Robert The Bruce

October 13, 2021October 12, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Following the death of Alexander III in 1286, Scotland was in turmoil, with many contenders for the throne. King Edward I of England was asked to choose the next ruler [he chose Balliol], and many Scottish nobles pledged fealty to Edward, seeing him as a stronger leader. One of those nobles was Robert the Bruce. “But wait!” you say –“Isn’t Bruce the defender of Scotland?!?!” So who was Bruce, anyway? By 1306, Robert the Bruce, who’s family was originally from Normandie with the name ‘de Brus,’ had decided that he should be King of Scots. After killing his biggest rival, John Comyn, Bruce got himself crowned king. But he was off to a rocky start: several clans were related to Comyn and were against Bruce; several clans had backed William Wallace in the previous fighting and were against Bruce; and now Edward of England was against him too. Edward I died in 1307, but the winter of 1306/7 was a difficult one for Robert I of Scotland. Historians lost track of him, and that is the winter of the Spider Story. Bruce, separated from his men, was lying up in a cave/hut/forest glen. While worrying about his recent defeats, he sees a spider trying to build her web. She swings out to reach an attachment point and misses. Several times she tries and fails. When at last she succeeds, Bruce takes heart, thinking that if a spider doesn’t give up, he shouldn’t either. After a few years of guerrilla warfare, Bruce’s army won a victory against Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. On October 14, 1322, the Battle of Byland was fought in Yorkshire. The victory for the Scots was a decisive one: the English were routed, and King Edward fled for his life to York. Another major defeat for the English. Finally, in 1327, the English made peace with the Scots. Robert the Bruce died in 1329. He did not die of leprosy, as has often been said. He did have a skin condition, but his exhumed bones showed no sign of the debilitating disease. Both de Brus and Comyn are branches on my Scottish family tree. Everyone is related.

Robert wanted to keep Scotland Scottish. So today we present meals with several Scottish food stuffs: oats, salmon, cabbage, cheese. Let it be noted that the potato was not present in Scotland in Bruce’s time, but it was embraced by the Scots at last, and we will eat it with gusto for dinner.

Bannock with Salmon & Applesauce: 190 calories 4.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 9 g protein 30 g carbs `95 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Oat Bannock are a traditional Scottish bread, and the Scots learned to smoke salmon from the Scandinavians. That’s how these items end up on the same plate together.

4 two-inch bannock ½ oz smoked salmon 1/3 c low-fat vanilla yogurt 1/3 c unsweetened applesauce Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Bake, or thaw and warm the bannocks. Stir together the yogurt and applesauce until blended, or serve with a marbled appearance. Plate it all with the salmon for a very fine meal.

Rumbledethumps: 243 calories 10 g fat 4 g fiber 12.6 g protein 19.5 g carbs 171.4 mg Calcium PB GF Where do you get a recipe with a name like that? Sundays At Moosewood of course. Hearty meals like this, made with winter vegetables, are common in Scotland and Ireland. HINT: The recipe makes enough for 2 servings. Wrap half in cling-wrap and foil and freeze for another dinner.

¼ pound potato 3 Tbsp skimmed milk 1.5 tsp butter ¼ tsp ground mace 2 egg whites ¼ pound cauliflower ¾ cup cabbage, chopped ½ cup leek, sliced ¼ cup broccoli, chopped 1/3 cup cheddar, grated per person: ¾ cup salad greens 1 oz tomato ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp cider vinegar

Cut potato into chunks. Boil and mash with the cauliflower, milk, butter, and mace. Let cool. Steam the cabbage, leek, and broccoli until cooked. Take off the heat. Whip the eggwhites until stiff and fold into the potato/cauliflower mash. Taste for salt and pepper. Gently stir in the remaining steamed vegetables. Smooth into a lightly-spritzed baking dish. [choose the dish with the idea that you will be dividing this into 2 equal portions] Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees F. until the cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss in the greens. Serve the cool, crispy salad with the hot, creamy rumbledethumps. Good food.

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

1.5 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
1/4 oz pork loin	mushrooms
canned baked beans + strawberries	rosemary + apple
Worcestershire sauce + HP sauce	Parmesan cheese
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

salt cod + bell pepper	lean beef steak + corn starch
scallion + tomato	oyster sauce + oil + cabbage
garlic + onion	5 egg roll wrappers + carrot + onion
fish stock	broccoli + scallion + onion + Sriracha
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Dwellings: Abenaki

October 10, 2021November 25, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The Abenaki, called the Dawnland People due to their lands in the far East of the continent, are the indigenous people of New England and parts of Canada. There were many sub-sets to the group, but they were related in their Algonquian language and culture. Although at odds with the powerful Iroquois, the Abenaki learned from them their agricultural practice of planting the “3 Sisters” as crops. Primarily a hunter-gatherer-fisher folk, each family within the tribe would travel a singular route throughout the year, reuniting at the sea coast or a river for fishing in the summer. These are the people whom the Pilgrims met when they disembarked in Massachusetts [an Algonquian word] in 1620. These are also the people who sided with the French in the ‘French and Indian War’ of the mid-1700s. Their dwellings were constructed of saplings, covered with woven mats and bark. Extended families lived in domed “wigwams,“ easy to build from found materials. The door of a wigwam always faced East, toward the rising sun. Smaller teepee-shaped wigwams were used on hunting trips, to sleep up to three. In the winter, an oval longhouse, large enough to house more people, was lined with blankets and furs for insulation. Their villages always had a longhouse for council meetings and tribal gatherings to arrive at decisions by consensus. To avoid depleting resources, villages were moved a few times a year — inland for the winter, near a water body for the summer.

