Halcyon Days

December 13, 2020December 9, 2020 ~ 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. Welcome to Eat Think Wellness and Solute21 and Weight Loss Review who are now Following.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, in the middle of December, the weather is usually fair and calm, good for voyaging by boat. When the ancient Greeks wanted to explain a natural phenomenon, they would create a legend about it. As we are told, the minor gods Alcyone and Ceyx drew the wrath of Zeus and he killed them. The other gods and goddesses took pity and turned them into kingfisher birds [Family Halcyonidae, Genus Alcedo]. These kingfishers were said to build a floating nest in which to hatch their chicks. Needing calm seas to achieve success, the birds would cast a spell on the weather to ensure it: those were the Halcyon Days. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Halcyon Days begin on December 14 this year. The original meaning seems to have morphed to connote happy times, when all is well — a modern interpretation indeed of ‘calm and sunny’ weather. As the Covid vaccines are approved and delivered into waiting arms, perhaps our 2021 will have a long stretch of Halcyon Days.

It is a Greek legend, so Greek food is on the menu: morning and evening.

Creamy Greek Omelette: 165 calories 9 g fat 2 g fiber 12.6 g protein 14 g carb [11.7 g Complex] 89 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF The feta lends a tang to the eggs, while the cottage cheese gives a wonderful melting texture. A real treat.

1 ½ 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. 3/8 oz feta cheese 1½ Tbsp cottage cheese Greek oregano + salt + pepper 1½ oz of apple 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]

Mince the feta and combine with cottage cheese and oregano. Spritz a non-stick skillet with oil or non-stick spray and heat the pan over medium-low heat. Beat the eggs well with 1 spoonful of the cheese mixture using a rotary mixer. Pour the eggs into the pan and let cook undisturbed until the edges set. Lift the edges gently to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Before the top surface sets, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put dollops of the cheese mixture on half the omelette and make an attempt to spread it out. Fold the omelette in half and continue to heat in the pan. Filling will heat and may ooze out a bit. Brew and pour your beverages. Plate the apple and the omelette. Oh yum.

Greek-style Hake: 263 calories 11 g fat 7.7 g fiber 25.5 g protein 24 g carbs [23 g Complex] 173 mg Calcium PB GF The cookbook Ikaria by Diane Kochilas is related to the National Geographic study of locations world-wide where there is the greatest longevity. Thinking that nutrition has something to do with it is one direction that could take you.

4 oz hake ½ tsp olive oil 1/3 cup onions, halved then sliced ½ clove garlic, sliced pinch sugar 1½ cup canned whole tomatoes 1 Tbsp [½ oz] dry red wine 1½ Tbsp good Feta cheese, crumbled 2½ oz asparagus OR one Side Salad

Saute the onion slices and garlic in the oil, adding some water if the pan becomes too dry. Remove garlic and discard. Add tomatoes, sugar, and wine. Cook the vegetables down to reduce the liquid. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables, cover loosely, turn down the heat and cook until the fish flakes [about 10 minutes]. Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus or Side Salad. Top the fish with the crumbled Feta before serving.

The Ice Storm

December 9, 2020December 8, 2020 ~ 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. Welcome to Go Heathy Eating and Evelyn D. Greene and ujaechpfmbmqy2k who are now Following.

We went to bed on December 11, 2008, with forecasters predicting rain and freezing rain overnight. We woke at 4 am, listening to ice tik-tikking against the windows and slithering off the White Pine trees to tinkle to the ground. At 4:30 am, a pine limb jolted us out of bed as it crashed through a skylight in the kitchen. Hours later, after sawing apart the limb and tacking a large trash bag over the gaping window [and mopping the water and sweeping the broken glass], the reality of our situation revealed itself: the inches of ice on the trees had brought many to the ground, bringing down power lines all over Northern New England. Within those few hours, we had been yanked out of the 21st century and propelled back to the 18th century: no electric lights, no indoor plumbing [the well pump runs on electricity], no central heating, no refrigerator or freezers. For us, this lasted for 10 days. We coped pretty well. Heat came from 2 wood stoves; we hauled water from the stream to flush toilets; melted snow for water for washing dishes; covered the freezers with blankets and moved refrigerator food to boxes on the back porch. Life went on. It was an adventure for us, a life-threatening problem for others. When we started our Pandemic State of Emergency in March, 2020, it made me think of the Ice Storm days — we were on our own, not going anywhere, not seeing anybody. Gosh we were glad when the power came on again! Now, in the winter, when the meteorologist predicts freezing rain overnight, people still get a little nervous….and check the flashlight batteries.

Our meals for the Ice Storm Anniversary could easily be cooked on the wood stove, using ingredients that might be on hand in a thawing refrigerator. In case you are wondering: yes, one puts the food in a pot or saute pan — not directly on the metal of the stove.

