WHAT TO EAT IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT

The Great Catherine

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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.

When Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst was born in Prussia [now Poland] in 1729, her mother had great plans for her. When she died on November 1796, no one remembered Sophie, but her mother’s dreams had been realized. The Russian Empire had been in some disarray in the 1700s. Empress Elizabeth was on the throne, having deposed her husband. Childless, she chose nephew Peter to succeed her and he was in need of a wife. Teenaged Sophie was brought in and groomed for the role: she converted to Orthodoxy; learned to speak Russian; changed her name to Ekaterina [Catherine]; and cultivated the rich and powerful at court. The two teens were wed in 1745, and their union was unfortunate. They were incompatible in and out of the marriage bed, and when Empress Elizabeth died in 1762, it didn’t take Catherine long to exile her husband and take the throne alone. [Peter III‘s subsequent death was never exactly tied to Catherine, but there were rumors…] There were more rumors as Catherine took a series of lovers and gave birth to a series of children, none of whom were fathered by her husband. For 34 years Catherine reigned, an enlightened thinker, champion of education, and patroness of the arts — also a brutal suppressor of rebellion by serfs seeking rights, and ruthless expander of the Russian Empire’s territory. What made her “Great”? She was Russia’s longest reigning empress. Despite many detractors, she held the throne with cunning and political savvy. Catherine was an intellectual who corresponded frequently with Voltaire. She had great dreams of modernizing Russia — even abolishing the slavery of serfdom — but reactionary nobles deterred her. Instead, she collected great art at her palace which is now The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Her expansionist goals have repercussions today, as there are tensions in some of its previous territories which were only too happy to regain independence. Catherine died of a stroke on November 17, 1796. Lurid tales of her death are fake news.

Smoked salmon and pickled cucumbers would have been typical flavors in St. Petersburg, Catherine’s capital city. Grigory Potemkin, Catherine’s advisor and lover, gave his name to fakery when he was accused of building false-front villages, to make it look as if all were well in the countryside. This is called a Potemkin Village. Our dinner involves passing off chopped meat as chops.

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Toast:  206 calories 12.4 g fat 4 g fiber 8 g protein 20 g carbs 33.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the plated food only, not the optional beverage.  PB GF — if using GF bread This is a wonderful alternative to a ‘traditional’ breakfast. You should try it!

1 slice whole-grain bread, 70 calories  [Dave’s Killer Thin-Sliced Bread is great]   2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese ½ oz smoked salmon 4 slices cucumber OR Swedish Cucumber Salad  2 oz strawberries OR 1 oz peach

Lightly toast the bread and spread it with the cream cheese. Top it with the samon and top that with the cucumber. Plate the fruit. Now try to top that for flavor!

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 ‘cutlet’s. 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-inch chunks. Put in a food processor with the egg and process until meat is well-chopped and all is blended.
Form meat into 2 tear-drop shapes, looking like pork chops.
2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour
½ oz egg [1 Tbsp] + 1 Tbsp water 
6 Tbsp fresh bread crumbs 		Dust meat in flour, then brush cutlets with the egg/water. Sprinkle with the crumbs and pat crumbs to help them stick. 
Non-stick sprayApply cooking spray to a medium-hot pan and cook the ‘cutlets’ until browned about 4 minutes to each side. After turning the ‘cutlets’, cover the pan.
3 oz asparagus or 2 oz broccoli Cook vegetable and plate with the cutlets.

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

2 two-oz egg + sugarsteel cut oatmeal
white whole wheat flour + skim milkpumpkin puree, canned or homemade
2 apples + butter + egg whitemaple syrup
33-calorie chicken breakfast sausagefat-free milk + cinnamon
Optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

quick barley + canned white tunaground turkey + frozen spinach + 2-oz egg
baby spinach or mesclun lettuce mixcanned white beans + pumpkin puree + brown sugar
Parmesan + white wine vinegar + olive oil nutmeg + cinnamon + ginger +garlic powder
grape tomatoes + canned white beansmarinara sauce + whole wheat pasta + zucchini
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Claude Monet

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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.

