weight loss

Passing: Charley Parkhurst

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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.

Parkhurst ferries a slightly apprehensive passenger.

 “Passing” means living your life as someone you are not, and getting away with it. The term can be used for people living as a member of another race or of a different sex. Charley Parkhurst was a rip-snortin’, rough-ridin’, rootin’-tootin’, six-gun-shootin’ stagecoach driver of the Old West. Being a stage coach driver, or ‘Whip’, was the job for only the strongest, bravest, most daring of men. They were highly respected, and little boys wanted to be just like them. Parkhurst was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1812. Orphaned as a child, there were some hard years spent in an orphanage. Charley escaped and went to Rhode Island, getting employment at a livery stable. The boss took a shine to Parkhurst, teaching the youth about horses and coach-driving. When gold was discovered in California, Charley headed there and on the way, acquaintance was made with a man who owned a carting business. He hired the 37-year-old to drive delivery carts. Shortly after arriving in the Gold Fields, Parkhurst was kicked in the face by a horse, losing the use of one eye and earning the sobriquet “Cockeyed Charley”. Parkhurst reconnected with his old boss from Rhode Island, who ran a stagecoach line. Thus, Charley became a Whip. The other drivers soon recognized that, despite short stature and small hands, Charley was one of the best. Roads were muddy and rocky, steep and twisty through the mountains. Other dangers included bandits who wanted the bank strong-boxes that the coaches carried, plus bears, and mountain lions. Despite bad weather, floods, and washed-out bridges, Charley’s coaches were always on time, cargo and passengers intact. In 1868, Parkhurst registered to vote and participated in the election. Eventually, railroads took over the transport of people and goods, so Charley retired to a small property, farming in the summer and logging in the winter. When arthritis made motion less easy, Charley down-sized to the cabin where death finally overcame the famous coachman on December 28, 18–. Friends and neighbors had encouraged Parkhurst to see a doctor for his tongue cancer symptoms, but he refused. They found out why when they found him dead and began to prepare Charley for burial — Charley Parkhurst, who had been born “Charlotte”, was in fact a woman. Many of his friends refused to believe it. Parkhurst was so well-known, and the revelation so amazing, that newspapers across the country carried the obituary. Would Charley be considered a trans man today, or was Charley astonishingly adept at concealing his sex? [Before you try to correct me, ‘sex’ is determined by your chromosomes, while ‘gender’ is how you present yourself. Charlotte Parkhurst had the sex of a woman, but presented herself in the gender of a man.] Whatever. Does it matter? Charley showed that a woman can indeed do a “man’s job”, and that they can vote, too.

What did Charlie Parkhurst eat? Most likely simple, hearty foods found at a post stop while the horses were being changed, or meals prepared at home.

Ham ScrOmelette:  150 calories… 7.6 g fat… 1 g fiber… 12.4 g protein… 7 g carb… 45 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB  GF Here’s another classic of the breakfast table.

++ 1½ eggs per person  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 ground or chopped 3%-fat ham ++++ 2 oz melon or apple ++++ herbs to taste ++++ 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] ++

Chop the ham, slice the fruit, prep your beverage. Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. When the bottom begins to set, distribute the ham over half of the eggs. {OR warm the ham briefly in the hot pan, pour in the whisked eggs and scramble together until cooked.] Fold the omelette and cook to your favorite degree of doneness. Pour your beverages, and you are off to a good start to your day.

Chicken/Turkey Dinner: 284 calories… 4.5 g fat… 9 g fiber… 31.6 g protein… 34 g carbs… 58 mg Calcium…  PB Perfect use for left-over roasted or lemon-marinated grilled chicken breast. Instead of potatoes, enjoy the crunch of high-fiber crackers. So low in calories that you may even have some lovely fruit for dessert!

++4 ounces roasted breast meat, without skin ++++ ½ cup/3 o z green beans ++++ 2 oz carrots, sliced as coins ++++ 2 pieces Finn Crisp crackers ++++ ½ cup sliced strawberries ++

Warm the cooked meat or not, according to your taste. Cook the vegetables and plate with the meat and crackers. Enjoy those strawberries as a sweet conclusion to the meal.

Roger II of Sicily

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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.

