Now is the time to start the Fast Diet

Islets of Langerhans

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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, a second day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to henash01 and zeefur and DonnyFood and getbetterhealthforlife.com who are now Following.

Search the atlas or Google Maps as you will, you will never find the Islets of Langerhans, as they are located in your pancreas. Part of the Endocrine System of your body, they release hormones which regulate how the body functions. One of the most important of these is insulin. When one eats, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. To counter-act that, the Beta Cells in the Islets release insulin so that the blood will not have too high a content of glucose. When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to keep up with the sugars, the result is diabetes — a break-down in carbohydrate metabolism. Childhood Diabetes [known as Type I] used to be a death sentence and adult-onset diabetes [Type II] had no happy outcomes. Diabetes was first noted by doctors in 552 BC and the Greek physicians gave it its name. Called the ‘Sugar Sickness’ later in Europe, it was known to be helped by eliminating sugar from the diet, yet still there was no cure. On January 11, 1922, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting, and Charles Best injected an insulin extract into a young patient. The child’s blood sugar levels were reduced a bit. A further refinement of the insulin extract, improved by J.B. Collip, turned out to be the key to the cure. The trio were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work. Diabetes is still very much with us. The Standard American Diet, which pushes highly processed foods, is much to blame. By eating a diet low in Simple Carbohydrates; high in Complex Carbohydrates and colorful vegetables; and by lowering your weight, pre-diabetes can often be reversed. One of the reasons that Dr. Michael Mosley developed the Fast Diet was because he was pre-diabetic. And it worked!

What are some foods that are good for lowering blood glucose? Cold water fish, such as salmon; leeks; shrimp; butternut squash; red curry paste; and spinach are all good foods for keeping high blood glucose low. And look at that — today’s meals contain those very ingredients! Fasting and focusing on wholesome food choices can reduce your risk of needing supplemental insulin. Now is a good time to join the Fasting Lifestyle.

Leek & Salmon Bake: 129 calories 7 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 7 g carbs [7 g Complex] 64.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Simply delicious. 

One 2-oz egg ½ oz salmon [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/3 oz leek, sliced thinly cross-wise 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste dash lemon juice 1 oz pear OR ¼ cup blueberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too] Cook in microwave for 30 seconds at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and dish the berries. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup:  253 calories   9 g fat 4 g fiber 19.4 g protein 24 g carbs 112 mg Calcium  GF PB  Found in the Toronto Globe & Mail, this recipe makes a lot of delicious soup. It freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy it often. Don’t forget to add 3 oz of chopped shrimp and ¼ cup chopped spinach to each serving. HINT: makes 6 cups of soup. Save out one cup for dinner and freeze the rest in portion-sized servings.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt 		Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes or until onions have softened.
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 tsp Thai red curry paste, or more to taste		Stir in ginger and curry paste. Cook for a minute or two longer
2½ # butternut squash, peeled, seeded, sliced ½ ” thick [about 6 cups]
3 cups water or unsalted chicken broth		Add squash and water/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
1 lime, zest and juice Zest and juice the lime. Put 1 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp juice in the pot. Save remaining zest and juice.
½ cup ‘lite’ unsweetened coconut milkWhen squash is tender, stir in coconut milk. Puree the soup with a blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to pot, reheat, adjust flavor with more lime juice and/or curry paste.
per bowl: 3 oz chopped cooked shrimp 
¼ cup baby spinach cut as chiffonade		For each serving, stir spinach + shrimp into hot soup. Serve when spinach is just wilted.

A Visit From…..

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to pyzoliver and merkabakid and gin1988 who are now Following.

” ‘Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.”

So begins the beloved poem “A Visit From Saint Nicholas,” first published, anonymously, on December 24, 1823. It had been written the year before as Clement Clark Moore was taxied through the snowy streets of New York City by a bearded Dutch-American in a horse-drawn sleigh. [In those days, that’s how you got around. Today, only tourists do that.] Moore, a learned professor of languages, said he recited it to his six children that night. Once it was published, the poem firmly established our American idea of “Santa Claus” who arrives with toys on Christmas Eve night in a flying sleigh drawn by reindeer. [Santa, as depicted then and since, is in need of the Fast Diet.] That concept of Santa is based on folklore from the Netherlands, Germany, and Norway. For years no one knew who the author was until Moore had it included in a compilation of his poems in 1844. HOWEVER, years later, Henry Livingston, jr’s descendants claimed that he was the author. A stylistic analysis seems to confirm that. Whoever wrote it, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” is a Christmas treasure.

