For me, cooking simple meals at home is perhaps the hardest part of my personal journal into Eating Smart and Moving More. If you know me, you know that I do not care for cooking and that’s putting it very mildly. As you can see from photos, I must make even a simple meal (chili from back of our ESMMWL magazine) a social event.

Luckily, this mild winter provided a great night for neighbors to sit on my condo’s balcony in downtown Raleigh for some al fresco dining. Close pals also know that I’m not a clean freak, though I do like cleaning as physical activity, but I am a fairly neat freak. Thus, you will notice that I must clean as I cook (see sink).

Having dwelled in a very urban setting for nine years, I struggle to avoid the temptation to eat out most of my nights with scores of restaurants within walking distance of my humble abode. Fixing simple meals with minimal ingredients (see our magazine recipes AND website), making simple meals social, and cleaning as I go along all help me to properly manage portion sizes while eating fewer calories AWAY from restaurants.

Join me as I attempt to cook the most meals ever at home!

Up next—- A Superbowl Hot Mess!

Last night I was watching the news at the gym and saw this great story on WRAL.  Matt Tomasulo is an urban planning student trying to make the Raleigh community more aware of how easy and convenient walking can be in the downtown Raleigh area.  Signs have been placed around Raleigh indicating walking distances and the signs also have QR codes that link to Google Maps.  Amazing idea and fantastic way to move more if you live, work, or play in the area!

Seriously? I am a dietitian and have a degree in Exercise Science, and I was totally blown away by these findings!!! I mean, how much would most people pay for a pill that would effectively treat all of these conditions? My guess is…LOTS!

The beautiful thing about exercise is that you don’t have to pay LOTS…it is relatively FREE!! And for the low cost of a decent pair of walking shoes, it is the single most important thing that we can do for our health! Pretty amazing…

By walking just 30 minutes per day…1 hour per day if you are feeling REALLY motivated… you can get ALL of the benefits mentioned above, plus many more!

So why don’t we exercise for 30 minutes a day? So often, the answer is, “I don’t have time!” Do we really not have time in our day to squeeze in 30 minutes to prevent or improve so many debilitating conditions?

Let’s think about this a different way…Dr. Evans challenges us by asking if we can limit ourselves to sitting and sleeping to just 23 ½ hours per day? I hope that we can now all answer this question with, “Absolutely!”

I was prepared for the meal of my life, which I absolutely got. I was prepared for unparalleled service, which we absolutely had. I was prepared to be dazzled by the view of Central Park, which we absolutely were. What I was not prepared for was the lesson in mindful eating that ensued.

We teach mindful eating as a way to be in touch with the food you are eating not just eat without purpose or memory. At Per Se, they not only encourage this way of eating, they demand it. Each course is carefully chosen to tell a story with food. Each ingredient is selected to be of the highest quality at its peak of perfection. For example, you are not just served lemon sorbet; you are served lemon sorbet topped with salted cashews, shaved celery, ginger emulsion, and radish. Each course comes complete with a detailed description of what you are about to enjoy including the name of the farm (sometimes farmer) that grew the food. The courses are small, thank goodness since there are 9 of them, which requires complete concentration so you can savor and remember each bite.

My absolute favorite course was the first course, Oysters and Pearls; Chef Keller’s masterpiece and calling card. You could just call this pudding with oysters and fish eggs. Here is how it was described to us: “Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar. The description went further when I asked if the oysters were trimmed since they were absolutely perfect in shape and size. The server replied that they were trimmed some but that the fishery in Island Creek went through 10,000 oysters to get the 1,000 oysters needed at Per Se each week that fit the size specifications of the restaurant. The selected oysters were to be called Per Se oysters. The first bite I took with my mother of pearl spoon sent my taste buds singing with the perfect balance of salt from the caviar and richness of the sabayon. The next bite was a perfect oyster the size of a marble. My dish was now half gone, only two more bites. Now, I know that I will most likely not be dining at Per Se again. I know that I have two more bites of oysters and pearls that have to last the rest of my life. Because I ate them with mindfulness, carefully registering and recording every nuance of flavor and texture, I can recall exactly what they tasted like even though the meal was a week ago.

Can we eat every food or meal with the mindfulness that I experienced at Per Se? No, perhaps not, but we can learn from this experience. Food is to be savored and enjoyed for the pleasure it brings. My experience with oysters and pearls would not have been heightened if I had been given a serving twice its size. In fact, it most likely would have diminished the experience. Even if you are not eating at Per Se, eat as if you were. I know I will.

Guilford instructor Nancy Kondracki was featured on WFMY again (she is on her way to movie star status) this week on discussing sugar and how it plays a role in our health.  Watch below!

 What do you think? Is sugar as bad as alcohol and tobacco?

• Full Name: Gregory George Moore

• Position: ESMMWL Lead Instructor

• Family info including pets: Partner, Kevin, of 17 years— with TJ (canine) almost 15 years old and Bruno (feline) almost 4 yrs old

• Where are you from originally?: Elizabethtown, NC

• Where did you go to school?: Campbell University

• Favorite way to be active: Teaching spin (cycling) classes at the Alexander YMCA in Raleigh

• Favorite TV show(s): Raising Hope/ Happy Endings/ GLEE/ Modern Family

• If I’m not teaching ESMM Weigh Less classes you will find me: Singing in downtown Raleigh or at the Oakwood Dog Park

• Favorite inspirational/motivational quote: God gets mighty ______ off (upset) when we walk by the color purple in a field and don’t notice it. (Alice Walker, The Color Purple)

• Favorite ESMM Weigh Less lesson: Move More and Move Strong

I love you. You make my life easier….And this recipe is no exception!

By the way—I am a horrible, horrible cook, so if I can do this…ANYONE can do this.

I adapted this recipe from another recipe that I found in Rocco DiSpirito’s Now Eat This cookbook.  I modified the recipe and some of the ingredients, but the way the end product looks is pretty much the same! Enjoy!!

You will need: a crockpot, 13X9 inch pan

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 16oz jars of salsa (any kind that you like!)
• 1 can of black beans (I use Kroger’s Organic line because they are low in sodium)
• 1 bag of a frozen peppers and onions blend
• 6 low calorie, whole grain tortillas (I use these)
• 1 cup of 2% cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Line the bottom of your crockpot with the chicken breast and pour one jar of salsa, black beans, and frozen peppers and onions over top of it. Cook for 6-8 hours.
2. After the mixture has cooked in the crockpot, stir together.  The chicken should shred very easily.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
4. On a plate, place one of your tortillas.  Add about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in the tortilla and roll up.  Place your rolled up tortilla in the 13×9 inch pan.
5. Repeat this step until you have used all of your tortillas.  Arrange tortillas so they are laying flat in the pan.
6. Pour the remaining jar of salsa over the tortillas and then sprinkle cheese over top.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

 It is okay if you do not use all of your chicken mixture–save it and put it over rice or another whole grain!  If you try this–let us know! Leave a comment or send us a picture of the final product!