Roger the 2nd of Sicily was a Renaissance Man long before there was a Renaissance. He was born on December 22, 1095 in Sicily. But this is not the Sicily that we know today. The Greeks and Romans had made their mark on the island, long before the Common Era. The Byzantines [535 CE] and Arabs [827 CE] had also ruled there for a few centuries. The Normans, before they invaded England in 1066, set out to enlarge their sphere of influence. In 999 CE, they entered Sicily, then took it over under the sword of Roger’s father, Robert Guiscard. Roger became King of Sicily in 1130, and he was well-suited for the job. An excellent linguist, he spoke eight languages, including the patois of the local people. Roger was interested in art and science and geography, and during his reign, all the disparate cultures and religions lived in harmony. Roger was a Christian, but he was a cameleon. Instead of stamping out the other religions, he permitted them to carry on. Instead of imposing Norman French ways and language, Roger adopted some of their customs. He rewrote the feudal code and eliminated most slavery. In his glittering capital Palermo, Roger married a succession of wives, and also kept a harem. He had built the astonishing Cappella Palatina/Norman Chapel within the Norman Palace of his father. The mosaic interior was created by Byzantine Greeks and Arab craftsmen. It is visually stunning and unlike most churches of its day, it celebrates Bible stories and the glory of Roger II, rather than suffering saints. Christ is shown, not in shame on the cross, but in victory as the All-Powerful. Lettering on the walls is in Greek, Latin, and Arabic. Due to his embrace of Arab influences and his reluctance to go on Crusade, popes were wary of Roger, but he continued to grow in wealth and power. His sons administered lands on the Italian mainland, from Rome to the south. Then Roger conquered Tunisia, expanding his grip on trade throughout the Mediterranean. At his death in 1154, Roger was the most powerful ruler in all of Europe. His enlightened governance was not inherited by his sons, and they lost much of the territory and influence that their father had won. Clearly, Roger II of Sicily was one of a kind.

Our meals contains that most prized vegetable in modern Sicily: the eggplant, served in two tasty ways.

Caponata Bake:  165 calories… 7 g fat… 3 g fiber… 8 g protein… 15 g carbs…72 mg Calcium…  PB GF Caponata is a favorite dish in Sicily. Delicious and versitile, it can be enjoyed at breakfast or dinner.

1 two-oz egg +++ ½ cup caponata +++ ½ clementine +++ 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 together egg and caponata.** Pour into an oven-safe dish and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit, and dream of sunny Sicily.

**CAPONATA: makes 2 cups  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 ½ cup: 78 calories… 2 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 1.4 g protein… 10 g carbs 33 mg Calcium ¼ cup: 36 calories… 1 g fat… 1.6 g fiber… 0.7 g protein… 5 g carbs… 16.6 mg Calcium

Can be served with whole-grain bread, on pasta, or polents, as a side for fish or meat.

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.On cooktop, cook 2 mins in cooking spray.
1 Tbsp capers, drained—-6 pitted black olives——–1-2 T. herb vinegarAdd 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.

Eggplant Patties w/ Onion Marinara: 273 calories… 4 g fat… 8.5 g fiber… 46 g carbs… 43 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread/flour/pasta Marcella Hazen, in her Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, gives the recipe for the patties and a sauce in which to serve them. I added the pasta to the meal. 

++ 4 prepared eggplant patties**, portioned with a 1½ Tbsp scoop ++++ 1 oz pasta– If you use whole grain or high fiber pasta, so much the better ++++ ½ cup tomato-onion marinara ++ 

**Eggplant Patties: makes 7 when using a 1½ tsp scoop = 32 calories each —9 oz eggplant with skin still on— 2 Tbsp bread crumbs— 1 Tbsp spinach chiffonade — 1 tsp minced garlic — 1 egg yolk — 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan — 1 Tbsp white whole wheat flour —

Roast eggplant at 400F until soft, around 15 minutes. Peel it and cut in rough cubes. Put in a collander over a bowl and let it drain, pressing down lightly. Add to a bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir with a fork until well-combined. Heat a skillet and spray with non-stick spray. Using a 1½ Tbsp scoop, put eggplant mixture into the hot pan, flattening it a bit. Cook on each side until starting to brown.

++ Tomato-Onion Marinara makes 1.5 cups  –1.5 c. onion, thinly sliced — 1.5 c. canned whole tomatoes — Salt + pepper — 

Spray a saute pan with non-stick cooking oil and heat it. Add onions and cook at medium-low until onions begin to turn golden. Add tomatoes, chopping them into smaller pieces with a plastic or wooden utensil. Cook until tomatoes have thickened a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the pasta while the patties are cooking. Heat the marinara, then add the cooked pasta. Put some of the sauce in the center of your plate and position the patties on top. Arrange the pasta and sauce around the center, as pleases your eye.

James Thurber

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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.

My parents’ library had many books, but my sister and I went back to one again and again: Thurber Carnival, by James Thurber. It was full of adult humor, yet it appealed to us, too. There were funny stories [The Secret Life of Walter Mitty], odd cartoons, and just enough mystery [why would adults think this is funny?] to make us come back for more. James Grover Thurber was born on December 8, 1894, in Columbus, Ohio. He was second of three sons, and lost sight in one eye at age six, when one of his brothers accidentally shot him with an arrow. Their father was a political aide, his mother was a story-teller with an out-sized sense of humor. Thurber attended Ohio State, but was not graduated. He tried newspaper work, then was sent to France as a code clerk at the end of World War 2. When he returned to the States, his career and his marriage were both very rocky. Newly divorced, Thurber moved to New York, where he met E.B. White. Through White, he got a job as an editor at the neophyte New Yorker magazine. It was White, too, who recognized Thurber as a cartoonist, urging him to publish his art. And so the world was introduced to Thurber’s style: stories of weak-willed married men who dream big dreams as a way to escape their scoffing, criticizing wives; fairy tales that fracture the traditional mode; and delightful parodies of popular norms [Pet Department spoofing the advice column.] As he aged, the vision in Thurber’s ‘healthy eye’ deteriorated, so he drew his cartoons on huge papers, using heavy, dark lines, and composed whole stories in his head for later dictation. In 1961, he was operated on for a blood clot in his brain. He died one month later, taking all his whimsical animals and angsty mid-century urban men with him.