In the breakfast, the red tomatoes are for Santa’s suit; the green broccoli is for the Christmas tree; the black olives are because “his clothes were all covered with ashes and soot.” The dinner is a quick and easy left-over meal [I never scorn a good leftover!], which makes it just perfect for giving you extra time on a busy Christmas Eve.

Broccoli-Olive-Tomato ScrOmelette:  150 calories 8 g fat 2 g fiber 13 g protein 9 g carbs [7.4 g Complex] 91 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Sometimes things in the ‘fridge say, “Put us in eggs for breakfast.” Who am I to deny their wishes?

1 ½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 oz broccoli 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 1 oz tomato ½ black olive ¾ tsp Parmesan cheese pinch of basil 2 oz strawberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Dice the tomato and drain in a strainer, overnight if possible. Drain the cottage cheese overnight if it is very liquid. Steam the broccoli and chop it finely. Chop the black olive. Into a hot saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray, add the tomato, broccoli, and olive. Stir until warmed. Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Scramble or fold as an omelette, hence ScrOmelette, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Prepare the beverages and plate the berries. Bliss.

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 a 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

Slice the meat. Mass out the vegetables to the stated serving size. Either heat the whole plate 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.

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

1 two-oz egg + strawberries1 two-oz egg  + tomato
chicken liver pate + parsleyartichoke [jarred or frozen]
scallion + mushroom1 buckwheat galette
garlic + 3% fat hamcurry powder + apple
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cook fresh spinach leaves + green beanseggplant or bell peppers + tomatoes
onion or shallot + 70-calorie breadcooked brown rice or whole grain couscous
sole or ocean perch filletszucchini + chickpeas + garlic
Laughing Cow cheese [soft, low-fat cheese]mozzarella + oregano
Sparkling waterSparkling water

How To Start

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.  Welcome to Adeoye Emmanuel who is now Following.

How does one begin the Fasting Lifestyle? It isn’t difficult. You won’t have to count calories or calculate nutrients — if you use my recipes, I have done it for you. 1st: designate the day or days that you plan as Fast Days. Write it on the calendar. Have your phone or tablet remind you, just as you would any appointment. We like Monday and Thursday. 2nd: Look in this blog’s archives for breakfast menus and choose four for Mondays and four for Thursdays. Write them on the calendar. Now you know what to eat for 8 breakfasts in the month. We like a baked egg dish on Monday, and an omelette/scramble on Thursday. But there are eggless breakfasts too. 3rd: Do the same for dinners for Mondays and Thursdays, and write them on the calendar. We like seafood/meatless dinners on Monday and meals with meat on Thursday. There are vegetarian meals on this blog too. 4th: Go shopping for the ingredients, at least for the first week. While shopping, resist the temptation to put snack foods or highly processed foods into the basket — even on the Slow Days, you should cut down on those empty calories. 5th: If, like me, you are not a morning person, prep part of the breakfast the night before. If you rush home just before dinner time, choose a Fast meal that could be thawed out when you get home. Soup is often a good choice for Fasting. These behavior changes will help to prevent you from getting processed breakfasts on the run or take-out for dinner. You will save money too. 6th: Can you delay breakfast — even by an hour? Can you move up dinner/supper? If you usually breakfast at 7 am and dine at 8 pm, that’s a long stretch for a beginning Faster. See what you can do about that.

Try these meals tomorrow. They are fairly easy to prepare and they have a lot of flavor. Good flavor, good fiber, and eye appeal will help you to appreciate a meal more. Drink lots of water or tea, and get into Fasting.

Creole Bake: 137 calories 6.5 g fat 2 g fiber 8.4 g protein 11.6 g carbs [10 g Complex] 67 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Creole flavors add zip to the morning eggs.

1 two-oz egg 1 Tbsp tomato dice or puree 1.5 tsp onion, minced 1 Tbsp bell pepper, minced 1 Tbsp bacon, chopped and measured raw 1.5 tsp Cheddar cheese, finely grated Pinch file powder 1.5 tsp creole seasoning  2 oz pear or apple   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Put the tomato, onion, bell pepper, and bacon in a small pan and cook until the bacon is mostly cooked. Drain the bacon fat from the vegetables. HINT: You could do this the night before. Spritz an oven-safe pan with non-stick spray and set the oven to 350 F. Whisk the egg and then stir in the cheese, vegetables, and seasonings. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and slice the fruit.

Tuna Salad Sandwich, country-style:  Per Serving: 281 calories 9 g fat 4 g fiber 20 g protein 31 g carbs 91 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using a GF bun  Mayonnaise is a problem for me – I’d rather spend my calories on something else. So I came up with a different way to moisten my tuna salad, improving the protein and Calcium along the way. Try it. HINT: These amounts make enough for three [3] sandwiches. Dinner for three or dinner + two lunches.

