Hometown Heroine: Brandywine

September 10, 2023September 9, 2023 ~ 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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Casimir Pulaski was born into a noble family in Warsaw. At that time, Poland and Lithuania had formed an alliance that was threatened by pressure from the Russian Empire. Pulaski was trained in the manly arts of riding, sword-fighting, and in the ideas of the Enlightenment. In an attempt to rid the country of Russian influence, Pulaski joined a group of like-minded patriots. Many raids and skirmishes showed that the young noble had skill and bravado and lots of luck. A failed kidnapping of the pro-Russian king lead to banishment for Casimir. In France, Pulaski met Benjamin Franklin who was signing up recruits for the army of the new United States of America. Upon landing in Boston, Casimir went straight to General George Washington‘s camp in New Jersey to volunteer. Not so fast! The Continental Congress had to approve it first. So Pulaski hung around, and tagged along when the army went to Brandywine Creek where the British troops were gathering. The Americans thought they had blocked all the fords, but the enemy found one and came around on the right. Near the end of the day on September 11, Casimir and Washington realized that their line — and Washington himself — were in danger. Pulaski received permission to lead a cavalry charge. With characteristic brashness, his small force charged the British, allowing an orderly retreat for the Americans. Pulaski had saved the General and perhaps the future nation! At this point you are wondering who was the ‘heroine’ of the battle? Pulaski died at the Siege of Savannah, was buried in Georgia, then was re-interred with honors in 1853. At the time, there were some doubts as to whether the bones were indeed Pulaski’s. In the 1990s, a team of forensic scientists opened the grave — and boy! were they amazed! While a DNA analysis matched that of the family, the wide pelvic bones and the delicate facial features indicated that Pulaski was female. Or maybe intersex. Brown University reports that up to 2% of babies are born intersex: with internal organs that are at odds with their external appearance. Did Casimir’s parents just not know, and raised the child as a boy? Did Casimir recognize that they were not quite the same as other boys? No, Pulaski was not gay, nor were they a cross-dresser. We do not know what Casimir experienced. What we do know is a] that Casimir Pulaski was a dashing hero of the American Revolution, a fighter for freedom on two continents; b] they justly deserved the praise of our nation; c] that gender does not define bravery; d] that sex and anatomy are more fluid than we had thought; e] that Casimir Pulaski is the Parent of the American Cavalry.

The American Polish community is justly proud of their native ‘son’. We will honor Casimir with foods that would have been on the table of their Polish-Lithuanian compatriots.

Czech Breakfast: 233 calories 5 g fat 4 g fiber 11.5 g protein 37 g carbs 65.6 mg Calcium NB: The food values are for the meal and fruit only and do not include the optional coffee. PB The Czechs, Germans, and Poles all share a penchant for a breakfast of bread, meat, cheese, and fruit. This is a meal to enjoy often, since it is delicious and simple to prepare.

1-1½ oz sourdough rye bread 1 oz sliced ham, 3% fat ½ oz Hermelin cheese, or substitute Camembert 1 blue or 2 yellow plums Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Whether you pile everything on the bread and eat it that way, or sample each item separately, this is a hearty way to start the day. For those of you who start your day with lunch, this is for you.

Borscht: 188 calories 3.4 g fat 6 g fiber 10 g protein 30.5 g carbs 117 mg Calcium PB GF In Russia, this soup is pureed and served cold in the Summer. This Ukrainian version is eaten in the Winter, hot and chunky and satisfying. Local versions of this soup are found in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Belarus.

4 cups = 4 Servings
12 oz roasted beets, skins removed	Grate beets to produce ~ 2 cups
1 Tbsp butter ½ carrot ½ stalk celery ½ cup parsnip ½ potato 1/2 stalk celery ¼ small head cabbage 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped 2 tsp thyme, chopped ½ tsp sweet paprika l large garlic clove	Cut carrot, celery, parsnip, and potato into a ½” dice. Slice celery into 1/2″ pieces. Shred cabbage thinly. Chop garlic finely. In a Dutch oven, melt butter. Cook these ingredients ~10 mins until softened but not browned
1 bay leaf 4 allspice berries 8 black peppercorns	Tie spices in a bag or put in tea ball, then add to pot.
2 c. beef/chicken stock 1½ c water 1 c canned tomatoes	Chop tomatoes, if necessary. Add these and simmer ~30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Grated beets 2 oz chicken kielbasa 1 c canned, drained small white beans	Cut sausage lengthwise, then slice crosswise ½“ thick. Add to pot with beets and beans. Simmer ~10 minutes
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1½ tsp sugar	Stir in, season to taste with salt+pepper.
optional: Sour cream or plain yogurt chopped dill Finn Crisp crackers or Sourdough Rye bread	Ladle into bowls, dollop with sour cream sprinkled with dill. Serve with bread-stuff of choice or omit.

Stealing the Mona Lisa

September 6, 2023November 8, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The original *Mona Lisa* is on permanent display at the the Musee du Louvre in Paris.

