on the griddle as you cook the cakes.
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or tea or lemon in hot waterServe the Hoe Cakes with the dish of berry syrup and yogurt on the side or stir them together before slathering on the hoe cakes.

Sausage Kebabs: 282 calories 20 g fat 1.5 g fiber 17 g protein 12 g carbs 44.4 mg Calcium  PB GF  Here is a simple and satisfying meal, made with vegetables that are available all year round. You could cook this on the grill or roast it in the oven.

1 chicken sausage @ 150 calories 2.5 oz sweet bell pepper, yellow or red or orange 2.5 oz zucchini 10 sugar snap peas or 1.5 oz water melon  marinade/sauce: 2 tsp olive oil 2 tsp vinegar 1.5 tsp Worcestershire pinch sugar

Whisk the marinade ingredients together. Slice sausage in ½” chunks. Cut pepper and zucchini into chunks about the same size. Thread the meat and veggies onto skewers, alternating. Pour marinade in a shallow heat-proof dish, lay the kebabs in the sauce, turning to coat, and let sit 20 minutes. Heat a grill to med-high or the oven to 400F. Grill while basting with sauce OR roast, basting every 10 minutes. Plate with snap peas or melon.

Issa

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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.

You have heard of ‘Haiku,’ the three-line Japanese poetry. It was developed in the 1200s as an introduction to a longer poem. Three hundred years later, haiku became a stand-alone work. This type of poetry has three unrhymed lines with a total of 17 syllables, arranged in a 5-7-5 structure. Topics are usually drawn from nature — from tiny observations and little moments that have a Zen-like quality. One of the most famous practitioners of the art form was Kobayashi Yataro who took the pen name “Issa” [bubble in a cup of tea]. His life was not an easy one: death of his mother, a contentious step-mother, intermittent schooling. In 1792, he left a position at a poetry school, defiantly proclaiming himself to be the ‘priest of haiku poetry.’ Like his predacessor the poet Basho, Issa traveled widely. He also taught, and wrote journals filled with haikus. 20,000 of them. His father’s death brought him back to his natal village, but it was ‘home’ no more. Issa’s step-mother contested the will that would have given him the family farm, and the case went on for years. In his 50s, the poet married for the first time. But the couple’s four children died in childhood and then their mother died. Two more marriages followed, since Issa yearned for a child to survive him. He died in 1828, and his daughter was born five months later. The legions of his students made sure that the poet was not forgotten. There is a museum dedicated to Issa’s work in Takayama. His love of childish innocence and his playful wordings are a counter to the wistful adult voice of his poems. As an adult, he still mourned his mother and revered his father, yet he could skewer the rich and famous, bringing them down a few pegs. Isa’s work is the most loved of all the major haiku masters.

To honor Issa’s birthday, 15 June 1763, we will enjoy foods from Japan. Our meals today are a bit like haiku: light yet complex; simple yet rich in flavor. Try writing a haiku of your own: describe a feeling or animal; make reference to a season; be enigmatic; have fun. Here is my haiku, written in the voice of a person deciding to start Fasting.

To have less of me and yet to be much more- Oh! I shall FAST in Spring

Japanese Onion Soup with Onsen Tamago Egg: 215 calories 5 g fat 2 g fiber 16 g protein 29 g carbs 48 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg soup and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Our Younger Son prepared this for us one morning after a lot of heavy eating and it was a revelation: light yet hearty and so delicious. “Onsen Tamago” means ‘hot spring’ and it is a different [to me] way to cook a soft egg.  HINT: This recipe is enough for 2 servings. Very easy to save for another breakfast or lunch one or two days from now.

2 two-oz eggs ½ cup sweet onions 2 cups chicken broth 3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp mirin 1 oz Japanese noodles, such as soba @ 95 calories/ounce Sriracha, to taste garnish: scallions, chopped 2 oz melon   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Onsen Tomago Egg:  HINT: The eggs can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.  2 raw eggs in shells 1 liter water 1 cup cold tap water Bring water to a boil. Once it boils, remove it from the heat, and add 1 c. of cold water. Using a slotted spoon, place eggs into the hot water and cover. Let sit for 17 minutes, then remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Serve hot or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Onion Soup: Cook noodles according to package, shock in cold water and put in serving bowls. Place sliced onions and stock into pan and bring to boil. When stock comes to boil, reduce heat to a strong simmer and cover. Cook until onions are soft (they should not be rigid when you pick them up with chopsticks). When onions are almost finished, add soy sauce, mirin, and sriracha and stir. If the liquid has reduced noticibly, add water.  When the onions are finished, pour the onion and broth over noodles. Carefully crack onsen tamago egg into broth. Garnish with green onion and serve the melon on the side. Eat with chopsticks and Japanese spoon.

Udon Shrimp Curry: 273 calories 4 g fat 4.4 g fiber 19 g protein 27.5 g carbs 85 mg Calcium PB Udon noodles and bricks of curry are staples of Japanese cooking. This meal is hearty, healthy, and satisfying. I prepared enough to serve guests — what the photo shows is what was left after 4 hungry people ate their fill! There is a lot of food for your 273 calories.

