fasting

13 Tips for a Fasting Lifestyle

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

special coffee cup

Many people fear that they will not get through the day on only 600 calories.  Friends of ours’ would scoff at our “Starvation Days”, and sometimes others will taunt us about what they can eat while we are depriving ourselves. But we are smug in the knowledge that the day after a Fast Day, we will be a pound lighter and looking good. It is true that for the first couple of weeks you will be checking the clock to see if it is time to eat. But stay hydrated [the brain often interprets thirst as hunger] and push through it. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You can do it!

1. Watch the video of Dr Mosley’s program  Eat-Fast-Live which we saw originally on Public Broadcasting Service.  This is what inspired us to start this Lifestyle and it might help you too.

2. Plan ahead. We write on the calendar what Fast meals we want to eat in a week. Nothing ruins a diet like coming home and having no idea what to eat for dinner. That’s when the default foods come out [carry-out or pizza]. You can avoid that by planning.

3. Prep ahead. You see in many recipe the HINTS about preparing food ahead. This is a real time-saver in the morning. Want your spouse to help you to stay on the diet when you get home late? Write out the recipe, leave it on the counter, include info about where to find ingredients, and maybe the meal will be in progress when you come through the door.

4. Shop ahead. Now that you know what you want to eat, have the ingredients on hand. When Fast Day comes, you want to be ready.

5. Portion as you shop.  Say the recipe calls for 4 oz chicken breast, so when you get home, cut the chicken into the correct size. Wrap and label the part you need, save the trimmings for another use such as Chicken Curry or Chicken Noodle Soup. The same goes for vegetables: slice and chop those 2 oz of bell pepper that you will need.  It takes moments to do this as you unload the groceries, so do it to save time later.

6. Listen to Diane Rehm interview Dr. Mosley.   This interview is an oldie, but a goodie. Diane asks the tough questions and ends the conversation by saying that everyone on her staff can’t wait to try the diet!

7. Make the meal setting special. Instead of eating on the run or while standing over the sink, make a Fast meal an occasion. Use the good plates and flatware. Put the sparkling water in a nice glass with a twist of lemon. See the demitasse cup in the above photo? It is the only one I have and it makes the breakfast table so pretty that it is saved for Fast days only, presenting the coffee in a 1-cup pitcher.

8. Slo-o-o-ow down the meal. The other reason for the little cup at breakfast? By putting the coffee in a pitcher, I frequently have to stop to refill the cup. This bit of fussiness slows down the process. When you put food in your mouth, put down the fork. You don’t have to chew 30 times, but don’t just cram the food in your mouth — savor it, taste it, and make it last.

9. Set goals by the clock.  After breakfast, vow not to put any calories in your mouth until noon. Then at noon, tell yourself that you can hold out for another 2 hours. Maybe setting a timer will help you: while the timer is ticking, don’t eat. This does not mean that you will eat when the timer rings! No. At that time, set a new goal.

10. Distract yourself. After breakfast, I pour a large [1.5 cups] glass of water which I sip on until noon. By 2 pm, I have earned a hot cup of tea — something bold-tasting or soothing as mood dictates. A touch of honey in the drink provides a real lift. Mid-to-late afternoon is difficult for me. Go for a walk [not to the kitchen or break-room!] or get involved in a long project to take your mind off eating.

11. Hide the temptation.  I stash the bowl of pistachios in the cupboard on Fast Days. Yes, I still know they are there, but out of sight, out of mind.

12. Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow. This has a double meaning. 1]  If you yearn for something on a Fast Day, tell yourself that you can have it tomorrow. It is not a promise that you have to keep. Tomorrow it might not be calling to you.  2] Tomorrow is the day that you will weigh less. Tomorrow is also weeks from now when you will be slimmer and thinking about new clothes. Tomorrow will come.

13. Don’t Stop. This is a Lifestyle, not a Diet. Continue to incorporate 5:2 Fasting into your food planning — the weight will stay off and you will be healthier in the long run.

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

1 two-oz hard-boiled egg = US large1 two-oz egg 
dried Turkish figBleu cheese
baby spinach leavesleek + mushrooms
chèvre or Brie cheesestrawberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

butter + onion + potatoMartins whole wheat potato rolls
chicken stock + whole milkroasted chicken breast meat
wild greens + part-skim ricottacarrot sticks + cherry tomatoes
chorizo +  Finn crisp    Corky’s BBQ Sauce  or equivalent
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Susanna

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

The name “Susanna” can conjure up several associations. There is the American folk-song “O, Susanna”, written by Stephen Foster in 1848, for performance at Minstral Shows. Today, O Susanna is sung as a humorous children’s song, full of funny contradictions, but it originally had offensive lyrics. Going back farther than that, chapter 13 of the Book of Daniel gives us the first mention of a Susanna. [NB: there is no Chapter 13 in the Old Testament of the modern Bible. Instead, it is contained in the Apocrypha.] The story is told of the comely matron who bathes daily at a certain spot. Two elderly judges get into the habit of spying on her bath, and then press their attentions on her. Shocked, the virtuous Susanna rebuffs them. In the original MeToo moment, they accuse her of being lascivious, which would carry the death penalty. The youngster Daniel suggests separating the accusers while they give their evidence, and since it is contradictory, Susanna is acquitted. The theme of ‘Susanna and the Elders’ became a popular one for artists. Lastly, there is Saint Susanna, who lived in the 3rd century CE. She was the daughter of a noble Christian family in a time when that religion was forbidden. The Emperor Diocletian wanted her to marry one of his protégées, but she refused. So Susanna, her family, and the Emperor’s emissary [who had been converted by Susanna] were all arrested. She was beheaded and Diocletians’ closeted Christian wife buried her in secret. Susanna’s family home became a church, and in 1921, it was declared to be the official church of American Catholics in Rome. Since then, Susanna has been delisted as a saint, and her church is closed. Her feast day is August 11, and you can still celebrate it if you want to.