Creole ScrOmelette: 154 calories 8.5 g fat 0.9 g fiber 16.7 g protein 7.5 g carbs [6.5 g Complex] 72.5 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF James Beard’s comprehensive volume American Cooking was the source of this recipe. It is amazing!

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 Tbsp diced tomatoes or 1 Tbsp tomato puree 1 Tbsp minced onion 2 Tbsp green bell pepper, diced 1 Tbsp diced bacon ½ Tbsp mozzerella cheese, grated pinch file powder + pinch chile powder ½ oz pear 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]

HINT: dice all the vegetables and bacon the night before to save time in a.m. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and add the chopped veg and bacon. Add the seasonings. Saute until beginning to brown. Whisk the eggs and pour them over the cooked ingredients. Sprinkle the cheese on top and scramble the eggs until done as you like them. Plate with portioned pear and your beverages of choice. Off to a tasty start.

Ham & Cheese Street Crepes: 272 calories 9 g fat 2.4 g fiber 21 g protein 25 g carbs 212 mg Calcium NB: The photo shows a meal for 2 [TWO]. The recipe below is for one serving. This is the familiar street-vendor lunch in Paris, except that the food values will not break the bank on a Fast Day. Very quick and easy to prepare, especially if you had made the crêpe batter before and have it thawed out. HINT: can be prepared in advance and rewarmed later. Good for traveling or planning ahead.

2 crêpes 1 wedge “Laughing Cow” [Vache Qui Rit] cheese at room temperature 2 oz sliced deli ham ½ oz deli sliced Swiss cheese 2 oz tomatoes

Cook the crepes on both sides. Remove to a work surface. Spread the Laughing Cow cheese on one half of each crêpe. Lay the ham on the cheese side of each crêpe and top with the Swiss cheese slices. Fold in half. Heat a heavy skillet, adding maybe a spritz or 2 of non-stick spray. Lay the folded crêpes on the hot skillet to heat one side, then flip to heat the other side. You want the cheese to get melty. Fold each crêpe once more into tidy triangles, and push down on them with the turner to flatten them. Plate them with the tomatoes and voilà!

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

1.5 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs + tomato
feta cheese	bacon + onion + green pepper
cottage cheese + oregano	mushrooms
apple or applesauce	paprika + pear
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

hake + olive oil	bison or venison meat
garlic + sugar + onion	chicken breast meat + asparagus
red wine + whole tomatoes	white whole wheat flour
feta cheese + side salad	egg + fresh bread crumbs
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Supernova!

December 6, 2020December 2, 2020 ~ 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. Welcome to holisticlifehacker and fastabsburner, who are now Following.

A ‘supernova‘ is usually the explosion of a large star, which, having run out of Hydrogen, explodes violently. Such stars are rare and they send out so much light that they can be seen many 1000s of light-years away. The first such event to be recorded by humans was seen on Dec 7, 185 by Chinese astronomers, who reported a ‘guest star.’ The Chinese did not attempt to interpret what they saw, they merely made note. In 1572, Tycho Brahe was the first European to observe a supernova, and he called it a ‘new star’ [stella nova]. Having found a new star in the presumably unchanging heavens won Tycho lasting fame. Whether guest or new, a supernova is an old star which is newly visible from far away. Often this last gasp of a star’s life lasts for months before fading out, and may be visible during the day as well.

Foo Yung ScrOmelette: 150 calories 7.6 g fat 1.5 g fiber 13 g protein 8 g carbs [6.8 g Complex] 68 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Here we take the Cantonese classic and prepare it for breakfast. Filling and nutritious.

1 ½ 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 Tbsp crab meat ¾ tsp soy sauce ¼ c mung bean sprouts ¼ oz mushrooms green parts of one scallion, sliced ¼ tsp ground ginger + splash of hot sauce 1 oz pear slices or applesauce 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]

The night before, combine the crab, soy, sprouts, mushrooms, scallion, ginger and hot sauce in a small bowl. Next morning, spritz a non-stick saute pan with oil or non-stick spray and briefly cook the crab mixture to heat it thoroughly. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour into the pan, scrambling to incorporate the crab mixture. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. [Alternately, cook like pancakes: put half of the crab mixture in the pan, then pour half of the egg on top. When done on the bottom, turn to cook the top. Repeat with other half of ingredents.] Dish up the fruit, brew your hot beverage, and prep the smoothie. And your fortune cookie says: “You will lose weight.”

Shrimp Egg Rolls: 238 calories 3.5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 15.6 g protein 29 g carbs 46 mg Calcium PB I learned to make egg rolls when I worked for Jerry Willis at his ffirst restaurant. These have always been a favorite. But they are NOT deep-fat fried, which keeps their calories and fat down to permissable levels. HINT: This recipe makes 4 rolls and one serving = 2 rolls. Put 2 in the freezer for another day or eat for lunch later in the week.