Pity poor Mona Lisa: she has been through a lot. Lisa Gherardini lived in Firenze/Florence, Italy, and she married a silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. In the language of the time, one would address a lady as “Ma Donna” [my lady], which contracted to “Mona.” Thus, the lady was Mona Lisa del Giocondo. According to the popular story, Signor del Giocondo commissioned a local artist, Leonardo Da Vinci to paint his wife’s portrait in 1507. Da Vinci either loved the painting so much that he could not bear to hand it over to his patron, or he was not happy with certain details. At any rate, the artist kept the painting, and continuously re-touched it for the next four years. He took it with him to Rome, and he lugged it to Amboise, France where he worked for King Francois I. When Da Vinci died in 1519, the portrait became part of the King’s collection when he bought it from the estate. From there, rulers displayed it at Chateau Fontainebleau, then Versailles, then in the Musee du Louvre after the Revolution. It was considered a minor painting of the collection — so minor that its theft in 1911 wasn’t noticed for more than a day! The thief was Vincenzo Perugia, an Italian national who worked as a carpenter at the Louvre. The search for the missing artwork was intense and theories abounded — was it a jealous artist? an anarchist? On September 7, poet Guillaume Apollinaire was arrested for the crime, and he implicated Pablo Picasso. Perugia kept the painting for two years, but was undone when he tried to sell it to an art dealer in Firenze. He was busted, tried, and sentenced to eight months in prison. The theft made the painting world famous. Since its return, it has been slashed with a knife, splashed with acid, been hit by a tea cup, splattered with paint, and smeared with cake. That is why the lady is now behind bullet-proof glass.

Our breakfast consists of ingredients that Italians would relish — both in Da Vinci’s time and today. The dinner is more in keeping with the budget of the laborer who said that he wanted “to restore La Jocande to her homeland.”

Prosciutto ScrOmelette: 153 calories 8 g fat 1.6 g fiber 11.6 g protein 9 g carbs 47 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF The earthy flavor of mushrooms [wild ones if you can] combines deliciously with cured meat and eggs at breakfast.

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. ¼ oz prosciutto ½ oz mushrooms ¾ oz pear 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 chopped meat and mushrooms with the eggs. Pour into a lightly-spritzed non-stick saute pan and scramble to your liking. Plate with the pear and the beverages of your choice.

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 11.5 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 best prepared as a main course with meat for more protein.

½ tsp olive oil ½ cup diced onions ½ cup scallions, chopped 1 Tbsp garlic 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 a few leaves of baby spinach

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, adding the spinach at the end so it wilts. If using now, separate out your portion and keep warm. Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions. Add one of the following meats. >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 pieces, not ground beef [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]

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

Sourdough rye bread	1.5 two-oz eggs + Italian herbs
3%-fat ham slice	crushed tomatoes + ricotta cheese
Camembert or Hermelin cheese	garlic + mozzarella + onion
plum — yellow or dark blue	crushed red pepper + melon
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

beets + beef/chicken broth + butter	maifun brown rice noodles
leek + parsnip + potato + cabbage + celery	raw shrimp + ground cumin
paprika + garlic + canned tomatoes + carrot	olive oil + garlic + lime juice
canned white beans + chicken/turkey kielbasa	cilantro + cupped lettuce leaves
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Great Fire of London

September 3, 2023September 1, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Pulling down buildings was a common technique for fire suppression.

In 1666, residents of London, England must surely have thought that they were the victims of God’s wrath. In 1665, the Black Death came to call. And on 2 September 1666, a fire got out of control at the King’s bakery in Pudding Lane. Fires were common then, but extremely dry conditions, high air temperatures, many wooden houses, and a strong East wind combined to create a conflagration that no one could subdue. Fire brigades, aided by King Charles II himself, poured buckets of water on the flames. Buildings were pulled down in hopes of stopping the fire’s advance. Nothing worked. The public panicked, fleeing to the River Thames for relief from the heat and escape from the city. Dynamite leveled whole neighborhoods — causing fears of a French invasion — but the flames were undeterred. On 6 September, the fire was put out and the damage was surveyed. Huge swaths of the city were destroyed, along with the original Saint Paul’s Cathedral and 89 parish churches. Most of the civic buildings were leveled and 13,000 private dwellings were gone. Tens of thousands were homeless, living in refugee camps outside the city. Astonishingly, only 6 deaths were reported. In a way, the fire ‘cleansed’ the old city [of rats that carried the Plague; of tiny lanes filthy with poor sanitation], an opportunity for a more modern metropolis. Sir Christopher Wren drew up a plan for new city streets, but it was never implemented. He designed a new St Paul’s Cathedral and 57 replacement churches. His St Paul’s still stands, despite Nazi bombings during the Blitz — a symbol of resilience and refusal to give in to pressure. Does it seem that history repeats itself? In 2023, we have had three years of a newer ‘plague,’ hot, dry weather has fanned fires from Maui to Maiorca, and disaster refugees are homeless all over the world. Wrath of God? Or a ‘message’ telling us that the climate has changed drastically and that we must take active steps to prevent further loss. Resilience is a good thing when it spurs us to do what is necessary.

Our breakfast is not of that era, but it is as typically English as Wren’s cathedral. In the same decade of the Great Fire, the East India Company was begun, ‘negotiating’ trade routes and deals [at gunpoint, often], to bring the Spices of the East to the English table. Our dinner is made possible by that trade.