One 5-oz can of white tuna in water [4.5 oz drained/ 115 g/ ¾ cup] 1 hard-boiled egg 4 Tbsp 2% milk-fat cottage cheese 2 Tbsp minced celery 2 Tbsp minced onion salt and pepper 3 hot dog buns   per serving:  ¼ cup 4-bean salad + ½ ear corn on the cob

Drain the tuna and turn it into a bowl. Break up the tuna with a fork. Chop the egg and add it to the tuna along with the cottage cheese, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Boil the corn for 8 minutes. Divide the tuna salad among the hot dog buns and plate with the vegetables.

Epiphany

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Tomorrow will be the Feast of the Epiphany, aka: Three Kings’ Day or the 12th Day of Christmas [got room for those 12 Drummers Drumming?] or the start of Carnival Season. In the church, it marks the day that the three Magi arrived in Nazareth to visit the child Jesus. [Contrary to what is shown on the Christmas Cards and in most artwork, this visit occurred around two years after the nativity in Bethlehem. Jesus was then a toddler.] In a wider sense, ‘epiphany’ means ‘an awakening.’ Have you come to a new understanding of something? That was an epiphany.

The Kings are described as coming “from the Orient” which simply means anywhere East of Judea. They were most likely astronomers from Persia who had seen the planet Jupiter [a king] move into the constellation Pisces or Aries [which the Persians associated with Israel]. This celestial event lead them to the knowledge that a new king was born in Israel. In honor of the greeting card notion that one or all of them were from Cathay/China, our meals hale from the Eastern end of Asia. In the dinner, you have choices. I suggest that you limit yourself to three types of items, to remember the “Kings who traversed afar”.

Foo Yung Bake:  129 calories 5 g fat 2.4 g fiber 10 g protein 12 g carbs [11 g complex] 56.8 mg Calcium  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages.  PB  Straight out of China, a no-fuss bake.

One 2-oz egg 2 Tbsp crab meat 1 tsp soy sauce ¼ oz mushrooms ¼ cup sprouts [I used broccoli sprouts — suit yourself] 1 Tbsp scallion, sliced across pinch ground ginger + pinch granulated garlic 2 oz pear OR 1 clementine   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Lightly mix the crab meat with the sprouts, scallion, and mushroom. Lightly oil or spritz an oven-proof dish. Distribute the crab mixture over the bottom of the dish. Whisk the egg with the soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder, and pour over the sprouts and crab. Add salt and pepper if you wish. Bake at 350 F. for 12 minutes. Plate with the pear and pour the optional beverages.

Dim Sum Choices: Dining at a dim sum recipe is all about choices: the trolley arrives covered with savory dishes – how do you decide?! You can make those choices easily at home if you have a freezer that contains a little of this and a bit of that. My egg roll/Spring roll recipes prepare 5, of which we eat 4 at a meal. One left over to save for a Dim Sum Dinner. The wonton recipe makes 26, so save some for Dim Sum night. Same for the momos. Got some frozen pot stickers? Good choice. Add steamed vegetables and your own sauce and you will be all set for a fun meal. Make some choices from the following, being sure to add up to 300 or less calories, including the dipping sauce of choice and some cherry tomatoes or steamed vegetables:

1 chicken momo: 34 calories 0.2 fat 0.2 fiber 2.4 g protein 4.5 g carbs 15.7 mg Calcium 

2 Tbsp balls of chicken momo filling: 25 calories 0.2 g fat 0.2 g fiber 3.6 g protein 1.4 g carbs 8.6 mg Calcium 

1 beef egg roll: 136 calories 4.6 g fat 1 g fiber 9.4 g protein 17.5 g carbs 23 mg Calcium 

1 shrimp spring roll: 88 calories 2 g fat 1 g fiber 7 g protein 8.4 g carbs 33 mg Calcium 

1 pork wonton: 41 calories 6.6 g fat 0 g fiber 3.4 g protein 7 g carbs 0 mg Calcium 

1 purchased pork dumpling/pot sticker: read the label 

1 oz purchased Asian BBQ pork: 46 calories 1.5 g fat 0 g fiber 6.5 g protein 8.4 g carbs 0 mg Calcium

2 oz chicken + 1 tsp satay sauce: 76 calories 1 g fat 0 g fiber 13 g protein 0.7 g carbs 6 mg Calcium 

NOW!