3 oz shrimp, fresh or frozen, shells removed 1 Tbsp oyster sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce one 1/4″ slice of ginger, minced ½ garlic, sliced 2 oz carrot, sliced 1 oz onion, sliced 3 oz cabbage, sliced 4 six-inch egg roll wrappers 1 tsp canola oil 3 oz tomato slices duck sauce + hot sauce [wasabi or Sriracha]

If shrimp are frozen, thaw them in advance. Then slice in half across the body and mix with the oyster and soy sauces, the garlic and onion. Prepare the vegetables and put them all into a hot wok or wide saute pan with ¼ cup water and a squirt of Sriracha. [If the pan gets too dry, add a bit of the marinade combined with a few spoonsful of water.] Stir-fry the ingredients for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are just a little shy of done. Add the shrimp and marinade and stirfry about one minute longer – shrimp should be thoroughly cooked. Put everything from the wok into the food processor and run until coarsely chopped. [If a lot of liquid remains, cook it down some more until it is thick and add back to the ingredients.] Lay one of the wrappers on a flat surface and moisten the edge farthest from you with water. Measure out 1/3 cup of the filling and roll up the wrapper. There are usually diagrams on the back of the package to show you how. Put the oil in a clean, flat-bottomed pan and heat it. Put the egg rolls in the pan and roll them around to coat with the oil on all surfaces. Heat until the rolls are beginning to get brown and blister-y on one side, then turn to cook on the other side. You could continue in this way or you could put the pan in a 375 degree oven until they are crispy. Plate with the tomato slices and the dipping sauce.

Gilbert Stuart

December 2, 2020October 25, 2025 ~ 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. Welcome to The Health Solution and Evaking who are now Following.

Who showed us the face of the American Revolution? Gilbert Stuart, portraitist of the Founding Fathers. Born on December 3, 1755, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, Stuart showed promise at an early age. His first commission was done when he was 12 years old. He was tutored by a Scottish painter, who took Gilbert to Scotland at the start of the American Revolution. Although his mentor died within a year, the artist began to cultivate the famous and powerful, painting many portraits in the UK, thanks to the help of artist Benjamin West. Upon his return to the USA after the war, Stuart had a studio in the new city of Washington, DC. EVERYBODY sat for him and he was very prolific. He had to be: as brilliant as he was with a paint brush, he was equally unskilled with a check book. His famous portrait of George Washington was in great demand. Stuart kept it until he died, endlessly making copies to sell to try to stay out of debt. Until his death at age 72, he had painted 1000 portraits: 6 presidents, bishops, First Ladies, Supreme Court Justices, children and wives of rich men. His portraits looked natural and made his subjects seem alive. People enjoyed sitting for him, since he was a lively conversationalist. Want to visit his grave? No such luck. So in debt was he when he died, that his family buried him in an unmarked grave, always intending to come back and give him a headstone. But 10 years later, they couldn’t find him, and he is lost in the Central Burying Ground of Boston Common.

Even in the late 1700s, people from the Azores, fishermen and whalers, were moving to Rhode Island. Our breakfast has the flavors of their Old Country that they brought here. All-American ‘succotash’ is from Rhode Island, just like Gilbert Stuart. The word is from the language of the Narragansett Indians who settled the land long before the colonizers arrived.

Azorean Omelette: 197 calories 10.4 g fat 0.9 g fiber 12.6 g protein 5.4 g carbs [4.2 g Complex] 126 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the Omelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF When we were on vacation in the Azores, these local ingredients made for a wonderful breakfast. When at home, just as fine.

1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 0.3 oz Azorean cheese OR Gouda 1 oz Pimenta da Queijo 1 oz kiwi fruit optional: blackish Portuguese or Brazilian coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea [from the Gorreana Tea Plantation] or lemon in hot water

Grate/shred the cheese. Whisk the eggs with the pepper sauce and turn into a lightly-oiled nonstick pan. Sprinkle the eggs with the cheese and cook as you would an omelette. Plate with the fruit and serve one of those delicious beverages. Excellent.

‘Original’ Succotash: 270 calories 2.6 g fat 9 g fiber 18 g protein 50 g carbs [all Complex] 71 mg Calcium PB GF The Mystic Seaport Cookbook contains many quaint and curious old recipes. What follows is my combination of two of them. It is ‘original’ because it gets us back to what succotash once was [a main dish, not a side] and because it is my own version. HINT: This recipe makes 3 cups of succotash, which could be 3 servings.

