weight loss

Matthias

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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.

Jesus had disciples. Jesus had apostles. What’s the difference? Disciples are those who learn from a teacher/preacher /philosopher, and who move in that teacher’s circle, believing in that philosophy. Jesus had many disciples and quite a few followed him as he preached from town to town. The word ‘apostle’ means ‘sent out’ in Greek. From his disciples, Jesus chose 12 apostles, people who would be sent out by him to preach the gospel [good news] to the people. Of the 12 that were chosen, one was Judas Iscariot who sold out his teacher, leading to Jesus’ arrest, death, and resurrection. That left 11 apostles, who gathered, along with around 120 other disciples [men and women] to discuss their situation. Peter proposed that they choose one of their number to replace Judas. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the group suggested two nominees: Joseph, aka: Barnabas Justus and Matthias. After prayer, a vote was taken and Matthias was chosen [sounds like a Papal Conclave]. This is the first time he is mentioned in the gospels, and also the last time. Traditions have sprung up to fill the information gap, and here is what they say. Supposedly he was born in Bethlehem [like Jesus] and was around the same age, so we can guess that they were childhood acquaintances. Matthias was said to have been there when Jesus was baptized and when he was killed — and perhaps every event in between. In other words, he was an early adopter of Jesus’ message, a true disciple. Stories tell us that he preached far and wide, modern-day Türkiye, Greece, Syria, and the Caucuses Mountains. It is believed that he died a martyr’s death, but no one knows how or where.

The Feast of Saint Matthias is May 14, so we will eat foods that might have been familiar to him.

Cilbir: 171 calories… 5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 13 g protein… 15.6 g carbs… 315 mg Calcium… NB: The food values given above are for the meal only, not the optional beverages. This is a very popular breakfast in Turkey and once you taste it, you will see why. Usually I distain a runny egg, but I made an exception for this delicious breakfast. What flavor! [it is pronounced ‘chil-bir’]

1 two-oz eggPoach 3 mins in simmering water, remove.
¼ cup plain yogurt——½ Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried dill——1 clove garlic, pressed—–1/8 tsp salt & pinch black pepper—-1/8 tsp paprikaCombine yogurt and seasonings and spread it equally in a shallow bowl or plate.TIP: I did this the night before and left it covered on the counter so the yogurt wouldn’t be too cold. If on standing it is liquidy, strain it briefly.
¼ tsp Pul biber OR ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper——————-
whole wheat pita bread @ 60 calories		Serve egg on top of the yogurt and sprinkle the pepper over the egg. Add bread to the bowl.
Optional hot beverageOptional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 cals] 
Optional cold beverageOptional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Shashlik: 292 calories… 10g fat… 3 g fiber… 19 g protein… 32 g carbs… 53.4 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread  Here is the meal of nomadic herdsmen in the grasslands of Asia and Eastern Europe. Originally made in Georgia with lamb or beef, this Ukrainian version uses pork shoulder. It can be enjoyed with or without the bread. The recipe is from natashaskitchen.com. For the flatbread, use Mongol Bread, or whole wheat pita bread.

Serves 2 Grill or broiler.
5 oz pork shoulderCut pork in 1” pieces and put in a bowl.
1½ cloves garlic, pressed——½ medium onion Cut onion in 1” pieces. Press garlic and add both to bowl with pork.
2 pinches salt—–pinch pepperSprinkle with salt and pepper and stir everything to combine.
1½ Tbsp red wine—–2 tsp olive oilAdd oil and wine. Stir to combine. Cover, put in fridge 3-4 hours.
wooden skewersSoak skewers in water 20 mins. Preheat grill/broiler.
3 oz Bell pepper, 1”chunks—-3 oz zucchini, 1” chunksSkewer meat and onions, without squishing them. Skewer vegetables separately.
Strain marinade and bring briefly to a boil to make a sauce.
Grill 4 mins on all sides until cooked. 
Flat bread =86 calories OR whole wheat pita = 60 caloriesServe in flatbread with drizzle of sauce.

Irving Berlin

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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.

White Christmas. Easter Parade [both from the film Holiday Inn]. Puttin’ On The Ritz. Dancing Cheek to Cheek [both from Fred Astaire films]. God Bless America. Every one of these iconic American songs was written by one man: Irving Berlin. In these days of trying to ban immigrants from our shores, let us bear in mind that Berlin was an immigrant from Russia. When he was born on May 11, 1888 somewhere in what is now Belarus, his name was Israel Beilin. Five years later, his family moved to New York City. When Israel/Irving was 11 years old, his father died, and the boy had to work to supplement the family’s income. He was a street busker, a singing waiter, and in 1907, he published his first song. In 1911, Berlin had his first hit song: Alexander’s Ragtime Band. and what a hit it was! In 1914, he wrote his first Broadway musical, “Watch Your Step”. Curiously, Irving never learned to read music or how to write in musical notation. He would compose a song on the piano and write words for it. Then he would play it for someone who could write music, and that person would turn it into sheet music. Berlin loved his new country. During World War I, he wrote songs and musical productions to raise money and to sell War Bonds. Whether he was writing for Fred Astaire or Ethel Merman; for Hollywood or Broadway, Irving Berlin seemed to understand what music people wanted and what would sell. In his long career he wrote 1000 songs, the scores for 18 movie musicals, and 19 musical plays including Annie Get Your Gun. In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Irving wrote his most famous song: God Bless America, popularized by Kate Smith. So compelling was that song, that people lobbied to establish it as our national anthem. Throughout his very successful life, Berlin was always haunted by his childhood poverty, fearful that he would be poor again. That certainly never happened, even after he stopped writing popular songs in the 1960s. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is the best-selling record of all time. Berlin lived to be 103 years old — his best-loved songs will surely last that long.

