Saint Agnes

January 20, 2019April 12, 2022 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Agnes was a child who, after being murdered in a Roman persecution, became a saint. Her innocence attracted a cult of followers and her feast day, January 21, has been celebrated since the 4th century. One aspect of her veneration involves young women traditionally following a ritual of fasting on January 20 in the hopes of dreaming of their future husband. John Keats incorporated this in his Romantic poem The Eve of St Agnes. It tells the tale of star-crossed lovers, Madeline and Porphyro. She fasts and falls asleep. Porphyro sneaks into the castle and gains admittance to her chamber with the help of Angela, the old Nurse [further shades of Romeo and Juliet]. While Madeline sleeps, her would-be lover sets a fantastic feast of expensive delicacies in her room. She wakes, sees the object of her dreams [the guy not the goodies], and they escape to his castle to get married. All rather racy for a poem related to 13-year-old Agnes. The name ‘Agnes’ is Greek, meaning ‘chaste’ but it is similar to the latin word for ‘lamb.’ Therefore the innocence of Agnes and of little lambs is forever linked.

In honor of Agnes, we will enjoy a breakfast based on Porphyro’s fantastic feast and a dinner of lamb stew. Also, we are Fasting — not because we want to see visions of a ‘dream-boat’ but because we want to be healthy.

Porphyro’s Picnic: 252 calories 5.7 g fat 6 g fiber 6.5 g protein 53 g carbs [43 g Complex] 128 mg Calcium PB GF V This is based on the foods described by Keats in his romantic poem The Eve of St Agnes. The meal is rather sweet despite its low calorie count – perhaps it needs some other taste to cut it. A cup of black coffee? Full of fiber, this meal is sure to kick-start your tally of fruits/vegetables for the day. porphyro's picnic

2 Tbsp low-fat French Vanilla yogurt + 2 Tbsp almond meal 2 oz apple, diced 2 oz melon, cubed ¼ cup pitted plums [I used canned plums in light syrup, drained and rinsed], use fresh if in season 2 tsp cider syrup [or use 2 tsp syrup from the plums] + ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ oz Medjool date, cut in 4 pieces. [in the photo you see more dates, but there should be fewer] NO smoothie black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water

Stir the yogurt and almond meal together and spoon onto the center of the plate. Chop the apple, cube the melon, and arrange them around the almond cream, along with the plums. Place the pieces of date at random. Combine the cider syrup with the cinnamon and drizzle it over the apple and melon. All set to eat and you still have 48 calories left over. Not responsible for what happens if you eat this by moonlight on January 20.

Lamb Stew with Glazed Vegetables: 317 calories** 8 g fat** 5.8 g fiber 24 g protein 31 g carbs 62 mg Calcium GF — if using GF flour The recipe is from Salute to Healthy Cooking, so you know it is good. We have enjoyed this often. If you double the recipe, then you’ll have some to freeze for another meal. Yes, the calorie count is a bit high, but it is worth it. NB: One serving = ¾ cup

½ pound lamb shoulder, boneless and cut in cubes ½ cup onions, chopped ¾ tsp white whole wheat flour OR GF flour 1 oz dry red wine ½ Tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp thyme + 1 bay leaf ¾ cup carrots, cut in 2” batons ½ cup cubed potatoes 6 pearl onions 1 cup [5 oz] turnips, cut in 2” batons ½ tsp sugar** 1 tsp butter** cold water optional: 1/4 cup green peas, cooked and added after plating

Sear the cubed lamb on all sides [about 3 minutes] in a heavy pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray or oil. Cook the meat in batches so the pan doesn’t cool down. Remove the cooked meat to a Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the onions in the same cooking pan and sauté them with enough water to make them sizzle. When the onions are transparent, add the wine to deglaze the pan, stirring the brown bits up from the bottom. Heat the oven to 350 F. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to mix. Add to the Dutch oven. Pour in enough cold water to go to the top of the lamb but not cover it. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf. Heat to a simmer on top of the stove on medium heat. Then cover and put the casserole in the oven. Bake 1 hour, checking once in a while to adjust the temperature to make sure the stew is not boiling. After 1 hour, add the carrots, put the cover back on and bake for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, put the cover back on and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. While the potatoes are baking, put the pearl onions and turnips in a small non-stick pan with the sugar and butter** and enough water to rise half-way up the onions. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered and shaking the pan ocaisionaly. Add salt and pepper. Reserve, off the heat until the lamb is cooked. Plate the stew with the vegetables, adding the optional peas if you wish. [add ___ calories and ___ g fiber]

