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

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

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

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

++ 1½ eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. +++ 1 oz wild mushroom pate* +++ ½ oz bleu cheese +++ rosemary leaves, crumbled +++ ¼ cup blueberries +++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] +++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

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

*Wild Mushroom Pate	Preheat oven to 350 F /175 C
1 cup walnuts	Spread walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast 10 mins, until fragrant and lightly browned.
1/2 cup minced shallots— 1/2 cup unsalted butter	In a saute pan, cook shallots in butter over medium heat until translucent.
¼ pound chantrelle mushrooms—¼ pound meadow mushrooms—¼ pound buttons or other white mushroom—1 Tbsp roasted garlic puree—¼ cup fresh Italian parsley — 1 Tbsp fresh thyme — 1/2 tsp salt — ½ tsp white pepper	Chop mushrooms and herbs.Add these and cook in shallot-butter, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated. ++ lacking roasted garlic puree, use 2 closves garlic, pressed
Toasted walnuts—2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil	Run nuts and oil in a blender/food processor until mixture forms a thick paste.
Cooked mushroom mixture	Add, and process to desired texture.
	Pack into well-oiled ramekins or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate a few hours or overnight or freeze.

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

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