Improper English with Egg: 127 calories 3 g fat 3 g fiber 10 g protein 16.6 g carbs 42.5 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the plated foods only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The ‘proper English breakfast’ is a meal of generous proportions: several meats, eggs, mushrooms, toast, kippers, tomatoes, baked beans, plus whatever else the host cares to add. This is not a meal for a Fast Day. But wait! By taking the healthiest elements and scaling down the amounts, we can achieve all the flavor along with more balanced nutrition.

½ cup baked beans ½ hard-boiled egg 2½ oz tomato, sliced thickly pinch grated Parmesan cheese 1 slice ‘Canadian’ bacon 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]

Warm the beans. Place the tomato and bacon in a broiler-safe dish. Sprinkle the tomato with salt and Parmesan cheese. Broil until warm and cooked. Peel, slice, and plate the egg half along with the other elements. Proper delicious, that is.

Kedgeree: 250 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 22 g protein 26 g carbs 101 mg Calcium PB GF This Anglo-Indian fusion dish is flavorful and quickly prepared. HINT: This recipe serves two [2] people.

3 oz smoked haddock [aka: finnen haddie] ½ cup milk 1 bay leaf ¼ cup chopped onion	Put smoked haddock, milk, bay leaf, and onion in a small pan with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove fish from milk, skin it, and pull apart into large shreds. Strain milk and put it back in the sauce pan.
2/3 cup cooked brown rice* 1/5 tsp curry powder ½ tsp turmeric	Add rice and spices and shredded fish to milk in the pan, and put on low heat, covered.[* brown rice is preferred as it has more nutrition]
5 oz asparagus cut into 1½” pieces	Cook separately until just tender. Add to the rice/fish.
2 hardboiled eggs	Peel + cut each into 8 pieces. Strew atop each serving.

Slow Days: Fettuccine with Mussels

September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically.

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many comments on the Fast Diet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

In Summertime, we eat mussels. “Rope-grown mussels” are a big industry where we vacation in PEI, Canada, and we take full advantage of them. Years ago, when we first started going to the local mussel processing plant to buy them, they sold for 50 cents/pound. Even though they are $2/pound now, they are worth it. One of our favorite ways to prepare them is a recipe from A Well-Seasoned Appetite by Molly O’Neil. You can prepare these with fresh mussels in their shells, or use cooked mussel meat that has been removed from the shells. We prefer the latter, and find it to be a good way to use left-over mussels from a previous feed. Very quick, very easy, very good.

A **mise en place** is always a good way to start.

Serves 3
1 T. olive oil ½ c water ½ c white wine 4 cloves garlic, minced	Add to a stock pot, bring to a strong simmer.
32 mussels in shells	Add mussels to pot and cook until all shells are wide open. Remove from shells or not, according to preference. Strain liquid and save.
1-2 Tbsp whole wheat flour 3 Tbsp water	Stir these into a paste, and whisk into strained pot liquor. Reduce cooking liquid to 1 cup.
6 Tbsp cream pepper to taste	Add to reduced stock and warm over low heat until thickened. Add mussels to warm them.
2 oz whole-grain pasta/serving 1 Tbsp chopped parsley/serving	Plate pasta, pour mussels-cream sauce over pasta. Garnish with parsley. Serve with a crisp side salad.

Independence x4

August 30, 2023August 29, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Freedom is a wonderful thing. Having a country that is independent, where the people can determine their own destiny, is a wonderful thing. On August 31, in various years, five nations gained their independence from another nation. Let’s celebrate! In 1957, Malaya [now Malaysia] gained independence from the United Kingdom. The day is now marked as Hari Merdeka (“Independence Day”) or Hari Kebangsaan (“National Day”). In 1962, the British Empire cracked apart a bit more, for Trinidad and Tobago became independent. In 1991, Kyrgyzstan declared that it was independent of the Soviet Union, after centuries of being under the rule of larger conquerers — like the Mongols, and the Russians. Speaking of the Russians, in 1993, Russia finally removed all of its troops from Lithuania, and did the same thing on the same day in Estonia in 1994. The soldiers had been in both countries since 1940. Of course, all new nations have some growing pains: stabilizing their economies, creating a working government, breaking bad habits formed under another country’s influence, enforcing laws that are more attuned to the local cultural needs. Here are some results of their independence. Malaysia rotates the monarchy among the rulers of the nine ethnic Malay states, each being king for a five-year term. Trinidad and Tobago has the 3rd highest GDP per capita in the Americas, based in part on its huge reserve of asphalt. Unfortunately, sparsely-populated Kyrgyzstan is the poorest nation in central Asia. Despite its gold exports, 30% of the country’s income is from remittances. After joining the EU in 2004, Lithuania saw a 50% increase in the GDP per capita, greatly improving the peoples’ health and prosperity. Estonia was named the 8th best country to live in according to the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom. Sounds as if national self-determination is better than subjugation, doesn’t it.

Three recipes to celebrate freedom and independence in five nations. A breakfast from the Malay Peninsula [if not exactly from Malaysia]; flatbreads for Kyrgizstan as well as Trinidad and Tobago, where such breads are enjoyed; a smoked salmon meal from Lithuania which is surely prepared [although with local variation] in Estonia as well.

Thai ScrOmelette: 138 calories 7.5 g fat 1 g fiber 11 g protein 6 g carbs 75.6 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Our younger son prepared a marvelous Thai fried rice dinner for us which bowled us over with its flavors. Here are the same flavors, without the white rice. Still marvelous.

