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.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.

In JRR Tolkien’s masterwork The Lord of the Rings, The One Ring was created by the evil wizard Sauron. He put much of his power into it, so that the Ring itself became evil. At the same time, he also forged 19 other rings which he gave to leaders of Elves, Dwarves, and Men. The One Ring controlled the others, unless the wearer of the ring had the fortitude to resist its power. Like much in Tolkien‘s work, the Ring is a metaphor. Is the Ring is a powerful idea that captures weak minds and draws them in to it? One thinks of Nazi ideology, or other demagogs who believe that their word transcends the Laws that have kept humanity safe and on an even keel. Is the Ring an addiction, which grows stronger as time goes by? The weak-minded character Gollum had become physically and psychologically dependent on the Ring, after having it in his possession for decades. Only death breaks its hold. Even the character Frodo, a simple, kindly Hobbit without a bad bone in his body, falls under the Ring’s spell and fears for his ability to be normal again. Is the Ring an obsession? That is a sort of desire that impels people to do things they should not. The entire trilogy is based on the quest to destroy the Ring, thus ending the power of evil in their world. In our world, we all need to be vigilant so that we can identify those forces that would bend our will to their’s. We must identify them and call them out before they can work their spell.

Today’s meals are drawn from the pages of The Hobbit and The Return of the King, by JRR Tolkien. The breakfast consists of the seedy scones that Bilbo Baggins fed to the hungry [greedy?] Dwarves when they came for tea; as well as apple and cheese, which characters in the Peter Jackson movies eat continually. The dinner is the meal that faithful Samwise prepares in Ithilien for Frodo.

Hobbiton Breakfast: 217 calories 6 g fat 3.4 g fiber 5.5 g protein 29.4 g carbs 60 mg Calcium  NB: These values are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB  A simple-to-prepare and delicious combination of textures and flavors. For Halflings and Big People alike.

1 full-size or 2 half-size [from 3 Tbsp Scone ‘Mix’] Seedy Scones*** 3 oz apple ½ oz Camembert cheese   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  

***Seedy Scones: This makes 2 cups of ‘Scone Mix’. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup white whole wheat flour 3 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1.5 tsp cream of tartar mixed seeds + a pinch of salt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter buttermilk or sourmilk, as needed Combine the dry ingredients [except seeds] in a bowl. Cut in the butter until well incorporated. 

Prepare the Scone Mix. Take out 3 Tbsp [1.6 oz] of the mix and stir in just enough buttermilk or sour milk [1½ Tbsp? 2 Tbsp?] to cause the dough to come together in a rough ball. TIP: store the remaining mix in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a lid. Ready to use when you wish. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Pat out into one scone, or divide into 2 scones. Brush the surface with milk and scatter the seeds on top. Place in a buttered dish to bake.  HINT: I did this the night before and left it on the counter to bake in the morning. Slice the apple and cheese. Bake the scone[s] at 400 F. for 7-10 minutes. Plate to please the eye. Serve with the beverage of your choice.

Ithilien Rabbit Stew: 286 calories 7 g fat 4 g fiber 24.5 g protein 30 g carbs 41 mg Calcium   PB GF This foraged meal, originally cooked over a campfire in Ithilien, can be easily prepared in your kitchen. Purists will note that the dried fruit, a gift from Faramir, was given to the Hobbits later, but it adds a nice flavor note to the meal. I included the po-ta-toes that Samwise wished he had.

4 oz boneless rabbit meat, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 oz carrots, sliced or cubed 2 oz potatoes, cubed bay leaf + thyme + sage + lavender buds 2 dried apricots 1 piece dried pear [which is ½ of a pear]

Put the meat, vegetables, and herbs in a sauce pan and cover with water. Cover and simmer until all is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the dried fruit on the side. Long live Frodo!