Oscar-Claude Monet, a shop-keeper’s son, was born in Paris on November 14, 1840. He would go on to change the world of painting. When Claude was a child, the family moved to coastal Normandy. Art courses in school lead to painting with a local instructor and at age 18 he produced his first landscape painting. The detailed, tight brushstrokes give no clue of what his style would be in later years. Monet went to Paris to join the studio of Swiss artist Charles Gleyre who’s other students were Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Frédéric Bazille — future luminaries all. Gleyre had them painting outside, [en plein aire] and experimenting with how light really looked. Previously, light was shown as reflections on a surface [ex: an apple, or water] or as the maker of shadows. The young artists painted light as small daubs of color which merged together if viewed from a distance. They painted quickly, in rapid brush strokes to capture the moment they were seeing before the light changed. But the way to become a recognized artist was to enter a work in the Salon — and they had strict standards. The new style did not please them, but a traditional painting like Woman in a Green Dress [his wife Camille as the model], done in a studio, was a huge success in 1866, and put Monet in the public eye. The following year, his Women in the Garden — a delightful, airy scene which was painted out of doors — was rejected. In 1874, Monet went all in and exhibited Impression: Sunrise at a counter-culture version of the Salon. Critics scorned the novel approach, saying it was rough and unfinished — and it was when compared to what they were used to. But as a celebration of light in sky and water, of smoke and morning fog, we can see what Monet was trying to show us about his impressions of the river at sunrise. Monet and his fellow artists were dubbed “Impressionists” and the name stuck. Life had ups and downs for Monet: a stint in the army ended by a bout of typhus; financial hardships which left him contemplating suicide; the birth of his two sons; the death of Camille from TB. During the late 1870s, Monet and his sons lived with a wealthy magnate and his family. When the husband went bankrupt and left the country, his wife Alice and her six children continued to live with the Monets. In 1882, he and Alice were married and moved to Giverny, Normandy. A house and land were rented, then purchased. Monet designed and planted a garden and dug a lily pond — and the rest is artistic magic. For the rest of his life. Claude Monet made his home come alive to the world with his many paintings of his property and the surrounding countryside. Forty years after his death in 1926, his heirs gave the property to the Academy of Fine Arts. After much restoration, the house and gardens were opened to the public in 1980. Dear Husband and I visited one April and were bowled over by the riot of colors and textures which the plantings provided. It is like being inside one of his paintings. There, one is seized by the desire to paint an impression of what one sees, since a photo does not seem to do it justice. The gardens were his passion and his inspiration. Today, they delight millions of viewers, whether in person or on museum walls. Merci, Monsieur Monet.

Woman in a Green Dress
Women in the Garden
Impression: Sunrise

Deep in the countryside of Giverny, mushrooms and ham were a natural combination, so we will enjoy them with eggs at breakfast. Our dinner evokes the colors of blossoms in Monet’s Garden, which is a wonderland of pastel visions.

Ham & Mushroom Bake: 136 calories 7 g fat 4 g fiber 10 g protein 9 g carbs 61 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  GF   A hearty, flavor-packed breakfast begins with ham and mushrooms. Although these are flavors of autumn, they can be enjoyed any time, especially on a Fast Day. 

One 2-oz egg 1/3 oz mushrooms, chopped ½ oz roast ham or 3% fat deli ham, chopped 1 Tbsp Gruyere cheese, grated ½ tsp ground sage ¼ tsp savory ½ cup raspberries  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] or lemon in hot water

Set toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Spritz some cooking spray into a ramekin. Grate the cheese. Chop the ham and mushrooms, and put them into the ramekin. Whisk together the cheese, egg, and seasonings, and pour that in too. Bake 12-15 minutes, depending on how well set you like your eggs. It will puff up and start to brown a bit. Heat your beverage, shake the smoothie, and portion the fruit. Off to a good start.

Pomelo/Grapefruit-Shrimp Salad:  255 calories 6 g fat 4 g fiber 22 g protein 28 g carbs 93.5 mg Calcium   PB GF  The pomelos were ripe in our son and daughter-in-law’s garden, so I used some to make this meal. The recipe is from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. If you can’t find pomelos, use grapefruit instead. 

1 Tbsp fish sauce 1½ Tbsp lime juice 1½ tsp brown sugar 1 cup pomelo segments 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut ¼ oz dry roasted peanuts 2 tsp chopped shallot ½ cup fresh mint ¼ tsp Thai chili sauce 1 large leaf romaine lettuce chopped scallion  3 oz shrimp, cleaned — I used tiny cold water shrimp. If you use larger shrimp, cut them into smaller pieces.

Mix fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar in an oven-proof bowl. Add the shrimp and let marinate. Toast coconut in a dry skillet until just beginning to brown. Peel and segment the pomelo/grapefruit and remove pulp from the membranes. Put shrimp and marinade into the microwave and heat until cooked. Gently combine shrimp, marinade, pomelo, coconut, peanuts, shallot, mint, and chili sauce in a wide bowl. Put the lettuce leaf on the plate and fill it with the salad. In the photo, you see some colorful chips. Those are veggie chips by Terra. They add a nice crunch and a few more calories to the meal. Omit if you wish, but do not substitute potato chips!

Kate Seredy

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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.

When I was in 5th grade, I read The Good Master, by Kate Seredy — and I fell in love with her writing. The Hungarian Plain came alive to me as I was introduced to the cadence of farm life at the core of the book. From there, I followed The White Stag as the Huns and Magyars migrated into Europe. A Tree for Peter showed me social inequality and child poverty for the first time. The Chestry Oak lead me to adventure and sorrows in World War II. Katherine Seredy was born in Budapest, Hungary on November 10, 1899. Her two books about the Nagy family, The Good Master and The Singing Tree, were based on her summers in the country as a child. In 1922, equipped with a degree in art, she moved to the United States hoping to become an illustrator. In 1935, a customer at Seredy’s children’s book shop encouraged her to write a book about her childhood in Hungary. That customer was an editor at Viking Press, and Seredy’s career as an author-illustrator was launched. Aside from the lyrical illustrations [Oh! those beautiful horses!], what I love about her books is the way the immigrants and outcasts are portrayed as people who have much to contribute. [The racist portrayal of the Roma People in Hungary is the lamentable exception.] Other recurring themes include her hopefulness that good would overcome evil, her belief in the goodness of country life, faith, and her love of country. Seredy lived on a 100-acre farm in northern New York — perhaps the setting for her city-slickers-who-move-to-the-country book The Open Gate. I reread her books every year for a fresh infusion of the spirit of Kate Seredy. Have you ever read her work?