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 clove garlic, chopped 3 Tbsp scallions, sliced 2 Tbsp cooked, chopped spinach [about ½ oz] ½ tsp Thai fish sauce ¼ tsp Thai hot chili sauce big pinch dried basil 1.5 oz melon 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]

Combine the garlic, scallions, spinach, the 2 sauces, and basil. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Heat the pan and stir the vegetables until they are warm and soft. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the pan, stirring to mix with the vegetables. Cook until done to your liking. Plate with the fruit and enjoy with the beverages.

Two Flatbreads to enjoy as part of any meal on a Slow Day. Be sure to take calories into account for a Fast Day.

FLATBREAD Sv. 6 ultimatedanielfast.com	Preheat oven to 400F 17×11” baking sheet	LAVASH Vera Abitbol @ 196flavors.com Makes 16 lavash sheets	Griddle or wide skillet or baking sheets
2½ c whole grain flour: brown rice or spelt or whole wheat 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp salt 1 c warm water	Flaxseed meal is optional. Crush rosemary as you add it. Mix these in a food processor until dough forms a ball.	2 c white whole wheat flour 1 c white flour	Add flour to bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Make a well in center of flours.
	Turn dough onto a floured surface, and knead 5 mins. Or pulse 15x in food processor.	½ tsp salt 1 c. warm water (95 F/36˚C)	Put salt in well. Run at medium speed, adding water slowly. Dough should be soft, homogeneous, and come off walls of bowl.
	Cover with a bowl. Let rest at room temp 30-60 mins.		Cover bowl of dough. Let rest in a warm place 30 mins.
	Roll out to ¼” thick and move it to an oiled 11×17” baking sheet. With a fork, poke holes all over.		Roll dough thinly on a lightly floured surface. Fold sides in to make 4 layers. Let rest 30 mins in a warm place.
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ½ tsp dried basil ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp dried parsley	Mix these in a small bowl, and stir well. Use a basting brush to spread oil mixture across dough.		Cut dough in 2. Roll and fold each piece 4x to make dough elastic. Preheat oven 30 mins to 430F/220˚C OR heat griddle
	Score (make shallow cuts without cutting through) with a knife into 12 pieces, measuring 3×3½”.		Divide dough into 4. Roll out to 1/16”/1.5mm thick. OR pass through pasta machine to setting 6 or 7
	Bake 15-20 mins or until slightly crispy, and remove from oven.	In oven	Put dough pieces on a hot baking sheet and bake 4-5 mins.
	Let cool on baking sheet 10 mins before cutting and serving.	on a griddle or on a skillet	Put dough pieces on very hot pan and cook ~1 min per side
Full batch = 1220 calories 24 g fat 30 g fiber 40 g protein 220 g carbs 100 mg Calcium	1 of 12 pieces = 101 calories 2 g fat 2.5 g fiber 3.5 g protein 17 g carbs 8 mg Calcium	Full batch = 1320 calories 18 g fat 25 g fiber 48 g protein 264 g carbs 80 mg Calcium Makes 20.2 oz =573 g= 16 piece	1 oz = 66 calories 1 g fat 1.25 g fiber 2.4 g protein 13 g carbs 4 mg Calcium

Lithuanian Smoked Salmon Salad: 282 calories 11 g fat 3.5 g fiber 19 .5 g protein 25 g carbs 30 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF bread or omitting This was a treat to eat at the now-closed Alameda, California restaurant Mama Papa Lithuania, so I tried to emulate it at home. And here it is.  HINT: Serves two.

1 cup cucumber, cubed ½ c tomatoes, cubed ½ c. romaine lettuce, cut as chiffonade 1 c. smoked salmon, shredded ¼ c red onion, thinly sliced 1 two-oz hard-boiled egg, chopped 2 Tbsp honey-dill dressing*   optional: 1 oz flatbread OR 1 oz sourdough rye bread per serving

*Honey-Dill Dressing makes 1/3 cup
1 Tbsp = 59 calories 5.4 g fat 2.6 g carbs 3 mg Calcium   2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp chopped dill 1 Tbsp honey Whisk together.
Toss together all ingredients, plate with bread.

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

1 two-oz egg [US large], hard-boiled	1.5 two-oz eggs
tomato + Parmesan cheese	prosciutto
baked beans	mushrooms [preferably wild]
Canadian bacon or back bacon	pear
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

finnen haddie = smoked haddock	3 oz pork tenderloin, raw or cooked
hard-boiled egg + asparagus	Chickpea Ragout
curry powder + turmeric + milk
brown rice + bay leaf + onion
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Frederick Law Olmsted