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

We are one day into the new year. The resolution-making game is fraught with dilemmas: which resolutions to make? what if I can’t keep them? does that mean I’m a failure? Since the new year seems to be a good time for new beginnings, people make wild pie-in-the-sky promises to themselves which are impossible to keep. Some suggestions: make the resolution concrete [I will lose 10 pounds.]; make the resolution achievable [I will clean the kitchen and do the dishes right after dinner]; make the resolution something you really want to do for you [I will take a one-hour walk once a week to savor nature by myself]. Drinking water, reading more, moving more in a day — all are good resolutions.

Now is the time to lose weight/get healthier and I am here to help you. Re-read the paragraph at the top of the page. Does that sound too simple? Brain scientists say people think that the more rules a diet has, the better it must be! Nope — those are fad diets. This one is easy and it works. How to begin? Start small — if you think you can’t possibly exist on 600 calories per day, then begin with dinner. One day this week, eat a meal of 300 calories for dinner. Then do not eat until the next day at breakfast, but you may drink as much water/ sparkling water/plain tea/herbal tea/coffee/decaf coffee as you want. You will find that the dinner was satisfying enough to carry you through ’til morning. Do that one day per week, then try two nights in a week. Weigh yourself once a week and see if there is a change for the better. Here are two suggestions for dinners under 300 calories:

Green Split Pea Soup: 262 calories 1.6 g fat 19 g fiber 20 g protein 46 g carbs [46 g Complex] 30 mg Calcium  PB GF  For years we have loved this soup from Picardy, France which comes to us via Anne Willen’s  French Regional Cooking.  The easiest recipe in the world!  HINT: Makes 6 [six] one-cup servings. What you don’t use today, freeze in serving-sized portions.

Very hearty. Very satisfying. And the recipe makes 6 servings!

16 oz bag dry green split peas [Goya is excellent] 1 quart water 2 slices bacon 2 stems of thyme salt + pepper to taste

Put the dry peas in a bowl and add water to cover them by 2”. Let them sit and soften for 1.5 hours. Drain. [TIP: you will not need the water for the soup, but use it to water the houseplants] Put the peas, bacon, thyme, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 1.25 hours.  NB: Not all the liquid will be used up. That’s fine. Remove the bacon and the thyme stems. Using a food processor, blender, or immersion wand, puree the soup. There should be 6 cups. Soup should be loose enough to run off a spoon, but not too thin. Add water, if necessary, to adjust thickness. Taste for seasonings. Cook the bacon in a saute pan until it is crisp. Crumble it and add to the soup.

Fajitas with Chicken + Vegetables: 286 calories 5 g fat 3.9 g fiber 24 g protein 35 g carbs 183 mg calcium  PB  TIP: This recipe serves 2 [two] people. It is quick, delicious, and a good way to put vegetables into dinner.

Great for using odds and ends in the refrigerator — and it tastes great.
1 tsp oil + 3 tsp water 6 oz chicken breast 2 cups veg, including: >3 oz sweet pepper + 4 oz zucchini + >1 oz red onion + 1.25 oz broccoli 1 tsp chili powder + sprinkle AdoboCut the meat into strips. Cut the vegetables into strips or other edible sizes. Heat oil in wok, stir-fry meat, veg, and seasonings for ~ 7 minutes or until cooked and vegetables begin to brown
4 five-inch corn tortillasWrap in damp kitchen towel. Nuke 30-45 seconds. -OR- Warm on a griddle/ dry skillet until pliable and starting to brown.
¼ c plain nonfat yogurt [1 Tbsp per tortilla] Divide the meat/veg among the tortillas and top with yogurt.
1 lime + ¼ c cilantro leavesServe as garnish

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

1 two-oz egg + pear1.5 two-oz eggs 
sprouts + crab meat
fresh chives
soy sauce + ginger
Parmesan cheese
garlic powder + scallions
kiwi fruit
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Assorted Asian foods for Dim Sum — examples:7 cloves garlic + butter
beef egg roll or shrimp spring rollbeef or chicken stock
chicken momo or chicken momo fillingpotatoes + parsnips + egg + marjoram
pork wonton + broccoli + Sriracharye bread + Swiss cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Hilda of Whitby

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

This week’s blog is dedicated to my friend Hilda B., who, being from Northern England, was probably named for St Hilda. Our Hilda is witty and wise, full of fun and a fellow bell-ringer. Be of good courage, Hilda.