“Cousin Kate from Budapest” learned early on in The Good Master how much she loved sausages, so we will eat sausages at breakfast and dinner.

Sausage ScrOmelette: 147 calories 9 g fat 1.4 g fiber 13 g protein 4 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.  1 links [37-calories/link] chicken breakfast sausage, sliced very thinly 1½ tsp oregano and parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp grainy mustard 1 oz apple   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]

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.

Sausage Arrabbiata: 286 calories 9.4 g fat 8.5 g fiber 15 g protein 44 g carbs 75 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF pasta   In a riff on Shrimp Arrabbiata, our younger son created this sausage dish, made with his signature addition of New Mexico green chiles. HINT: This recipe is enough for two [2] diners. Prepare it all and freeze the other half.

Sv 2 for FAST day
3 oz whole-wheat pasta Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, save ½ cup.
2 oz North-Country Polish Kielbasa [2 oz =130 calories]Slice sausage and cook in dry pasta pot.
When browned, remove and set aside. 
3 cloves garlicMince garlic, add to pot, and stir until just brown and fragrant. 
6 Roma tomatoes
½ cup pasta water + salt		Quarter the tomatoes. Add to garlic in pan along with pasta water and salt. Cook down until saucy.
2 Tbsp green New Mexico chiles
½ tsp cayenne		Add seasonings and cooked sausage. Stir until heated through. 
1 Tbsp Parmesan/Romano cheeseGrate cheese. Add cheese and pasta to sauce, stir until heated. 
Fresh basil
1½ oz green beans per person		Garnish with fresh basil leaves.Serve with cooked green beans.

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

1 two-oz egg70-calorie whole grain bread
roast ham or 3%-fat ham from delismoked salmon + whipped cream cheese
mushrooms + Gruyere cheesefresh cucumber or Swedish cucumber salad 
raspberriesstrawberries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Thai fish sauce + lime juice + shallot + brown sugar85% lean ground beef + broccoli or asparagus
dry roasted peanuts + shrimp + romaine lettucechicken breast meat + one 2-oz egg
pomelo or grapefruit + scallionwhite whole wheat flour
unsweetened coconut + mint + Thai chili sauceslice 70-calorie whole-grain bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Camus

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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.

Albert Camus was many things: novelist, resistance fighter, playwright, post-war philosopher, Nobel laureate, essayist. But one thing he was not was an existentialist. That word gets bandied about a lot these days, as talking heads ponder the ‘existential crisis’ presented by this or that world problem. The themes of existentialism include: dread, boredom, alienation, the absurd, freedom, commitment, and nothingness, and the mood of Europe after World War II was conducive to all those feelings. When Camus wrote about them, he knew what he was talking about. He was born in Drean, Algeria on November 7, 1913. His parents were of French heritage, his grandfather having moved to Africa when France promoted the settling of their territory with Europeans. Camus’ father died when Albert was an infant. His mother worked in low-paying jobs, and Albert was lucky to obtain a scholarship to attend University d’Algiers where he studied philosophy. At that point, he was anti-Fascist and anti-Soviet, despite having joined the Communist party earlier. Even though he had a lower-class upbringing, Camus knew that he had more privilege than the native Berbers and Arabs. This lead him to social justice causes and a job at a newspaper in Paris. During the war, he worked for the Resistance, married for a second time, and continued to write. Camus planned his writing in ‘cycles’: he would examine a theme [ex: Absurdity] as a novel [ex: l’Etranger], as an essay [ex: Le Mythe de Sisyphe], and as a play [ex: Caligula]. In the 1950s, Camus was part of Jean-Paul Sartre’s circle of Existentialists but Camus refused to espouse their philosophy. If not existentialism, what did he think of the human condition? Camus saw that humans constantly seek order and rationality in a random universe, and he labeled that ‘Absurd.’ So what can one do? The second part of his thinking was that humans are morally obliged to resist what oppresses us — and he called that ‘Revolt.’ In 1957 came the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1960 he died in a car wreck.

The breakfast is from Algeria, Camus’ birthplace where he never felt at home because he was French. The dinner is from France, where the adult Camus lived and never felt at home because he was Algerian. Since Camus promoted a “new Mediterranean Culture” for the multi-ethnic countries of North Africa, he would have liked our Mediterranean Vegetables.

Chelada Felfel: 197 calories 15 g fat 2.5 g fiber 9 g protein 8 g carbs 47.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  With its bright colors and its salad vibe, this meal can add cheer to a winter morning or coolness to a sultry summer day. The flavors and ingredients are from Algeria.  TIP: Prepare it the night before and store in ‘fridge for a super-quick breakfast.

¼ cup Bell pepper, yellow or orange ¼ c tomatoes, diced ¼ c cucumber, diced ¼ cup onion, thinly sliced 1½ tsp cilantro, chopped 1½ anchovy fillets, chopped 1½ cured black olives, pitted and chopped 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp red wine vinegar salt + pepper 1 hard-boiled egg, cut in half and sliced  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Prepare the vegetables, anchovies, and olives. Combine them in a bowl, then add oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Toss well to combine. Chop or slice the egg as you choose, scatter atop the salad, and dust with salt. With mint tea, a taste of Algeria. With cafe au lait, a taste of French Algeria.