August 27, 2023August 27, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

There are beautiful urban parks and gardens all over the United States. If they date from the late 1800s, odds are they were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, or one of his students. Olmsted grew up in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of a successful retailer who loved to look at ‘scenery.’ Young Frederick was taken along on many trips through the New England countryside in his youth. A brush with poison sumac damaged his eyes so badly that he could not attend Yale University. The next 20 years of his life might seem aimless to the casual observer, but Olmsted was storing up valuable experience as he farmed; plied the China Trade; hiked in Europe; did under-cover investigative reporting about slavery in the US South; authored books; edited a literary journal. In 1857, he became superintendent of Central Park in New York City. There was not ‘central park’ then, just an idea to create a public space. That year, the residents of Seneca Village and other small communities were removed so that a park could be built. Olmsted and English landscaper Calvert Vaux entered a competition for the development of such a park. They won, and Central Park, NYC became an urban jewel. The valuable organizational skills learned during the project were useful when Olmsted was put in charge of the US Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. He established practices for service men to stay fit and healthy, among them the use of hospital ships. After the war, Olmsted’s company was the go-to American landscaping firm. From public spaces [the Emerald Necklace, Boston] , to university campuses [UC Berkeley], to planned communities [Mont Royal, Montreal, QC], to private estates [Biltmore, NC], to the US Capitol grounds in Washington, DC — they did it all. In Chicago alone, Olmsted designed two parks, the campus of University of Chicago, part of the city’s parks and boulevards chain, and the grounds of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Until his death on 28 August 1903, Frederick Law Olmsted worked to promote parks for all people as well as conserving natural wild spaces. A fine legacy which we should all embrace.

Olmsted’s designs were influenced by English country gardens, and our breakfast also makes a big nod to the English countryside. The dinner choice is due to his extensive work in Chicago, where his workmen might have eaten the iconic hot dog for lunch on the job.

Cottage Breakfast w/ Sausage: 135 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 6 g protein 18 g carbs 24 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB I wanted a breakfast that evoked a cottage in the English country-side, so here it is: fresh fruit, whole-grain bread, a bit of meat. The pan muffins are very good.

1 pan muffin* ½ c. raspberries one 30 calorie chicken breakfast sausage Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Take one griddlecake from the freezer the night before and let it thaw. Cook the sausage in the microwave or warm it in a non-stick pan along with the griddlecake. Dish the berries, brew the hot beverage, pour the smoothie. What a sweet and easy meal.

*PAN MUFFIN each: 71 calories 2.5 g fat 1 g fiber 2 g protein 11 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium These are a dandy little bread to add to a breakfast plate. You will see them in Roman Breakfast and in Cottage Breakfast with egg

1 cup dry Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix 1¼ cup buttermilk/soured milk	Combine cereal and milk in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.
1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup sugar 1 two-ounce egg	Cream butter and sugar, then mix in the egg.
1 cup unbleached flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda	Add dry ingredients and cereal/milk mixture. Stir until just combined.
2 Tbsp batter for each pan muffin**	Portion batter onto a flat-bottomed pan or hot griddle spritzed with non-stick spray. Cook on both sides.

**HINT: I prepared 8 griddlecakes from the 10-grain muffin batter, cooked and froze them. I made the rest into muffins to eat on Slow Days.

Chicago Hot Dog: 272 calories 16.4 g fat 2 g fiber 11 g protein 14 g carbs 36 mg Calcium PB GF This is the real deal: every single flavor found in a Chicago bun, without the bun. Delicious and satisfying, wherever you live.

Two 100-calorie all-beef hot dogs [Hebrew National reduced-fat] 3 oz fresh tomato, sliced in 8 wedges 2 oz dill pickle spears, you should have 2-5 pieces of pickle celery salt 2 Tbsp chopped onions, raw 2 tsp relish [neon green relish is traditional] 2 ‘sport peppers‘ OR 3 pepperoncini, sliced in two ¼ tsp poppy seed yellow mustard

Cook the hot dogs any way you want. In a wide, shallow bowl place the hot dogs in the center. Place pickle slices along side and between the hot dogs. Now arrange the tomatoes around the edge. Sprinkle it all with celery salt, especially the tomatoes. Dollop with relish and distribute the onions all over. Arrange the peppers on top and drizzle with mustard. Add the poppy seed. Wear your favorite Chicago team jersey and tuck in to the dinner.

Saint Bartholomew

August 23, 2023August 28, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Bartholomew is listed as one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, and that is the only time he is mentioned in the Bible. [Most Americans hear the name first in the Dr Seuss book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.] He was born in Cana [the place where the water-into-wine wedding was held], and, as a witness to Jesus’ life, Bartholomew traveled widely to spread the Gospel. He preached in Parthia and Mesopotamia. Tradition tells us that Bartholomew voyaged to India, leaving behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. At last he went to Armenia, where he met a horrible, gruesome martyrdom, 24 August 70 CE. There is another gory event that is associated with this saint: The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1587. From the early 1500s, the protestant followers of Jehan Calvin, called Huguenots, were growing in numbers and influence. The Roman Catholic leadership and the Royal Family were growing annoyed and fearful. In an attempt to end the Wars of Religion that began in 1562, a marriage was arranged between the daughter of the Catholic Queen Mother [Catherine de Medici] and the Calvinist Queen’s son, the future Henri IV. So many protestants came to Paris for the celebration, that Catholics began to fear an insurrection. Early in the morning of 24 August, Catholic soldiers began to assassinate high-ranking Calvinists. All day long, gangs roamed the streets, slaying Huguenots left and right. The movement spread to the countryside, and more killing followed. A low estimate said that 5000 died in Paris alone, and tens of thousands more around the country in the following two weeks. August 24 was not a good day for Bartholomew or for religious tolerance. Be kind. Be tolerant.

Saint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of Butchers. Ugh. At Smithfield Market in London, the Butchers’ Guild held a fair on August 24, from 1133 to 1855. Fresh meats of all kinds were featured, especially beef [this is England, after all] and pork. Apples were consumed as well — dipped in honey, or drank as cider or mead. Naturally, our meals today involve pork, and apples, and beef.