It is interesting to me to learn how people lived and ate in other places and times. There have been indigenous people here in New Hampshire since the glaciers melted 10000 years ago. The Abenaki were here before the 1600s and they are still here today. Their cuisine was based on fish as the principle source of protein, along with game. Agriculture centered on the growing of squash, corn, and beans for drying. Today’s menus are based on those foods.

Summer Vegetable Bake: 129 calories 6 g fat 2.4 g fiber 8 g protein 11 g carbs 33 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg-bake and fruit only, not the optional hot beverage. PB GF Corn, beans, and tomatoes are native American foods and they find themselves to be right at home in this breakfast.

++1 two-oz egg +++ ¼ cup corn-black bean-tomato salad ++++ pinch of chili pepper ++++ 2 oz melon ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]++++ Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Whisk the egg with the chili pepper. Heat the toaster oven to 350 F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray and put the corn salad into it. Pour the egg on top and bake for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the melon for a taste of Meso-America.

3 Sisters Stew: vegetarian version: 211 calories 3 g fat 9 g fiber 8 g protein 41.4 g carbs 71 mg Calcium meat version: 280 calories 5 g fat 11 g fiber 20 g protein 41.4 g carbs 81 mg Calcium PB GF The author of this recipe, Alex Aguilera, based it on a classic Chilean dish, but First Nations people all over temperate North, Central, and South America would recognize the ingredients of this stew. Turkey was a common food of early Americans and can be added if you wish. HINT: this recipe makes 4.5 cups of stew. One serving = 1 cup. Very filling.

¾#/12 oz butternut squash ……… 2 c corn kernels	Peel, seed squash and cut as 1” cubes. Put vegetables in pan with water to cover. Add a lid and simmer until squash is just tender, ~10 mins.
9 oz kidney beans, canned	Drain and rinse beans, and add to the pot. Cook until beans are hot.
	Put 1½ cups stew in a food processor or blender, along with some of the liquid. Puree, then return to pot to keep warm.
½ Tbsp canola oil …….. ½ c onion … ½ red bell pepper…….. ½ green bell pepper	Coarsley chop onion and peppers. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and bell peppers, and cook over moderate heat, stirring sometimes, until softened, 8 minutes.
½ tsp cumin, seeds or ground ……. ½ tsp oregano….. ½ tsp crushed red pepper… salt & pepper	Add seasonings to vegetables in the skillet. Cook, stirring, ~4 minutes until fragrant. Stir into the stew and season with salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your preference.Serve 1 cup per person, freezing the remainder.
Optional per serving: 1½ oz turkey dark meat	If turkey is raw, add it to the previous step. If turkey is cooked, add it now and heat stew to warm the meat.

James Whitcomb Riley

October 6, 2021October 5, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

…the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

James Whitcomb Riley wrote those words in his poem When the Frost is on the Punkin. Although my poetry-loving mother disdained Riley’s work, this one struck a chord with me: the Fall of the year; the brilliant foliage; the cool days; the feeling of satisfaction when the ‘harvest’ is in and the pantry is stocked for winter. I have that feeling every Autumn. Riley was born and raised in Indiana. He had trouble in school and finally finished 8th grade at age 16 [some sources say age 20], yet he had a knack for rhyming which he put to use as a sign-painter. A stint as a snake-oil salesman in a traveling show taught him how to read a crowd and how to pitch to everyday people. In his heart, he wanted to be a poet and to be acclaimed nationally, like his idol Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Riley sent poems to local newspapers, which were published, and he sent them to Longfellow, too. The great poet sent a letter of encouragement to Riley, which he took as an endorsement. But it wasn’t enough. Since Riley liked to write in dialect, as seen in the above quotation, his work was dismissed as merely ‘regional’ and sentimental, not on a par with the great poets of the East Coast. Yet he wrote more and more, and participated in poetry-reading tours around the country in the 1880s. There his down-home dialect and ability to play to the audience paid off. In the 1890s, Riley was a best-selling author, hailed as the “Hoosier Poet” [a Hoosier is a native of Indiana] and the ‘Children’s Poet.’ But it wasn’t enough. His alcoholism deepened as he battled the demon who told him that he wasn’t any good. There is a Riley Festival every year in Indiana, and he has been credited with the formation of a Midwest Cultural Identity. And every October, I recite his Little Orphant Annie.

For JW Riley’s birthday on October 7, some foods for Fall featuring seasonal vegetables: pumpkin and corn. Corn is the ‘fodder in the shock’. Enjoy them while the frost is on the punkin’. Read one of his poems to a child.

10-Grain Pumpkin Pudding: 175 calories 2 g fat 5 g fiber 8 g protein 32.6 g carbs [26.6 g Complex] 83 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB The delicious, nutty grains in the cereal seemed to called out for pumpkin and spices, and here’s the result. This recipe is easily prepared the night before and refrigerated for a quick and delicious breakfast.