Mediterranean Vegetables with Seafood:  278 calories 6 g fat 6 g fiber 28 g protein 25 g carbs 290 mg Calcium   PB GF This dinner qualifies as a hurry-up meal. If you have Mediteranean Vegetables in the freezer, you can serve this in the time it takes to cook the quinoa.

1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables, without chickpeas 3 oz seafood: shrimp, fish chunks, bivalves [without shells], whatever you have 1 oz mozzarella, shredded 1 oz mushrooms, coarsely-chopped 1/3 cup cooked quinoa 

Start cooking the quinoa. Put the frozen Med Vegetables in a sauce pan with a lid. Warm them gently until they are mostly thawed. Add the mushrooms and seafood. Continue to heat, covered, until everything is warm and cooked. Plate with the quinoa and top with cheese. 

Vermeer

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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. Welcome to ______ who is now Following.

The Dutch Baroque style of painting was quite different from the Italian Baroque of Caravaggio. In both, light is a key factor — light contrasting with shadows to lead the eye into the painting and to guide the viewer to certain points. But while Caravaggio was all about sensuality and dramatic violence, the Dutch artists were about light: the clear, luminous, low-humidity light of Northern Europe. Johannes Vermeer was a painter in Delft: born, raised, and baptized in that city on 31 October, 1632. He appears to have been self-taught, although perhaps influenced by friends of his father who was an art dealer. Vermeer began to paint and he specialized in ‘interiors’ — people [mostly women] in rooms, doing ordinary things. The rooms are drenched in light from a window on the viewer’s left, making the colors of clothing and carpets glow, and bringing a sense of calm. He used expensive pigments and worked very slowly. Vermeer’s paintings have a clarity and perfection that makes them almost photographic. Indeed, in modern times, there has been much debate about whether he was merely ‘copying’ what he saw through a camera obscura — a viewing device that projects scenes onto a surface. For more about whether and how Vermeer used optical aids to create his art, give some time to the fascinating film Tim’s Vermeer, in which an inventor tries to duplicate The Music Lesson. However he did it, Vermeer produced some beautiful paintings, most of which were purchased by a single patron in Delft. When he died precipitously in 1675, his wife had difficulty paying his debts, and his work was forgotten. In the mid-1800s, he was rediscovered by a French art critic who wrote copiously of Vermeer and his 80+ works. There is no way that Vermeer painted that much in the 20 years that he was active! In the 1920s-30s, “newly discovered Vermeers” were coming out of the woodwork: forgeries all. He is one of the most forged and mis-attributed artists of all time, some forgeries fooling Nazi art hoarders. Now, around 34 works are said to be by Vermeer, and each one is a cherished peek into life in 17th century Delft. Which one is your favorite?

A Flemish breakfast and a simple supper for an artist who was not a financial success during his lifetime.

Holiday-After Breakfast: 139 calories 6 g fat 0.6 g fiber 14 g protein 6.4 g carb 37 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  The boiled egg and meat are typical of a Flemish breakfast that Vermeer would have known. I named it ‘Holiday-after’ as it employs a few left-overs from a feasting table, such as Easter as seen below.

1 two-oz egg, hardboiled 1.5 oz ham OR beef OR turkey  1.5 oz pineapple OR ¼ cup mixed berries 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] or lemon in hot water

Warm the meat or not. Cut the fruit in bite-sized pieces. Plate the meat, egg, and fruit. Brew your beverages of choice. Sit down and relax with your easy anytime breakfast.

Fish Cakes:  212 calories 4 g fat 5 g fiber 9.6 g protein 34 g carbs 52 mg Calcium [food values for dinner using ONE 1/3 cup-size cake and side dishes.]   PB GF  This recipe is from Legal Seafood Cookbook,  from the restaurant chain in Boston, Mass. Fish cakes have been popular where ever there are folk who want a little fish to go a long way.

NB: The Fish Cake recipe can produce 6 cakes, each 1/3 cup in size. Each cake = 92 calories 1.7 g fat 1 g fiber 8 g protein 12 g carbs 22 mg Calcium NB: The Fish Cake recipe can produce 8 cakes, each 1/4 cup in size. Each cake = 69 calories 1.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber 5 g protein 9 g carbs 16 mg Calcium 

1/3 cup green or white onion, chopped 1-2/3 cup mashed potatoes [no milk, no butter] ¼ tsp dry mustard + salt + pepper 1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp milk 6 oz cooked fish [cod, haddock, salt cod, salmon or a mixture], flaked into small pieces 1 tsp butter ½ cup pickled beets 1 cup baby greens or sliced lettuce leaves cherry tomato ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp vinegar + salt + pepper

Combine the onion, potatoes, egg, seasonings, and milk, stirring. Stir in the fish, gently but thoroughly. Using a 1/3 cup measure as a mold, portion the fish/potato mixture into 6 cakes. Put on a plate or cookie sheet while the pan heats up. Heat a heavy fry pan, such as cast iron, and spray with non-stick spray. Cook the fish cakes on one side, flattening them slightly with a turner. Remove from the pan and add 1 tsp of butter to the pan. Spread the butter around, return the fish cakes, and cook them on the other side until they are browned. Serve while hot. What you don’t eat today, let cool completely, then freeze with waxed or parchment paper between the cakes. 