Apple-Pork ScrOmelette: 151 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 13 g protein 7.4 g carbs 46.4 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the eggs and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Pork and apples are such a fine combination that they should be part of a yummy breakfast.

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 to store in the ‘fridge for next week. 1½ oz apple 1 oz raw pork, ground or minced tenderloin 1 leaf fresh sage, sliced thinly crosswise dab of prepared mustard 1½ oz melon 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]

Mince the apple, leaving the skin on it. Put apple and crumbled sage in a saute pan spritzed with cooking spray. Cook over medium for 45 seconds, then add the pork. Cook until pork is cooked and apple is soft. Whisk the eggs and pour over apple-pork-sage. Scramble until done to your liking. Plate with the fruit and plan to do something nice for someone today.

Pot Roast Plate: 269 calories 6.6 g fat 3 g fiber 28 g protein 18.5 g carbs 24.6 mg Calcium PB GF You might have enjoyed a pot roast with the family for Sunday dinner, and since that was a Slow Day, you ate a lot and enjoyed it. Would you believe that you could have the left-overs for dinner on a Fast Day? Yes, you can! Low in fat, high in protein, delicious: this meal checks all the boxes. [At Denny’s, this meal clocks in at 400 calories with 20 g fat; at Culver’s, it is 700 calories with 27 g fat] HINT: After preparing the full recipe, I portioned the meal and froze individual servings for quick future meal preparation.

4 oz braised beef bottom round 3 oz carrots, cooked with the beef 2 oz small red potatoes, cooked with the beef 2 oz small [boiling] onions, cooked with the beef 2 Tbsp beef gravy, from the braising liquid

IF USING LEFT-OVER POT ROAST: Slice the meat. Mass out the vegetables to the stated serving size. Either heat everything in the microwave or put into a pan with a tight lid and some water to warm on the stove-top. A steamer basket is another way to re-warm this meal. Serve with heated gravy and have a feast fit for Saint Bartholomew’s Day. IF STARTING FROM SCRATCH: get 4 oz of sliced rare roast beef from the deli section of the supermarket. Put vegetables in a pot with the gravy and 1/2 cup water. Top with a lid and simmer until almost tender. Lay the beef on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until only a little liquid remains in the pan. Plate it all and pour the pan juices over everything.

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

30-calorie chicken breakfast sausage	1.5 two-oz eggs + cooked spinach
10-grain Cereal ‘pan muffin’	garlic + Thai fish sauce
raspberries	scallions + melon
	Thai hot chili sauce
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

two 110-calorie all beef hot dogs	cucumber + tomato + dill
poppy seed + tomato + dill pickle spears	romaine lettuce + smoked salmon
onion + celery salt + green hot dog relish	hard-boiled egg + olive oil + honey
yellow mustard + ‘sport peppers‘ or pepperoncini	red wine vinegar + optional: sourdough rye bread
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Summer Soups

August 20, 2023August 16, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Warm, comforting hot soups are what we want in the winter, but have you tried soups in the summer? It is true that eating spicy food can help to cool the body on a hot day. Cool soups, with vibrant flavors, can be a delightful alternative to cooking or grilling. The best known summer soup is Gazpacho from Spain. Another famous cold soup is Vichyssoise, a hot French soup, made cold in New York City. And then there is Borscht. Ask anyone in eastern Europe, and they will tell you that their nation invented the soup. Most recipes are for a hot soup, but some cooks serve Borscht cold in the summer. Try a Summer Soup, one or more of them will end up in your warm-weather menus for years to come. And if you have a garden or a CSA share or access to a great Farmers’ Market, soups are a fine way to use fresh veggies.

A cool-as-a-cucumber soup starts off the day, and a well-seasoned noodle soup from Thailand makes a great meal at day’s end.

Cucumber Soup with Melon: ¾ cup serving = 78 calories 0.5 g fat 4.5 g fiber 11.5 g protein 8 g carbs 106 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the plated items only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The soup is lovely as is, but if you want to add more food, add a 1.5-oz slice of ham from the deli. Food value for ham: 68 calories 3.6 g fat 0.5 g fiber 7 g protein 1.6 g carbs 10 mg Calcium. Add optional beverages, and you have a cool, delightful meal to start a Summer day.

makes 3 cups. 4 servings of ¾ cup each
two 8” cucumbers [total weight = 21 oz]	Slice off both tips of the cucumber and remove half of the green peel. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice the cucumber.
2 oz mint leaves	Chop the leaves coarsely.
Piment d’esplette [or paprika or Aleppo pepper] salt & pepper to taste	Add these to taste to a food processor. Run the machine until the cucumber is very finely chopped.
200 grams/ 7 oz Fromage Blanc OR plain Greek yogurt	Add cheese/yogurt and run the processor to combine. Adjust seasonings.
8 oz canteloupe melon	Scoop into 8 Tbsp-sized balls
	Portion soup, garnish with two melon ball per serving
Optional: 1.5 oz sliced deli ham	Roll slice and plate next to bowl of soup.
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]

Thai Shrimp and Noodle Soup: 272 calories 2 g fat 4 g fiber 26 g protein 37.6 g carbs 82 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 soup is wonderful and spicy and filling.