For Susanna’s feast day, a breakfast from ancient Rome, and a dinner from the Levant, which was also part of the Roman Empire during Susanna’s brief lifetime.

Cato’s Breakfast: 235 calories… 4 g fat… 2 g fiber… 13 g protein… 47 g carbs… 89 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Cato, the Roman orator and senator, included Libum in his book de Agricultura. The other elements of the meal were popular in ancient Rome.

++2 Libum [33-grams of dough each] ++++ 2 oz pear ++++ 1 deglet noor date ++++ 1 oz chicken breast meat ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Bake the Libum and plate with the other ingredients. Although Cato probably would have served wine, that would not be your best option at breakfast.

LIBUM: –225 g/1 cup light ricotta cheese——113 g/1 cup white whole wheat flour—1 oz = ½ egg—–
2 Tbsp honey		Combine these ingredients to a Play-Doh consistancy.
0.2 oz pine nuts, about 45 pinonsForm dough into 11 balls, each made with 2 Tbsp dough [33-g]. Top each ball with 4-5 pine nuts.
11 bay leaves —-TIP: you can do all this the night before and bake in the morning.Lightly spritz a baking pan with non-stick spray and lay the bay leaves on it. Place one dough ball on each leaf.
Warm honeyBake at 350 F for 20 minutes. While still warm, brush with honey.

Felafel with Feta Salad:  285 calories… 14 g fat… 7 g fiber… 12.5 g protein… 29 g carbs… 180 mg Calcium…  PB GF  What a healthy plate of food! When you have felafel in the freezer, this meal becomes almost instant.

++ 6 felafel patties** ++++ 1 cup lettuce [I like to slice large leaves cross-wise into ½” strips]++++ 2 oz tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or cut in ½” cubes ++++ 1 oz carrots, grated ++++ 1 oz beets cut in large dice ++++ ¾ oz Feta cheese in cubes or large crumbles ++++ ¾ tsp flavored olive oil ++++ ¾ tsp white wine vinegar ++++ salt + pepper to taste++

Thaw the felafel patties and warm them. If unbaked, heat them in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the vinegar and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and feta crumbles.

Felafel each patty= 30 cal… 1 g fat… 1 g fiber… 1.6 g protein… 4 g carbs… 8.5 mg Calcium… GF PB From the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and set you up for several servings of future meals.

+++ 2 cups canned chick peas [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them] ++++ 1½ cloves garlic, crushed ++++ ¼ cup celery, minced ++++ ¼ c. scallions, sliced ++++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 1½ tsp tahini ++++ ½ t. cumin ++++ ½ t. tumeric ++++ ¼ t. cayenne ++++ ¼ tsp black pepper++++ 1½ tsp salt ++

Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1½ Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 F, 10-15 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be 25 or 30 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

Burgers

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

Chopping up meat and cooking it for dinner is an ancient idea that spans many cultures: kebabs [Jordan], Pojarski cutlets [Russia], rissoles [France], Frikadelle [Germany] — to name a few. In the USA, as early as 1844, a beef patty was called a Hamburger Steak, after the German city of Hamburg whence came good quality beef. In 1885, Charlie Nagreen was selling what he called ‘hamburgers’ at the Outagamie County [Wisconsin] Fair.  Frank and Charles Menches of Ohio also claimed to have invented and named the hamburger in 1885, at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York. They had been selling pork patties between slices of bread, but substituted beef when they ran out of pork. The family of Oscar Weber Bilby claims that he began serving beef burgers on his wife’s yeasted buns in 1891, near Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1921, the White Castle hamburger chain was opened, the first of its kind. Today of course, burgers on a bun are the most ubiquitous fast food, with McDonald’s selling almost 6.5 million burgers every single day around the world. As veganism became popular, and people worried about beef cattle affecting the environment, beef was replaced by the bean burger, and lately, the soy-based ‘Impossible’ burgers. Hamburgers can be made of a variety of meats, from beef to venison to bison. Hamburgers can be poor in nutrition or good for you, depending on the quality of the meat and the preparation. It is Summer, and burgers are probably on your grill. Eat wisely.

Burgers can be enjoyed at dinner, or lunch, or at breakfast. For several months in the 1960s, my father ate a lean hamburger patty for breakfast everyday. I can’t remember if he was trying to loose weight or lower his cholesterol… I think it didn’t work. Do not bother trying it. But do try these yummy burgers at your next opportunity.

Black Bean Burger Breakfast: 252 calories… 7.6 g fat… 9 g fiber… 14 g protein… 36 g carbs… 331 mg Calcium… NB: the food values given are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Bean burgers have long been the province of vegans, and they were the poor cousin of real burgers. Try these and see if you change your mind. Black beans are very healthy, but don’t let that put you off. These burgers will star at dinner with a bun and toppings, or at breakfast with fresh fruit. Mark Bittman is the source of this recipe, and it is a winner.

++1 Black Bean Burger** ++++ 1/4 cup raspberries ++++ 1/2 c plain, low-fat yogurt++++ 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] ++

Cook the burger in a heavy pan with cooking spray, 4 minutes on a side, and plate with the fruited yogurt.  TIP: prepare a batch of the burgers and freeze them uncooked for use at a future dinner or breakfast.