** If you were to cook the onions and turnips without the butter and sugar, you would reduce the calories to 297 and the fat to 6.3 g.

Slow Days: Pissaladiere

January 19, 2019April 9, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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 questions asked on the FastDiet 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.

Pissaladière is a classic Provinçal food that looks like a pizza [hence its alias: Pizza Niçoise]. More accurately, it could be described as a flatbread topped with fish-accented caramelized onions. Perhaps in the cafes of the Midi it has become a cliché, but it was new to us when we tried it at home. And we loved it. I used Joanne Harris’ recipe from her My French Kitchen cookbook.

The ingredients are simple: pizza dough [8″ rounds, one per person], tinned anchovies, black olives, Herbes de Province, and caramelized onions. One late summer day, I had a surfeit of onions, so I caramelized and then froze them. [NB: it takes about an hour to cook 3.5 pounds of onions to the point where they are ‘soft and slightly caramelized but not brown’ as Joanne Harris says.] Out they came for this meal, making the preparation very easy.

pissaladiere, mise

The pizza dough is shaped and brushed with olive oil. Distribute the onions on top then arrange the anchovies in a lattice pattern. Sprinkle with the Herbes de Province. Garnish the pattern further by placing olives in the squares created by the anchovy lattice. pissaladiere, plated with brandol To complete the picture, a simple salad was topped with a lattice of Parmesan curls. Perfect served with a Bandol wine. The portion shown here is for Dear Husband. I usually make a meal of 3 slices of pizza + side salad and a glass of wine. Summer in southern France or Winter in New England, this is a fine meal.

St Anthony

January 16, 2019May 2, 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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

If you say the name ‘Anthony’ to anyone from New England, it will generate thoughts of an old TV ad for a brand of pasta which showed Anthony’s mother calling him home to dinner. Or you may have heard of a St Anthony who’ll help you find lost objects. In fact, there are 23 Saints named ‘Anthony’ in the ‘Saints & Angels‘ list on line. Tomorrow will be the feast day of the original Anthony, a hermit who lived in the 5th century in Egypt. He is best known for his severe fasting [eating only every 3 days] and sleeplessness, self-imposed in an effort to quell his inner demons. And he was beset by demons almost every day. One of the most repeated themes in art is The Temptation of Saint Anthony. Gustave Flaubert spent his life in the off and on writing of a novel by the same name. Saint Anthony’s attributes [the things a saint is holding when depicted in art] are a pig [representing domestic animals of whom he is the patron saint] and a staff in the shape of a Tau cross [known as St Anthony’s cross].

In addition to farm animals, Anthony is the patron saint of salami-makers. Going with that theme, breakfast is a scramble containing salami and dinner is a stir-fry of pork, for St Anthony’s Pig.

Salami Scramble: 299 calories 9.8 g fat 2.3 g fiber 18 g protein 30 g carbs 297 mg Calcium GF From the deli department to the breakfast table, salami makes for an easy breakfast.

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ¼ oz thinly-sliced salami pinch of Moroccan spice + salt 1.5 oz pear or apple slices Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Slice the salami slices crosswise, then into squares. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings, then pour into a hot sauté pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with the salami before the eggs set. Flip the eggs over to cook to your preference. Slice the fruit, pour the beverages. Easy, yummy, satisfying.

Pork & Pepper Stir-fry: 211 calories 6.5 g fat 6 g fiber 24.5 g protein 16 g carbs 37.6 mg Calcium PB GF This stir-fry has a lot of preparation but the result is rich in the wonderful flavors of East Asia. The recipe does not include rice, but if you read on you will see totals with rice. HINT: This recipe makes enough to serve 2 [two] people. Food values above are for ONE serving.

