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.

It happens on October 31st. It involves bobbing for apples, and carving Jack o’ Lanterns — can you guess this holiday? No! it is not Hallowe’en — it is Allantide! Hard on the heels of England’s modern Apple Day, comes the older apple celebration of Saint Allan. In Cornwall, the feast of Saint Allan/Elwin/Alan/Alain marks the end of Summer and the start of Winter. The other crops would have been harvested but apples would still be on the trees. To the folk of Cornwall, apples meant fertility, but also of life — since they can keep into the cold months if properly stored. Thus, when the old year died and the croplands were barren, the apple was a sign of life to come. So who was Allan?? He was a 6th century saint from either Cornwall or Brittany — the two regions have been culturally linked for centuries. Not much is remembered about him, but his feast day was October 31st. The old suffix ‘tide’ means ‘season of’ or ‘time of’, so October 31 is the season of St. Allan. Particularly large red apples [called Allan Apples] are set aside or purchased for Allantide, to give as treats to special friends or relatives. Many games are played involving apples, and apples are said to help foretell the name of a girl’s future husband. In a resurgence of Cornish cultural pride, Allantide is regaining popularity.

Of course our foods will involve apples: apple pancakes at breakfast and a splendid dish of roasted vegetables and apples to accompany your main dishes all Autumn long.

Apple-Ricotta Pancakes: ..161 calories… 4.6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 8.4 g protein… 16 g carbs… 106.6 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage PB Special enough for a week-end breakfast, this fine pancake can become a staple of the Fast Day. HINT: makes 8 pancakes, so it can feed a crowd. Freeze what is not eaten today.  One serving = 1 pancake.

1 cup white-whole-wheat flour ++++ ¾ tsp cinnamon ++++ 1 cup buttermilk ++++ ¾ c reduced-fat ricotta ++++ 1 tsp sugar ++++ 1 cup diced apples, peeled or not ++++ 1 tsp butter + cooking spray ++++ per serving: 1 chicken sausage [33 calories each] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Stir together all the ingredients. Use butter and cooking spray to grease a well-seasoned pan, then wipe out excess with a paper towel. Save the towel to re-grease the pan after every two pancakes. Pour 1/8^th of batter into the pan and cook on both sides. Cook sausage and serve with a favorite beverage.

Pheasant with Roasted Parsnips/Apples/Carrots: ..309 calories… 14 g fat… 4 g fiber… 28.6 g protein… 17 g carbs… 45.7 mg Calcium  –PB GF– Fall is the time for hunters to stalk the stubblefields for game birds, and also the time to savor root vegetables. Apples are still available, so all the flavors of Fall are on this plate.

++ 3 oz roast pheasant ++++ ½ cup Roasted Parsnips/Apples/Carrots ++

Sv 8 ~ ½ cup/serving ++	Preheat oven to 375°F
11 oz parsnips +++ 10 oz carrots ++++ 5 oz onions, in ½” slices ++++ 10 oz apples	Peel parsnips + carrots, cut in half lengthwise, then quarters. Cut into 1” chunks. Quarter shallots. Core apples, cut into ½” pieces. Put in a big bowl.
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ++++½ tsp sea salt ++++½ tsp ground black pepper ++1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves	Whisk these, then toss well with vegetables.Put on rimmed pan lined with parchment paper.
	Roast 30-40 mins, depending on size. Toss at whiles, until tender and lightly golden.
Coarse salt++fresh thyme leaves ++chopped parsley	Pour onto serving platter, sprinkle with a little bit of coarse sea salt, fresh thyme or chopped parsley.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large	70 calorie whole-grain bread + chives
corn-cilantro salad: rice wine vinegar + corn kernels	2%-fat cottage cheese + smoked salmon
chives + cilantro + sesame oil + canola oil	Swedish Cucumbers: cucumbers + sugar + dill
melon	white vinegar +++++ strawberries
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

chicken/turkey broth + white meat chicken	4 oz fish per serving +
Parmesan cheese + spaghetti or linguine	Chickpea Ragout : olive oil + onion + scallion
bacon [back or belly] + white beans	tomato + garlic + chickpeas
carrot + green beans + optional Finn Crisp crackers	chicken stock
Sparkling water	Sparkling water