If she had served this for breakfast, perhaps Mr Prebble wouldn’t have wanted to get rid of his wife. Animals such as dogs, seals, and owls populate Thurber’s cartoons, but I liked his rabbits the best. Rabbit Pie for dinner.

Ham Bake: 142 calories… 7 g fat… 1.6 g fiber… 11 g protein… 5 g carbs… 61.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF The baked version of a ham omelette.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 oz 3 %-fat ham from the deli, minced ++++ 1.5 tsp reduced fat ricotta +++ 2 tsp chives/scallion, chopped ++++ ½ tsp Dijon mustard ++++ large pinch of crumbled sage + salt & pepper to taste ++++ Clementine or 2 oz unsweetened applesauce ++++ 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] ++

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 F. Vigorously whisk the egg, ham, cheese, and seasonings and pour into ramekin. Bake 12-15 minutes until puffed, not until golden. Portion the fruit, pour the beverages and this will surely be a good day.

Rabbit Pie: 275 calories… 6.6 g fat… 4.6 g fiber… 25.6 g protein… 27.5 g carbs… 77 mg Calcium…  PB Rabbit is a common meat in recipes the world over. It is high in protein and low in fat. And yes, it does taste like chicken. You could substitute.

++ 2 oz mushrooms ++++ 4 oz chicken stock ++++ 2 tsp potato starch ++++ 0.55 oz [1 slice] ham from the deli ++++ 3 oz rabbit meat ++++ ¼ cup onions, chopped ++++ big pinch dried thyme + big pinch savory + salt + pepper ++++ ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin OR a 4” circle cut from whole-grain bread ++++ 1.5 oz carrots ++

If the rabbit is uncooked: Cut it into bite-sized pieces and quickly cook in a saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Remove the meat. Chop and cook the mushrooms in non-stick spray, but do not evaporate all of the liquid they give off. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and the stock to the pan along with the mushroom juices and ¼ cup water. Simmer to cook the onions. Whisk in the potato starch and the seasonings. Continue to whisk over heat until the potato starch is dissolved. Cook at a simmer until the liquid measures ¼ cup and is thickened. Add the rabbit meat, ham, and the mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasonings. Pour and scrape into an oven-proof dish. Top with the Sandwich Thin. Bake at 350 F for15 minutes. Cook the carrots. Plate the meal by first putting the Sandwich Thin on the plate, then covering it with the rabbit-mushroom mixture. Pour any extra liquid so that it is soaked up by the bread. Plate the carrots to complete the meal.

The Grange

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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.

Have you heard of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry? Probably not, but you might recognize its common name: The Grange. The name is from the French word for “barn”, a necessary outbuilding on every farm. The Grange was formed following a tour of the American South by a commissioner tasked by President Andrew Johnson to look into agricultural practices on small farms. Oliver Kelley visited farms in the former Confederate States and also in the territories and new states of the Midwest. He was horrified by farmers’ lack of knowledge about ‘progressive agriculture’. Kelley thought that if there were a national organization of farmers, that they could trade information and best practices to improve farm output and profits. Through the work of likeminded people, Grange #1 was established in Fredonia, New York on December 4, 1867. The group went national in 1873, setting up an office in the nation’s capital. From its start, the Grange was egalitarian, recognizing the work of women and teenagers on the farm. Every Grange was required to have at least four women among its elected officials, and teenaged boys ‘old enough to push a plow’ were permitted to join. Grange members not only promoted modern farming, they were a major part of the social fabric of the town. They sponsored patriotic celebrations, summer lawn parties, community suppers, and theatrical performances. Eventually, as forms of entertainment became more available and family farms became fewer, the Grange was no longer the sole way to meet people or to spend leisure time and membership dwindled. Today there are still around 2100 Granges in 37 states. We will always need farmers.

Our meals are from the garden and the hen house, just the right food for a Grange member.

Leek & Tomato ScrOmelette: 153 calories… 7.4 g fat… 3 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 12 g carbs… 73 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Eggs taste great — leeks and tomatoes always make them even better.

++1½ 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 tomato++++ 0.35 oz leeks, sliced and cooked++++ pinch garlic powder++++ 2 pinches basil++++ 1 clementine OR 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]++

Dice the tomatoes and put them in a pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Add salt and the basil, and cook until warm. Add the cooked leeks along with the garlic powder. Whisk the eggs and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Cook to your liking: as a scramble or as an omelette. Plate with the fruit, serve the beverages of your choice, and enjoy a fine day.