6 oz pork tenderloin, sliced as matchsticks 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce 4 tsp dark soy sauce ½ tsp honey + ½ tsp honey ½ tsp minced garlic + another ½ tsp minced garlic = one clove of garlic 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp peanut butter ½ c carrots, cut as matchsticks 1 tsp canola oil 5.5 oz green bell pepper matchsticks ½ large red bell pepper matchsticks ½ tsp garlic + 1.5 tsp minced fresh ginger garnish: 2 sliced scallions Sriracha

First prepare a mise en place. Seriously — do it. Combine the pork, 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp honey, ½ tsp minced garlic, and the red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir to combine. In a microwave-safe custard cup combine 4 tsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp honey, and 1 tsp peanut butter. Microwave it briefly and stir to combine. Put the carrots in a small pan of boiling water and cook for one minute. Drain the carrots and save the water. Heat a wok or cast iron skillet over high heat and add the canola oil. Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for one minute. Remove the cooked pork to a clean bowl and stir in the soy-honey-peanut mixture. Put the carrot-cooking water in the dish that had the soy-honey-peanut mixture and swirl it around to get those flavors in the water. Pour the flavored water into the wok and add the red and green peppers. Stir-fry for one minute, adding more water to keep it sizzling. Add the carrots, ginger, and garlic to the wok and stirfry with the peppers for one minute more. Return the pork to the wok and stir-fry until heated, about 1 more minute. Plate with optional rice [if using – see below], top with sliced scallion and some Sriracha, if you wish.

If using ¼ cup medium-grain white rice, then add these food values: 50 calories 0 g fat 0.3 g fiber 1.0 g protein 11 g carbs 0 mg Calcium

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

apple + melon	Next week there will be an exploration of
plum + date + almond meal	‘foods in wrappers’
cider syrup + cinnamon
French-vanilla yogurt, low fat	Choose a favorite from the Archives
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

lamb shoulder + onion	Several options will be offered or
dry red wine + tomato paste	choose a favorite from the Archives
turnip + carrot + potato
pearl onions + thyme + bay leaf
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Morning to Night: Felafel

January 13, 2019January 10, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Felafel is a ubiquitous street food in the Eastern Mediterranean and it should be healthy. But too often it is deep-fried, adding needless calories and fat. On a Fast Day good felafel can take you from morning to night with some delicious and satisfying meals. The origin of felafel goes back to the lands now called Palestine and Israel, but once called Sameria, Judea, Idumaea. Let’s not get bogged down on who invented it — let’s celebrate how good it is and how easy it is to eat in a variety of forms. Felafel in eggs and a felafel-topped salad are fine forms of feasting. I’ll give you the basic recipe, then you can decide how to use it.

Felafel: 1 batch = 648 cal 25.4 g fat 21 g fiber 32.5 g protein 72 g carbs 214 mg Calcium each patty= 30 cal 1.2 g fat 0.8 g fiber 1.6 g protein 4 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium GF PB V From the good old 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 [I like Goya brand TIP: if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them] 1.5 cloves garlic, crushed [add as much as you enjoy!] ¼ cup celery, minced ¼ c. scallions, sliced 1 raw egg 1.5 tsp tahini ½ t. cumin + ½ t. tumeric + ¼ t. cayenne + ¼ t. black pepper + 1.5 t. salt Combine everything in food processor 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 1 Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties slightly. 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 degrees for 10-12 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 about 25 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

Felafel Bake: 271 calories 6.6 g fat 3.1 g fiber 15.2 g protein 40 g carbs 198 mg Calcium PB GF Here we use 1 of the felafel patties which we prepared and froze earlier. Great time-saver! Amazing in eggs! Felafel Bake w: blueberries

1 two-oz egg one felafel patty, thawed [see Stocking Up I-4-’18] 1 Tbsp tomato puree or crushed tomatoes ¼ c blueberries blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the felafel and the tomato until well blended. Whisk the egg into the felafel and turn into the ramekin. Bake about 15 minutes while you portion the berries and prepare the beverages. What a simple, delicious breakfast.