Our foods for Irving Berlin are All-American, and reminiscent of holidays: breakfast for the 4th of July, dinner for Thanksgiving.

Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt: 181 calories … 5 g fat … 5 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 26.4 g carbs… 131 mg Calcium… NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF Cornmeal and stars are SO American, that they fit in with any patriotic meal. Are there stars in your nation’s flag? 

Per serving: ++ 1.5 stars**++ ++ ¼ cup low-fat Vanilla yogurt ++++ 1 Tbsp ricotta chesse ++++ 2 Tbsp blueberries ++ 2 oz strawberries, sliced or diced [If frozen, they will need to be thawed and drained] ++++  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] ++

Stir yogurt and ricotta until combined. Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop dairy mixture on top, then strew with fruit.

**Cornmeal Stars:  makes 3 large stars, enough for 2 servings.  –1 egg white [1.5 Tbsp] — 1 egg yolk [1 Tbsp] stirred — 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour — 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal — Whip the egg white to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and corn meal. Place your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center of a non-stick pan. Spray the pan and the inside of the star cutter with non-stick spray. Spoon some batter into the star, nudging it into the corners. As batter starts to set, loosen the mold from the batter and remove it. Cook the star on one side until starting to brown, then turn carefully to cook the other side. Repeat until batter is all used up. HINT: This can be done a day or so in advance, storing the stars in a plastic bag.

Pumpkin-Turkey Meatball & Pasta: 309 calories… 7.5 g fat… 7 g fiber… 20.5 g protein… 45 g carbs… 434 mg Calcium…  PB  Joy Bauer came up with this recipe, and it is dandy. Having the meatballs in the freezer is a real plus for future quickly-prepared meals.

36 meatballs, using a 2 Tbsp scoop Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
1⅓# ground turkey breast—-2 c loosely packed spinach/ 1 c frozen —-15 oz can white beans = 9 oz/¾ cup —-canned 100% pumpkin puree—-1 egg, slightly beaten—2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar—-¼ tsp ground nutmeg—2 tsp ground cinnamon—-¼ tsp ground ginger—-½ tsp garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, minced—-¼ tsp kosher salt—-¼ tsp ground black pepperFinely chop the spinach to yield ~1 c. OR use frozen spinach: measure 1 cup while frozen, then chop it. Drain and rinse the beans, measure out 9 oz/260 g. Run beans through the food processor or immersion blender. Mix together all these ingredients in a large bowl until it is well combined and sticky. Do not over-mix. If mixture is too sticky to use, refrigerate ~30 mins to firm it up.
Form mixture into light, fluffy golf-ball-size meatballs, ~36 total when using 2 Tbsp measure. 
Per serving: 3 meatballsBake 40 mins in middle of oven. TIP: Could freeze at this point — either cooked or uncooked.
Per serving: ¼ c marinara sauceHeat meatballs in a pot with simmering marinara. 
Per serving: 1½ oz Whole-wheat pasta/ spaghetti squashServe over spaghetti squash or whole-grain penne 

Violet/Purple

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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.

“When I am an old woman, I will wear purple.” So begins the poem “Warning” by Jennie Johnson, playing on the fact that purple is often a clothing color preferred by elderly women. [Perhaps it was to match their hair, since in the 1950-60s many older women used purple hair rinses.] Violet is the seventh color of the visible spectrum, the end of the rainbow. Humans can see the color because its short wave-lengths are reflected by purple things and thus the light comes to our eyes. There are many shades of violet: from lavender and amethyst, all the way to purple. Violet has many connotations. There is the flower, Genus Viola, a cheerful sight in lawns and woodlands in springtime. Violet is an old-timey girl’s name. The color purple was once derived only from snail shells in Phoenicia. Because it was rare, it was costly, so purple clothing were worn only by patricians and emperors. Thus as the Christian Church became organized, bishops wore purple robes to denote their status. During the Liturgical Seasons of Advent and Lent, vestments and paraments in churches are purple, the color meaning majesty, sorrow, and penance. Purple has been associated with Lesbians and Gay men since the 1800s. In nature, flowers and birds are purple, but mammals never are. The color requires much energy use for the bird to produce, which is why it is not very common. As for Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple, you can draw your own conclusions about the importance of the color.

The purplest color in the vegetable garden is the eggplant. Our meals both feature the vegetable.