Gazpacho: 171 calories… 6.5 g fat… 2.4 g fiber… 14 g protein… 14.6 g carbs… 57.6 mg Calcium…  PB GF– if using GF croutons This is from Craig Claibourne’s Gourmet Diet cookbook from 1980. We used to make this, then it fell out of the repetoire. Time to re-embrace this classic Summer soup.  HINT: Serves 3 [three]. Makes a fine follow-up lunch. 


++1 pound red ripe tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp minced garlic ++++ ½ cup diced onion++++½ cup green or red pepper in ½” dice ++++ ½ cup cucumber, diced ++++ 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ++++ 1 Tbsp olive oil ++++ ¼ cup tomato juice ++++ generous grinds of black pepper + pinch piment d’Esplette OR Aleppo pepper OR cayenne pepper ++++  garnish per serving: 2 oz shrimp, peeled, cooked, cut in ½“ pieces ++++ ¼ oz whole-grain croutons ++


Core and dice the tomatoes. Put them into a blender. Add the next seven ingredients in order. Put the spices on top and turn the blender on to medium speed. When you are finished, all the ingredients should be mixed throughout but there should still be chunks of vegetables. Measure 1 cup of the soup into each bowl and top with the garnishes and a pinch of finishing salt. Just what we need in the Summer.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs  + Parmesan cheese
applesauce + chives/scallionstomato sauce + bell pepper
3%-fat ham + sagegarlic + parsley
part-skim ricotta + Dijon mustardpiment d’Esplette + apple or pear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

3 oz rabbit meat + portobello mushroomsBay scallops + sun-dried tomatoes — not in oil
ham + onions + carrotparsley or basil + butter
chicken stock + herb savory + thymeolive oil + garlic
Arnold Sandwich Thin  or slice 70-calorie breadred lentil pasta + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

End of an Empire

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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.

Hülegü locks the Calif in a cell filled with gold.

For 500 years, the Abbasid Caliphate had been living the good life. Initially, the Persians were followers of Zoroaster, and they were part of many empires – from the Greeks to the Parthians. In 651 CE, Persia came under the influence of Muslim Arabs. Their capital at Bagdad, founded in 762 CE, saw a flowering of intellect, attracting scholars, poets, artists, astronomers, and the top medical minds of the era. There were some periods of instability as various strong men vied for rule, but on the whole the Abbasid Caliphate preside over the Golden Age of Islam. Meanwhile, far to the East, the Mongols were riding rough-shod over the landscape. Literally. Hülegü, grandson of Ghengis Khan, had been assigned to invade the Persian Empire. So he did. In January of 1258, his army besieged Bagdad. There had been an exchange of letters previously, Hülegü threatening to sack the city if they did not surrender [“I will not leave a single person alive in your country, I will turn your city, lands and empire into flames.”], and the Calif al-Musta’sim thinking it was just trash talk. On February 10, the Mongol horde took the city. A few days later, the sacking began. Some estimates say that 2 million citizens were killed, but Hülegü admitted to only 200,000. The Mongols went on to threaten Eastern Europe while Bagdad rebuilt. Today it is the capital of Iran. Time to reread Oyzamandius by Shelley.

Our breakfast is based on favorite Persian flavors. Our dinner would have been favored by the conquering Mongols.

Jeweled Rice: 228 calories… 4.2 g fat… 0.3 g fiber… 6 g protein… 39.3 g carbs… 8 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  Ancient Persians adored rice, and nuts grew abundantly on the hillsides. Let’s combine them for breakfast a Persian would love. The glistening honey-coated nuts give this meal its name and its flavor.

++ ½ c cooked brown rice ++++ 1 oz nut-honey mix, such as Buram brand ++++  Optional: blackish coffee  [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Take the rice off the hob or warm it, if pre-cooked. Warm the nut-honey mix, and stir to blend with the rice. Prepare hot beverage of choice and be transported back to Islam’s Golden Age.

Cod for the Khan: 223 calories… 2.4 g fat… 6 g fiber… 24.6 g protein… 28 g carbs… 176 mg Calcium…  PB GF This meal is based on ingredients from a Mongol Carp Soup. Instead of boiling, the fish is pan-cooked and it tastes good.

Marinated Cod: ++ 4 oz cod fillet ++++ ¼ tsp brown pepper, ground ++++ ¼ tsp coriander seed, ground ++++ 1½ tsp onion, chopped ++++ 1 Tbsp Chinese wine or sherry ++ >>>> Stir together the spices, onion, and wine in a glass pie plate. Marinate the cod, turning often, for 30-60 minutes.

The Dinner: ++ marinated cod ++++ 1 cup foraged greens: dandelion leaves, chickweed, chives, sheep-sorrel, spinach ++++ ¼ cup onion, chopped ++++ ¼ cup brown rice, cooked ++++ 1 Tbsp chives, chopped ++++ splash of vinegar ++ >>>> Spray a small cast iron pan with cooking spray and add the cod. Cook over medium for 4 minutes, turning to heat both sides. Pour in the marinade, cover, turn down heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillet. Chop the greens roughly. Put onion in a small pan with ¼ cup water and simmer until transluscent. Add the greens, turn down heat, cover, and simmer to wilt the greens. Heat the cooked rice and stir in chives. Test fish to see if it ‘flakes’ [when a fork is brushed over the side of the fish, the meat comes off in flakes]. Salt to taste and add a splash of vinegar. Plate the fish with the rice and greens, pouring extra pan juices over the fish and rice.  Don’t get delusions of ruling the world.