In Whitby, Yorkshire in 657, there lived a remarkable women. She was born Hild or Hilda to a noble family in the days of a Christian Church so new that many of the ideas we have about the institution had not yet been thought of: clergy celibacy and the date of Easter and infant baptism, to name a few. Hilda moved to Whitby to start a new religious house, which invited men, women, and families to come together to live a godly life. In 664, she convened the Synod of Whitby which united Celtic believers with those who followed the rule of Rome, finally determining the date of Easter for everyone: first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Sounds complicated, but by using astronomical ‘signposts’ that anyone could observe, confusion was avoided. Hilda promoted learning and equality — of sexes and of classes. She was an able administrator who’s advice was sought by kings and clerics. Remarkable.

In honor of Saint Hild, we will eat the seafood for which Whitby is famous: Kippered Herring in Yorkshire Pudding for breakfast and a Whitby Fish Pie for dinner.

Kippered Yorkshire Pudding: 226 calories 5 g fat 5.8 g fiber 11 protein 33.5 g carbs [26 g Complex] 102 mg Calcium HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2] servings. Nothing says Yorkshire like the iconic pudding and kippers. This is a meal to eat at home or to take on the road.

1 oz kippered herring ½ cup 1% milk one 2-oz egg ½ cup white whole wheat flour [or all-purpose, for lower protein and fiber] ½ tsp dry mustard + ¼ tsp salt 3 oz pear   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water

Soak the kippered herring in water for 30-45 minutes. Drain and mince. Whisk the milk, flour, egg, mustard and salt until combined, but do not over-mix. Spray a 7” pie plate with cooking-spray and sprinkle in some kippers. Carefully pour in the Yorkshire Pudding batter, then sprinkle with the remaining kippers. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cut into 4 pieces. Plate two pieces per person along with the pear. What a flavor combination!

Whitby Fish Pie: 294 calories 15.4 g fat 1.7g fiber 17.5 g protein 15 g carbs [1.7 g Complex] 139 mg Calcium HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2] servings. This fabulous recipe is from Paul Hollywood, of British Baking Show fame. It is simple and delicious. Dear Husband loved it.

This is a pie for TWO servings. We will serve this again!!
233 ml/1 cup skimmed milk
½ bay leaf
½ small onion
2 whole cloves [the spice] 		Put the milk in a pan with the bay leaf and onion studded with cloves. Bring slowly to the boil, turn off the heat and let infuse for at least 30 minutes. Strain the milk into a small bowl.
20 g/3 Tbsp butter
20 g = 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 40 g/1.25 cup spinach, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
salt & pepper 		Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook gently for a few minutes, then gradually stir in the infused milk.
Increase the heat a little, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the spinach, parsley and some salt and pepper.
133g/3.5 oz haddock
133g/3 oz smoked haddock 58 g/1.5 oz shrimp, cleaned [salt & pepper]		Skin the fish and remove any pin bones.
Cut into bite-sized pieces and put into a 4”x6” dish with the prawns. Pour on enough sauce to cover, gently mix with the fish and check the seasoning.
Purchased puff pastry, 1/6 of a sheet


Heat the oven to 200°C/400 F/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to form a 4×6” rectangle. Cut into 6 strips and use to form a lattice atop the pie.  Bake 20-25 mins until pastry is golden brown.

The Mill Town

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to FunnyJokesOf TheDay who is now Following.

We live in a Mill Town. Mill Towns began to spring up in New England in the early 1800s as people harnessed streams and rivers to run a variety of enterprises. Big Mill Towns often had a bad rep — dirty, crime-ridden, filled with the uneducated — not the sort of place ‘nice people’ would choose to live. Bennington, New Hampshire had many ‘mills’ in 1830: paper, knives, fabric, gun powder — all were made in the town. These mills were small affairs — no belching smokestacks, no teeming tenements for workers — housed in family homes clustered along the tumbling Contoocook River. Up until 1842, Bennington did not exist as a community. It was part of the agricultural town of Hancock and it was called ‘factory village.’ Hancock had no river downtown, and so the factories/mills were located in what became the town of Bennington. Now all the mills have closed except one: Monadnock Paper Mill which opened in 1819. Don’t picture some dreadful, noisy factory polluting the river — MPM has been aggressively promoted clean air and water in a carbon-neutral plant. This year they will celebrate their 200th anniversary of making specialty papers and the legacy of the Industrial Revolution in our little town. The Mill whistle still sounds at 7 am, noon, and 5 pm, making a comforting punctuation to the day.

The meals today reflect the town of Bennington’s factory history. One of the first mills was built by James Carken. There he made gun powder — until the mill blew up. Picturesque Powder Mill Pond had a restaurant in the 1980s/1990s that served their signature egg dish. As the mills prospered, immigrants moved to town. Italians [our oldest restaurant is Alberto’s], Greeks, Irish [the Catholic church was St Patrick’s], Swedes, and Swiss all made the town grow. Our dinner of corned beef and cabbage is a real working man’s meal.