Mediterranean Bake: 188 calories… 5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 12.4 g protein… 10 g carbs… 65 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Oh! Those sunny flavors!

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 4 Tbsp Mediterranean Vegetables without chickpeas ++++ 2 Tbsp chevre cheese ++++ salt + pepper + large pinch of herbes de Provence ++++ 1.5 oz applesauce OR 3 oz melon ++++ 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 F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray and spoon in the Mediterranean Vegggies. Pop the ramekin in the warming toaster oven for 30 seconds to warm the vegetables. Whisk the egg with the cheese and seasonings. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and bake in the toaster oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Brew your optional beverage, shake and pour the optional smoothie, plate with the melon. A fine way to start the rest of your life.

Caponata & Farro: 1 cup: 264 calories… 8 g fat… 8.5 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 43 g carbs… 57.5 mg Calcium…  PB The components of this meal are thoroughly Mediterranean. The Romans lived on farro, an ancestor of modern wheat, and caponata is beloved in Sicily. Enjoy this as a meal with fruit of your choice.  HINT: this recipe makes 2 [two] cups/servings.

++ 1 cup caponata** ++++ 1 cup cooked farro ++++ 3 oz melon ++

Combine caponata and farro, heat gently and plate with fruit for a hearty, filling meal.

**CAPONATA: makes 2 cups  My take on Jamie Oliver’s take on a Sicilian classic. 1 cup = 156 calories… 4.5 g fat… 6.5 g fiber…3 g protein… 20.4 g carbs…66.4 mg Calcium

Adaptation = 2 cupsHeat oven to 400F.
2 tsp olive oil—-2 c eggplants, in ¾” chunks —- 1 tsp dried oregano/Italian herbs —- Sea saltAdd oil to a big pan over high. Toss these to coat in oil, add more if needed. Cook 4-5 mins, stirring at whiles. OR ROAST 10 MINS. – 
½ cup red onion—-2 cloves garlic, finely sliced—½ small bunch flat-leaf parsleyFinely chop onion + parsley. Slice garlic finely.On cooktop, cook 2 mins in cooking spray.
1 Tbsp capers, drained——6 pitted black olives——
1-2 T. herb vinegar		Add these, and cook until vinegar evaporates.
16 oz ripe tomatoes, OR 1½ c. canned diced toms—–cooked eggplantRoughly chop tomatoes, add to pan with eggplant, simmer 15-20 mins until tender.

Shakespeare

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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.

Is it Shakespeare? or Shakespear? of Shaksper? No one knows, because the most famous of all Renaissance English play writes used all those spellings. For that matter, no one today knows what he looked like. And some people debate that he actually wrote all those plays at all. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. His father was a glover who was also prominent in town government, and he provided an education for his children at their local school. During that time, Elizabeth I was on the throne of England, re-establishing the official religion as Protestantism. It is possible that Shakespeare’s parents were closet Catholics. Some scholars think that young William was living in the household of a ‘former’ Catholic in Lancashire for a few years before his marriage to Anne Hathaway. This is a little-known factoid, since during Elizabeth’s reign it was against the law to be a Catholic, punishable by fines or death. Whatever his religion, William went to London and joined a theater company. He was an actor at first, then became the group’s writer. Shakespeare wrote two plays per year, acted in them, and possibly directed them too. His work changed the face of theater forever. Shakespeare wanted his actors to speak like normal people, not to overact or make theatrical gestures; he wrote plays with roles for women which were played by pre-pubescent boys; he wrote plays where women disguised themselves as men and even behaved like them; he wrote plays about everyday people, not only historical or classical figures. Shakespeare put 1,700 new words into use. To please the monarch [first Elizabeth I, then James I], he wrote propaganda plots, showing the Tudor kings as heroic. During his career, Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and longer poems. There are those who say that a glover’s son with scant schooling could not possibly have written such a splendid body of work. That’s what it means to be a genius.

Herbs were often mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, so we will put them in our breakfast. Salads were eaten in Elizabethan England, and the Bard of Avon coined the term “salad days”. Let’s have a salad for dinner.

Herb-Cottage Cheese Bake: 181 calories… 5.5 g fat … 4.6 g fiber… 10 g protein… 12.5 g carbs… 41.4 mg Calcium…  BP GF – if using GF crackers or omitting  This is a very pleasant and easy-to-prepare breakfast that takes advantage of the flavors of garden-fresh herbs.

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped ++++ 2 Tbsp cottage cheese ++++ 2 pinches crushed red peppers ++++ 4 oz peach ++++ 2 slices Finn Crisp crackers ++++ 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] ++

Preheat toaster oven to 350F. Spritz an oven-safe dish with cooking spray. Whisk together the egg, herbs, cottage cheese, and red pepper. Pour into baking dish and bake 12-15 mins. Plate with peaches and pour an optional beverage. Simple and satisfying.

Springtime Shrimp Salad: 292 calories… 16.5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 23.6g protein… 21.5 g carbs … 130 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is a delightful meal-salad, with clementines from Winter joining asparagus from Spring.