**Black Bean Burgers
13.3 oz by weight = 2 cups = 16 oz by volumeeight ¼-c burgers; four ½-c burgers; six 1/3-c burgers
¼ cup dried, stemless porcini mushroomsSoak mushrooms in hot water 5-10 mins; roughly chop, put in food processor.
2 c cooked or 15 oz canned black beans++++2 cloves roughly chopped garlic++++2 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder+++++1 tsp ground cumin+++++1 T soy sauce+++++Salt and black pepperRinse and drain beans. Put all these in a food processor with the mushrooms, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is combined, not puréed.
¾ c rolled oats, or more if needed+++++++
Bean-cooking liquid or porcini soaking liquid		Add oats, and pulse to combine. If too thick, add liquid to thin to density of cookie dough.
¼ cup chopped cilantro/parsley/chivesStir in cilantro, and let sit 5 mins.
Form into patties [I made 6], chill in ‘frige.
Spritz the saute pan with olive oilSpread oil across skillet set over med-low. Cook the number you need until crisp on one side, ~3 mins.
Flip, cook until burgers are crisp, 3 mins. 

Burger Bun Dinner: 305 calories…  8 g fat… 4 g fiber…  36.5 g protein… 22 g carbs… 143 mg Calcium…  PB The correct ingredients make it possible to have a hamburger in a bun and still be Fasting! Think Summer! 

++ one 4-oz bison burger ++++ ½ oz mushrooms ++++ 1 tsp curried catsup OR thin slice of fresh tomato   TIP: Slice the tomato 30 mins beforehand and salt it] ++++ one whole wheat slider bun [100 calories] – our favorite are Martin’s Potato Buns from Chambersburg, Pa, if you are lucky enough to find them ++++ ½ cup coleslaw 

In a cast iron or other heavy, non-stick skillet, put a healthy sprinkle of Kosher salt. Heat the pan over medium-low burner and add the bison burger. Cook 3-5 mins on one side, then the other. [You could grill it, but note that slow cooking is the key to tenderness. When red juices no longer come out, it is done. Center the burger on the slider bun, top with tomato/catsup and mushrooms. Plate with coleslaw.

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

1 two-oz egg + reduced fat ricotta cheese
white whole wheat flour + honeyNext week I will offer tips for beginning the Fasting
deglet noor date + PearLifestyle. Look through the archives for your new
chicken breast meat + pine nutsfavorite breakfast.
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

6 felafel patties + lettuce
tomato ++ carrot Next week I will offer tips for beginning the Fasting
beet + feta cheeseLifestyle. Look through the archives for your new
olive oil + white wine vinegarfavorite dinner.
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Hans Christian Andersen

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

The Little Mermaid. The Ugly Duckling. The Snow Queen. The Emperor’s New Clothes. And 164 others… You know those stories and you know who wrote them: Hans Christian Andersen. But do you know the man? Hans Christian was born into poverty and low social status in 1805 in Odense, Denmark. His father read stories to him, and the child attended the local school. Until he was 14 years old, he worked. When tried for a career on stage, one of the directors of the Royal Theatre took him under his wing and sent him to a real school. Unhappy as that experience was, Andersen went on to university where he wrote a best-selling novel in 1828, a fantasy travelogue. Then he turned to play-writing, which was less successful, so he wrote more novels. A popular literary genre at the time was German Romanticism, characterized by menacing fantasy elements, and interactions with a scary-yet-compelling natural world. In 1835, Andersen found the writing style that made him famous: writing ‘fairy tales‘. His tales have several themes which indicate facets of Andersen’s life: alienation from society; sympathy for the poor; and unrequited love. His telling of tales was novel and refreshing — written for amusement, not moral education, the stories were modern in their tone, chatty in their narration. The critics were not impressed, but the public was. By the late 1830s, the King of Denmark awarded Andersen an annual stipend. More novels and travel stories ensued, and he was acclaimed all over Europe. Anderson had difficulty in social situations, even though he craved normal relationships. When he was invited to stay with Charles Dickens and his family, a two-week visit lasted five weeks, much to the dismay of the hosts. Anderson could be demanding, yet he lacked the self-awareness to see it. He died of liver cancer on 4 August 1875, and was hailed as a ‘national treasure’. His stories are still in circulation. They have been Disneyfied, turned into ballets, stage plays, and adapted by Hollywood. Try reading the originals for comparison, and see if you recognize them.

Our foods are typically Danish: delicious, easy to prepare, from the ocean.

Herring Plate: 195 calories… 8 g fat… 4.4 g fiber… 8 g protein… 13.5 g carbs… 33 mg Calcium…  NB: These values are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB If you like herring, this is the breakfast for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and it is prepared in no-time-flat. TIP: Do NOT eat herring if you are taking MOAI anti-depresent medicine, as herring is high in tyramine.

++ 3 Finn Crisp crackers ++++ 1.25 oz herring marinated in wine [not sour cream] ++++ 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ++++ 4 Bing cherries OR ½ cup strawberries, sliced ++++ 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] ++

Do I need to describe this preparation? Spread the cream cheese on the crackers and pile on the herring. Delicious and so satisfying.

Smørrebrød with Salmon: 257 calories… 8 g fat… 3 g fiber… 14 g protein… 28.6 g carbs… 48 mg Calcium…  PB A classic summer sandwich from Sweden: a delicious meal without heating the kitchen.