Powder Mill Scramble: 141 calories 8.3 g fat 0.7 g fiber 11.2 g protein 6 g carb [5.6 g Complex] 49.8 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the Scramble and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF This recipe is straight out of Jerry Willis’ Powder Mill Pond Restaurant where it was a favorite. Alas, that restaurant is not more, but you can enjoy this at home.

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 ½ oz smoked salmon ½ oz or 2 Tbsp sliced scallion greens 2 oz melon or clementine or 2 oz sliced apple or 1-1/2 oz mango 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]

Whisk the eggs [salt and pepper may not be needed depending on the seasoning of your salmon]. Pour into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. Quickly, before the eggs set, add the salmon and scallions. Scramble to taste. Prepare your optional beverage. Plate with fruit of choice.

Corned Beef & Cabbage: 299 calories 22 g fat 3.8 g fiber 22.7 g protein 14.8 g carbs 220.5 mg Calcium PB GF Fannie Farmer provides the inspiration for this recipe. Add deli corned beef to creamed cabbage with cheese, and you are in the spirit of mill town America.

3 cups sliced cabbage ¼ cup plain bechamel sauce 2 oz corned beef [pre-sliced from the deli] cut into strips ½ oz deli Swiss cheese salt & pepper

Steam the cabbage for 5 minutes. Stir in the bechamel sauce, corned beef, and seasonings. Put into an oven-proof dish and lay the cheese slice on top. Bake at 350 degrees F. until the cheese melts.

Breakfast Beverages

~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat a breakfast and a dinner from the Archive tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, for a second 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.

Those of you who read my blog regularly [thank you for that!] will notice that in a breakfast menu I always mention ‘optional beverages.’ Today I’m going to flesh out what I mean by that — breakfast beverages without the extra flesh. We have always consumed a cold beverage and a hot beverage at breakfast, and I will explain how those evolved as we embarked on our Fasting Lifestyle. The beverages detailed below are what we drink everyday, since they are too delicious to serve only two days a week.

Cold Beverage: Dear Husband and I grew up drinking cold orange juice at breakfast. Our generation was taught that this was important for our health [advertising by the Florida Orange Growers Association is to blame for that]. But our bodies see orange juice as just sugar water — without the fiber in whole fruit, the sugar in the fruit is digested just as sugar is. 5 oz orange juice from concentrate = 74 calories 0 g fat 0 g fiber 0.6 g protein 17.9 g carbs [0 g Complex] 12 mg Calcium WITH the fiber, digestion is slower and the sugar spike is minimized. So we began to make our own smoothies: whole fruit, whole juices [fruit pressed, seeds removed], yogurt, some orange juice. The two most popular are these:

Berry-Yogurt Smoothie: 88 calories 0.1 g fat 1 g fiber 4 g protein 20 g carbs [5.2 g Complex] 105 mg Calcium  PB GF Dear Husband was inspired to create this, in an effort to get more Calcium in our diet. HINT: Makes 4 [four] servings Food values above are for one serving.

1 cup yogurt [plain, fat-free] 2 oz banana 2 oz mixed berries or all one kind — strawberries/raspberries/blackberries ½ cup fruit juice with fiber [or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce – adds 1 g carbs and 2 more calories] 1 cup orange juice  HINT: I combine the fruits and put those in the freezer as ‘kits.’

Put the yogurt and fruit in the blender/VitaMix or container for using an immersion blender. Whiz it on HIGH until everything is blended and no bits of berry are seen. Add juice/applesauce with the orange juice and blend on low. Put what you don’t use today into the ‘fridge for another day.

Blueberry Smoothie: 118 calories 0.2 g fat 3.1 g fiber 5.7 g protein 30 g carbs 99 mg Calcium  PB GF From the people at Wild Blueberries of North America comes this excellent smoothie. Take the calorie count into account when you meal-plan. HINT: Recipe makes enough for 2 servings. The food values above are for one serving.

3 oz banana ½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt ½ cup blueberries ½ cup orange juice

Put banana, yogurt, and berries into the blender and process until smooth. Add the juice and blend on low. Wonderful berry flavor!

Hot beverages: Dear Husband’s family used to joke that if you didn’t drink coffee, you weren’t old enough to get married. In truth, he didn’t drink coffee at the time of our marriage [age 23], and I often drank tea. Together we moved to drinking our only cup of coffee at breakfast, and together we learned to love cafe-au-lait. Then we heard about cocoa flavonoids, and began to make ‘cocoa milk’ to make our coffee a mocha.