++ 2 cups mesclun/baby greens ++++ 2.5 oz tiny shrimp ++++ 8 sections clementine ++++ 2 oz asparagus, cooked and cut into 1” pieces ++++ ¾ oz mango chunks ++++ 1 two-oz hardboiled egg ++++  dressing: 2 tsp plain yogurt OR mayonnaise — 1 tsp Sriracha — pinch garlic powder — 2 tsp lemon juice —

Poach shrimp, drain, cool. Slice or chop the egg. Whisk the dressing ingredients. Toss with greens in the serving bowl. Decorate with shrimp, asparagus, mango, clementine, egg.

Guy Burgess

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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.

April seems to be the month for traitors: Quisling earlier, and today Guy Burgess. He was born on 16 April 1911, and entered the world as Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess, heir to a family with traditions in banking and the military. An upper-middle class life of comfort and good schooling saw him educated at Eton, the British Naval Academy, and Cambridge University. Guy had a big personality and networked relentlessly, giving him a wide range of contacts. At Cambridge, he fell in with a left-leaning bunch of fellas who criticized capitalism, and they all joined the British Communist Party. Burgess’ flamboyant personality struck some as obnoxious, while others found him amusing. There were four friends who shared his views, and sometimes his sexual leanings. They were recruited by Soviet Intelligence as covert agents in the 1930s. During World War II, Guy was a correspondent for the BBC, worked for MI6, then was posted to the Foreign Office. All the while, he was feeding information to the Soviets. In his last job, Burgess was second secretary at the British Embassy in Washington, DC. He was well-placed to do a lot of damage through his selling of information, but Burgess came under suspicion. In 1951, he was recalled to England. Before he could be fired and exposed for his spying, one of his Cambridge pals tipped him off that he and another friend were in danger — so they vanished! Five years later, they were revealed to be living in Moscow, supported by the government in their retirement. Excessive drinking cause a heart attack, and Burgess died in Russia in 1963. Exactly what state secrets he sold remains unreleased, but Burgess’ duplicity, and that of the others called the “Cambridge Five” caused lasting distrust between American and British intelligence, which was not helpful during the Cold War. The unmasking of the ring in many branches of government fed an interest in spy fiction, making the careers of Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and Graham Greene.

A breakfast with British influence, a dinner from Burgess’ nation of exile.

Welsh Rabbit ScrOmelette: 152 calories… 9.5 g fat… 0.6 g fiber… 11.4 g protein… 3.4 g carbs… 97.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF The origional version of this recipe is served in Old Williamsburg, Virginia at Chowning’s Tavern. We love it for a homey supper, just as people did in Colonial Days and here are the same flavors in breakfast form.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid to store in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ ¼ oz Cheddar cheese ++++ ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce ++++ ½ tsp dry mustard ++++ 1 oz pear or strawberries ++++ 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] ++

Grate the cheese and stir in the Worcestershire and mustard. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and heat over meduim. Whisk and pour in the eggs. Add the cheese mixture and scramble or let cook then fold as an omelette. Prep the fruit and the beverages and ponder the rebellious days of Colonial America.

Pojarski Cutlets: 294 calories… 13 g fat… 5 g fiber… 33 g protein… 15 g carbs… 82.5 mg Calcium…  PG GF – if using GF bread  From an inn between Moscow and St Petersburg, comes a recipe to turn chopped meat into cutlets. Very simple to prepare. Recipe from Craig Claiborne’s NYT International Cook Book. HINT: makes 2 cutlets, serving two [2] people.

4 oz 85%-lean ground beef—–4 oz raw skinless chicken breast —–½ ounce egg Cut meat roughly into 1” chunks. Put in a food processor with egg and process until meat is well-chopped and all is blended.
Form meat into 2 tear-drop shapes, like pork chops.
2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour—–½ oz egg [1 Tbsp]—– 1 Tbsp water —— 6 Tbsp fresh bread crumbsDust meat in flour, then brush cutlets with the egg/water. Sprinkle with the crumbs and pat crumbs down to help them stick. 
Non-stick sprayApply cooking spray to a medium-hot pan and cook the ‘cutlets’ until bowned on both sides.
3 oz asparagus or 2 oz broccoliCook vegetable and plate with the cutlets.

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

2 slices 60-calorie whole-grain bread1 two-oz egg 
slice 3%-fat ham2%-fat cottage cheese
manchego cheesefresh herbs + red pepper flakes
pear OR Peach OR applepeach + Finn Crisp crackers
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

5-oz canned tuna + 2 hard-boiled eggs + tomatobaby salad greens + tiny shrimp
herbs + baby salad greens + edible flowersclementine + asparagus + mango
olive oil + white wine vinegarhard-boiled egg + mayonnaise
canned garbanzo beans + grainy mustardsriracha + garlic powder + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

F.W. Woolworth

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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. Welcome to asterisk1598 who is now Following.