4 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal Mix ¾ cup water 1 Tbsp ricotta cheese, reduced fat 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree, canned or fresh 1 tsp maple syrup nutmeg + cinnamon Optional garnish: ½ oz raspberries, fresh or frozen [7 calories] Optional garnish: 1 Tbsp pecans, chopped [49 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Cook the cereal with the water for about 8 minutes on the stove. HINT: do this the night before to save time in the morning. Stir in the cheese, pumpkin, syrup, and spices. Pour into a microwave-safe ramekin. HINT: you could get this all done and put it in the ‘fridge until morning. Brew the optional beverages. or not. Microwave the ramekin for no more than 1 minute. Plate with the fruit and optional pecans on top of the hot cereal. Ridiculously easy for a meal so satisfying.

Australian Chicken-Corn Soup: 198 calories 3 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 20 g carbs [6.5 g Complex] 9 mg Calcium PB GF This remarkable version of a Chinese soup is found in the “Australian Women’s Weekly’s” Chinese Cooking Class book. From such an easy preparation comes a wonderful, complex flavor. HINT: this recipe makes four cups of soup. One serving = one cup.

1 liter water 1 pound raw chicken – meat and bones 1.25 cm piece ginger = small knob ½ onion, peeled and quartered 2 peppercorns 2 sprigs parsley ½ tsp salt –OR-3.5 c. chick stock + ginger knob + salt + 2 peppercorns	Put chicken or chicken pieces into saucepan and add water, peppercorns, peeled and sliced ginger, onion, parsley and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat and skim well to remove any scum; reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, for one and a half hours. Remove any scum from top of stock. Strain and reserve three and a half cups of the stock.-OR-Simmer premade stock, ginger knob, salt and peppercorns covered for 30 mins. Strain.
3.5 cups stock 240 g creamed corn, canned 1 stock cube= 1 tsp dry bouillon grains ¼ tsp dry ginger powder 2.5 chopped fresh scallions pepper to taste ½ tsp sesame oil	Combine everything in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Take off heat and taste for salt.
2 Tbsp cornstarch 2 Tbsp water	Make a smooth paste of cornflour + water; add to soup while stirring. Put back on heat and stir until soup boils and thickens. Reduce heat, simmer for 1 min.
1 egg white 1 Tbsp water 2 tsp soy sauce	Beat egg white and water lightly. Add to soup in a thin stream, while stirring well. Add soy sauce. Taste for seasoning.
1 slice ham = 1 oz, thinly sliced ½ cup chicken chopped scallion/chives/spinach leaves	Shred meats finely, add to soup and heat gently. To serve, top with extra chopped scallions or chives or baby spinach leaves.

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

1 two-oz egg	four bannock
corn-tomato-black bean salad https://wordpress.com/post/fastingme.com/15381	smoked salmon
crushed red pepper flakes	applesauce
cantaloup melon	low-fat vanilla yogurt
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

butternut squash + corn kernels	potato + skim milk + leek + butter
canned kidney beans + canola oil	ground mace + egg white + broccoli
red + green sweet bell pepper	cauliflower + Cheddar cheese + cabbage
ground cumin + oregano + paprika	salad greens + tomato + vinaigrette
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Lucas Cranach, Pere & Fils

October 3, 2021November 26, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Logo of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Lucas Maler was born on October 4, 1472 in the town of Kronach in Franken, now Germany. He studied art with his father Hans, learning wood-cutting, printing, and painting. Thirty years later, he turned up in Vienna, Austria, as a popular portraitist. This lands him a life-time gig with Frederick the Wise, as artist and style mavenin charge of everything visual in the court at Wittenberg. By this time, the Protestant Reformation is just beginning. Lucas, now with the last name ‘Cranach’ after his birthplace, became great friends with Martin Luther, the leader of the German protestants. Cranach is known as the ‘Painter of the Reformation’ for his many portraits of Luther, making the reformer look human and humble. He established a studio with a large staff trained in his style. This left him free for his many other interests: local politics, local businesses. His studio cranked out work quickly, producing some 1500 existing works. One of his best is Adam and Eve: lovely to behold and filled with symbolic animals. Good psychology too — you can see Eve saying, “Here, Honey, try this fruit.” while Adam says, “Well, I don’t know…” Compare to the work of his rival and friend, Albrecht Durer. Cranach trained his sons in his workshop and Lucas, aka ‘The Younger,’ became known in his own right. He produced many works, perpetuating his father’s style and influence well into the 1500s.

For Cranach the Elder’s birthplace in Franken, aka Franconia, a breakfast of favorite flavors of that State. The dinner is popular in Franconia, but variations of pork-and-onion dishes are found all over Germany. I wish I could have included a meal with a winged serpent … That was Cranach’s heraldic emblem with which he signed his work after 1508. That was useful in art history class when we were shown a work we had not seen before and had to identify the artist, style, and date. I could say, “Winged snake! Cranach! 1530!”

Franconian Breakfast: 163 calories 4.4 g fat 4 g. fiber 13 g protein 22.5 g carbs 117 mg Calcium NB: These values are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF– if using GF bread Here some favorite flavors of the German State of Franconia come together for breakfast. My stars!! This is delicious!