Felafel with Mixed Salad: 295 calories 13.6 g fat 7.3 g fiber 15.5 g protein 29 g carbs [28 Complex] 174 mg Calcium PB GF V What a healthy plate of food! When you have felafel in the freezer, a quick meal like this is almost instant. If you prep the vegetables in advance, this would be a good ‘make-ahead’ meal for the end of a busy day. felafel w: mixed salad

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

Thaw the felafel patties. If unbaked, heat 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.

Second Fiddles

January 9, 2019July 9, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

What does it mean ‘to play or to be a second fiddle‘? It means to be the assistant to the leader or boss, which is a good role but it means that you may not get your full share of the glory or fame from what is accomplished. Originally, it referred to seating in an orchestra: the head honcho is the Conductor, of course. The next most important person is the First Violin [the one who plays the ‘1st Fiddle’], and below that is the Second Violin. That’s the 2nd Fiddle: close to the fame with important work to do, but often over-looked. Tomorrow will be the birthday of an over-looked man: Roy Disney. He was co-founder and partner in the Disney organization, playing second fiddle to his younger brother, Walt the cartoonist and media visionary. Despite the fact that Roy was a financial wizard who brought Disney World into fulfillment and put Orlando, Florida on the map, the only human who comes to mind when you say “Disney’ is Walt. Side dishes play second fiddle to the main meal. That’s too bad as they can tend to be an after-thought: boil up some peas for something green on the plate. Let’s up our game and serve some side dishes that really add some zest to the meal.

CORN-TOMATO SALSA makes 1.5 cups 87 calories per 3/4 cup serving 1 cup corn kernels 1 cup diced tomato 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper 2 Tbsp diced red onion 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1/4 tsp dry mustard 1/8 tsp tumeric ¼ tsp sugar 2 dashes ground cumin

CUCUMBER RAITA use as a side dish or in wraps 1 cup non-fat yogurt 1 Tbsp lime juice 1 clove garlic, pressed 1 cup cucumber, seeded and diced ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp ground pepper 1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped Combine all ingredients and use immediately or chill up to 30 minutes.

FRESH POLENTA 1 serving = 1/3 cup = 80 calories 1.25 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1 tsp unsalted butter freshly-ground pepper + salt Puree the corn in a blender until smoother in texture [it won’t be like whipped cream, but you shouldn’t see whole kernels]. Put butter in a warm pan, then add the corn, pepper and salt. Cook about 30 seconds or until it becomes thicker. From Jacques Pepin, this is excellent served with a simply prepared fish.

SIDE SALAD Serves 1 = 36 calories, easily doubles or triples 1 cup lettuce, slice into <1/2” strips if leaves are large ½ oz grated carrots 1 oz tomato ½ tsp olive oil, plain or flavor-infused [ex: lime] ½ tsp flavorful vinegar salt and pepper to taste optional: 1/2 oz boiled, cubed beets [adds 6 calories]

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
1 felafel patty [Stocking Up 4-I-2018]	salami, thinly-sliced
tomato puree or crushed tomatoes	pear
blueberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

6 felafel patties	pork tenderloin + honey + garlic
lettuce + tomatoes	fresh green beans + red bell pepper
carrot + beets + feta cheese	fresh ginger + soy sauce + canola oil
white wine vinegar + flavored olive oil	crushed red pepper + scallion
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Fannie Farmer

January 6, 2019March 22, 2026 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

On the shelf in the kitchen is a cookbook that used to have a gold-colored cover. The book’s binding is reinforced with packing tape and the pages are stained with the splatters of cooking. This is my Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 11th edition published in 1965. On January 6, 1896, the first edition was issued under the title The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook. Miss Fannie Merritt Farmer, a woman with a disability who did not attend cooking school until the age of 30, had written a book which explained the chemistry of cooking and which established uniform measurement of ingredients that everyone could use. She became a media mogul and culinary icon, the Julia Child or Martha Stewart of her day. Miss Farmer was the director of the Boston Cooking School, as well as teaching classes. Her idea was to teach cooking skills to middle-class housewives, instead of to their cooks. Thus she democratized kitchen skills. The book was an instant success and became the classic of the American kitchen. My mother used it faithfully [I have her copy] and gave me my own when I became engaged. So many good recipes! My adaptations of several of them have already appeared in this blog, some recipes used as-is.