++ 1 slice [1½ oz] sourdough rye bread @ 110 calories TIP: the bread should be dense, not fluffy  ++++ 1 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ++++ 2-4 large leaves of fresh spinach ++++ 1½ oz thinly-sliced tomato, slice and salt about 30 minutes earlier for best taste ++++ 1-1½ oz smoked salmon [you have some calorie wiggle-room] ++++ ½ hard-boiled egg, sliced ++++ 1-2 oz strawberry ++

Spread the bread with the cream cheese and lay the spinach leaves on top. Place the tomato slices atop that. For the next layer, put down the salmon, topped by the egg slices. Plate with the berries and enjoy a hot Summer night meal.

National Weather Service

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

You wake up and turn on the TV or radio or internet to find out what the weather will be for the day. Why? So you know what to wear, whether you need an umbrella, if the weather will interfere with your commute. And where does that forecast come from? It is the work of observers at weather stations all over the world. Every day weather balloons are sent up to map the upper air currents that propel an air mass in your direction. You see, while it is true that ‘weather is local’, the weather that you have today was probably the weather that another locale had 1 or 2 days ago — and somebody ‘downwind’ will have it tomorrow. This is the value of many monitoring stations. People used to think that weather conditions were the same everywhere at once, but that was proved wrong in the 1500s when Tycho Brahe directed simultaneous observations in Denmark and Poland. In 1849, the new telegraph service provided a means of sending weather data to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC for compilation. This was the beginning to weather maps that showed cold or warm air masses moving across the nation. Forecasting began in 1870, when the US Weather Bureau was created as an arm of the Army Signal Service’s Division of Telegrams and Reports. At first there was resistance to the idea of forecasting the weather, due to the perception of interfering with God’s power since the 3rd chapter of the Book of John says, “The wind blows where it wants… but [you] cannot not tell where it comes from, nor where it goes.” Then weather disasters ensued, showing the need for forecasting. The Weather Service was moved from department to department, and their job expanded to hurricane alerts and river flood warnings. Weather data was collected at airports, at military bases, from kites aloft, and from ships at sea as the need for accurate forecasting grew. From when to plant your garden to timing the D-Day Invasion, events large and small are weather dependent. Technology has advanced to include Doppler Radar, satellite feeds, and computer models. Now the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gathers the data and studies weather past, present, and future in an effort to prevent disasters. None of us can change the weather, but we need accurate information to live safely with it. Will recent personel cuts hamper forecasting? Time will tell.

Whether you live in the streets of New York City or on the plains and mesas of New Mexico, weather matters to you. Having a strong network of weather workers from coast to coast means accurate, timely forecasting. Volunteers, such as those with CoCoRaHS, can be a big help — please consider joining today.

Horseradish-Cheesy Bake: 143 calories… 7.5 g fat… 1 g fiber… 8 g protein… 7 g carbs… 78.6 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the Bake and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF David Rosengarten’s unusual cookbook It’s All American Food takes the reader on a tour of American ethnic and regional foods, and tells you how to make those treats in your own kitchen. This recipe is from the Manhattan restaurant Barney Greengrass, where they are renowned for their breakfasts.

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ ½ Tbsp crushed tomato ++++ 1 Tbsp cheddar/horseradish spread*** ++++ 1 Tbsp chives, minced ++++ 2 oz pear or apricot ++++ 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] ++

Set the toaster oven at at 350 degrees F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Vigorously whisk the egg, cheeses, and chives until well combined and pour into the ramekin. Put in the oven [it doesn’t need to be hot yet] and bake 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, brew your beverage of choice and prep the fruit. This will kick-start your day.

***Cheddar-Horseradish Spread  ++ 2 Tbsp WisPride Cheddar spread OR Kraft Old English Cheddar spread  ++++4 [or more] tsp prepared horseradish [the kind in a jar] ++ Cream together thoroughly. Save the rest for another day or another use.

Chili Verde with Beans: 265 calories… 3 g fat… 5.4 g fiber… 14 g protein… 31 g carbs… 169 mg Calcium…  PB GF In the great debate about what makes ‘authentic’ chili, beans are often the issue. Here, they are served as a ‘side dish.’  HINT: This makes enough for 3 [three] servings.

½ tsp oil ++++++  ½ cup red onion, choppedCook onion until softened.
3 cloves garlic, mincedAdd to onion and cook 1 minute more
2 Tbsp tomato sauce+++2 tsp green chili powder +one 4-oz can New Mexico green chiles+++1 tsp ground cumin +++ 1 tsp [Mexican] oregano ++++
½ cup salsa verde [purchased is fine] +++¼ cup water		Stir in tomatoes and cook 1 minute. 
Add chilis, seasonings, salsa and water.
Turn heat down to a simmer.
Enough cooked turkey or chicken to make 1½ cups shredded meat – about 200 g ++++ pinch or two saltShred poultry or grind it and add to the pan. Cover, simmer 10 mins. Add salt.
Per serving: 1/3 cup small white beans, canned +++++ chopped green onionPlate with scallions on top and the beans on the side.

With or without the beans, this would be great in flautas or fajitas or corn tortillas.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs + 1 egg white
hamstrawberries + 2%-fat cottage cheese
chivesgarlic powder + nutmeg
pineapple or appleManchego cheese + cooked spinach
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

beef from a roast or from the deli + onionsalami + white beans + red wine vinegar
garlic + canned whole tomatoes + celerycooked chicken breast + rosemary + sage
carrot + beef bouillon cubes + bay leafmozzarella + lettuce/wild greens
dried basil + Finn Crisp crackersradish + celery + garlic
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Hometown Heroine: Mercia

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

The Lady of Mercia, Æthelflæd.