½ cup lima beans [Green Giant frozen Fordhook] ½ cup green/snap beans ½ cup corn kernels ¼ cup canned navy beans 2 oz corned beef [New England style is grey because it contains no nitrates] 1 slice cornmeal mush aka: polenta sage + pepper + salt to taste [mind that the corned beef might be salty]

Cook the vegetables until they are tender. Drain the cooking water and reserve ½ cup. Mash the navy beans and whisk into ¼ cup vegetable water. Put all vegetables and the meat into a pan along with the mashed beans. Add sage and pepper to taste and more vegetable broth if you wish. If it needs more salt, add it, too. In a non-stick pan, saute the corn mush on each side until it is warm. Plate the mush with one cup of succotash. It is very filling.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs + crab meat	1.5 two-oz eggs + pear
soy sauce + bean sprouts	tomato + bacon + onion
mushrooms + scallion + apple	green bell pepper + mozzarella
ginger + hot sauce	file powder + chili powder
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

eggroll wrappers + soy sauce	2 crepes + tomatoes
shrimp + oyster sauce + ginger	sliced deli ham
garlic + carrot + onion	sliced deli Swiss cheese
cabbage + tomato + canola oil	Vache Qui Rit cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Maud

November 29, 2020November 16, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

100 years ago, if you asked who was the most famous Canadian author, the answer would have been Lucy Maud Montgomery. She was born in a little yellow [now white with green trim] house in Clifton, on the North Shore of Prince Edward Island. While she was yet a toddler, her mother died and her father sent her to be raised by her maternal grandparents in Cavendish. [There is no ‘Avonlea, PEI.’] In photos, they look about as friendly as the folks in American Gothic. Maud [“I am ‘Lucy’ for my grandmother,” she said. “I am ‘Maud’ for myself”] grew up as a very lonely child with a vivid imagination. She wrote poetry, submitting her first at the age of 13 [rejected], and then short stories, and then her break-through book: Anne of Green Gables. Of course you know that book or at least one of the many television series that interpret it. Is the book autobiographical? No, her series Emily of New Moon is more like her life. But everything was grist for Maud’s literary mill, especially her beloved Prince Edward Island which is always in her work. Even when Maud married and moved to Toronto, she wrote exclusively of PEI. How land-locked she must have felt in Ontario! And how sad her life became: one son with a mental illness; another child stillborn; her clerical husband’s distant nature and her own spiral into barbiturate addiction. But PEI shone like a lighthouse beacon: a land ’emerald, sapphire, and ruby’ when she described the colors of the landscape. The sense of home that she felt there is palpable when she wrote, “You never know what peace is until you walk along the shores…of Prince Edward Island in the summer twilight..”

In honor of Maud Montgomery’s birthday on November 30, we will have a delightful breakfast from our favorite PEI inn. And for dinner, a local delicacy from the Gulf of St Lawrence: halibut with your choice of fruit sauces. Tomato salsa is very popular in PEI.

Prosciutto & Melon Plate: 125 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 17 g protein 13.4 g carbs [13 g Complex] 135 mg Calcium PB GF Once again the Inn at Saint Peter’s inspires a breakfast! Nothing beats the salty-sweet flavor combination of this meal. HINT: I plated everything the night before and stored the plates in zipper bags in the refrigerator.

4 oz canteloupe melon [Charentais melon would be fabulous!] 1 oz thinly-sliced prosciutto ¼ cup red onion pickle 0.1 oz shavings of Parmesan cheese fresh basil or mint leaves OR crumbled dried basil drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction, optional 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]

Cut the melon into bite-sized cubes [8 pieces look well on the plate]. Cut the prosciutto into 8 long strips [mine were 1”x4”]. Arrange the melon and ham in a circle on the plate with the red onion in the center. Shave off curls of Parmesan and place them on top. If using fresh herb leaves, tuck them in here and there. If using dried herbs, rub the leaves in your palms to crumble over the plate. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar if you wish. Serve with your chosen beverages. Wonderful flavors, however you combine them on your fork.

Halibut with Fruit Sauce: 182 calories 5.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 25 g protein 6.4 g carbs 82 mg Calcium PB GF Whether you bake or broil or grill the fish, a fruit salsa makes for a splendid topping. Two different ones are detailed below.

Here, the halibut is topped with the Rhubarb-Onion Relish and a very plain salad.

4 oz halibut filet side salad = lettuce, carrot, tomato, beets, cucumbers, vinaigrette fruit salsa, your choice

Tomato Salsa: makes 3 cups 1 serving = ¼ cup From the Ball Blue Book 15 calories 0.3 g fat 0.9 g fiber 0.9 g protein 5.8 g carbs 8 mg Calcium

2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup/5.3 oz chopped green sweet peppers
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup jalapeno/serrano peppers, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp salt ¼ c cider vinegar

Put everything in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.If storing, put salsa in canning jars with 2-part lids and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Peach Salsa: 21 calories 0.3 g fat 1 g fiber 1 g protein 7 g carbs 9 mg Calcium To ¼ cup Tomato Salsa, add ½ oz diced peaches. Superb on fish.