1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread 1 oz smoked trout 2 oz plum 2 Tbsp small-curd cottage cheese + 1 Tbsp snipped chives Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 3 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [44 calories]

Lightly toast the bread. Stir together the cottage cheese and chives, and spread on the toast. Plate along with the trout and plum. Some might prefer to place the trout on the bread and eat it thus, which is a great way to do it.

Zweibel, the Bamberg Onion: 282 calories 8 g fat 6.5 g fiber 24 g protein 37 g carbs 91 mg Calcium Onion and pork are a fine combination, and very popular across Germany. This unusual recipe is from Bamberg, Franconia. HINT: Serves two [2] people. Recipe is adapted from one offered by Bamberg’s historic Schlenkerla Brewery.

2 large onions, 6 oz each after trimming + peeling	Peel onions, cut off both ends. Scoop out the onion until the sides are two layers thick.
112 g/4 oz raw pork 44 g/1½ oz cooked smoked pork/ham	Put pork and smoked pork/ham with the insides of the onion through meat grinder/processor.
Salt & pepper ½ tsp each mace & marjoram 1½ ounce egg 1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread chopped parsley	Mix meat-onion with the eggs, bread, spices and parsley to form a stuffing/filling.
	Fill onions with stuffing. NB: I had stuffing left over. Roast in a skillet with some water, uncovered ~25 mins** at 200C./400F.
1 slice smoked bacon	Fry bacon in another skillet until partially cooked — not crisp. Remove from frypan and cut in half. Put a ½-slice on each onion and return to oven. Bake 20 mins.
**left-over stuffing	Meanwhile, form remaining meat filling into two equal patties, and cook gently in the bacon fat until done. Place in center of serving plate. Add the drippings from this skillet to the next step.
4 Tbsp brown meat stock 2-4 tsp whole-wheat flour pinch mace + pinch cloves	Remove onions from skillet and place on top of the meat patties. Add stock, flour, spices to drippings from both skillets. Heat on stovetop, stirring, to form a thick gravy.
2 oz carrot coins per person	Serve surrounded with carrots and topped with gravy.

Tru

September 29, 2021September 28, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Truman Streckfus Persons was the talk of the town and the entire country in 1966. After having been serialized in the New Yorker, In Cold Blood was published in book form. Of course the name that became famous was that of Truman Garcia Capote. He was born in New Orleans to a pair of squabbling Southerners who left him for years in the care of elderly relatives in Alabama. Miss Sook became the fruit-cake baking character in A Christmas Memory. As a child, he and Harper Lee were playmates. Years later, he became the child “Dill” in To Kill a Mockingbird and she was his research assistant for In Cold Blood. When he was 7, his mother remarried: a wealthy Cuban business man who adopted young Truman and gave him a new surname. The family lived in and around Manhattan, putting Truman in and out of various schools. Although he was highly intelligent, he disliked school. One year, his mother sent him to military school in an effort to make him less effeminate — like that worked! But he wrote for a school newspaper and was encouraged by a teacher to do what he always wanted to do: to be a writer. Short stories were published in the 1950s, with the most famous, Breakfast at Tiffany’s being made into a movie with Audrey Hepburn. [Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe.] Capote became the darling of the Park Avenue set — until 1975 when a chapter from his unpublished tell-all book was printed in Esquire. Giggles at his catty gossip in the drawing room became cold shoulders in the fashionable restaurants. His flamboyant life of excess caught up with him when he went to California and died at a friend’s house in 1984. In one last curious twist, the friend kept most of his ashes at her home. The house and contents were sold to settle her estate, and Truman’s ashes were auctioned off in 2016. He would have loved the publicity.

For Capote’s birthday on September 30, a Cubano ScrOmelette to make note of his Cuban step-father’s last name and a Jambalaya, comfort food of the South.

Cubano ScrOmelette: 151 calories 8.5 g fat 0 g fiber 12 g protein 1 g carbs 71 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. GF The famous Miami sandwich comes to the Fasting breakfast table, with every flavor intact!

That little bit of pineapple wandered on to the plate for more Caribbean flavor. Optional.

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. 1/8 oz ham, diced ¼ oz Swiss cheese, diced ¼ oz pork, diced [this could be from a previous roast or a grilled tenderloin] ¼ tsp mayonnaise + 1/4 tsp mustard 1.5 tsp dill pickle, diced 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]

Cut up the meats, and combine in a small bowl. Dice the pickle and cheese, and whisk with the mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Season to taste. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat it. Put the meat mixture into the hot sauté pan to warm, then add the eggs. Scramble together [or cook like an omelette] until the way you like it. Pour your beverages and enjoy a semi-tropical start to your day.

Jambalaya: 275 calories 5 g fat 4 g fiber 15 g protein 39 g carbs 81 mg Calcium PB GF What else would you eat when you want delicious Cajun comfort food: jambalaya, of course. HINT: This recipe makes enough to serve 4 [four]. Invite friends.