In 874 CE, the Vikings were on the rampage in the Britain. They had taken York and Norfolk and were moving west into the interior. They captured the town of Derby in the Kingdom of Mercia, renaming it as Deorby. For the next few decades, the balance of power between the Viking/’Dane’ invaders and the Anglo-Saxon defenders was touch and go. In 879 CE, a new king of Mercia was crowned: Aethelred [his name means ‘noble counsel’]. Within two years, King Aethelred accepted King Alfred ‘the Great’ of Wessex as his liege lord. In 887, Aethelred married Æthelflæd [whose name means ‘noble beauty’], daughter of King Alfred. The pair were a ‘power couple’ in their time, fortifying towns against the Danes and endowing abbeys. After a decade of increased Viking incursions, Aethelred of Mercia died. His wife, Æthelflæd the Lady of Mercia/Myrcna hlaedige, took over the reins of government, since Mercia was not prejudiced against female rulers and they did not want a divisive power struggle. She took the battle to the Vikings, fortifying key towns [called ‘burhs’, pronounced ‘bruffs’], and making incursions to recapture territory. For the rest of her life, Æthelflæd lead the Mercian struggle against the Vikings, building strongholds to stall their advances, and leading troops in the retaking many towns like Derby in a battle in 917. She died on June 12, 918, and was buried at Gloucester. Æthelflæd’s death was widely reported around Britain, such was her repute. Her brother Edward of Wessex took over Mercia a few months later, uniting it with Wessex to form the kernel from which the future united England grew.

What did Anglo-Saxons eat? Onions, garlic, cabbage, turnips, mushrooms, beets, carrots, peas, green beans, barley, wheat, fish from rivers and ocean, small game. Sounds like stew to me — all day long. Foods were simmered in pots over a fire, flatbreads were cooked on hot stones. Both our breakfast and our dinner are in keeping with the foodstuffs available to Æthelflæd and her people.

Bannock with Salmon & Applesauce: 206 calories… 5 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 9 g protein… 31 g carbs… 97.4 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Oat cakes are found all over the British Isles. Were these the ‘cakes’ that King Alfred let burn while baking on the hearth?

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

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

Winter Soup: 236 calories… 3 g fat… 8.6 g fiber… 12 g protein… 45.4 g carbs… 80 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread  A hearty vegetable soup has been keeping people going for milleia. Easy to prepare, perfect for clearing out the vegetable drawer. HINT: 1 Serving = 1 cup. Makes 5 cups.

++ 1 quart beef broth ++++ 4 oz carrots, peeled and sliced or diced ++++ 4 oz rutabaga/yellow turnip, peeled and diced ++++ 4 oz parsnip, peeled and sliced or diced ++++ 4 oz onion, chopped ++++ 4 oz cabbage, chopped ++++ ¼ cup pearled ‘quick’ barley ++++ any herbs you wish, chopped ++

Prepare vegetables as described. Put everything except the barley in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until all vegetables are soft. Add barley, herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer until barley is cooked.

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

2 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
flour, preferably whole wheatchicken breakfast sausage @ 33 calories per link
sugar + milk, low-fat apple
10 sweet cherries + clementinesage
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

olive oil + onionAndouille sausage + chicken + ham chunk
garlic + scalliononion + brown rice + celery + file powder
tomato, fresh or canned + canned chickpeasgreen sweet pepper + garlic + crushed tomatoes
chicken stock + herbsred pepper flakes + Tabasco + Worcestershire
Sparkling waterchicken broth + cajun seasoning + Sparkling water

Bridget Bishop

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

(Original Caption) Illustration, “THERE IS A FLOCK OF YELLOW BIRDS AROUND HER HEAD,” depicting the accusation of a bedeviled girl during the Salem witch trials. Engraving by Howard Pyle.

Bridget Playfer was born in Norwich, England in the 1630s. She married her Samuel Wasselbe  in 1660, and they had one child who died in infancy. Bridget, pregnant with her second child, immigrated to Massachusetts Colony after the death of her husband. There she married a widower with three teenaged children, and they lived on Washington Street in Salem Town. [Salem Village is now the town of Danvers. Salem Town is now called simply Salem.] When he died, after 19 years of a volatile and probably abusive marriage, there were rumors that Bridget had done him in. She inherited the house and orchards, and then married a sawyer named Edward Bishop. In 1692, there was something odd in the air — or was it in the food? — in Salem Town: young women began to say that they were being afflicted by witches! There was no actual evidence of this, except that when the young women saw the ‘witches’, they screamed and writhed in pain. On April 16, Bridget Bishop was accused of witchcraft, and she was arrested on April 19 and put in jail. Although she was not the first to be accused, Bishop was the first to be tried. Why? It seems that a lot of people did not like her. Her trial began on June 2. Since she could provide no evidence that she was not a witch, Bridge Bishop became the first person to die when she was publicly hanged on June 10. Before the hysteria had run its course, 19 people had been executed. From those events came the term ‘witch hunt‘, meaning a sham accusation with no evidence of guilt. The infamous anti-communist investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s have been characterized as a ‘witch hunt.’ These days, no matter what the evidence, accused and arrested people will cry out that they are victims of a witch hunt, and that they are being persecuted by enemies. It all depends on the amount of evidence provided. In 2001, the government of Massachusetts officially exonerated Bridget Bishop.

The people of Salem Town were farmers and fisher folk. Our meals are simple and are the sort of foods that could be prepared in a pot over an open fire, as Bridget Bishop would have cooked.

Oatmeal Pudding: 258 calories… 4 g fat… 5 g fiber… 14 g protein… 36 g carb… 55.6 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. GF PB A riff on a recipe found in Marion Cunningham’s Breakfast Book, this can easily be prepared the night before. HINT: THIS MAKES ENOUGH FOR TWO [2] SERVINGS. Make them both, since two are as easy as one, and freeze the other.