Rhubarb-Onion Relish: makes 1 cup From Marion Cunningham 2 Tbsp [1 fluid ounce] = 26 calories 0 g fat 0.1 g fiber 0.1 g protein 1.5 g carbs 8 mg Calcium

1/3 cup chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup chopped onions
2¾ Tbsp vinegar ¼ tsp salt 1/3 cup light brown sugar, unpacked pinch each ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon

Mix everything together in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 45 minutes until quite thick. Can be canned in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Sausage

November 25, 2020January 14, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

In English it is ‘sausage.’ In German, ‘wurst.’ In French, ‘saucisse.’ In China, xiāngcháng. The English and French words derive from the latin ‘salsicia’ meaning salted. Sausages are ground meat of any kind, combined with flavorings and stuffed into a tube formed by the intestines of animals. This is why many think that Otto von Bismarck said, “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” [but he didn’t] As cool weather arrives, around St Martin’s Day, meat animals are killed on farms all over the world: the animal has been fattened; it is more economical to kill it than to continue to feed it; the weather is cool enough to provide natural refrigeration for the meat. Farm wives are brilliant at getting the most out of any food resource, so they take the little scraps of meat that cling to the bone and make sausage in a wide range of varieties.

Our menus today feature sausage for breakfast, paired with apple in a winning combination. The dinner is the central-European classic, sausage with sauerkraut, another marriage made in heaven.

Sausage-Apple ScrOmelette: 152 calories 10 g fat 0.5 g fiber 13 g protein 3.5 g carbs 43 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF A hearty breakfast to start your day right.

1 ½ 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 link chicken breakfast sausage = 35 calories per sausage ¾ oz apple sage, fresh or dried 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 sausage and apple. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the sausage/apple and stir to warm them and cook them a bit. Whisk the eggs with the sage, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the sausage/apple in the pan. Scramble to your favorite degree of doneness. Partake of your beverages of choice.

Sauerkraut and Sausage: 255 calories 5.7 g fat 12.6 g fiber 21 g protein 33.5 g carbs 196.4 mg Calcium GF PB Does this meal make you picture over-weight Teutons? Brunhilde, anyone? Now check the calories and change your mind. Sauerkraut is a great choice for dieting.

1½ cups sauerkraut, canned or bagged or fresh 2 tsp caraway seed 2 oz applesauce, unsweetened ½ cup onions, chopped coarsely 1 cob-smoked chicken sausage with apple [OR any other sausage with 110 calories] left whole or sliced into ½” chunks 1½ cups raw collard greens OR kale OR chard, chopped or sliced cross-wise in ¼” strips [chiffonade] salt + garlic powder + pepper to taste.

Thaw the sausage, if it is frozen. Cook it partly, if it is raw. Combine the sauerkraut, caraway seed, applesauce, and onions in a saucepan large enough to hold the sausage [if leaving whole]. Cook slowly, uncovered until half of the liquid is gone. Add the sausage, cover, and continue to cook until everything is hot. Meanwhile, put the collards into ½ cup water with seasonings, and cook covered until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

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

cantaloup melon	1.5 two-oz eggs
prosciutto + balsamic vinegar	Azores cheese or Gouda
red onion pickle	pimenta da Queijo
mint or basil + Parmesan cheese	kiwi fruit
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

Halibut	lima beans + green [snap] beans
side salad	corn kernels + corned beef
Rhubarb agrodolce or tomato salsa	canned white beans
[tomato, green pepper, onion, jalapeño, garlic, cider vinegar]	polenta
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

St Clement

November 22, 2020November 17, 2020 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

” “Oranges and lemons,’ say the bells of St. Clements” according to the nursery rhyme. There is dispute as to whether that was St Clement Danes or St Clement Eastcheap, but that doesn’t matter since the poem is more about word play than churches. First printed in 1744, the poem could be discussing various trades working in London at the time. The real Saint Clement was the 2nd or 3rd pope in Rome, Italy. In the 1st century, his Christian faith drew the ire of the Romans and he was arrested. Exiled to a forced labor camp [in modern-day Ukraine], he ministered to and converted his fellow prisoners. For that, he was drowned in the Black Sea, tied to an anchor. In Rome, is the Church of San Clemente. To visit it is to take a trip through time. The church has been excavated to reveal 3 sub-levels: a 2nd-century Roman house; a 3rd-century temple of the Cult of Mithras; a 4th-century church dedicated to St Clement. And on the street level, the current basilica, finished in 1108 in fine Romanesque style. When in Rome, it is worth a visit.