Since the 1860s, Americans have embraced the story of the poor man who makes good through pluck and luck. Popular novels implied that the “American Dream” was attainable, and that fit into the ‘can-do’ zeitgeist in the Gilded Age. Few people exemplified that idea as well as Frank Winfield Woolworth, born April 13, 1852 in Rodman, New York State. His was a farming family, but young Frank had retail sales in mind. At age 15, he went to work at a store in the nearest large town. By night, Frank took courses in bookkeeping and commerce, and by day he performed rather poorly serving customers at the store. In those days, the shopper would give a list to the clerk, and the clerk would bring the purchases — no self-service. So Frank was put in charge of the stock room, and also of arranging items on the “Five Cent” table. He was good at those tasks, and he hatched the idea of a store that sold items at only one price: 5 cents. With a loan from his boss, Frank opened such a store, then saw it fail. He moved from upstate New York to the farm country of Eastern Pennsylvania where he opened his next store in June, 1879 — this time to great success. Frank brought his brother into the company, and expanded into more locations. Two years later, the addition of 10-cent items boosted sales even further. Two of Woolworth’s innovations were shelves of goods where customers could make their own choices and negotiating with suppliers to sell to him directly and in bulk. These were not customary practices. Instead of trying to crush the competition, Frank went into business with them: they would run their own stores, but sell his goods. By 1905, Woolworth had it made: Jennie Creighton was his wife, they had three daughters, and business was booming. A chain of stores was established in the UK [officially called 3+6, the monetary equivalent of 5+10, aka: Woollies], headed by Frank’s cousin and those succeeded too. The crowning moment came in 1912, when Woolworth decided to build a skyscraper in New York City. At 792 feet, it was the tallest building in the world. Companies clamored to rent office space in the elegant ‘The Cathedral of Commerce‘, and Woolworth quickly recouped the cost of the building — which he had paid for in cash. During WWI, Woolworth stores sold ‘savings stamps’ [Frank’s idea] to help fund the war effort. But his wife had dementia, and Frank’s health was declining. He died of blood poisoning in April of 1919, head of a chain of 1,200 stores internationally. Woolworth’s pluck was exhausted and his luck had run out. The last US store of the chain closed in the 1990s. All the ‘dollar stores’ are the descendants of the vision of F.W. Woolworth.

The Woolworth’s lunch counter was a reliable food source. Even if you were new in town and didn’t know the eateries, you could count on Woolworth’s. Eggs with sausage for a hearty breakfast, a BLT sandwich later in the day — these were typical fare at the Five ‘n’ Dime. It was at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina that black students staged an historic sit-in in 1960. There was policy in the South that Black people not be served at Whites Only restaurants, but the students sat down anyway. After a few months Woolworth’s gave in, insisting on the integration of its lunch counters.

Sausage ScrOmelette: 177 calories … 9 g fat… 2 g fiber… 14 g protein… 5 g carbs … 48 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  Sausage ‘n’ eggs are such a great combination. Enjoy often.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ 2 links [37 calories/link] chicken breakfast sausage, diced ++++ 1½ tsp oregano and parsley, chopped ++++ 2 oz apple ++++ 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] ++

Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the sausage and stir to warm briefly . Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and pour over the sausage in the pan. Scramble to your favorite degree of doneness. Plate the fruit, prepare optional beverages.

BLT: 291 calories… 10 g fat … 4 g fiber… 14.4 g protein… 34 g carbs… 231 mg Calcium… PB GF – if using GF bread Until I worked out the calories, I wouldn’t have believed that this would be fit for a Fast Day. But it is! Go ahead, enjoy.

++ 2 slices whole wheat bread at 60 calories/slice ++++ 2 slices uncured bacon ++++ 1 oz lettuce ++++ 2-oz sliced tomato ++++ 1/3 cup 3-bean salad ++++ ½ button original Baby-Bel cheese ++

Lightly toast the bread. Cook the bacon until crispy. Assemble the sandwich: bread, lettuce, bacon, tomato, lettuce, bread. Plate with the salad and cheese. A real treat.

Quisling

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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.

How horrible to have your family’s good name become synonymous with being a treasonous collaborator! Here is how it happened… Vidkun Quisling was born in 1887 into a loving, close-knit family. He did very well at school and was a military attaché to Russia and Finland during WWI. Early on, Vidkun had some admiration for the Bolsheviks, sympathizing with their ideas. After the war, he accompanied his countryman, the arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, on an humanitarian mission to Russian Ukraine which won him accolades from many countries. In late 1921, Alexandra Voronin became Mrs Quisling, but a year later, on another trip with Nansen to Ukraine, Vidkun left Alexandra for a different Russian named Marie. Oddly, he and his younger second wife ‘adopted’ Alexandra as their foster-daughter. When the couple went to Paris for a long trip, it spelled the end of Quisling’s military career. He gained name recognition by writing several articles for a Norwegian newspaper, and in 1931, he was appointed as defense minister. During that time, Quisling became an anti-communist defender of a strong central government. His political star was rising at the same time that fascism was taking over Germany, but the party that he formed never gained the power he expected. By 1936, Quisling was attending fascist rallies and conferences, condemning Jews and Marxists. Seeing which way the wind blew, he went to Germany to meet Hitler. Quisling told Hitler that Great Britain wanted to invade Norway, and that Hitler should do it first. In his heart, perhaps Quisling thought that by inviting the Germans to Norway, the country would remain an independent part of the Nazi’s new world order, instead of a conquered nation. He also hoped that he would be the head of the resulting government. On April 9, 1940, Germany invaded. The government did not collapse and Quisling was not installed as ruler, although he proclaimed himself to be the prime minister in a national radio broadcast. Dating from the end of 1940, the English press was using the term ‘quisling’ to mean ‘traitor’. Eventually, he was propped up as ‘minister president’ in charge of a puppet government. From there it was down hill. One unpopular decree followed after another: rounding up and deporting Jews, forcing all youth to join Hitler-Youth style groups, and drafting Norwegians to fight for Germany. In May of 1945, with the German surrender, Quisling was arrested. He was put on trial for treason, theft, embezzlement, and murder. Although he protested his innocence, Quisling was found guilty and was shot by a firing squad in October.