Fort Sumter

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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.

Fort Sumter, December 1860. NPS photo.

Fort Sumter is on an island in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It was built after the War of 1812, to strengthen the defense of the harbor, since the town of Charleston had been a key site in the War of Independence in the 1770s. It was named after Thomas Sumter, an heroic fighter in the Revolution. But as the 1800s advanced, independence of other sorts came into question: many in the US wanted independence for the many enslaved people of the American South, and the slave owners of the South wanted the independence to do live as they pleased. As the fort neared completion in the late 1850s, the separatists in South Carolina told the US President Buchanan to remove the troops from the fort, and from nearby Fort Moultrie. He refused, and the fort was besieged. The soldiers there held out from December into January, but supplies were running low. A ship was sent from New York, with soldiers, ammunition, and food, but on January 9, 1861, as it neared the fort, it was fired upon. The ship retreated. In early April, the new President Lincoln told the South Carolinians that he would resupply the fort. The South Carolinians said that would be a declaration of war. The South began a bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, and on April 13, the 80 soldiers on the island struck their flag, and left the fort. The American Civil War had begun.

Thomas Sumter’s name was surely based on the word ‘sumpter’. The word originally meant a pack animal, but it became an occupation. Sumpters operated traveling grocery stores around the nation during peacetime, and during wars, they often sold food and sundries to soldiers. A popular item that a sumpter would sell to soldiers was an egg — at exorbitant prices. Eggs are more available to most of us, so we will have them for breakfast. Much better for us than the local Charleston favorite — Krispy Kreme doughnuts! The dinner is made with two popular food items of the Carolinas: ham and sweet potatoes.

Egg-Salad Toast: 167 calories… 8 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 12 g protein… 22 g carbs… 101 mg Calcium…  PB Toast ‘n’ Egg for breakfast takes a new twist. If you must grab-and-go, this is a good choice. 

1 slice whole-grain bread [70 calories, 3 g fiber] ++++ one hardboiled 2-oz egg ++++ yellow Sriracha, ad lib ++++ 1 Tbsp reduced-fat ricotta -OR- reduced-fat cottage cheese ++++ 1 oz sliced tomato OR halved cherry tomatoes ++++ 2 oz strawberries -OR- 1 oz blueberries ++++  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]

Slice the tomato and salt it to develop flavor. Shell the egg and mash it with a fork on a plate. Squirt some Sriracha on it, add the ricotta, and continue to mash and squirt until you get the consistancy you like. Add salt and pepper and herbs to taste. Lightly toast the bread and spread with the egg salad. Top with the tomato and plate with the fruit. Wholesome and hearty.

Ham Dinner: 297 calories… 8 g fat… 6 g fiber… 19 g protein… 40 g carbs… 41.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is a classic Easter Dinner in many homes, as well as being a popular diner order. From the succotash to the sweetened sweet potato to the pineapple garnish, this meal is a classic.

++ 3 oz ham, sliced 3/8” thick ++++ ¼ c. lima beans ++++ ¼ c corn kernels ++++ 1 oz sweet potato ++++ 1 tsp brown sugar ++++ ¼ c canned pineapple ++

Cube the sweet potato and simmer in a small pan until tender, ~10 mins. Heat the ham slice in a non-stick pan over medium, until ham begins to brown. Heat the vegetables together. When the ham is cooked and the sweet potato is tender, plate the ham and drain the potato. Put the potato in the ham’s pan, along with a bit of the potato water. Stir to incorporate the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Then stir in the brown sugar until the potato is covered with the sugar. Plate everything, putting a pinch of salt on the vegetables. Place the pinapple chunks on the ham and tuck into an all-American meal.

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

1 two-oz egg = US largeuncooked brown rice
kippered herringfat free milk
dry mustard powder + appledry, sweetened coconut flakes
reduced-fat ricotta
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

shaved rare roast beef106-calorie Naan bread + onions
provolone cheeseRogan Josh sauce + zucchini
broccoli + onionstomato + cauliflower
Martin’s potato bread or whole-grain breadIndian curry powder
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Eugene Field

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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.

“Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?” My mother used to sing that as a lullaby, and I sang it to my sons. In my adulthood, I found that it was a poem by Eugene Field, a newspaper writer in the 1800s. He was born in 1850 in St Louis, Missouri. Roswell Field, his father, was a prominent lawyer best remembered for defending the Scott family in the doomed but influential Dred Scott Case. Eugene’s mother died when he was six years old, and he was sent to live with his father’s sister in Massachusetts. The lad loved humor and playing jokes on people, but he seemed not to enjoy getting an education. He was popular at all the schools he attended [Williams College, Knox College, University of Missouri], was especially remembered for the pranks he pulled — one got him expelled! — and was never graduated from any of them. A job writing for the St. Louis Journal came his way, and his humorous column was a real hit. He married his friend’s 16-year-old sister Julia Comstock with whom he had eight children. Then Field took an offer to be the managing editor and to write for the Denver Tribune. While there, he began to write poems for children and published two volumes of poetry. His gossipy brand of humor and constant mocking of Western life was less appreciated in Colorado, so in three years he moved his family to Chicago. Field wrote for the Chicago Morning News, and his column “Sharps and Flats” became syndicated. Although Chicago liked Field, he did not return the affection. He called it “Porkopolis” and disliked the dirty city that was always under construction. In all, Field wrote A Little Book of Western Verse (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903); The Tribune Primer (Henry A. Dickerman & Son, 1900); and Love-Songs of Childhood (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1894), and came to be known as the Children’s Poet. Oddly, when their mothers were not looking, Field would make horrid faces at babies and children. He thought he was a great father. He died on November 4, 1895. Are you familiar with his work? Some of his poems are very well known [Wynken, Blynken and Nod] but some of them always struck me a soppy and “Little Boy Blue” is NOT a poem for children to read! You many draw your own conclusions. 

Our breakfast contains corn from the Heartland origins of Field. And for dinner, a meal to evoke your childhood.

Corn-Cilantro Salad Bake: ..128 calories… 7 g fat… 1 g fiber… 7 g protein… 7 g carbs… 39 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Having some of this delicous salad left over from a week-end meal, I decided to add it to eggs. Heavenly!

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ ½ oz corn-cilantro salad** ++++ 2 oz melon ++++ 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] ++

**Corn-Cilantro Salad  makes 2 cups 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar ++ 1 Tbsp canola oil ++ ¾ tsp sesame oil ++ 1 cup fresh corn kernels ++ ½ c snipped chives ++ 1¼ oz chopped cilantro ++ Whisk the vinegar and oils together. Stir in the corn and herbs. Let sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Chicken Noodle Soup: ..212 calories… 3 g fat… 5 g fiber… 23 g protein… 23 g carbs… 105.5 mg Calcium…  PB If you have some in the freezer already, then this is really easy meal! HINT: This makes enough for two servings. Invite a friend or freeze for another easy meal.

++ 3 cups chicken or turkey broth ++++ 2 oz chicken white meat, diced or shredded ++++ 1 oz broken spaghetti or linguine ++++ ¼ c. white beans, drained and rinsed if canned ++++ 1.5 oz carrot, diced ++++ 1.5 oz green beans, cut into 1” pieces ++++ 1 oz Canadian or back bacon, slivered ++++ seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried sage ++++  Per bowl: 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese + generous sprinkling of parsley ++++ Per person: [optional] 2 Finn Crisp crackers which adds 40 calories.. 0.5 g fat.. 2 g fiber.. 2 g protein.. 10 g carbs.. 0 mg Calcium.. 

Bring the broth to a simmer and cook the noodles until almost tender. If the chicken is raw, throw it in the pot to cook. Add the beans, carrot, green beans, Canadian bacon and seasonings. When heated through, ladle into bowls and top with the cheese and parsley. Yum. Yum.

Slow Days: Chow

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/ which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

The word ‘chow’ has many meanings. The Chow is a medium-sized dog with a curled-up tail. It is a slang word for food. As a verb, followed by the word ‘down’, it means ‘to eat.’ Then there is chow as a relish… In Pennsylvania Dutch areas, chow is a combination of pickled, chopped garden vegetables — cauliflower, onion, carrot — served as a sweet condiment. In the American South, cabbage takes center stage, with unripe tomatoes and red sweet and hot peppers as co-stars. It is served on hot dogs and with black-eyed peas. In Prince Edward Island, we met our favorite: Maritime Chow, aka ‘Acadian ketchup’. We were dining with friends at a small oyster house on the dock at Malpecque Bay. After a dozen oysters, we ordered fishcakes. We asked the young man who brought the food [former oyster-shucking champion] the name of the delicious relish. “Its Chow,” he replied, a bit confused. What is it made of, we asked. “Well…you know…its Chow,” he attempted, “My grandmother makes it.” So I asked my local PEI friends for a chow recipe. Lillian P. shivered and said, “Ugh. Chow. I never make it.” Cathy K. had no recipe. Nona McL. kindly wrote out her recipe for Chow, which in the Maritimes is always made with unripe tomatoes. This is Nona’s recipe.

20 cups sliced green tomatoes 5 cups sliced onions
½ cup pickling salt		DAY 1 Combine and leave overnight
6 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 cups white vinegar
pickling spice in a bag		DAY 2 Drain tomatoes + onions and put into a large pot. Add these ingredients to the pot. Simmer 1 hour. Take a little liquid from the pot
¼ cup cornstarch
1½ tsp turmeric
1½ tsp dry mustard		Mix these ingredients with the reserved liquid from the pot. Then add to the pot and cook together for ½ hour.
Put into sterilized 1-pint or ½-pint canning jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 9 pints.