November 23 is the Feast of Saint Clement. Legend has it that the fruit called ‘clementines’ are named for a Moroccan orphanage. Not true, but we will enjoy clementines in our breakfast. Since St Clement was sent ‘to swim with the fishes,’ our dinner will be a seafood take on an Italian classic.

Mango-Citrus Parfait: 284 calories 7 g fat 2.6 g fiber 24.5 g protein 29 g carbs [21 g Complex] 336 mg Calcium PB GF Fast Food Restaurants decided years ago to offer ‘healthy options’ in the form of yogurt parfaits. Full-fat yogurt, fruit, and lots of high-fat granola. Poor choice. Here is a more acceptable breakfast option, full of protein yet low in fat and enough calories to keep you going for hours. NB: This could be a healthy Slow Day lunch option.

½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese ½ cup plain fat-free yogurt 1 oz mango, diced ½ clementine [skin it and use half the segments] 2 Tbsp granola Optional: coffee with ¼ c skimmed milk and ½ tsp sugar [30 calories] or blackish tea NO SMOOTHIE

Stir the cottage cheese and yogurt to combine thoroughly. Divide the fruit into two portions. Spoon half of the dairy mixture into a wide-mouthed wine glass and top with half the fruit. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of granola. Repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same order, topping with granola. Prepare the coffee and enjoy that dairy-fruit goodness.

Fish Parmesan: 238 calories 2.6 g fat 4.7 g fiber 31 g protein 11 g carbs 242.5 mg Calcium PG GF – if using GF breadcrumbs A new version of the restaurant classic, made suitable for Fasters. And it is delicious.

4 oz fish, firm-fleshed variety — tilapia works nicely 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tsp dried oregano + 1/2 tsp thyme ¼ oz whole-grain breadcrumbs, fresh not dried 1 Tbsp milk ¼ cup marinara sauce, homemade or jarred ¾ oz mozzerella, grated 2 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese 2 oz green beans

Heat the toaster oven to 350F. Spritz an oven-proof pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Pour the milk onto a small plate. On another plate combine the Parmesan, herbs, and bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Cream the other two cheeses together until well-combined. Dip the fish in the milk on both sides. Dredge the fish in the crumb/cheese mixture to coat it completely. Place on the oven-proof pan and spray with olive oil. Bake the fish about 10 minutes, until golden. Top the fish with the marinara sauce, then mound the cheese over it. Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and starting to brown. Prepare the green beans and plate with the fish. Light the candle stuck in the wine bottle for atmosphere.

oranges and lemons, say the bells of st Clemens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Clement%27s,_Eastcheap#%22Oranges_and_Lemons%22

Soup Time!

November 18, 2020November 12, 2020 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Soup is the dieter’s friend. Around the world, when people want to eat something nourishing and filling, soup is the answer. Isn’t that what we want on a Fast Day — to be filled up with delicious food that still stays within the bounds of propriety? It is getting chilly here in the Northern Hemisphere, time to stock the freezer with home-made soups. Here are three favorites, from France, Thailand, and China. More, please.

Cabbage-Sausage Soup: 264 calories 11 g fat 5 g fiber 14 g protein 25.5 g carbs [22 g Complex] 66 mg Calcium PB GF Since this is Jacques Pepin’s recipe, I’ll let him say it: “When the weather gets cooler in the fall, I make soup. I generally cook up a big batch and freeze some for whenever I need it. This one, with sausage, potatoes, and cabbage, is hearty and good for cold weather.” HINT: Makes 6 one-cup servings.

8 ounces mild Italian sausage meat 1½ cups onions, sliced 6 scallions, cut into ½-inch pieces (1¼ cups) 6 cups water 1 cup chickpeas 16 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks 8 ounces savoy cabbage, chopped/sliced 1¼ teaspoons salt

“Break the sausage meat into 1-inch pieces and place it in a saucepan over high heat. Sauté, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon [to keep the meat from sticking], for 10 minutes, or until the sausage is well browned. Add the onions and scallions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water, chickpeas, potatoes, cabbage, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes.” Portion for storage or serving. One portion = 1 cup.

Thai shrimp and Noodle Soup: 272 calories 2 g fat 4 g fiber 26 g protein 37.6 g carbs 82.4 mg Calcium PB This soup is superb, whether on a hot summer night or in the winter. HINT: serves 2. Invite a guest or save for a lunch later in the week. This is warm and wonderful and spicy and filling.