Our breakfast is Ukranian, for Quisling’s work with Nansen to aid the citizens of that nation. The dinner represents his association with the Germans, which lead to his downfall.

Ukranian Omelette: 188 calories… 8.6 g fat… 5.6 g fiber… 20 g protein… 24 g carbs… 123.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF I am told that this is a popular breakfast in Ukraine. And once you eat it, you will see why.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ ¼ cup cottage cheese, 2% fat ++++ 2 oz sliced raw mushrooms ++++ 2 Tbsp chives/scallions, minced ++++ black pepper ++++ 3 oz strawberries ++++  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] ++

Warm the mushrooms in a small saute pan, then add the cottage cheese and stir in the chives/scallions. Heat briefly, cover and take off heat. Spritz a non-stick pan with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg and pour into the pan. Tip the pan and lift the edge of the cooking eggs to permit uncooked egg to run underneath. When the bottom of the eggs is cooked and the top is mostly set, spoon the cheese-mushroon-chive mixture across the lower third of the eggs. Starting closest to you, roll the eggs around the cheese filling and continue until it is all rolled. Plate and eat. Very nice.

Sauerkraut and Sausage: 255 calories… 5.5 g fat… 12.6 g fiber… 21 g protein… 33.5 g carbs… 196.4 mg Calcium…  GF PB Does this meal make you picture over-weight Teutons? Brunhilde, anyone? Now check the calories and change your mind. Sauerkraut is a great choice for dieting, and sausages don’t have to be fattening. 

++ 1½ cups sauerkraut, canned or bagged or fresh ++++ 2 tsp caraway seed ++++ 2 oz applesauce, unsweetened ++++ ½ cup onions, chopped coarsely ++++ 1 cob-smoked chicken sausage with apple [OR any other sausage with 110 calories] left whole or sliced into ½” chunks ++++ 1½ cups raw collard greens OR kale OR chard, chopped or sliced cross-wise in ¼” strips [chiffonade] ++++ salt + garlic powder + pepper to taste ++

Thaw the sausage if it is frozen. Combine the sauerkraut, caraway seed, applesauce, and onions in a saucepan large enough to hold the sausage [if leaving whole]. Cook slowly, uncovered until half of the liquid is gone. Add the sausage, cover, and continue to cook until everything is hot. Meanwhile, put the collards into ½ cup water with seasonings, and cook covered until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
37-calorie chicken breakfast sausageCheddar cheese
oregano + parsleyWorcestershire sauce
apple or peardry mustard + strawberries or pear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

2 slices 60-calorie whole-grain breadbison meat + chicken breast
American streaky bacon + tomatofresh bread crumbs + asparagus or broccoli
lettuce + 3-bean saladone 2-oz egg [US Large]
Baby-Bel cheesewhite whole wheat flour
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Road to Emmaus

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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.

Religious faith is not a single event, it is a journey. Parts of that journey might be joyous, parts might bring grief — it is all part of the process. One such journey occurred on the day after the ‘First Easter’. Around 33 CE, on the first full day of Passover, Jesus of Nazareth was killed by the Romans as a political prisoner. Jesus’ devoted male and female [everyone remembers the 12 disciples but no one thinks about the many women who were part of his retinue, believers all] followers buried him and then went into hiding. In modern terms, they had survivor guilt and in time they would have had PTSD. They hid from society and daily life because they were depressed and because they feared arrest for having associated with Jesus. On the Sunday following his death, three female followers found that Jesus’ tomb was empty except for an angel [!], and one of them reported having seen him alive. What could this mean?? Surely a man who had died before their eyes could not have risen from the dead…?! The next day, two of his friends, identified as Cleopas and his wife Mary, left Jerusalem headed for Emmaus, their home town seven miles away [a two hour walk] or maybe 19 miles away [a six hour walk]. They were on a physical journey as well as a mental and emotional journey of grief and confusion. On the road to Emmaus, the two were met by another man, and they fell into conversation. Mary and Cleopas were amazed that the man seemed to know nothing of the death of Jesus, and as they walked, the three discussed the event and how scriptures had foretold it. When they reached Emmaus, they all dined together. The stranger reached for the bread, and blessed it and broke it — and Cleopas and Mary suddenly recognized that this ‘stranger’ was in fact their friend Jesus, truly alive and well! The minute they knew him, he disappeared — but they knew what they had seen and experienced. They retraced their steps to Jerusalem to tell their friends what had happened. Their journey had only just begun. Easter Monday is a holiday in many nations around the world.