The breakfast for this anniversary is an old favorite of our’s, Shirred Egg [p 103 in my copy] and for dinner the thrifty housewife’s go-to: Swiss Steak [p 163]

Shirred Egg: 271 calories… 8.5 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 16 g protein… 39 g carb… 275 mg Calcium… PB GF– if using GF bread or omitting I learned to prepare this dish when working on my Girl Scout ‘Cooking’ badge. We still eat it because it tastes so good. Easy to serve to guests, too.

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ 1 Tbsp half&half [Blend Cream, 10% milk fat] ++++ salt & pepper to taste ++++ 1/2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese ++++ half a slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread, toasted ++++ 2 oz apple slices or 2 oz strawberries ++++ blackish coffee or blackish tea ++++ 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider ++

Heat the toaster oven to 325° F. Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray. Break the egg into the ramekin, and pour the half&half on top. Sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let sit 2-3 mins while you toast the bread. Plate with the toast and fruit. Serve with your choice of beverages.

Swiss Steak: 267 calories… 6.5 g fat… 6.5 g fiber … 28 g protein… 27.5 g carbs … 105 mg Calcium… PB GF — if using GF flour This is a recipe from Fannie Farmer’s cookbook which I fondly remember from my childhood. HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2], so save half of it for a future lunch or dinner.

++ ½ pound chuck steak, cut 1 to 1.5” thick ++++ 1.5 Tbsp white whole wheat flour ++++ salt + pepper ++++ 8 oz stewed tomatoes ++++ ¼ cup minced green bell peppers ++++ ¼ cup minced onion ++++ herbs to taste, such as rosemary or parsley ++++ per serving: ½ cup cut green beans ++++ ½ cup carrots sliced as coins ++

Leave the meat in one piece or cut into two parts. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge the meat in it. If you wish, pound the meat with a tenderizing tool or the edge of a sturdy plate. Combine the tomatoes with the vegetables and herbs. Heat a heavy skillet with a lid and spray it well with oil or cooking spray. Brown the meat on both sides and pour the tomatoes over it. Cover and cook very slowly for 2 hours until the meat is very tender, adding water if the tomatoes are in danger of sticking. This can be cooked on the cooktop at low or in the oven at 325 F. Steam or boil the beans and carrots to serve along-side the beef with its sauce.

New Year’s Eve

December 30, 2018December 26, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Will you be entertaining for New Year’s Eve? Or will you be the guest at someone else’s party? Will you be over-indulging on December 31? Or are you wondering how to celebrate 2019 without spoiling your progress as a Faster? Lots of questions — here is some help with the answers. 1] If it is your party, make sure that all the foods you serve are healthy. That way you can have a serving and not feel guilty. How about a big pot of Red Beans and Rice [posted November 6, 2016] or

Jambalaya: 275 calories 5 g fat 4 g fiber 14.8 g protein 39 g carbs 81 mg Calcium PB GF What else would you eat for New Year’s? Or any other time you want delicious Cajun comfort food: jambalaya, of course. For a party, triple or quadruple the recipe. Just make sure that you limit yourself to one serving = one cup.

Jambalaya w: broc

2/3 cup onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tsp cajun seasoning ½ cup green pepper, chopped 1/3 cup celery, chopped 2 oz andouille sausage [or sweet Italian], sliced 3 oz chicken breast, cubed 2 oz [½ cup] ham, cubed 12 oz crushed tomatoes 1/3 tsp crushed red pepper + 1/3 tsp black pepper + 2/3 tsp salt ½ tsp Tabasco sauce + 1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce ¾ tsp file powder ¾ cup brown rice 1.5 cups chicken broth Per serving: 2 oz broccoli

Cook the onion in a little water and a dash of olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant. Stir in the green pepper and celery and then add the meats. Pour in the tomatoes, seasonings and sauces, the rice, and broth. Cover and simmer for 25-40 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking. The mixture will not be soupy, as the rice will have absorbed the liquids. Cook uncovered if too much liquid remains. Prepare the broccoli and plate.