Since I had some half-ripe tomatoes, I was eager to get started. By Day 2, I realized that I had neither turmeric nor dry mustard in the pantry. Time to substitute: yellow Indian Curry powder for turmeric and Dijon mustard for the dry mustard. I was pleased with the result and served it at a luncheon, attended by all the afore-mentioned ladies. Lillian tasted it and asked what it was. “Its Chow!” I crowed, “Made with Nona’s recipe.” When Nona tried it, she exclaimed, “That’s not my Chow — you have changed my recipe!” I acknowledged that I had made substitutions… Both of those worthy matrons agreed that “it isn’t Chow, but it is good.” Now I make a batch every year. This is my recipe.

4 cups sliced tomatoes = 1 L.  chose under-ripe ones with some red areas but mostly green
1 cup sliced onions
1.5 Tbsp pickling salt		DAY 1 Combine in a medium-sized bowl and leave on the counter overnight. 
Some red on the tomatoes, but mostly green.
300 ml sugar = 1¼ cup
100 ml cider vinegar = 3.75 fl oz
50 ml water = 1.75 fl oz 
100 ml white vinegar = 3.75 fl oz
1 Tbsp pickling spice  [no mustard seed]  		DAY 2 Drain tomatoes + onions and put into a large pot. Put the pickling spice in a cheesecloth bag or a tea ball before adding to pot. Add these ingredients to the pot and simmer one hour.
15 ml cornstarch = 1 Tbsp
½ tsp Dijon mustard, en lieu of mustard seed
3/8 tsp CGE curry		Take a little liquid from the pot and add these 3 ingredients. Stir together until smooth. Add back into the pot, stir, then simmer for ½ hour.
Makes 5 half-cup jars
Process in boiling water 10 minutes

We always serve Chow with Fish Cakes. For this meal, they are made the Maritime way: using Salt Cod instead of fresh fish. I also have a recipe for fish cakes made from fresh fish, from the Legal Seafood Cookbook.

The lovely, savory-sweet, rosy-hued Chow is in the center. Pickled beets are our favorite side dish for Fish Cakes.

As the summer garden winds down and you wonder what to do with all those half-ripe tomatoes, Chow is the answer. Chow down.

Tomatoes

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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.

80,000 years ago, there was a wild plant in Ecuador, Solanum pimpinellifolium, which produced red fruits the size of a cherry. Seeds spread by animals/people traveled south and north, to Peru and Mesoamerica. By 7,000 years BP [Before Present as geologists say], there was a larger tomato being cultivated in Mexico, where they entered the local cuisine. Post Conquest, the Spanish took tomatoes and other local food plants back to Spain. Not so fast! European botanists recognized them to be members of the Nightshade Family, which they equated with poison. Not only were people leery of tomatoes, there was even the legend that tomatoes were the ‘Forbidden Fruit’ of the Garden of Eden, and you sure don’t want to eat that! By the mid 1500s, tomatoes were being grown as a curiosity in Italy and in 1694, the tomato had arrived as a recipe in a cookbook. In September of 1820, a local promoter of good agriculture, Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson, let it be known that he would eat tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, from his garden in Salem County, New Jersey, USA. A throng of locals showed up to watch him sicken and keel over in agony. He didn’t die, of course, and people accepted the tomato as a new addition to their cooking. Is there a cuisine between Latitude 45N and 45S that does not use tomatoes? I think not. Although some people associate nightshades with arthritis, the tomato is GOOD for you — high in Vitamin C, Potassium, and the antioxidant lycopene. The United States is the largest producer of tomatoes in the world and ‘Better Boy’ is one of the most popular in home gardens, while other gardeners opt for heirloom varieties.

It was not difficult to choose today’s meals. These tomato dishes are so good to eat that I do hope you will try them. Whenever tomatoes are ripe in your area, eat some fresh.

Tomato-Curry ScrOmelette: 148 calories 8 g fat 3 g fiber 11 g protein 9.5 g carbs [8 g Complex] 78 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  This delicious recipe was loosely inspired by Fifty Breakfasts, a book by Col. A. R. Kenney-Herbert, detailing “dishes men like” and containing many flavors redolent of his years serving the Queen in India.

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. ½ Tbsp curry powder 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained 1½ oz strawberries dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Drain the tomatoes so that they are not too juicy. Combine with the curry powder and whisk with the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Cook to your liking. Top with a dollop of yogurt for the full effect. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. A rousing good start to your day.

Tomato Soup w/ Sandwich 289 calories 5 g fat 5.6 g fiber 16 g protein 30 g carbs 210 mg Calcium  PB GF  Comfort food can also be low in calories. The soup recipe is from Fresh Ways with Soups and Stews, published by Time-Life Books. HINT: the soup is enough for 3 servings, so it is worth the time to make enough to freeze for later, rather than making a single serving.