2/3 cup onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsp cajun seasoning ½ cup green pepper, chopped 1/3 cup celery, chopped 2 oz andouille sausage [or sweet Italian], sliced 3 oz chicken breast, cubed 2 oz [½ cup] ham, cubed 12 oz crushed tomatoes 1/3 tsp crushed red pepper 1/3 tsp black pepper 2/3 tsp salt ½ tsp Tabasco sauce 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ¾ tsp file powder ¾ cup brown rice, uncooked 1½ cups chicken broth 2 oz broccoli

Cook the onion in a little water and a dash of olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant. Stir in the green pepper and celery and then add the meats. Pour in the tomatoes, seasonings and sauces, the rice, and broth. Cover and simmer for 25-40 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking. The mixture will not be soupy, as the rice will have absorbed the liquids. Cook uncovered if too much liquid remains. Prepare the broccoli and plate.

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

70-calorie wholegrain bread	Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain cereal
small-curd cottage cheese + chives	Ricotta cheese + cinnamon + raspberries
smoked trout	Pumpkin puree + nutmeg + Maple syrup
plum	Optional: pecans
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

onion + whole-grain 70-calorie bread	excellent chicken stock + creamed corn + ham
ground pork + ground 3%-fat ham	scallions + bouillion cube or grains + sesame oil
egg + uncured bacon	egg white + cornstarch/cornflour
green beans	chicken meat + fresh ginger
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Silent Spring

September 26, 2021September 23, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

After September, 1962, everyone was talking about Rachel Carson. Her book Silent Spring had been serialized in the New Yorker and suddenly people thought about the environment and how humans were affecting it. Her childhood love of nature lead to studies at the Woods Hole Marine Institute and a Masters Degree in zoology. Carson then began a 15-year employment at the US Bureau of Fisheries, becoming the chief editor of their publications. After retiring in 1952, Carson wrote books about the ocean which were well-received. Then came the bomb-shell. Silent Spring caught the attention of mothers, “ordinary housewives,” who had found dead birds in their yards and now knew that their children’s health might be threatened by pesticides and industrial chemicals. My own mother was very moved by the book. Despite the tidal wave of attacks from industry, who denigrated her as a communist and cat-loving spinster; despite the fact that she was dying of breast cancer, Carson testified around the country, calling for ‘a grass-roots army to rise up’ [her words] to curb misguided agricultural practices, and rampant, thoughtless production of goods [my words]. After her death in 1964, the passage of much pro-environment legislation was credited to her call to arms. Readers are still affected by reading the book, which is considered one of the most influential books of all time.

Our meals reflect the crusade of Rachel Carson. Corn is mass-produced by agricultural conglomerates. Get your’s for our breakfast from a local farmer. The eggs represent the birds which Carson said were being killed by pesticides, as DDT weakened their shells — leading to a Springtime with no birds. The shrimp live in her beloved ocean, also affected badly by agricultural run-off. Ask yourself what you can do to improve your local environment, then act on it.

Corn-Cilantro Salad Bake: 128 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 7 g protein 7 g carbs 39 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Having had some of this delicious salad left over from a week-end meal, I decided to add it to eggs. Heavenly!

one 2-oz egg ½ oz corn-cilantro salad** 2 oz melon 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]

Spritz an oven-proof dish with non-stick spray and put the corn-cilantro salad into the dish. Whisk the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper, and pour over the corn salad. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the melon.

**Corn-Cilantro Salad makes 2 cups 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 Tbsp canola oil ¾ tsp sesame oil 1 cup fresh corn kernels ½ c snipped chives 1¼ oz chopped cilantro Whisk the vinegar and oils together. Stir in the corn and herbs, then let sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Eggs Fu Young with Shrimp: 246 calories 13 g fat 3 g fiber 24 g protein 10 g carbs 160 mg Calcium PB GF Early in our marriage, we bought Jacqueline Heritau’s Oriental Cooking the Fast Wok Way. Later in our marriage, we tried this recipe and loved it. HINT: These ingredients will serve 2 [two] people.

3 oz raw shrimp, shelled	Chop the shrimp coarsely and divide in two portions.
½ stalk celery, sliced 1/8” thick ¼ cup chopped mushrooms ½ cup bean sprouts OR sliced bok choy, leaves and stems 3 scallions, sliced ¼ tsp ground ginger	Prepare the ingredients and divide them equally into two different bowls. Add the shrimp and stir well to combine.
Four 2-oz eggs	Whisk lightly and divide equally into 2 containers.
½ tsp sesame oil non-stick spray	In a non-stick saute pan, warm one portion of the oil. Also, spritz the pan with non-stick spray. Stir-fry the contents of one of the bowls for 2-3 minutes.
	Pour one container of eggs over the stir-fried vegetables and shrimp. Tip the pan and lift the edge of the eggs to let raw egg flow underneath to cook. Cover the pan and let the egg cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Uncover and carefully flip the egg pancake. Cook 1-2 minutes more. Remove to a plate and keep warm in a slow oven.
½ tsp sesame oil non-stick spray	Repeat with the remaining shrimp/vegetables and the remaining egg.
2 tsp hoisin sauce 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp oyster sauce	Stir together in a small bowl to form a sauce for topping.
1-2 oz raw spinach OR Bok Choy, cut chiffonade style a few tablespoons of water	Heat a saute pan and spray with non-stick spray. Add greens and some water. Cover and cook until greens are limp. Plate with egg pancakes and top with the sauce.