T.R.

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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.

A Big Stick…a Teddy Bear…The Great White Fleet…Yes! they are all connected. Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, to a wealthy family in New York City. His was one of the Old Money Families who were described in the novels of Henry James and Edith Wharton. Asthma was his nemesis as a child but in his teen years, Theodore threw himself into vigorous activity to try to cure himself. Following the disastrous day that his beloved mother and darling wife both died, Roosevelt fled to his ranch in the wildness of the Dakota Territory for two years of riding, roping, ranching, hunting, camping, and dealing with grief. Upon his return to the New York, he threw himself with equal vigor into public service: leading his Rough Riders brigade during the Spanish-American War; reforming the police as commissioner of New York City; serving as Governor of New York; being tapped as Vice-President to William McKinley. When McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt served out his term as president and then was elected in his own right. Roosevelt worked tirelessly for the common good, establishing national parks and national forest service; breaking up trusts and monopolies; creating irrigation projects for farmland. On the international stage he ‘walked softly and carried a big stick.’ Completing the Panama Canal did a lot for world trade. Settling the Russo-Japanese War did a lot for world peace. Sending a huge navy flotilla, all painted white for greater visibility and dubbed the Great White Fleet, around the world did a lot for America’s status. After his presidential term was over, Roosevelt went on a safari [many victims ended up at the Smithsonian Museum], then ran for president again. Unsuccessfully. He found time to write more than 35 books and to be the engaged father of six children. In 1917, he volunteered to raise and lead a militia unit to fight in France. He was turned down and in 1919, he died. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No man has had a happier life than I have led; a happier life in every way.”

As a Progressive Republican, Teddy promoted projects that would benefit the common people rather than the fat-cats. This leads us to a breakfast named after Robin Hood, who had sort of the same idea. Since Roosevelt loved hunting [sometimes not wisely but too well], venison should be on the dinner menu. Once on a hunting trip, there was no game to be found. A bear was caught and tied to a tree for him to shoot. Roosevelt, saying it would be unsportsmanlike, would not kill it. A New York toymaker who heard that story, marketed a stuffed bear and called it “Teddy.” As Roosevelt himself would have said, “Bully!”

Robin Hood Egg: 150 calories 6 g fat 1 g fiber 15 g protein 26 g carbs [7 g Complex] 111 mg Calcium  PB NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. What this breakfast has to do with the legendary outlaw, I don’t know. At least no robbery is involved – you can keep your wallet and your waistline.

½ Arnold multi-grain Sandwich Thin or similar 2 oz sliced tomato one 2-oz egg 1 slice Jones-brand “Canadian bacon” [1 round= 1 oz = 20 calories]   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] or lemon in hot water 

Lightly toast the sandwich thin and plate it. Broil the tomato slice and lightly cook the Canadian bacon while you fry the egg in a pan lightly-spritzed with non-cook spray. Assemble the layers in your order of preference and pour the optional beverages. Tuck [not Friar Tuck] in with knife and fork.

Venison Stew: 250 calories 4.5 g fat 5.5 g fiber 25.6 g protein 26.4 g carbs 52.5 mg Calcium   GF  What a wonderful meal for an Autumn evening. Rich flavors and low calories – my kind of dinner.  TIP: Double the recipe and freeze half for another fine meal later or invite a friend to share it with you.

½ cup chicken stock 2 Tbsp fresh cranberries [NOT dried] 2 oz mushrooms ½ tsp dried thyme ½ oz dried apples 2½ oz venison, cooked or raw 1 Tbsp half&half [blend cream] 1½ oz cauliflower florets 1 oz carrots cut as coins

If venison is raw, pan sear it for 2-3 minutes per side to undercook it. Slice into larger-than-bite-size pieces and set aside. Spritz a small cast iron pan with non-stick spray and add the cauliflower and carrots. Spray the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and rosemary and roast at 400 F. for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Put stock, berries, mushrooms, and thyme in a sauce pan and simmer until berries start to pop. Add the apples, venison and blend cream. Simmer until all is warm and apples are soft. Taste for seasonings and plate with the roasted vegetables.

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

1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled1.5 two-oz eggs 
beef, ham, or turkey from a roast2″ diameter slice pepperoni
pineapple or mixed berriesmozzarella cheese + bell pepper
crushed tomato + apple/applesauce
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

6 oz cooked fish + mashed potatoescabbage + carrot + ginger + oil
green/white onion + 2-oz egg3.5 oz roast beef + soy sauce
dry mustard + butter + beets7″ spring roll wrappers + scallion
lettuce + oil + vinegaroyster sauce + Sriracha or other hot sauce
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Gothic

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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.