++ ½ cup rolled oats, cooked in 1 cup water ++++ 2 tsp maple syrup ++++ ½ cup fat-free cottage cheese ++++ pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon ++++ 4 Tbsp. blueberries [fresh or frozen] ++++  Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Cook the oatmeal in the water. Take off the heat, stir in the maple syrup and nutmeg. While it is still a little warm, stir in the cottage cheese. Let sit to cool.  HINT: I did this part the night before while cleaning up after dinner.  If cooking for one, pour half of the pudding into a freezer container and top with 2 Tbsp blueberries. Freeze it. HINT: make the entire batch, eat half of it today and freeze the rest for a really simple-to-prepare breakfast for another day. With the remainder, stir in 2 Tbsp blueberries and pour the pudding into a ramekin. Nuke it for a minute to heat through – longer than that and it will bubble over. Serve with the hot beverage of your choice for a hearty, healthy meal.

Seafood Chowder: 275 calories… 11 g fat… 1 g fiber… 15 g protein… 16 g carbs… 117 mg Calcium… GF It freezes nicely, but it is great to share! Dear Husband found the recipe in Yankee magazine. He prepares this every year. It is wonderful. The directions look long and involved but the results are worth it.

10 one-cup servings
4 strips thick-cut American streaky baconDice bacon. In a medium skillet cook it until crisp and brown. Remove bacon . 
1 Tbsp bacon fat+++++1 medium yellow onion, finely diced ~1 cupAdd onions. Cook slowly over low, stirring, until translucent – 10 mins?Put into a bowl with bacon.
1# baking potatoes, peeled + cut in ½” cubesIn a separate saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water and boil until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, add to bacon/onions. [Save water for baking]
2# steamer clams in shells+++++1 Qt waterPut clams in a large pot with water. Heat to boiling, cover, and cook until clams open, 3 mins. 
Take out clams, leaving liquid in pot. Strain liquid through paper towel-lined sieve. Take clams from shells, cut into smaller pieces if necessary. Add to potatoes, onion, and bacon.
one 1½# lobsterPut strained broth back into empty pot, bring to a boil. Put lobster head-first into boiling broth. Cover and cook 20 mins. Remove lobster and let cool. Crack shell, remove meat. Cut into ½” chunks and add to potatoes.
1 pound scallops, trimmed++1 pound shrimp, peeledHeat broth until boiling. Add scallops, shrimp. Turn heat to low. Simmer ~3 mins, until scallops + shrimp are just cooked through.
++1 quart whole milk ++++4 Tbsp butter ++++++++
2 sprigs parsley+++++¼ tsp paprika++++salt + pepper to taste		Finely chop the parsley. Add all the previously cooked ingredients to the liquid, along with the milk, butter, parsley and seasonings. Heat until steaming but not boiling. Take off heat.
Cover and cool. Let soup sit in the ‘fridge or on a cool back porch 12-24 hrs.This enhances the flavors.
To serve, heat to steaming hot but do not boil.
Freeze what is left over in serving-size containers.

Ain’t I a Woman?

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

She was born into slavery and named Isabelle, then she became a famous voice in the fight for the abolition of slavery and the rights of all women. In 1797, New York was a slave-holding state, like so many others, when ‘Isabelle’ was born. Prevented from marrying her first love, forced to marry another man, lied to by her owner about his intent to free her, the woman walked off the farm one day into a life of freedom. Swept up in the Second Great Awakening of the early 1800s, she became an itinerant preacher and found her name: Sojourner Truth. She chose the name because she moved from place to place preaching the truth about God. Although unlettered and untaught, Sojourner had a stature [nearly 6 feet tall] and a voice that commanded attention. She was invited to be the only Black woman to attend the Women’s Rights Convention, held in Akron, Ohio in 1851. Many luminaries of the movement were there, forming committees and making speeches. Sojourner was going to address the group, but several women objected, so she made her statement from the steps of the Old Stone Church on May 29. While wealthy women politely debated women’s wages, Sojourner gave an impassioned rendition of what life was like in her world. Now considered one of the most famous women’s rights speeches in American history, her remarks have come to be known as “Ain’t I a Woman?”. In part, she said:

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?

She went on to live in Michigan with her daughters, lobbying for abolition and befriending members of the Seventh Day Adventists, until her death in 1883.

Although Sojourner Truth was not a vegetarian like her Adventist friends, our foods today will be plant-based, close to the ground, and delicious.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Hash: 212 calories… 4.5 g fat… 9 g fiber…  31 g carbs… 96.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg and hash only, not the optional hot beverage. PB GF Long-time friend and fellow bell ringer Jane Winslow inspired this recipe. She’s right: it is very good.

++ ½ c. diced sweet potatoes [You could substitute ½ cup of diced winter squash, which lowers the calories, protein, and carbs] ++++ 2 Tbsp yellow onion, diced ++++ ¼ red pepper, sliced = 2 oz ++++ salt + pepper ++++ ¾ tsp paprika + ¼ tsp cumin ++++ ½ cup spinach, roughly chopped ++++ 4 oz canned black beans = ½ c. ++++ one 2-oz [US large] egg ++++ 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] ++

Spritz olive oil in a small cast iron pan on medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, onion, red pepper, seasonings, and a little water. Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. ALTERNATELY, you could roast these vegetables in a 400 F. oven for 10 minutes. Add spinach plus 2 more Tbsp water, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Lastly, add the black beans and stir until ingredients are well-blended. HINT: prep this far the night before. >> NEXT MORNING: Heat the vegetable hash in the pan before topping with a poached or fried egg. Serve in the pan or scoop onto a plate.