Harvest Home

September 22, 2021September 17, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Come, ye thankful people, come, Raise the song of harvest home. All is safely gathered in E’re the winter storms begin.

This 1844 hymn explains it all: ‘Harvest Home’ is the celebration that marks the end of the harvest. It tells the farm family that all is well for now, that there will be enough food stored to get the family through until the next harvest. Celebrating the harvest takes many forms, and it is documented in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Proverbs. The Romans had harvest festivals, as did the Celts and Germanic Tribes of Northern Europe. In England, the bringing in of the last wain of grain was celebrated with village revelry as well as in art. This would be followed by a feast provided by the employer of the harvesters, all with Gaelic/Celtic cultural overtones. In Reformation-era Germany, churches would have special services called Erntdankfest [harvest thanks fest], a tradition brought to Pennsylvania by Protestant refugees. American Thanksgiving is not a harvest home festival. For one thing, it is too late in the year and for another, the Pilgrims did not have religious holidays. No Christmas, no Easter. American Thanksgiving today is a celebration of general bounty and family, whereas the Pilgrims were just happy to have lived for a year in the new world. This year, Harvest Home in England will be celebrated on September 22. ‘Harvest’ some real food from your local grocery and honor it with good eating. Be mindful of the farmers, grocery clerks, and agricultural workers who brought it to you.

Our meals feature hearty whole grain bread from the harvest, of course, and roast beef which is what the farm workers in England would have expected their land-owner bosses to provide for the festive dinner following the storage of the last grains.

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Toast: 206 calories 12.4 g fat 4 g fiber 8 g protein 20 g carbs 33.5 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the plated food only, not the optional beverage. PB Can’t miss with a satisfying, whole-grain breakfast to start your day with wonderful flavors.

1 slice whole-grain bread, 70 calories 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ½ oz smoked salmon 4 slices cucumber OR Swedish Cucumber Salad 2 oz strawberries OR 1 oz peach

Lightly toast the bread and spread it with the cream cheese. Top it with the samon and top that with the cucumber. Plate the fruit. Now try to top that for flavor!

Cold Beef Plate: 292 calories 4 g fat 5 g fiber 28 g protein 33 g carbs 17.6 mg Calcium Here’s a simple meal. Use either meat from a roast or from the deli. Rather French, with the cornichons and Dijon mustard.

3 oz cold, sliced beef roast ½ cup [about 3 oz] pickled beets 4 small [0.8 oz total] cornichons 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 oz sourdough rye bread

Plate to your own aesthetic taste. But do plate it – even though the ingredients come from your ‘deli drawer,’ avoid the temptation to stand in front of the open ‘fridge and just graze. Do it up right and sit down to enjoy it.

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

1 two-oz egg + melon	1 two-oz egg + pickle + ham
corn-cilantro salad: rice wine vinegar	pork + Swiss cheese
canola oil + sesame oil	mayonnaise + mustard
chives + corn + cilantro	melon
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

two 2-oz eggs + shrimp + sesame seed	andouille sausage + chicken + ham + onion + broccoli
sesame oil + mushrooms + spinach	green pepper + brown rice + celery + garlic + file
Bean sprouts + scallions + ginger powder + celery	crushed tomatoes + red pepper flakes + Tabasco
garlic powder + hoisin sauce + soy sauce + oyster sauce	Worcestershire + chicken broth + cajun seasoning
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Camargue

September 19, 2021September 17, 2021 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

The Rhone River begins above Lake Geneva [Lac Leman] and flows southward through France to the Mediterranean. At its mouth it is transformed into a vast marshland called the Camargue. If you stopped at ‘marshland’ and thought of Shrek’s swamp, think again. The Camargue is acres of shimmering water, waving grasses, grazing cattle, ‘salt pans,’ mariculture, and rice meadows inhabited by wild white horses, black ‘fighting’ bulls, and hardy people. The Romans were here early on and they taught the people how to harvest salt from the shallows. Rice production grew after a Marshall Plan project to promote the grain in the Camargue. White rice was planted, but over time, the rice grains became red. No one knows why. But did you know that flamingoes are pink because they eat shrimp that eat certain algae? Flamingoes live in the Camargue, along with hundreds of other species of birds. And did you know that Mary Magdelane lived there, along with Sara the Black Madonna? So legend tells us. The Camargue is a magical place, so different from the glitzy tourist spots along the coast that it might be in a separate country. If you can’t visit there, then at least enjoy the food from the Camargue.

The menu for today includes the flavors of the Mediterranean coast and the products of the Camargue.

Olive-Pepper ScrOmelette: 144 calories 9 g fat 2 g fiber 10 g protein 5 g carbs [3 g Complex] 27.4 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF I asked Dear Husband for a new omelette idea, and he suggested these flavors straight out of Provence.

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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ½ oz bell pepper, steamed and diced 1 black olive, pitted and chopped 1/8 oz [by mass] goat cheese/chèvre, diced/crumbled 1 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]

Whisk the eggs [salt may not be needed due to saltiness of olives]. Pour into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. When the bottom of the eggs have set, add the vegetables and cheese. Fold over, and plate. Brew your optional beverage and take the optional previously-made smoothie from ‘fridge.