6 oz raw shrimp, shelled, tails removed	Thaw the shrimp in a bowl, then strain the liquid in the bowl into a 1-cup measuring cup. Add water to bring volume to 1 cup. Put the shrimp in the liquid, and simmer until shrimp is opaque. Remove shrimp and go to next step:
46 gm rice vermicelli noodles [one small ‘bundle’ of noodles]	Bring shrimp-water to boil, add vermicelli, cover and take off heat. After 4 minutes, drain, reserving the cooking water. Rinse and reserve the noodles.
2 pinches crushed red pepper 1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce 2 Tbsp lime juice 2 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste	Put the shrimp-water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and curry paste in a pan together. Warm while whisking to combine.
3 oz carrots, grated 1 c. spinach leaves, loosely packed, then coarsely chopped	Add the carrots, saving some for a crunchy garnish. Add the spinach. Simmer the liquids until carrots and spinach are tender.
2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 oz grated carrot	Cut the shrimp in half cross-wise and add to soup. Serve soup with chopped scallion and grated carrot garnish.

Wonton Soup: 257 calories 34 g fat 1 g fiber 23.7 g protein 29 g carbs 25 mg Calcium PB Cantonese wonton soup can be your’s, easily and without the extra salt or MSG. I prepared the entire batch of filling, then stuffed and poached all 26 wontons. Frozen, they will be the ‘instant’ source of future meals or an addition to a Dim Sum assortment.

Filling: 4 oz ground pork 4 oz chicken meat ½ tsp cornstarch ¾ tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame oil ¼ tsp white pepper ¾ tsp salt 1 Tbsp water 1 Tbsp sherry 4 oz shrimp, chopped to the size of green peas Combine all ingredients except the shrimp in the bowl of a food processor and mince to a paste. Stir in the shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to fill the wontons. TIP: Can be made the day before.

Filling the Wontons: Wonton skins are small squares of egg-roll wrappers, 5 wonton skins per bowl of soup 26 skins for the entire batch. Put 4-6 wonton skins on a cutting board. Moisten two edges of one of the squares. Place 1 Tbsp of filling on the square, fold over to make a triangle, and pinch the sides together. Set aside until ready to poach them.

Poaching filled wontons: Bring a pan of water to boil. Depending on the diameter of the pan, add wontons 4-5 at a time. They will sink to the bottom of the pan. When they float to the surface [in 4-5 minutes], fish them out and put on a tea towel to drain.

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

low-fat cottage cheese	1.5 two-oz eggs
plain fat-free yogurt	37-calorie chicken breakfast sausage
mango	apple + sage
clementine	parsley + oregano
granola	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

firm-fleshed white fish	sauerkraut + caraway seed
marinara sauce + green beans	collard greens or similar
Parmesan cheese + mozzarella	applesauce + garlic powder
fresh bread for crumbs	110-calorie sausage + onion
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Santa Fe Trail

November 15, 2020February 7, 2022 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The Santa Fe Trail is the stuff of legends. First Nations people traded goods between current Mexico and the American upper mid-West centuries ago. In the early days of the American Republic, there was a strong desire to find a route from the East to the supposed riches of Mexico. The route was traveled for the first time in 1821, by William Becknell and four companions who arrived at Santa Fe on November 16. Running from Santa Fe, Mexico to Independence, Missouri, the trail became a major trade link between the Mexican North and the central USA. Fortunes were made, as people at one end were eager to buy what people at the other end wanted to sell. By 1848, Santa Fe found itself to be part of the United States, following the Mexican-American War. By 1880, the railroad pushed so far west that the trail was obsolete and much of the American West was changed forever.

Our menus today feature the flavors of the American South-West — Mexican food and bison — what could be more appropriate for the Santa Fe Trail?

Enchilada Bake: 140 calories 6 g fat 1.7 g fiber 15 g protein 12.5 g carbs [11 g Complex] 75 mg Calcium NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages. PB GF Since we enjoy enchiladas for dinner, why not have the same flavors at breakfast?

1 two-oz egg 1 Tbsp crushed tomatoes, slightly drained ½ oz green chili pepper, minced 1 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt ¼ oz chicken breast, cooked and chopped 1/8 oz Monterey Jack or Cheddar ½ tsp cornmeal ¼ tsp oregano [Mexican, if you can find it] pinch chili roja [red pepper flakes] 2 oz apple OR applesauce 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]

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Put the cornmeal and minced chilis into an ungreased cast iron skillet and toast it over direct heat until cornmeal becomes darker in color and fragrant. Do not let it burn or scorch. Remove from hot pan to a bowl. Into the ramekin, put the chicken and the cheese. HINT: you can do this the night before. Whisk together the egg, cornmeal, chilis, half of the yogurt, and seasonings, and pour into the ramekin. Bake 12- 15 minutes while you portion the fruit and prepare the beverages. Top the eggs with the remaining dollop of yogurt.