Our meals contain popular ingredients from the Levant, that may have been eaten by Mary and Cleopas. There is even bread to break together.

Za’atar Bake: 176 calories… 10 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 10.5 g protein… 11 g carbs… 58 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.PB GF Za’atar and hummus were made for each other, so combine them with eggs for breakfast. Yummy.

++one 2-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp hummus ++++ 1 tsp za’atar ++++ 2 oz pear/apple ++++ 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 egg, then add the hummus and za’atar. Spritz an oven-safe dish or ramekin with non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Bake at 350F. For 12-15 minutes – it should puff and be starting to brown. Prep beverages, plate eggs with fruit. That’s an easy preparation for a fine breakfast.

Veal with Dried Fruit: 289 calories… 4.5 g fat… 4.6 g fiber… 27 g protein… 28.5 g carbs… 80 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if not serving the bread All the ingredients [except the tomato paste, which you could eliminate] are mentioned in the Bible. Is this the dinner that was cooked when the ‘fatted calf’ was killed? It seems celebratory to me. It is based on a recipe from lacucinaitaliana.com.

Serves 2 
½ c. carrots——-½ c. onion——-½ tsp olive oil———
1 bay leaf —– 1 sprig rosemary		Chop vegetables. Brown in a saute pan with oil, bay leaf and rosemary. Cook 5 mins.Season with salt + pepper.
1/3 cup hot water —–2 dried apricot —– 1 dried fig ——- 2 datesCut fruits in half. Add water and fruit to pan. Cover pan and simmer over low heat ~30 mins. 20MINS??
6 oz lean veal filetsPound meat to thin it if fillets are more than ½” thick.
1/3 c.white wine—–1 tsp. tomato pasteAdd these, with veal, to pan. Cover partially and simmer on low until meat is cooked and sauce has thickened.
3 oz cucumber per person [13 calories]—–1.6 oz gozleme bread [26 calories]Divide meat, fruit and sauce between 2 plates. Serve with sliced cucumbers and gozleme bread.

Who Dunit? Who Ate It? Chapter X

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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.

Dear Husband and I love to read ‘whodunits.’ Crime literature written in English harks back to Edgar Allen Poe’s Murders on Rue Morgue in 1841. As the genre took off, a sub-genre developed: culinary crime. These books are read as much for the procedural as for the vicarious thrills of the meals that are described along the way. There are many authors who tantalize our tastebuds while they challenge our little grey cells and today, I will feature foods from two widely different sources.

Nancy Drew is many a girl’s introduction to ‘crime fiction’, and my sister was a huge fan. The plucky young heroine solved mysteries in a series of books that first appeared in 1930. With her gal chums Bess and George, Nancy appeared in 56 books which have sold 70 million copies world-wide. Author Mildred Wirt Benson wrote 23 of the original 30 books under the nom de plume “Carolyn Keene”. She was the first in a series of authors using the same pen name. In The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Hannah Gruen, the Drew family’s housekeeper, serves French Toast for breakfast.

French Toast: 187 calories… 6 g fat… 2.6 g fiber … 12.6 g protein… 15 g carbs … 95 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. HINT: This recipe makes French Toast for 2 people or two breakfasts. If serving one, prepare all the toast, but put the remainder in a bag in the freezer for a really fast breakfast later.

++4 slices 70-cal whole grain bread +++ one 2-oz egg +++ 2 Tbsp fat-free milk +++ per person: 1 oz strawberries, fresh or unsweetened frozen +++ 1½ tsp maple syrup +++one 60-cal chicken sausage +++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] +++  Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Whisk the egg and milk together. Cut the pieces of bread using a large cookie cutter. [This step is important for the calorie count to come out right, so don’t skip it even if it seems too much like ‘crafty food.’ The bread that is left over can be fed to the birds or saved to make Stuffed Clams] Put the bread into a dish with a rim which is just big enough for the bread pieces. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread, making sure it is all wetted. Let stand OVERNIGHT. Also mash the strawberries and stir into the syrup. NEXT MORNING, cook the batter-soaked bread in a hot non-stick pan with a spritz of non-stick spray until browned on both sides. NOW PUT ½ OF THE PIECES ASIDE TO COOL. PUT INTO A BAG AND FREEZE THEM FOR A LATER DATE. Cook the sausage, too. Warm the mixture a little and smear onto the plated toast. Enjoy with the sausage and beverage of choice.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is hero of Louise Penny’s ‘Three Pines Series‘. In The Gray Wolf, he must revisit the monastery of St Gilbert Entre-Les-Loups in northern Quebec Province. The monks serve a vegetarian casserole made of their home-grown produce, and even Jean-Guy Beauvoir, Armand’s carnivore right-hand man [and son-in-law] enjoyed it.