Feta-Tuna-Bean Salad: 306 calories… 14.6 g fat… 5 g fiber… 19 g protein… 24 g carbs… 230 mg Calcium…  PB GF This salad has a lot going for it. Perfect for a hot summer evening.

++ 1 oz canned tuna, drained ++++ ¼ cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed ++++ 1 oz feta cheese, crumbled ++++ 2 oz tomatoes, cubed ++++ 1½ oz red bell pepper, cut as large dice ++++  2 pitted ripe olives, sliced ++++ ½ hardboiled egg, chopped ++++ 1½ cups baby greens ++++ 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + lots of herbes de Provence + pinch garlic powder ++

Prepare the vegetables as described above. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a 2-cup bowl. Add the greens and toss gently but thoroughly. Place the greens in the serving bowl and nestle the tuna in the center. Arrange all the other ingredients on top in a manner that pleases you.

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

rolled ‘old-fashioned’ oats 1.5 two-oz eggs 
nutmeg + cinnamonapple or applesauce
2%-fat cottage cheesefresh herbs
maple syrup + blueberriesVache qui Rit cheese 
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

American bacon + whole milk + 1 pound shrimpgreen bell pepper + cucumber + olive oil
onion + butter + 1.5 pound lobster, in shellwhite wine vinegar + dry white wine
parsley + baking potatoestarragon + garlic + onion
2 pounds steamer clams + 1 pound scallopsshrimp + piment d’emplette
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Fountain of Shame

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

Last week, I blogged about a very famous fountain. This time, I will discuss a very infamous fountain. Here is the story. In 1554, Francesco Camilliani was commissioned by Don Pietro di Toledo to design a fountain for his daughter’s villa in Tuscany. Given free reign, the architect designed an enormous, complex scene in multiple levels, with 48 statues of nymphs, satyrs, goddesses, gods, and other mythological figures. It took 30 years to build — and then the family rejected it because it was too big. What to do? It was advertised for sale, and the City of Palermo, Sicily [then a separate kingdom from Italy] decided to buy it, since they had no grand fountain of their own. The fountain was disassembled into 644 pieces, packed up, and shipped. When it arrived, a decision had to be made — where to put this gigantic structure?? The only square/piazza that was large enough was in front of the town hall, where the fountain fills the entire space with barely any room to spare — not good urban planning. Worse, one side of the Piazza Pretoria was taken up by a convent of Dominican nuns who were not amused by all that naked anatomical correctness outside their windows. The nuns exclaimed, “Che vergogna!” [“What a shame!”] And so the public came to call it the Fountain of Shame. The fountain is still there, the nuns left long ago. The fountain is walled off behind an iron railing, which opens at whiles for tourists. The water flow is shut off. What a shame.

Street-walkers are considered to be shameful by many, so what better for a discussion of the Fountain of Shame than two recipes that involve the famous Puttanesca Sauce of southern Italy. The name translates as ‘Streetwalkers’ Sauce’, but the real origin of Puttanesca Sauce is clouded in mystery, and may have nothing to do with Ladies of the Evening.

Puttanesca ScrOmelette: 150 calories… 8 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 10 g protein… 8.5 g carbs… 60 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF This breakfast is based on the flavors of the iconic Naples pasta dish. When you make a dinner with that sauce, save some out to season these breakfast eggs.

++ 1½ two-ounce 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 puttanesca sauce** ++++ ½ clementine OR 1 oz blueberries ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Whisk the sauce into the eggs and scramble or cook as an omelette. Enjoy with the fruit, and optional beverages.

**PUTTANESCA SAUCE:  makes 4 cups 1 cup = 117 calories… 3.6 g fat… 5 g fiber… 3.4 g protein… 15 g carbs… 125 mg Calcium 1 Tbsp = 7 calories… 0 g fat… 0.3 g fiber… 0.2 g protein… 1 g carbs… 8 mg Calcium..

+++ 1 cup chopped onion ++++ 1 clove garlic ++++ 2 tsp olive oil ++++ 5 cups whole tomatoes, canned ++++ 1 cup mushrooms++++ 2 anchovies ++++ ½ cup black olives, canned are OK, calamatas are better ++++ 2 Tbsp capers +++

Cook the onions and garlic in oil and some of the tomatoes’ juice until transluscent. Add all the other ingredients, mashing the tomato to break into smaller chunks. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour to thicken.

Mackerel Puttenesca: 298 calories… 17 g fat… 3 g fiber… 22.6 g protein… 7.6 g carbs… 66.4 mg Calcium… PB GF Such an easy summer meal, especially if your sauce is left-over homemade or from the supermarket shelf. Delicious and satisfying. [Don’t be concerned about the fat: it is from the mackerel which is high in Omega 3, so it is good fat]  TIP: I fillet and broil the fish as soon as I get it home since the fatty mackerel does not keep well raw.

++ 4 oz mackerel or other rich, oily fish ++++ ¼ cup puttenesca sauce, homemade [see above] or from a jar ++++ 2 oz green beans ++

If using fresh fish, broil the fish for 4-5 minutes per side to cook it.  If using mackerel which has been frozen after cooking, thaw to room temperature. NB: Mackerel does not keep well in the fridge uncooked. If you have to buy mackerel prior to the day you will serve it, filet the fish and broil it as soon as you get back to the kitchen. Then you can hold it for a day or two, or freeze it for longer. Mackerel does not freeze well uncooked. Cook the green beans. Heat the sauce and mackerel together in a covered pan until warm. Plate. Done in minutes!