October 24, 1260, saw the dedication of Chartres Cathedral in the Department of Eure-et-Loire, France. The church was begun in 1220, and following the example of St Denis, North of Paris, Notre-Dame de Chartres became what is called the epitome of Gothic architecture. So, what does that mean? The Goths-Visagoths-Ostragoths were a Germanic tribe that was there to pick up the pieces [after creating the pieces] at the fall of the Roman Empire. They were considered to be barbarians. In the 1100s, a new style of architecture arose in France. Instead of the solid Romanesque churches, with their small windows in thick walls which created ‘the mystery of the dark’ for worshippers, the new style had larger windows in thinner walls. The walls were held up by exterior supports, called flying-buttresses, permitting huge windows of stained glass. This bright colorful interior created ‘the mystery of the light’ for worshippers, the colored light signifying the transformative power of faith. This style caught on and was soon seen everywhere in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. In the 1500s, Georgio Vasari, the Florentine art critic, called the style ‘Gothic,’ thus dismissing it as barbarian. Chartres is everything a Gothic church should be: soaring to the heavens [118 feet high inside], with pointed arches supporting the ceiling, the richly decorated nave is flooded with blue light from the marvelous stained-glass windows. Of course, ‘Gothic’ also refers to a style of post-Romantic literature, dealing with mysterious characters [think Frankenstein, Dracula] and in the present day, Goth is a music genre and a counter-culture style. If you want modern Goth, read Interview with a Vampire. If you want to be in awe, visit the Cathedral of Chartres. Watch this enlightening and amusing TED lesson which traces the word ‘Goth’ through all its iterations.

The workers on the Cathedral of Chartres would have loved to have eaten a simple ham+egg breakfast, but they probably got gruel instead. The stonemasons, hod-carriers, glass-blowers, and un-skilled laborers were not mistreated, but feeding an army of workers did not lead to fine cooking. The dinner of fish and grains is a more typical meal of the medieval time.

Ham Bake: 135 calories 6 g fat 1.6 g fiber 10 g protein 5 g carbs [3.6 g Complex] 61.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  This is the yummy baked version of a ham omelette.

1 two-oz egg ½ 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 1 oz peach 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] or lemon in hot water

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 degrees 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.

Haddock w/ Farro & Chickpeas:  252 calories 3.6 g fat 7 g fiber 19 g protein 38.4 g carbs 37.5 mg Calcium   PB GF  The whole grains and chickpeas help to make a small amount of fish taste like a lot more. Then you add a vegetable of your choice. Good stuff.

¾ cup chickpea ragout ½ c cooked farro 2 oz raw or cooked haddock PLUS: 2 oz broccoli OR 2½ oz carrots OR 2½ oz green beans OR 2 oz beets each adds about 20 calories and an average of 2 g fiber to the meal

Cook the farro in one pan and the vegetable in another. Combine the cooked farro with the chickpea ragout and season to taste.  If the fish is raw, place on top of farro-ragout in a pan, cover and cook until vegetables are warm and fish is cooked.  If fish is cooked, add to cooked vegetables and heat gently. Plate alongside vegetables.

Dem Bones

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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.

Toe bone connected to the foot bone
Foot bone connected to the heel bone
Heel bone connected to the ankle bone
Ankle bone connected to the leg bone
Leg bone connected to the knee bone
Knee bone connected to the thigh bone
Thigh bone connected to the hip bone
Hip bone connected to the back bone
Back bone connected to the shoulder bone
Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone
Neck bone connected to the head bone
Hear the word of the Lord.

Chorus
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Now hear the word of the Lord.

The song “Dem Bones,” written by brothers JW and JR Johnson is based on  Ezekiel 37:1–14, in which the prophet visits a valley of bones and says that the bones will be raised up, rearticulated, and taken to glory on the day of resurrection. The song was recorded many times and is popular at summer camp sing-a-longs. But what are bones? The human body has 213 bones. These are made of osteons. Bones are not solid, rigid structures: they are either honey-combed inside or they are like tubes with bone marrow inside. Bones grow from before birth and into old age. There is a dynamic equilibrium between the cells’ process of bone removal and bone replacement, all of which happens naturally. Bone replacement can be slowed by a reduction of estrogen in the body [in older women]; by a reduction of testosterone in the body [in older men]; by a lack of Calcium and Vitamin D in the body; by a decrease in weight-bearing exercise; by an excess of sugar, protein, and Sodium in the diet; or by genetic factors. As the bones lose Calcium, one develops osteopenia, which is discovered during a Bone Mineral Density evaluation. What to do about it is the conundrum. Some physicians recommend one of the many prescription drugs that are available. They strengthen the bones, but also make them more brittle. Some might recommend an increase of Calcium in the diet, such as yogurt, cheese, and dark leafy greens. Calcium in foods is preferable to Calcium supplements, as it is more readily absorbed by the body. The recommended amount of Calcium per day is 1200mg. When my physician talked to me about my osteopenia, I suggested a year of exercise and increased dietary Calcium. She agreed. In that year, the density of my femur increased by 9%!! Since then, I have been vigilant about Calcium intake. I walk. I don’t shy away from carrying loads [bags of bird seed] for short distances. And I drink my Green Milk [milk, spinach, dates] every day. October 20 is World Osteoporosis Day. Be good to your bones — they have to last you a life-time.

With the limited calories one eats on a Fast Day, it can be difficult to set enough Calcium. The meals below provide 331 mg Calcium, which is one quarter of the requirement for the day! [when you add the Mocha Cafe au Lait and Berry-Yogurt Smoothie, you bring it up to 492 mg Calcium] If on the other days of the week one exceeds the daily recommendation, it will all average out.

Ukranian Omelette: 155 calories 8 g fat 0.6 g fiber 17 g protein 3.5 g carbs 82 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit 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, reduced fat = 2% fat 2 Tbsp sliced mushrooms 2 Tbsp chives/scallions, minced black pepper   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]

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.