How to prepare cocoa milk: ½ cup 1% or 2% or whole** milk ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder The night before, put the milk and cocoa powder in a jar with a tight lid. Shake it well, then put in the refrigerator over-night. This overnight time permits the milk to ‘wet’ the cocoa powder enough to hold the powder in suspension, rather than floating on top. **values for coffee, sugar if using whole milk: 87 calories 4.2 g fat 0.5 g fiber 4.2 g protein 9.4 g carbs 140 mg Calcium

Blackish Coffee: 55 calories 3.4 g fat 0 g fiber 0.9 g protein 5.6 g carbs 32 mg Calcium There’s ‘black coffee’ [no sweetener, no lightener, no calories] and then there is Black-ish Coffee. 1 cup black coffee 1 tsp sugar [doesn’t matter what type] 3 Tablespoons half & half [10% milk fat]

Frothy Mocha Cafe au Lait: 65 calories 1.4 g fat 0.5 g fiber 4.6 g protein 9 g carbs [1 g Complex] 159 mg Calcium High in Calcium, this has 5x the protein for only 10 calories more than Black-ish coffee, if using 1% milk. [35 more calories if using whole milk]

½ cup hot black coffee ½ cup cocoa milk ½ level teaspoon sugar

Shake the cocoa milk well, and warm it in the microwave or in a hot water bath on the stove. Put the coffee in a large [one cup+] cup or mug. Shake the milk again and pour into the coffee, adding the sugar. Use a frother to whip up the milk and coffee. Elegance with a great chocolate taste.

Ingredients for next week: 

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

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
zucchini + onion + garlic
Swiss chard + strawberries
jalapeño or hot pepper flakes + sage
Parmesan cheese
vinegar + roasted red pepper
paprika + garlic powder
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

1 pound zucchini + dill weed
salad greens + tomatoes
cooked chicken + Parmesan cheese
red bell pepper + pork roast
garlic + olive oil + onion
cranberries + zucchini
cooked brown rice + paprika
balsamic vinegar + olive oil
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Lenten Fare

~ 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.

Now we are entering the 4th week of Lent and you might be running out of food ideas.  When I was a child, my mother would always ask what my sister and I would “give up for Lent“.  Sometimes it was candy or chocolate, but then we would always say bubble gum. [We were forbidden to chew gum of any sort, so that was said in jest. I’m sure my mother always hoped we’d stop bickering with each other.]  Six weeks was a long time to a child.  Adults sometimes vow to eat more plainly; to give up meat; or to practice other food-related abstentions. The idea of Lenten eating is to deprive yourself.  Here are some ideas for meatless meals, for Lent or anytime you want to eat on a lower trophic level. You won’t feel deprived. Just virtuous.

10-Grain Pudding:  181 calories  1.3 g fat  5.4 g fiber  10.4 g protein  35 g carbs [29 g Complex]  43.5 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the cereal pudding only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB  V   Delicious hot cereal for any day of the week. The applesauce and maple syrup give just the right touch of sweetness.10-Grain Porridge

1/4 cup uncooked Bob’s 10-Grain Cereal                                                                                 2 Tbsp cottage cheese                                                                                                                                     1 tsp maple syrup                                                                                                                                                              1.5 Tbsp applesauce                                                                                                                     large pinch of nutmeg + large pinch of cinnamon                                                                       blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                  3 oz berry-yogurt smoothie [40 calories], green smoothie or natural apple cider

Put the cereal in 3/4 cup of boiling water, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 8 minutes. HINT: Do this the night before. Cool the cereal, then mix in the cottage cheese, maple syrup, applesauce and spices until well-combined. Put into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until hot through. Pour the optional beverages and you will have a warm, filling start to your day.

Codfish Brandade:   250 calories   5.8 g fat   5.7 g fiber  77 g protein  22.3 g carbs   270 mg Calcium   PB GF    Since salt cod is so popular all over southern France, it follows that Brandade is a favorite. The garlic, olive oil, and fennel mark this version as Provençal. [HINT: This batch serves 4. Either invite friends or use what you need and freeze the remainder.] The recipe is from Jacques Pepin.Brandade w: tomatoes & Carrots

8 oz salt cod                                                                                                                                     ¼ cup potatoes in 1/2” cubes                                                                                                                        1 cup cauliflower puree                                                                                                                     ½ cup milk                                                                                                                                         4 cloves garlic                                                                                                                                    ¼ tsp fennel seed                                                                                                                                          1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                         ¼ tsp pepper, more to taste                                                                                                            per serving: 4 oz sliced tomatoes  +  2 oz raw carrot, as coins or sticks + parsley leaves