6 oz raw shrimp, shelled, tails removed	Thaw shrimp in a bowl, then strain liquid from bowl into a 1-cup measure, adding water to bring volume to 1 cup. Put shrimp into a pan with the liquid, and simmer until opaque. Remove shrimp and cut in half cross-wise if large.
46 gm rice vermicelli noodles [that’s one small ‘bundle’ of noodles]	Bring shrimp-water to boil, add vermicelli, cover and take off heat. After 4 mins, drain, saving cooking water. Rinse and reserve 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 shrimp-water and these ingredients in a pan together. Warm while whisking to combine.
2 oz carrots, grated 1 c. spinach leaves, loosely packed	Coarsley chop spinach after measuring. Add carrots. Add spinach. Simmer until veggies are tender.
2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 oz grated carrot	Add shrimp. Serve soup warm or cold with garnish of chopped scallion and grated carrot.

Battle of Verneuil

August 16, 2023August 15, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

French army on the right, confronts the English at Verneuil.

The Hundred Years’ War blurs by the students in history class — too many names; too many battles. Unless you have a dog in the fight, it matters not. But some battles stand out to me: Crecy in 1346, Agincourt in 1415 [made memorable by Shakespeare], and Verneuil. As at Crecy, my mother’s ancestors fought at the Battle of Verneuil. It took place in Normandie, France in 1424. In those battles, the English were trying to establish their dominance in the province that had belonged to their leader, William of Normandy, three and a half centuries ago. Once again, the English were outnumbered. Once again, the French were defeated. The French army was a combination of French knights, infantry, and archers, 1000s of Scots, and calvary units hired from Milan and Lombardy. This polyglot assemblage lead to poor communication on the battle field and a lack of unity with the attack. I try to imagine my ancestor, Gerard d’Harcourt, the 44-year-old only son of his noble family, with a wife and two young sons at home. He would have gone into battle on that hot August day in head-to-toe armor. Since dawn, while the two armies had been maneuvering into position, Gerard sat locked in his metal suit, without much food or water since breakfast. The battle finally began at 4 pm, and when it was over, [only?] 1600 English had died, compared to 7262 combatants on the French-Scots side. Gerard was one of them, along with his first cousin Jean VIII, Count d’Harcourt and leader of the French army. Less than 30 years later, hostilities ceased. Too late for Gerard and Jean.

A foraging army might well have found cepe mushrooms in the woods of Normandy to add to breakfast, and rabbits would have provided a welcome stew at dinner for those who survived the ‘bloodiest battle of the Hundred Year War.’

Cepe Omelette: 139 calories 9 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 6 g carbs 46.7 mg Calcium PB GF Cepes [aka: ceps, porcini] are a divine mushroom. Like many good foods, they exist in a brief moment of time and must be savored in the moment. True, they can be dried for later, which is a real plus. But today we will be Zen-like and enjoy them now.

1½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ½ oz [1/3 cup] sliced, raw cepes ¼ tsp butter parsley, chopped salt & pepper 4 cherries 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]

In a non-stick pan, melt the butter and spritz well with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook the mushrooms in the butter until tender [1 minute?] and pour in the eggs. Let the bottom of the eggs get firm, lifting the edges to let the raw egg run underneath. Either flip the eggs to cook on the other side, or leave the upperside soft when you fold and plate it with the fruit. With or without the optional beverages, this is a rare Summer treat.

Rabbit Pie: 275 calories 6.6 g fat 4.6 g fiber 25.6 g protein 27.5 g carbs 77 mg Calcium PB Rabbit is a common meat in recipes the world over. It is high in protein and low in fat. And yes, it does taste like chicken. You could substitute.

2 oz mushrooms 4 oz chicken stock 2 tsp potato starch 0.55 oz [1 slice] ham from the deli 3 oz rabbit meat ¼ cup onions, chopped big pinch dried thyme big pinch savory salt + pepper 1.5 oz carrots ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin OR a 4” circle cut from whole-grain bread

If the rabbit is uncooked: Cut it into bite-sized pieces and quickly cook in a saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Remove the meat. Chop and cook the mushrooms in non-stick spray, but do not evaporate all of the liquid they give off. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and the stock to the pan along with the mushroom juices and ¼ cup water. Simmer to cook the onions. Whisk in the potato starch and the seasonings. Continue to whisk over heat until the potato starch is dissolved. Cook at a simmer until the liquid measures ¼ cup and is thickened. Add the rabbit meat, ham, and the mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasonings. Pour and scrape into an oven-proof dish. Top with the Sandwich Thin. Bake at 350 F for15 minutes. Cook the carrots. Plate the meal by first putting the Sandwich Thin on the plate, then covering it with the rabbit-mushroom mixture. Pour any extra liquid so that it is soaked up by the bread. Plate the carrots to complete the meal.