Chicken Parmesan: 238 calories 2.6 g fat 4.5 g fiber 31 g protein 11.4 g carbs 242.5 mg Calcium   PG GF – if using GF bread crumbs  At last! The restaurant classic made suitable for Fasters. And it is delicious. 

3½ oz raw chicken breast meat, boneless, skinless 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tsp dried oregano and/or thyme ¼ oz whole-grain breadcrumbs, fresh not dried 1 Tbsp milk ¼ cup marinara sauce, homemade or jarred ¾ oz mozzarella, grated 2 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese 1 cup baby greens + ½ oz grated carrots ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp red wine vinegar

Heat the toaster oven to 350F. Spritz an oven-proof pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Pour the milk onto a small plate. On another plate combine the Parmesan, herbs, and bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Cream the other two cheeses together until well-combined. Dip the chicken in the milk on both sides. Dredge the chicken in the crumb/cheese mixture to coat it completely. Place on the oven-proof pan and spray with olive oil. Bake the chicken about 10 minutes, until golden. Top the chicken with the marinara sauce, then mound the cheese over it. Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and starting to brown. Prepare the salad ingredients and toss with dressing. For atmosphere, light a candle stuck in a wine bottle.

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

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg 
3%-fat ham + applesauce OR peach.5 oz multi-grain sandwich thin
2%-fat ricotta + sageslicing tomato
chives/scallion + Dijon mustardCanadian or back bacon or 1 oz ham
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

haddock 2.5 oz venison, cooked or raw + mushrooms
chickpea ragouthalf&half [blend cream] + chicken stock
farrocauliflower + carrot + thyme
broccoli OR carrots OR green beans OR beetsfresh/frozen cranberries + dried apple
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Curious Incident, London, 1814

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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.

Sometimes an event occurs that is so bizarre that you can’t believe it happened. Here is one such story. The Horse Shoe Brewery was located in London’s East End on Tottenham Court Road. This was definitely the poor side of town [Pygmalion‘s ‘Eliza Doolittle’ sold flowers there] but breweries did a good business. In 1810, in an effort to upgrade or modernize, the Horse Shoe’s owners installed a new fermentation tank for their brown porter. It was 22 feet tall — a gigantic wooden vessel holding 3500 barrels, and bound with stout iron bands. Business was booming for the Horse Shoe. Until October 17, 1814. One of the iron bands broke, but no one noticed — of if they did, it would be assumed that the other bands would hold firm. They didn’t. When the tank ruptured, the force of it broke other tanks nearby. The pressure pushed out the back wall of the room and a 15-foot wave of beer in various stages of fermentation rolled down the street. This sounds hilarious, until you realize that people were injured badly and some died. At a toddler’s Irish wake, the deceased was soon joined in the afterlife by four mourners. A woman and her daughter drowned in their basement apartment. From far and wide came residents with buckets and pitchers, scooping up the beer to take home. Several days later, a man died of alcohol poisoning, the 9th death attributed to the flood. Those affected were London’s poorest and they had no assistance to help them recover. Courts ruled the event as an ‘act of God’ so no compensation was given to people who lost their homes or shops. Insurance payouts allowed the brewery to rebuild and continue until 1920. For weeks, the neighborhood ‘smelled like a brewery.’ The memory of the curious incident of 1814 left the neighborhood along with the smell of beer. A theater was constructed on the site and nothing is left of the Horse Shoe Brewery.

For our meals consist curious combinations. You have eaten a reuben sandwich, right? How ’bout those ingredients at breakfast in eggs? Yummy! You might have had salmon cakes, but have you had them with a taste of Asia baked in? Delicious.

Reuben Bake: 141 calories 7 g fat 2 g fiber 10.5 g protein 9 g carbs 78 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  What is more delicious than a good reuben sandwich at lunch? This deli delight is here as a flavorful breakfast and its a winner. Not Kosher, due to the cheese served with the beef.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz corned beef 1½ Tbsp sauerkraut [1.5 oz] ½ wedge Laughing Cow cheese 1 tsp catsup 2 oz strawberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350 F. Chop the corned beef. Chop the sauerkraut. Cream the cheese with the catsup and stir in the beef and ‘kraut. Whisk in the egg and pour into the ramekin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the beverages and portion the fruit. Mmmmmmm – reuben 🙂

Salmon Cakes: 233 calories 10.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 21.5 g protein 10.5 g carbs 46 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF bread  Eating Well magazine is the source of this fine recipe. Serve with Corn-Tomato Salsa, a Side Salad, or Coleslaw to add up to 61 calories, taking the total for the meal to 294 calories.

4 cakes. Sv 2Cast iron or non-stick pan. 1/3 cup measure 
1 c cooked salmon
one 2 oz egg
2 Tbsp red onion
1 Tbsp coriander seeds 1 Tbsp chile-garlic sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp 5-spice powder		Flake the salmon. 
Whisk egg.
 Chop the onion finely. 
Crush or grind coriander. Use fresh cilantro if you have it. 
Add other seasonings and combine well.
½ c/1 oz fresh bread crumbsFold in bread crumbs. Form in 1/3 c patties.
1 tsp sesame oilHeat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cakes 3 mins per side.
½ cup coleslaw -OR- 1 cup zucchini
½ cup Corn-Tomato Salsa		Adds 41 calories………Adds 35 calories
Adds 61 calories

Queen Mary on Trial

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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.