Soak the cod in water for 8 hours. Drain and put in a sauce pan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes. Drain. Pick over the fish to break it into 1” pieces, removing bones, skin. Put fish in a pan with potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, fennel, and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Pour it all into a food processor and process it for about 10 seconds. Add the pepper and add the oil with the machine running. Mixture should be smooth and thick. Adjust seasonings. Divide the brandade into 4 portions. Freeze the remainder. Slice the tomatoes and spread with brandade. Serve remaining amount in a bowl with the carrots stuck into it. Very traditional flavor.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs
cottage cheese   + granulated garlic Swiss cheese  + cooked pork
cod brandade [St Bernard 19-Aug-’18] 3%-fat ham
peach + blueberries dab of mayonnaise  + dill pickle
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 for Monday: ……………………single portion for Thursday:

zucchini   +  garlic + mozzarella Ham chunks + fresh pineapple
roasted red peppers  + Parmesan cheese asparagus +  Swiss cheese
1 slice polenta [Sidekicks II, 4-Oct-2017] Béchamel sauce with cheese  [Sidekicks I, 17-Sept-2018]
firm white fish  +  herbs de province Yorkshire Pudding [Not by Bread.., 7-Feb- 2018
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Ups & Downs

~ 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.

One feature of the book Bridget Jones’ Diary was her frequent recording of her weight — up and down it would go, much to her dismay.  Of course we readers knew it would do that, since Bridget was an ‘emotional eater‘ and often drank too much.  But those fluctuations were very relatable to dieters, even Fasters.  We want to think that once we get to our Target Weight [and there is no magic to that — it is the weight you want to be], we will magically remain there, day after day.  Having Fasted for many years, I can tell you that weight can rise by as much a 2 pounds [0.9 kg or 0.14 stone] from one day to the next. And then a Fast Day or two sets things to right again. Or weight could drop by a pound — inexplicably!  Do not be discouraged if your weight fluctuates. It happens and life goes on.  It is what you do with the information that matters — does it make you stop the Fasting Lifestyle or does it make you double down and do better? Your choice.    On March 15, 1892, the modern escalator was patented, designed to take people up and down stairs without effort.  Did you think that maintaining your weight and avoiding its ups and downs would be without effort?  Fasting is the closest thing to that I know.

Mackerel-Leek ScrOmelette:   157 calories   9.5 g fat   1.1 g fiber  12.6 g protein  5.8 g carbs [6.2 g Complex]  61 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  If you can’t find fresh mackerel, substitute another high-Omega-3 fish like salmon or arctic char.Mackerel ScrOmelette

1 ½ eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week                                                    1 oz cooked mackerel   [I clean and cook mine as soon as I get it home, then freeze it.]                                                                                                                        1.5 oz leeks                                                                                                                                                     ½ tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                                                        1 oz strawberries                                                                                                                       Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                     Optional: 3 oz green or berry-yogurt smoothie [38 calories]or unpasteurized apple cider

Spritz a hot sauté pan with non-stick spray and stir in the leeks and mackerel, to soften the leeks and warm the fish. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and mustard. Pour into the pan and scramble to your taste or prepare as an omelette. Pour the beverages and plate the berries. Oh my!

Beef & Beet Salad:   248 calories  8.5 g fat  3.4 g fiber   24 g protein  17 g carbs [10 g Complex]  24 mg Calcium   PB GF   This unusual salad was found in James Peterson’s Glorious French Food. Should you have left-over roast beef, this is the dish to try.Beet & Beef Salad

2.75 oz thinly-sliced roasted beef                                                                                                 3.5 oz pickled beets, as thinly-sliced rounds                                                                              1/4-1/2 cup shredded lettuce                                                                                                            dill pickle spear                                                                                                                                1.5 tsp dressing***

Dressing   [makes 6 teaspoons — save the remainder]                                                                                                      2.25 tsp Dijon mustard                             1 Tbsp chopped shallot                                                 1.5 tsp wine vinegar                                     4.5 tsp olive oil

Slice the beef and the beets as matchsticks about 2-3” long. Put in the serving bowl/plate and drizzle the dressing over the top. Gently toss to coat the salad with the dressing. Plate it. Wonderfully simple.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday:                    single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg   + beef or chicken broth
Ham Florentine [see Savory 27-Feb-’19] soy sauce  +  mirin
applesauce scallion + sweet onion
dry Japanese Soba Noodles [190 cal/ 2 oz]
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 for Monday:                             single portion for Thursday:

Trout filet Bulk pork sausage meat
butter chickpeas  + potato
hazelnuts onions  +  scallion
haricots or green beans Savoy cabbage
Sparkling water Sparkling water