Camargue Bowl: 288 calories 4 g fat 10 g fiber 23.5 g protein 29 g carbs 98.5 mg Calcium PB GF This meal is all about the flavors and products of the central Mediterranean coast of France, the Rhone Delta: vegetables from sunny gardens, garbanzo beans [introduced by the Berbers], shrimp from the shallows, and Camargue rice from the salt marshes. HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] and it is worth making the whole thing.

1 ½ cups Mediterranean Vegetables, without chickpeas 1 cup chickpeas 4.5 oz shrimp, shelled, tails removed, cut in ½” pieces if large ½ cup cooked red Camargue rice

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, if canned. Gently heat the Vegetables and chickpeas until warm. Place the shrimp on top. Cover the pan and heat further until the shrimp are cooked, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and heat through. Heap the servings into bowls and love it.

Comparing Plans: Plant-Based Diet

September 15, 2021September 9, 2021 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

What is a Plant-Based Diet? Some say it is the healthiest way to eat. Close to the ground, low on the trophic scale, this way of eating does not mean that you become a vegan or vegetarian. One way to picture it is that any meal, as well as an average of meals for a week, features more plant products than animal products. When I look at a recipe to decide if I can code it “PB” [meaning plant-based], I consider the mass [‘weight’ to you non-science types] of the animal ingredients compared to the plant ingredients. If all the plants out-mass the meat/eggs/fish, then I’ll call it plant-based. You might wonder if you should include some of the new meat-substitutes for this diet. I’d say no: some of them are very high in fat. One way to get more plants into your diet is to challenge yourself to 30-Per-Week. To see how well this way of eating parallels the Fast Diet, view the chart. There are many PB meals in the Archives.

Is this food allowed on this diet…	Plant-based	On Fast Days
Fatty Animal protein: beef, lamb, pork	No	Yes
Lean Animal protein: chicken, turkey	~2 sv/week	Yes, preferred
Eggs	Up to 3/ week	Yes
Beer, wine, cocktails	Wine, maybe	On Slow Days
Grains, starches: rice, wheat products, pasta, cereal grains	Yes	in moderation
Nuts + seeds	Yes	in moderation
Beans, legumes: peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas	Yes	Yes
Seafood protein, especially with Omega-3 fats	~2 sv/week	Yes
Apples, melons, pears, all other fruits	Yes	Yes
Berries	Yes	Yes
Leafy green vegetables: spinach, chard, kale, lettuce	Yes	Yes
Dairy: Cheese, milk, yogurt	A few times/week	Some
Vegetable oils: olive, canola	In moderation	in moderation
Animal fat: butter	No	in moderation
Root vegetables: beets, sweet potatoes, carrots	Yes	Yes
Other vegetables: onions, tomatoes, peppers	Yes	Yes
Fat	Not much	No
Protein	plant-based	Yes. lots
Higher fiber	Yes	Yes
Daily Carb intake	Not a factor	Keep it low
Whole grains	Yes	Yes
Simple carbs: cookies, pastries, cake, bread, processed foods	NO	Not on Fast Day
Number of days per week to follow the regimin	7 of 7	2 of 7
Do calories matter?	No	Only 600 on Fast Days

Our plant-based breakfast has only 1.5 eggs [that’s 2.7 oz — well within the limit] and as much vegetables and fruit as egg. The dinner has a ‘garnish’ of meat and many-times-more vegetables and rice. Both recipes are a good introduction to a diet of less meat and more vegetables.

Basquaise Sauce ScrOmelette: 153 calories 8.4 g fat 1.5 g fiber 10 g protein 8 g carbs [7 g Complex] 50 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Basquaise Sauce takes eggs to a new level and it is so easy to use if you already have a batch in the refrigerator or freezer.

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. 2 rounded Tablespoons Basquaise Sauce 1 oz pear OR ¼ cup blueberries 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]

Heat a non-stick saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and 1 Tbsp of the Basquaise Sauce. Pour into the pan. As the eggs just begin to set, spread remaining Basquaise Sauce over the egg. Leave the omelette flat or fold and continue cooking to your liking. Plate with the fruit and serve the beverage of your choice. Have a spicy day.

Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables: 265 calories 5 g fat 9 g fiber 20 g protein 32.6 g carbs 99.5 mg Calcium PB GF TIP: You can buy jars of tandoori sauce in most supermarkets. Be sure it does not contain corn syrup or sweeteners. Aim for 70-80 calories/quarter cup

2 oz chicken, cooked or raw ½ cup eggplant, cubed 2 oz broccoli florets 2 oz bell peppers, cut in chunks 2 oz zucchini, sliced or cubed 2 oz carrots, sliced ¼” thick or use ‘baby carrots’ cut in quarters ¼ cup brown rice, cooked ¼ c tandoori sauce, store-bought 2 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt

Cook the vegetables together in a little water until they are tender. Add the chicken and the sauce. Warm it all. If the chicken is raw, be sure to cook it through. Either stir the yogurt into the sauce or serve it atop the meal. Plate the brown rice [warm it if cold] and serve the chicken and vegetables on top. Perfect for eating on a hot night or a cold one.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs	70-calorie whole-grain bread
bell pepper + black olives	smoked salmon + whipped cream cheese
goat cheese/chèvre	cucumber or Swedish Cucumber Salad
strawberries	strawberries
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

Mediterranean Vegetables https://wordpress.com/post/fastingme.com/10035	cold roast beef + pickled beets
garbanzo beans/chickpeas	cornichons or dill pickles
shrimp	Dijon mustard
Camargue red rice	sourdough rye bread
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Hometown Heroine: Queenstown

September 12, 2021September 9, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Laura Ingersoll was born on September 13, 1775 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Her father was a patriot who fought for the American cause in the Revolution against Britain. Who is this woman and why do these mundane facts matter? The Ingersoll family moved to the Niagra Peninsula of Ontario, where Laura married a Canadian named Peter Secord. The marriage caused Laura to side with the Canadians = British when the War of 1812 started, especially since her husband was wounded fighting the Americans at the Battle of Queenstown. “Who is this woman???” you demand. After losing at Queenstown, the Americans still tried to occupy Canadian lands along their border. [Remember: the US was not fighting Canada. Attacking Canada was a proxy for Britain.] Somehow, on June 21, 1813, Laura heard Americans planning to attack an English stronghold at a town called Beaver Dams. Thinking to warn Lt. James FitzGibbon of the plans, she set out to walk to his fort. According to her account, Laura walked through trackless forest, fording four rivers before arriving at the British fort after dawn — or was it after dark?. During her “20 mile walk” she had evaded sentries and been ‘abducted’ by First Nations scouts who escorted her the last part of the way. She told of the impending attack. Two days later, American troops were ambushed on the road and defeated by First Nations fighters and English soldiers. Laura Secord had saved the day! At least that’s what the history books say.** FitzGibbon never mentioned her in his dispatches. Multiple times, Laura, her husband, and her son petitioned the Province for a pension to reward her deed. No go. After the war was over, when either neither side won or they both just stopped fighting, Secord was held up as a hero and her story was embellished with many folksy touches. [My Canadian friends contend that Canada defeated the US in the War! Umm. No.] At long last, during a State Visit in 1860, Edward, Prince of Wales, heard about Laura and he sent her 100 Pounds Stirling [$255 USD/$325 CAD as reward. 100 years after her walk, a chocolatier in Toronto began selling his wares under the name “Laura Secord.” There’s fame for you. **I am not denying that Laura Secord made a difficult trek for the purpose of warning the British. The real story is so different from the myth-making of later writers that it is risible. The Parson Weems Effect took her story and ran with it. We know how she got to the fort on June 22, but I want to know how she returned home….

Laura Ingersoll Secord was born in English-held North America, and aided the English in 1813, so we will have a very English breakfast. Our dinner includes Canadian ingredients and was designed for a Canadian friend.

Toad in the Hole: 157 calories 1.4 g fat 2 g fiber 9 g protein 50 g carbs [8.5 g Complex] 28 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. This whimsically-named meal is of old English origin – shades of Kenneth Graham and Beatrix Potter. It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. The Yorkshire Pudd recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200^th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Y. Pudd batter: one 2-oz egg ½ cup white whole wheat flour ½ tsp salt ½ cup fat-free milk Mix all the ingredients together and let the batter stand at room temp for 30-60 minutes or in ‘fridge overnight. You will need ¼ cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or ¼ cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy.

To prepare the breakfast: 1 chicken breakfast sausage [@ 50 cal/link] ¼ cup Yorkshire Pudding batter, well beaten [prepare the batter the night before and refrigerate] 2 oz pear or apple Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Heat the oven/toaster oven to 425F. Cook the sausage, using a bit of water in the bottom of the pan since the sausage will render no fat. Pour out any remaining water from cooking the sausage. Spritz 5 holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Dice the sausage or slice into 20 pieces, and put four bits of sausage in each muffin hole. Beat the batter until it is foamy, adding crumbled sage. Pour the batter into the pan over the sausage bits. Pop the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. Slice the fruit, prepare optional beverage, and settle down to a quickly-prepared, fun-to-eat meal.

Lillian’s Dinner: 300 calories 4 g fat 9 g fiber 34 g protein 33 g carbs 94 mg Calcium PB GF Here is a meal that I designed for Canadian Friend Lillian P. P. when she flirted with the idea of Fasting. The vegetables would be from her garden, of course. A very simple meal with lots of food. TIP: You could cut the cod down to 4 ounces and the garbanzoes to 1/3 cup if you lack a large appetite.

5 oz cod fillet 2 oz beets, sliced or diced 2 oz carrots, cut as coins 2/3 cup garbanzoes

Bake the cod for 10 minutes at 400F OR pan-fry it on a cast iron skillet for 4 minutes per side. Cook the beets and carrots separately by boiling. Serve the garbanzoes warm or at room temperature.

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

Robert The Bruce

Dwellings: Abenaki

James Whitcomb Riley

Lucas Cranach, Pere & Fils

Tru

Silent Spring

Harvest Home

Camargue

Comparing Plans: Plant-Based Diet

Hometown Heroine: Queenstown

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