Mary Stuart was born to be a queen, and she became the Queen of Scots in 1542, when she was six days old. Her life was filled with failed love affairs and religious strife. She was raised as a Catholic and was engaged as an infant to Edward, son of Henry VIII, the Protestant king of England. The Scots Catholics put the kibosh on that, and Mary was engaged to the child Dauphin of France. She was sent to Paris at age five to be raised and groomed at Court. As teenagers, they married in 1558, with Mary wearing a non-traditional white wedding dress. Prince Francois became king, but a year and a half into marriage, he died. Meanwhile, in England, Edward was dead, Henry VIII was dead, and the crown went to Mary, Henry’s Catholic elder daughter. After her sister’s death, Protestant Elizabeth took the throne although some thought that Mary of Scotland had a claim, being the great-niece of Henry VIII. Mary returned to Scotland and tried to tread a line between the Catholic and Protestant factions, guided by her brother Lord James, a Protestant. She did not take well to guidance, it seems. Mary married Lord Darnley and bore him a son. But their marriage failed and he was found dead of strangulation. Within a few months, Mary was the wife of Lord Bothwell, prime suspect in the murder of Darnley. This hot mess lead the Scottish nobles to force her to turn over the crown to her baby son, James. Mary was imprisoned, but escaped and crossed into England, convinced that her cousin Elizabeth would be sympathetic to her. She wasn’t. Elizabeth feared that Mary would rouse the support of the closeted Catholics of England, so Mary went to house arrest again in 1568. For the next 17 years, Mary was shuttled from one secure location to another. Her supporters hatched plots to free her, to assassinate Queen Elizabeth, to put Mary of Scotland on the throne. All of this intrigue lead to Mary being put on trial for treason against the English Crown in October, 1586. It was a foregone conclusion that Mary would be found guilty. She was beheaded in February of 1587. Her son James became King of Scotland and England, something his mother only dreamed of.

For Mary, smoked meat at breakfast and haggis at dinner, two very Scottish foods for a queen who spoke mostly French. Although she reigned in Scotland for only six years, Mary’s life still captures the imagination 400+ years later.

Smoked Sausage ScrOmelette: 158 calories 10 g fat 1 g fiber 13.6 g protein 8 g carbs 45 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Having been gifted with Dakin Farms smoked chicken sausage,  we decided to make it a breakfast. The sausage adds a nice smokey Autumnal flavor to the eggs. NB: If substituting another brand of sausage, choose one that has 30 calories per ounce.

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.   ¾ oz Dakin Farm cob-smoked chicken sausage, diced 1.5 tsp each oregano and parsley, chopped 2 oz apple OR apple sauce, unsweetened  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]

Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the prepared sausage and stir to heat . Whisk the eggs with the herbs and a grind of pepper and pour into the pan, stirring to incorporate the sausage. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. Plate the fruit, pour your beverages and off you go.

Haggis Spring Rolls: 262 calories 13 g fat 3 g fiber 23 g protein 26 g carbs 41 mg Calcium PB The first time I enjoyed these was at the Whiski Rooms in Edinburgh, along with a wee dram of single malt. Today, the whisky is in the dipping sauce to complete the fusion of Asian-Scottish flavors. This meal has Dear Husband’s approval.

4 six-inch rice spring roll wrappers/skins 8 Tbsp haggis filling  1 cup lettuce leaves sliced into <½” strips ½ oz carrot, grated 1 tsp flavored olive oil 1 tsp red wine vinegar finishing salt 1½ tsp Thai hot chili sauce ½ tsp single malt Scotch whisky [I used Craggenmore from Speyside]

Put water into a wide, shallow dish such as a pie plate. Lay a tea towel on the counter. Place one spring roll wrapper in the water. Initially, the wrapper will look like a piece of thin, stiff, whitish plastic. Soon it will become more transparent, colorless, and pliable. Remove it from the water while still a little stiff [do NOT let it become limp] and lay it on the tea towel. Place 2 Tbsp haggis filling on the lower 1/3 of the wrapper, arranged as a little log. Roll it up, folding the sides in after the 1st turn. Move finished roll to the side as you repeat the steps. Heat a 10” cast-iron skillet over medium flame and spray with non-stick spray. Place the spring rolls in the pan with room between them. Cook slowly on one side, then roll onto another side. Continue until all the rolls are browned on each side. Prepare the salad and plate it. Combine the chili sauce and the whisky in a dipping cup. Plate the haggis, cue the bagpipes.

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

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
corned beef slices2%-fat cottage cheese
catsup + sauerkrautmushrooms
strawberrieschives or scallions
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

1 cup cooked salmon + 1 two-oz egg + fresh bread crumbs3.5 oz chicken breast + Parmesan cheese
red onion + coriander or cilantro + sesame oil¼ cup marinara sauce + Fresh bread crumbs
Chili-garlic sauce + soy sauce + 5-spice powder Mozzarella cheese + cottage cheese
side salad or Corn-tomato salsa or coleslawBaby greens + carrot + vinaigrette
Sparkling waterSparkling water