Ratatouille-Feta Casserole: 266 calories…12 g fat… 6.5 g fiber… 11 g protein… 33.5 g carbs. 152.6 mg Calcium… 371 mg Sodium…  PB GF – if using GF bread  This meal was described in a Louise Penny book, and I decided to try it. Some recipes have you serve it on bread, but I incorporated the bread into the casserole for heft and portion control.

Serves 3
++5 oz eggplant+++5 oz zucchini+++ 5 oz red or yellow sweet pepper+++ 5 oz roma tomatoes+++ Leave vegetables unpeeled and cut them all into ½” cubes. Put into large saucepan.
5 oz red onion, sliced ¼” thick+++2 cloves garlic, sliced+++ lots of thyme and rosemary+++ crushed red pepper+++ salt & pepper to taste++Peel onion and garlic, slice.Add these to saucepan with ½ cup water. Put on lid, simmer until soft but not mushy.
4 oz whole wheat baguette, cut in ¼” cubesAdd to vegetables, mix well. Pour into 6×10” baking pan.
3 oz good feta cheese, crumbledDistribute on top of vegetables.
Bake at 375 until getting a bit charred. Serve hot.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
hummus2%-fat cottage cheese
za’atarmushrooms
pear or applechives or scallions
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Carrot + onion + veal + dried apricotscaraway seed + collard or other large-leaf greens
olive oil + rosemary + dried Turkish figchicken sausage with apple @ 110 calories
bay leaf + dates + cucumberapplesauce, unsweetened + garlic powder
white wine + tomato paste + gozleme breadonions + sauerkraut
Sparkling waterSparkling water

6 7

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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.

Numerals are symbolic representations of amounts of things. Numerals can also take different meanings. Take 6 and 7, which have had a long and varied pairing history. Riddle: Why was 6 afraid of 7? Answer: Because Seven Eight Nine. [it makes sense if you hear it said out loud and allow for a change the spelling.] Then there is an old expression, “to be at sixes and sevens”. The usage goes back to Chaucer in 1374, when it was said as “on sixes and sevens” and it meant taking a risk, as in a game of dice. By 1535, it was “at six and seven”, and the meaning was confusion and disarray. Since 1601, the phrase is “to be at sixes and sevens”, and it still refers to disorder. You want disorder? How about the way that adolescents love to annoy adults — it has been that way for centuries. The way they dress, the music they like, and especially the way they talk, all are intended to set them as far apart from their parents as possible. In the 1920s, a flapper [modern young woman] might be heard saying that “Mrs Grundy [any prudish/older woman] gave her the heebee-jeebees [made her uneasy]”. In the 1960s, a youth might turn down an offer saying, “I don’t dig it, Man — it ain’t my bag”. Guaranteed to incense an adult! Nowadays, it is “6 7”. For a while in 2025, children of all ages and in all places would say it, accompanied by hand gestures. It either began with a song in late 2024 called Doot Doot (6 7) or it had to do with a basketball player whose height was 6’7″. Whatever. The phrase and gesture have been around the world on TikTok, spreading it at the speed of light. And kids are delighted by the way it drives adults CRAZY. Adults want to know what it means, and you know what? It doesn’t mean a thing! Now that it has been in use for about a year, it will die out, so by June 7th, it should be gone. What will they come up with next???

Our breakfast has six ingredients, our dinner has seven. What more could you want?

Parthian Scramble: 179 calories… 8 g fat … 2.4 g fiber … 11.5 g protein … 16 g carbs… 56 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF The flavors in this breakfast were favored by the Parthians, as recorded by the Roman historian Apicus. The sweet dates are a fine foil to the salty eggs: very modern tastes in an ancient recipe.  HINT: this recipe is enough to serve two [2].

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week ++++ ¼ c chickpeas ++++ 1½ tsp fishsauce ++++ ¼ tsp ginger powder ++++ 1 Tbsp fennel frond, chopped ++++  per person: 2 deglet noor dates ++++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]

Mash the chickpeas with the fish sauce, ginger, and fennel. Whisk into the eggs and cook to your liking. Plate with the dates. If you want more flavor, put a dash of fish sauce on the finished eggs.

Ham Flan [Rigodon]: 284 calories.. 9 g fat… 3 g fiber… 27 g protein… 25 g carbs… 231.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF flour In Burgundy, France, they like their ham. Here it stars in the glorious ‘rigodon’ or ham flan. Easy to prepare and splendid to eat. HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two].

++ 3 oz ham, preferably 97% fat free ++++ 1 cup skimmed milk ++++ 4 two-oz eggs ++++ 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour ++++ big pinch allspice ++++ big pinch thyme ++++ Side Salad OR 2 oz green beans ++

Dice the ham and put it on the bottom of a glass or ceramic pie plate which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bring the milk slowly to a boil. Whisk the eggs and flour until well combined. Take the milk off the heat and add to the eggs in a thin stream while whisking quickly so the eggs don’t cook. Stir in the seasonings and pour it all into the baking dish. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, until set and golden brown. Serve cold or at room temperature/