Cook Soup: 1 tsp olive oil 2½ cups onions, chopped 1 cup carrot, thinly sliced 1 tsp fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried thyme 3 cloves garlic, chopped black pepper 28-oz can whole tomatoes, coarsly chopped with juices 1¼ cup unsalted chicken or vegetable stock ¼ tsp salt

Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp water in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot, thyme, garlic, and pepper for 7-10 minutes or until onions are translucent, adding more water if needed. Add the tomatoes their juice, stock, and salt. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. [more directions later]

Prep Sandwich: 1 slice 70-calorie bread [such as Nature’s Own] ½-oz slice Swiss cheese from the deli ½ oz ham, 97% fat free

Cut the bread in half. Cut the cheese in pieces the size of the bread halves. Construct a sandwich of bread, ham, cheese, bread. Save out one bread-sized piece of cheese. Wrap the sandwich in foil and put in the toaster oven at 350F until cheese is beginning to melt on the inside. Unwrap the sandwich and put the cheese on top. Toast the sandwich so that the top cheese becomes melted and might start to brown.

Finish Soup: 1 tsp ricotta or small-curd cottage cheese 1 tsp plain non-fat yogurt Puree the cooked soup in food processor or blender. TIP: Pour 2 cups [2/3 of the amount] into freezer containers to cool before storing. Put the remaining soup in the serving bowl. Stir the cheese and yogurt together and dollop it in the middle of the hot soup. Use the tip of a knife to pull the mixture out from the middle in several radiating arms. A few grapes add a dash of color.

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

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg + mushrooms 
chives + thyme
1 buckwheat galette [savory crepe]
strawberry OR apple
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

4 oz tuna steak + Moroccan spice blend2 buckwheat galettes/savory crepes
white beans, canned leeks + bacon + garlic
preserved lemon OR fresh lemonGruyere cheese + mayonnaise
peas OR broccoli OR green beanscarrot + broccoli + cauliflower OR tomatoes
Sparkling waterSparkling water

T.E. Lawrence

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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 Blox Food who is now Following.

Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888, offspring of a nobleman and the family governess. His parents and siblings, moved to Oxford where Ned was schooled. He loved history and on a study-abroad in Syria, Lawrence hiked 1000 miles to examine Crusader Castles, about which he wrote a book in 1910. Along the way, he learned Arabic and immersed himself in the culture. Ned put his archeology knowledge to use on a dig in Syria, 1910-1914. Wishing to help the war effort, Lawrence was posted to Cairo. He was the liaison between the English army and the Arab rebels who were fighting to overthrow the Ottoman Turks. Lawrence made a name for himself with the daring, unsanctioned, and successful strike against the Turks in the capture of Akaba. While flush with his successes, Ned Lawrence was disturbed by the knowledge that his Arab allies and friends were fighting to free the land from foreign rulers, while his English commanders were fighting the Turks so that Britain could expand its Empire. In 1926, his wartime autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was published. Later in life, Lawrence refused a knighthood because the British would not consider an Arab State. He was made famous by journalist Lowell Thomas in the 1920s and the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, where he was portrayed by 6′ 4″ Peter O’Toole.

Lawrence was a little man, only 5′ 5″, slim and fit. On a Fast Day, we eat little meals so you can remain slim and fit. Since Lawrence was not following the army’s playbook, we will enjoy an ‘improper’ breakfast. The dinner would have hit the spot with his Syrian-Arab allies.

Improper English:  148 calories 2 g fat 5 g fiber 11.4 g protein 37.6 g carb 24.5 mg Calcium NB: the food values shown are for the plated foods only and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF – if using GF bread or eliminating the bread. A “proper English” is the full Victorian breakfast, serving every conceivable food you can imagine. This version leaves out the eggs, cold toast, and kippers [how improper!], but keeps the protein-rich baked beans along with the rest of the usual stand-bys.

¼ cup baked beans one oz 3%-fat ham ½ of a 2.5” diameter tomato 1 oz mushrooms 1 oz apple or a few grapes  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]

Cut the tomato around its equator and put one half away for another use. Salt the tomato and put under the broiler until it softens. Cook the ham and mushrooms in the same pan to heat through. Warm the beans – perhaps in the microwave. Toast the bread and brew the optional hot beverage. Pour the optional smoothie and plate everything. Cheerio!

Felafel with Red/Green Salad: 287 calories 14.5 g fat 9 g fiber 11.6 g protein 29 g carbs 113 mg Calcium  PB GF  Looks great, tastes great, SO healthy. Win-win-win.

5 felafel patties   1 cup baby spinach leaves ½ cup red cabbage slaw** ¼ c pickled beets, sliced or cubed ½ hard-boiled egg, chopped 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice

**Red Cabbage Slaw makes 2 cups, serves 3-4

2 c. thinly sliced red cabbage 1 Tbsp finely chopped red onionPrepare and set aside.
1 Tbsp plain yogurt, drained1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar1 tsp sugar or maple syruppinch dried dillpinch celery seed2 pinches Kosher saltfreshly ground pepper Drain 3 Tbsp plain nofat yogurt through paper toweling for 15 minutes. Measure 1 Tbsp into a large bowl, then whisk in these ingredients.
Add the cabbage and red onion and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Thaw the felafel patties and warm them. If unbaked, heat them in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the lemon juice and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and the chopped egg. Quick and easy.