Three Coins in the Fountain

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

The most famous and most photographed fountain in Rome is the Trevi Fountain. Oddly, it is not named for the designer [Niccolo Salvi], nor the builder [Giuseppe Pannini], nor the one who commissioned the structure [Pope Clement XII]. The fountain and the plaza that contains it are named for the three streets [‘tre-vii’] that converged on the square. Pope Clement sponsored a competition for the design of a fountain in 1732, and the finished product was dedicated on May 22, 1762. The fountain is built of the local travertine rock, not from marble. Such public fountains were not for tourists’ photo ops, but to provide drinking and washing water for people in the neighborhood. There has been a fountain in that spot since the time of the Romans, and the water for it has been supplied by Acqua Vergine, one of the oldest Roman aqueducts, ever since. Curiously, the fountain was built onto the back of a pre-existing building — Poli Palace, originally a family home, now the Central Institute for Graphics. What does the fountain have to do with throwing coins over your shoulder?? In Roman times, sweethearts would go to fountains or springs to throw a coin in the water before the young man was to leave for an extended period of time — military deployment or a business trip. The coin was an offering to the deity of the water to insure the boyfriend’s safe return and his continued love. When the Trevi Fountain was completed, people couldn’t resist throwing coins into the large pool. I had always inferred from the song “Three Coins in the Fountain” that ‘3 coins’ meant that three people tossed in one coin each, in a hope for true love. But a tour guide in Rome said that each person has to throw three coins: the 1st insures that you will return to Rome. The 2nd is for your fondest wish. The 3rd is the hope of love and matrimony. To throw them, you turn your back on the fountain and toss them over your shoulder. So many people visit the spot every year, that the City of Rome is considering limits: tourists must reserve a time slot in advance, and pay 1-2 Euros for the privilege. Every few nights, the fountain is closed and all the coins are cleaned out. They are given to the charity Caritas, which uses the money in Rome to fund a food bank, welfare projects, and a soup kitchen. In 2022, the fountain yielded 1.4 million euros/$1.52 million USD. It is illegal to take coins from the Trevi Fountain, so throw them in instead.

A pizza flavored breakfast and a Caprese chicken are the perfect flavors for a Roman sojourn — even if it is only virtual.

Pizza Bake:  130 calories… 6.5 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 9.4 g protein… 8.4 g carbs… 93.7 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  Forget the cold slice on a greasy box…. pizza for breakfast just got healthier and more delicious. 

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ salt + pepper to taste ++++ 1.5 Tbsp crushed tomatoes ++++ 2 thin slices pepperoni, minced ++++ ¼ oz mozzerella chesse, grated ++++ ½ oz bell pepper, chopped ++++ ¼ cup blueberries ++++  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] ++

Set the toaster oven at 350 F. Prepare your beverages. Poach the bell pepper in a little water in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put the cheese, pepperoni, and pepper in a lightly-spritzed ramekin or small oven-proof dish. Whisk the egg with the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and pour into the ramekin. Bake 12-15 minutes. Pour the beverages, portion the berries, and consider how much nicer this is than a congeled slice that tastes like cardboard.

Caprese Chicken: 289 calories… 15 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 35.6 g protein… 6.3 g carbs… 140 mg Calcium…  PB GF ‘Caprese’ means ‘from Capri,’ the fabled island off the West coast of Italy. In cooking, it often means the use of fresh mozzerella, basil, and tomatoes, as in this recipe. HINT: This recipe serves two [2]. The amounts can be cut in half for one person.

On a Slow Day, you can add some pasta to the menu.
8-oz chicken breast, boneless and skinless+++++++++++ ++++++++ Kosher salt ++++++ pepperPat chicken dry.  Remove tenderloin and save for another use. Put meat flat on cutting board and hold it down with a flat hand. Cut it lengthwise parallel to the cutting board, so you have two, equal, thinner pieces. Pound meat, if you wish, until it is as thin as you can make it. Season on both sides.
2 oz mozzarella, sliced ++++ 2 oz sliced tomatoes ++++6-8 basil leavesPut mozzarella, tomato slices and basil leaves on each breast piece. Enclose filling by folding chicken over it. You might need to fasten it shut with a toothpick/skewer or tie with kitchen twine. TIP: Chicken can be prepared to this point, covered + refrigerated up to 24 hrs 
Non-stick cooking spray ++++1½ tsp olive oil ++++++++ 2 garlic cloves, sliced Heat oil and non-stick spray in a 10-12” nonstick pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic, stirring, until golden, ~4 mins. Scoop out garlic and drain on paper towels, leaving oil in the pan.
Sauté stuffed breasts until golden on the bottom, ~4-6 mins. If breasts darken too quickly, lower heat. Flip and cook 4-5 mins. Cover, cook 2-3 mins, until chicken is cooked and filling is hot.
2 tsp Pesto ++++++++++ basil leaves ++++++++++++++++++ 3 oz asparagus per personCook asparagus. Carefully move chicken to the plates. Add pesto to pan juices and whisk. Pour pan juices over the chicken. Garnish with basil and cooked garlic. Serve with asparagus on the side.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large1 two-oz egg + onion  + fresh spinach
blueberries or clementinered bell pepper + paprika
Puttenesca sauce : onion, canned whole tomatoes,sweet potato or butternut squash
garlic, oil, anchovies, black olives, caperscanned black beans + cumin
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

4 oz mackerel filetcanned tuna + canned white beans + olive oil
green beansfeta cheese + tomato + red bell peppers
Puttenesca sauce , homemade or cannedblack olives + hard-boiled egg + baby greens
lemon juice + herbes de province + garlic powder
Sparkling waterSparkling water