Meet the chefs

Welcome to our blog!

Who are we you ask?  We are two converted 'foodies' that had a reawakening during late summer 2012 to life without carbs.  Since then we have reduced our intake of carbohydrate heavy foods significantly and couldn't feel better about it!  It sounds insane, impossible, ridiculous- but we are here to tell you, "You can do it!  And food can still be just as exciting and satisfying"

Meet Sarah

Hi there!  I'm Sarah. My background and daily occupation is focused on marketing and communications with a focus on corporate communications.  Outside of the tiny gray cubical I sit in,  I am a lover of food, shopping, traveling, and nature.  I am a mommy of a kitty (Biscuit) and a doggy (Lola) who I am sure you will meet throughout the posts of this blog.  I simply love to cook.  I started exploring in the kitchen when I got my first apartment in 2005.  From bangin' quesadillas to George Forman grilled meats- I thought I had it going on.  Slowly but surely I explored into the gourmet market- playing with foods and flavors.  I found it as a stress reliever, though I don't think my bank account would agree with me.  Many years later and a move to and from the Middle East, I met a man who loved food just as much as I did and I fell in love!  Steven and I continued our exploration in the kitchen, our favorite Friday nights consisted of making the most spectacular meals our tastebuds had ever experienced.  About one year and several pounds later, we both realized our love & love for cooking needed to be taken to a new level.  A level that would require a healthier lifestyle- less carbs and more exercise. After about 4 months with a strict, low-carb diet and a combined loss of about forty pounds, we were feeling pretty great.  We have now customized the diet to fit our busy lifestyle and hope that we can share that with you in this blog.  We have found that eliminating carbs increases our creativity in the kitchen, improves our mood each day and hopefully we can inspire you to try some of these low-carb recipes. Feel free to give us feedback if you try some of them or even post your own low-carb ideas.  

Meet Steven

What up!?  My name is Steven.  I'm an environmental scientist specializing in stream restoration, hydraulics, and life cycle assessment.  I grew up in Asheville, NC which, for those of us who have been there can imagine, instilled a lifelong love of good food and the great outdoors.  In my spare time I enjoy mountain biking, hiking, and cooking (of course!).  My joy of cooking started to ramp when I took a job as a server at a fantastic casual-fine dining restaurant, The Corner Kitchen (located in the Biltmore Village in Asheville) back in 2006.  The creativity of menu items coupled with their focus of training foodie-type knowledgeable servers caused me to demand more from my personal kitchen creations.  Since then, I've enjoyed cooking more than ever and endured a greater appreciation for quality ingredients, subtleties in spice combinations, and a passion for fresh herbs.  When I first met Sarah and tried her cooking, I was fascinated by her magical ability to mix spices and make masterpieces out of what seemed like nothing in the kitchen.  I was in love.  And we make a mean team in the kitchen.  After landing a full-time job in the corporate workforce, cube-life put a significant damper on my previously outdoor activity-rich life.  Of course, I still loved to eat, so it was a drab case of the "freshman-fifteen" all over again.  Only difference, I had way less free time, so working off the extra calories was becoming more and more difficult.  Twenty pounds later, something had to change.  I discovered Tim Ferriss's Four Hour Body, which got me experimenting with diet and opened the door to my new and improved lifestyle.  Limiting unnecessary carbs and sugars had me feeling like a million bucks, and loosing the fat and pounds was an added bonus.  If you ask anyone, I am the last person who would give up carbs or go on a diet.  But feeling great and consistently keeping off the weight has me convinced, and about 10 months later-- I couldn't be happier with that decision.  Hopefully we help you take that scary first step towards a healthier, more creative approach to cooking and eating.