Sv 2
3 oz dried buckwheat udon noodles with yamCook udon in boiling salted water  ~2 mins. Drain, saving water, and put aside.
½ tsp sesame oil
3 oz onion, sliced thinly		Put oil in a pan over med-high. Add onion, stir 1-2 mins until slightly softened and fragrant. 
2 oz carrot, ½” batons 
1½ oz celery, ½” batons
1 ½ oz cabbage, thinly sliced		Prep vegetables and cut to size. Add to pot, and stir. 
1 tsp soy sauce or tamari
1 cup water 		Pour these in and stir. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium. Cover simmer 13 mins, until veg are just tender.
½ S&B Japanese curry brick
2 pinches sugar		Chop the curry brick. When veg are tender, add curry and sugar, and stir until broth thickens. If too thick, add water.
Par-cooked udon
1½ oz frozen spinach  
4 oz raw shrimp		Cut shrimp in half if large. Add these to broth. Cook ~4 mins, until shrimp is cooked, noodles are warmed, spinach is warm and everything is well-combined..
Divide equally among serving bowls, and eat immediately.

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

the white of one 2-oz egg = US large two-oz hardboiled egg  + tomato
yellow corn meal + yeastWhole grain 70-calorie bread
plain yogurt + honeyreduce fat ricotta or 2%-fat cottage cheese
raspberries + ‘Canadian’ baconyellow sriracha + strawberries or blueberries
optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

one chicken sausage @ 150 calories + vinegarBoston lettuce + cherry tomatoes + apple
sweet bell pepper + zucchini + olive oilhard-cooked egg + cooked chicken breast
sugar snap peas ormedjool date + chick peas + soft goat cheese
Worcestershire sauce + pinch sugarpine nuts + shallot + cinnamon dressing
Sparkling waterSparkling water

The Dandy Horse

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

Prior to 1818, if you needed to travel, your options were limited to: horse-back, a wagon or carriage, or walking. Not surprisingly, most everyone walked. And, not surprisingly, those walkers did not usually go very far. But in Germany, two inventors tried to change that. Baron Karl Drais and Otto Schillinger came up with a wooden seat over two wheels. The rider would straddle the seat, stretch their legs to the ground, and move the vehicle forward with their feet [think: Flintstone car]. They called it the Laufmaschine, German for ‘running machine.’ To the language-challenged English speaker, it looks like ‘laugh machine.’ And people did laugh, but they also rode the machine. It was popular all over Europe despite the fact that, due to lack of adjustability, each machine had to be built to fit the owner. It was variously called the Draisienne and the derogatory Dandy Horse. An adjustable seat was developed, but it never caught on. As you will have guessed, the machine was improved in the 1860s by French inventors who added pedals and a chain drive. It was manufactured by the Michaud company and ushered in true human-powered transport. Today you will see toddlers riding a plastic version of the laufmaschine. Bicycles are making a come-back in urban centers and with the rise of E-Bikes, one can get quality exercise from childhood to old age.

People laughed at those riding a dandy horse. People who rode it no doubt laughed with glee. Our breakfast food involves laughing and our dinner will make you gleeful. Both meals are dandy. Burn a few calories today on a bike. Eat fewer calories today as you Fast.

Laughing Herb Bake: 129 calories 6.5 g fat 1 g fiber 9 g protein 6 g carbs 94 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.PB GF So rich! So creamy! So low in calories!

One 2-oz egg ½ wedge Laughing Cow low-fat cheese 2 Tbsp fresh herbs OR 1 Tbsp dried ½ Tbsp low-fat ricotta cheese 3 oz melon  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] or lemon in hot water

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 F. Cream the cheeses together with the herbs. Whisk in the egg and salt/pepper to taste. Pour into the ramekin and bake at 350 F. 12-15 minutes. Plate the fruit, prepare the optional beverages, and find something that makes you laugh.

Korean Seafood Pancakes “Haemul Pajean”: 266 calories 2 g fat 5.6 g fiber 33 g protein 37 g carbs 88 mg Calcium  PB What’s not to love about this pancake, plump with yummy seafood and served with a savory sauce?

¼ cup white whole wheat flour ½ cup water 1 egg white 1½ oz scallion, sliced 4½ oz cooked seafood – all one type or a mixture [ex: shrimp, chopped into ½” pieces, if large; lobster, chopped into ½” pieces or use smaller shreds; flounder, flaked] Per serving: 2 oz tomato dipping sauce** or commercially-available spicy sauce

Whisk flour, water, and egg white until well-blended. Combine the seafoods in a bowl with the scallions. Heat a non-stick pan [I found a ceramic pan to work very well] and pour in ½ of the batter. Swirl it around so that it covers the bottom. Quickly sprinkle half of the seafood/scallion mixture over the top of the pancake before it sets. Cook for 6-8 minutes, then flip and cook until beginning to brown. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Pile the cooked pancakes on top of each other and cut into wedges. Serve with tomato wedges and 2 Tbsp dipping sauce**.

**Dipping Sauce [HINT: THIS IS ENOUGH FOR 2-3 SERVINGS]   3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp rice vinegar 3 Tbsp chives, chopped pinch crushed red pepper flakes pinch sugar Combine in a micro-wave-safe bowl and heat until sugar dissolves.