Bison Chili: per cup – 136 calories 3 g fat 4.8 g fiber 13 g protein 14.5 g carbs 57 mg Calcium PB GF This chili is based on my mother’s recipe. Using bison meat gives good flavor to this classic. HINT: makes 4 [four] one-cup servings

4 oz ground bison 15 oz canned diced tomatoes – drained in a sieve [save the juice] 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 cup red onion, chopped ½ cup green pepper, chopped ¾ cup canned red or black beans, drained and rinsed 2-4 tsp chili powder ¾ tsp salt ½ to 1 tsp ground cumin 2 oz melon [adds 20 calories]

Cook the venison, onion, garlic, and green pepper in some of the tomato juices until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until the chili is hot throughout. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning.

Rodin

November 11, 2020October 15, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

When Dear Husband went to Paris for the first time, one stop he just had to make was the Rodin Museum: The Thinker. The Kiss. The Burghers of Calais. What feeling those statues evoke — it bowls you over! Auguste Rodin was born on November 12, 1840. His struggles at school made him turn increasingly to sketching — undiagnosed with myopia, he could see his sketches, but not the black-board. At age 13 he took art lessons and eventually became skilled as a ‘decorative artist.’ But making ‘pretty’ things was not his goal. He wanted to show emotion and realism. Twice Rodin entered ‘Man with a Broken Nose‘ in the Paris Salon. It was rejected — twice. At last his work, The Vanquished [aka: The Age of Bronze], won him the acclaim that began his career. Although famous, he was never rich. His studio was in an abandoned mansion which he and other artists took over as squatters. He lived there with his life-long partner Rose Beuret. Upon his death, he left his works to the French Nation with three conditions: that they make his studio into a museum; that the work of his muse/student/lover Camille Claudel be displayed; and that a fund be set up to help young artists financially.

Rodin, as a creator of art, was always working and re-working his ideas. In clay, in plaster, in metal, he would make small models of a larger plan until he got it right. Instead of a full-sized quiche, we’ll enjoy mini-quiches tomorrow, served with slices of the mini-pear, Forelle. As an impoverished artist, a nourishing stew of chickpeas would have been a real hit with him and Rose. And Camille.

Mini-Quiche Breakfast: 144 calories 7.4 g fat 1.4 g fiber 9.6 g protein 9 g carbs 189 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF A delightful way to breakfast. So simple, too.

3 mini-quiches** 1-1/2 oz pear Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water

To Make 4 mini-quiches: 1 two-oz egg herbs + salt + pepper 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ricotta 0.6 oz mozzarella 2/3 Jarlsberg 1 oz broccoli 1/3 oz onion Spritz 4 of the holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the ricotta, herbs, salt, and pepper. Grate the hard cheeses and mix them gently but thoroughly in a bowl. Steam the broccoli and onion, then chop and stir together to combine. Divide the vegetables among the 4 muffin holes, ~ 1 Tbsp/hole Then distribute the hard cheeses on top of the vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over the cheeses, then stir each quiche with a wooden skewer or chopstick. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes – take out of the oven when they are puffed and golden. Let cool briefly before removing from muffin tin.

Prepare the mini-quiches. While they are baking [or coming to room temperature if baked previously], cube the melon and mix with the blueberries in a pretty dish. Plate with the quiches and pour the beverage of choice. There’s a nice start to your day!

Chickpea Ragout with Meat: nb: entire batch has 484 calories, so divide into portions. The portion size you choose would be dictated by the type and quantity of meat. GF PB divided in 2: 242 calories 5 g fat 10 g fiber 11.7 g protein 40 g carbs 51 mg Calcium divided in 4: 121 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 6 g protein 20 g carbs 26 mg Calcium

This is from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. Although he doesn’t mean my kind of ‘Fast Food,’ Pepin has long been a proponent of healthy cooking. He presents this as a side dish, but for our purposes it is excellent prepared as a main course with seafood or or meat for more protein. Here, you have three meat options from which to choose.

½ tsp olive oil ½ cup diced onions ½ cup scallions, chopped 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped 2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained 1½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned ½ cup chicken stock ½ tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion, scallion and garlic. Stir briefly over the heat then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until liquids are mostly evaporated. If using now, separate out your portion and keep warm. Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions.

3 oz chicken breast: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat. If meat is raw, add to the pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas 3 oz pork tenderloin: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat If meat is raw, add to the pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas 2 oz lean beef — not ground beef: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat. If meat is raw, add to pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas

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

1 two-oz egg + apple/applesauce	Next week, I will
crushed tomatoes + chicken breast	discuss soups.
plain yogurt + green chili pepper	Choose a new favorite
Monterey Jack + cornmeal	breakfast from Archives
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

ground bison + red onion	Choose a new dinner
diced tomatoes + garlic	favorite from the
green sweet pepper + ground cumin	Archives
canned red beans + chili powder
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	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

dieting

Halcyon Days

The Ice Storm

Supernova!

Gilbert Stuart

Maud

Sausage

St Clement

Soup Time!

Santa Fe Trail

Rodin

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