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

2 cucumbers = 21 oz + cantaloupe balls	1.5 two-oz eggs
mint leaves + piment d’esplette/paprika	apple + melon
fromage blanc or plain Greek yogurt	1 oz raw pork
Optional: 1 oz sliced deli ham	dried sage
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

rice vermicelli + raw shrimp	4 oz pot roast of beef
carrots + scallion + Thai fish sauce	boiling onions
lime juice + Thai green curry paste	carrots + beef gravy
fresh or frozen spinach + sugar	small red potatoes
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Ernest Lawrence Thayer

August 13, 2023August 10, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The only poem that Ernest Lawrence Thayer ever wrote became one of the most beloved and oft-quoted set of lines in American literary history. What was it? Surely you know of Casey At The Bat! Thayer was born on 14 August, 1863, in Lawrence, Massachusetts to a family in manufacturing. He went to Harvard, where he joined the two famous humor societies: Hasty Pudding Club and Harvard Lampoon. Another member of those groups was William Randolph Hearst. When Hearst took over at the San Francisco Examiner, he hired Thayer to write a humor column for the paper. At the end of his two-year stint, the parting column in 1888, was a poem about a self-important baseball slugger who is humbled for being prideful. The poem went unnoticed until it became part of the act of a vaudeville performer later that year. “Casey” caught the popular imagination and rumor was rampant: was Mudville a real place? was Casey modeled after a particular ball player?? Thayer maintained that it was a work of pure fiction, although two towns actually claimed to be Mudville. Mike ‘King’ Kelly, from the Boston Beaneaters team, stated for years that he was the original Casey [one would brag about that???]. Nobody doubts that “Casey at the Bat” is everyone’s favorite baseball poem. My favorite rendition of it was by our older son when he was in 4th grade. He chose the poem as his entry in the school’s poetry recitation contest, and practiced long and hard. The audience and judges loved his changing inflections as he shouted “Strike One!!” contrasted with the echo’s whispered “Fraud.” He won the competition and was asked to repeat his performance on the school house steps on the last day of school. It was a triumph and his parents were proud.

Although baseball was invented in the United States, it involves countries around the world. Baseballs for the US market were once manufactured in Haiti [on a grand scale, but for a pitiable wage], and at the other end of the Island of Hispaniola, players from the Dominican Republic have been stars in the Major Leagues. The Japanese love baseball, and several top-notch Japanese stars play on American teams. Our breakfast is from Haiti and our dinner is from Japan.

Haitian Chicken Bake: 131 calories 5 g fat 1 g fiber 13 g protein 8 g carbs [6 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The Haitians love to eat their ‘pates’ [pronounced ‘patty’], spicy fillings in puff paste dough. Here is the filling alone is used to jazz up some eggs at breakfast.

1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp chicken pate filling** 1.5 oz pineapple Optional: blackish Haitian 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]

NB: Prepare the chicken pate filling in advance and freeze or refrigerate it. Whisk the egg with salt and pepper, then whisk again with the meat filling. Pour into an oven-safe dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and brew that Haitian coffee. Zut alors! A taste of Hispaniola!

**chicken pate filling = 1 cup ‘pate’	Prepare a mise en place. You will be adding ingredients at rapid intervals, so do the prep now.
1 habanero pepper	Cut pepper lengthwise and scrape the seeds out of one half. Chop both halves.
Chopped pepper ¼ cup chopped onion 2 tsp garlic, minced	Spritz a non-stick skillet with non-stick spray. Saute the pepper, onion, and garlic 3 mins until tender.
½ pound ground chicken	Add chicken and cook 5 mins, stirring often.
¼ cup shredded carrot	Add carrot and cook for 2 minutes.
2 tsp no-salt tomato paste	Add tomato paste and stir constantly 1 min
2 tsp lime juice 1 tsp cider vinegar	Pour in lime juice and vinegar and stir.
1 Tbsp chopped scallion 1 Tbsp chopped parsley 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves ½ tsp pepper ¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground clove 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg	Add scallion and all the seasonings. Stir, take off heat, and cool to room temperature. Run it all through the food processor.

>Use in omelettes, bakes, quiches, crepes. >>Wrap in wonton wrappers >>>Roll out purchased puff pastry and cut into 20 squares. Use 1 Tbsp filling per square, seal edges and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Miso Salmon: 242 calories 9 g fat 2 g fiber 29 g protein 12 g carbs 37 mg Calcium PB GF Having heard of this over and over again, I asked our son for a recipe. So easy! So good tasting! You will have left-over sauce for flavoring a soup or another fish dish.

4 oz salmon filet, skinned 2 Tbsp miso sauce** 5 spears asparagus OR 3 oz broccoli

Place the fish on a small plate and paint one side with some miso sauce. Turn fish over and repeat. On medium-high, heat a well-seasoned cast iron pan or a non-stick pan and add a spritz of cooking spray. Cook the fish on one side for 4 minutes while painting the up-side with more miso sauce. Turn the fish to the other side, paint with the sauce, and cook 4-5 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fish. Test for doneness by cutting a small slit down to the middle of the filet to see if it has changed from deep pink to opaque pink color. Cook the asparagus, brush it with some of the miso sauce and plate.

**Miso Sauce: makes 6 Tablespoons 33 calories/Tablespoon 2 Tbsp white or yellow miso 2 Tbsp mirin 1 Tbsp sake or sherry 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil Stir together to combine.

	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

Eating well with creative recipes while following the Fast Diet

Hometown Heroine: Brandywine

Stealing the Mona Lisa

Great Fire of London

Slow Days: Fettuccine with Mussels

Independence x4

Frederick Law Olmsted

Saint Bartholomew

Summer Soups

Battle of Verneuil

Ernest Lawrence Thayer

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