Each of the above-mentioned meals are less than 300 calories/serving. 2] Alcohol has lots of calories, but some are lower than others. Go to the party with a small bottle of sparkling wine, such as Spanish Cava or Italian Prosecco, and a large bottle of sparkling water. Start off with a glass of the water, then a glass of the wine. Then some more water. Finish the last bit of wine at midnight, then drink some more water. You will feel much better the next morning and you will avoid dehydration. Also the water will help to fill you up. 3] Put off having breakfast as long as you can and then eat a meal high in protein but low in carbs, like eggs. 4] If you are not hosting, find something on the buffet that is low in calories, carbs, and fat. Shrimp would be a great choice, as are fruit and raw vegetables. Fill up on them and there won’t be room for lousier options. 5] Make some sensible resolutions for 2019. Not “I wanna lose weight” because that is too general. Not “I wanna loose 50 pounds by February” because that is too unrealistic. Try: “I will eat 600-800 calories of high-quality food on two days each week for 2 months.” This goal is specific and achievable. It limits you to 2 months and then you can see if you want to continue. No pressure. You could do that. Happy New Year.

Slow Days: Sister’s Pasta Sauce

December 22, 2018January 7, 2020 ~ 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 questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which show that is true. But once in a while your can splurge, as long as it isn’t every day. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

When our parents were alive and still hosting Christmas at their house, my sister would prepare her special pasta for Christmas Eve. It is the tradition in many cultures to eat a meatless dinner on December 24, and this recipe from Bon Appétit magazine fills the bill. It is a lot easier if you start several days before to prepare the sauce. I like to make the sauce much earlier in December and freeze it.

Sukey Pasta, mise 1 — Ingredients in a *mise en place*, ready to go.

The sauce involves sautéing 1.5 cups onion and 1 clove garlic in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes, then adding basil, red pepper flakes, and 3 cans [28-oz cans] of whole or crushed tomatoes in their juice. Cook uncovered on low for 2 hours, then add 2 cups chicken stock. Continue to simmer for another 2 hours until the amount of sauce is reduced to 6-8 cups. The resultant rich, flavorful sauce is mostly used in the Christmas Pasta, but it will grace a more humble dish as well.

To complete the pasta dish for four people, cook 12 oz of penne pasta until it is just under-done. [NB: Ordinarily I use 2 oz pasta per serving so 12 oz pasta should serve 6 people. The remainders from this meal can be served as lunch.] Gently heat 20 fl oz Sister’s Pasta Sauce, adding 1/3 cup of quartered wrinkly black olives or Kalamata olives and 2 cups grated Havarti cheese. Combine with the drained pasta and put in a lightly-oiled casserole dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350° F for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese begins to brown slightly. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve with Italian Green Beans or Green Salad and a crusty loaf.

I’m always sure to save out enough sauce to prepare the pasta again before Easter, to give a culinary link to the two holidays.

No Hoax

December 16, 2018November 20, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

The Piltdown Man was one of the great scientific hoaxes ever. In the years after Darwin’s proposal of the evolution [‘Descent’] of man, both supporters and detractors were hunting for fossil evidence that humans did or didn’t develop from a ‘lower form of life’ — something between an ape and a man. And then it was discovered!! In a quarry near Piltdown, Sussex, England, in 1912, Charles Dawson unearthed a modern skull with an ape-like jaw and said it was from half a million years ago. In 1925 and 1937, the discovery was called into question. But the story really unraveled in the 1950s when the skull was analyzed with modern techniques, showing that the bones were not from the same species, nor were they 500,000 years old. Poor old Piltdown, consigned to the rubbish-bin of has-beens.

There have been many pranks in science, but the Fast Diet is not one of them. Does it work for everybody? Apparently not. But for the many successful Fasters, it is no hoax.

Here is an article from early 2013, which asks if the Fast Diet actually works. I can tell you that it does. https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/news-analysis-does-the-52-fast-diet-work/

In 2016, Johns Hopkins evaluated the Fast Diet to examine the benefits: https://www.johnshopkinshealthreview.com/issues/spring-summer-2016/articles/are-there-any-proven-benefits-to-fasting

In 2018, a Muslim-oriented website touted the benefits of Fasting as a demonstration of faith and how the 5:2 plan fits into their religion. https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2018/5/14/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-fasting

The benefits of Fasting for the health of your heart were explored in this article:https://www.labroots.com/trending/cardiology/8333/5-2-fasting-diet-benefits-heart

Results show that Fasting has real benefits for diabetics and pre-diabetics. http://www.unisa.edu.au/Media-Centre/Releases/2018/World-first-study-shows-benefits-of-52-diet-for-people-with-diabetes/

And my favorite, the discussion of how Fasting can help you to live longer. Hooray! https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/health/fasting-longevity-food-drayer/index.html

Have a good Fast Day tomorrow and join me on a journey to health.

Saint Lucy’s Day

December 12, 2018July 9, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

December 13 is one of our favorite days. I read the Swedish legend of Saint Lucy when I was in 6th grade and was charmed by the idea of a daughter taking breakfast in bed to her parents while wearing a wreath of candles in her hair. So I made a white robe [my mother never asked where that sheet went], and a pine-cone wreath, and wrote some new words to the tune of “Santa Lucia” — and the rest was history. Saint Lucy visited our house annually when our sons were little [a new song was written then], and she will make an appearance this year too. We devote the evening to decorating the Christmas Tree while enjoying an easy-to-eat dinner. It is possible to have a family celebration and still remain on the Fast Diet — try these menus. Or, change your Fast Day to the day before the festival day or the day after. Since the original Lucy/Lucia was born in Sicily, we’ll prepare eggs with the flavors of that island. For dinner we move to the Baltic region with a meal that followers of her northern version would recognize.

Sicilian ScrOmelette: 298 calories 11 g fat 2.4 g fiber 19 g protein 31 g carbs 290 mg Calcium PB GF A protein-packed salad meets eggs for breakfast.

1-½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ¼ oz salami sausage ¼ oz mozzerella 2 Tbsp chopped wild greens [ex: dandelion] or arugula optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Chop the sausage, the cheese, and the greens, and combine them gently. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper, then pour into the heated pan. As the eggs set, sprinkle the sausage mixture over the eggs. Scramble or fold as an omelette and enjoy with the beverages of choice.

Herring Salad: 278 calories 6 g fat 6.8 g fiber 16 g protein 24 g carbs 103 mg Calcium PB GF Luchöw’s Restaurant will live in memory as long as a certain generation still breathes. And there was a lot to remember about it: the decor, the old-world service, the menu. Not a hokey tourist trap – it was the genuine article. This is one of their fine Old World recipes. NB: if you take a MOIA anti-depressent, be aware that herring has high amounts of tyramine. 1 -1/2 oz herring marinated in wine, drained 1/4 cup beets, cooked, cooled and diced 1 -1/2 oz apple, peeled and diced 1/4 cup white beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 hard-boiled egg, sliced 2 Tbsp onion, minced 1/2 oz dill pickle, chopped pinch sugar + 2 tsp vinegar, or more 1 cup lettuce, shredded

Whisk the vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until everything is well-incorporated. Taste to see if it needs more sugar or more vinegar. A herring-lover’s delight.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

Search the Archives for a new	Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal
favorite breakfast.	cottage cheese + nutmeg
	maple syrup + cinnamon
	blueberries or raspberries
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Search the Archives for a new	Haggis filling [Spicy II, 12-Sept-2018]
favorite dinner.	rice spring-roll wrappers
	lettuce + carrot + cherry tomatoes
	flavorful oil + good vinegar
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

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Saint Lucy’s Day

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