Our Chef…Reason to be Thankful

I am writing this article with some reluctance and much enthusiasm. My wife and I are not wealthy nor are we interested in seeming to boast about anything. However, we have a chef for whom we are thankful and share our experience for others who may benefit from her services.

Several months ago I had some health challenges, and my doctor advised me to adjust my eating habits. My wife and I spent hours in the grocery store reading labels and walking up and down aisles looking for healthy meal combinations. We even attended a workshop at Better Health on Bragg Boulevard. In that workshop a nutritionist enthusiastically shared cooking and shopping information and loaded us up with recipes. Need I say establishing a new healthy eating lifestyle is hard work and can become overwhelming.

One day while having lunch at Let Me Cater to You (located across from the Carmike 12 Theater in Westwood Center), my wife noticed a card at the checkout counter for a personal chef advertising preparation of nutritious meals at home. We decided to call the number with the expectation the chef could get us started, educate us on shopping and food preparation, then we would get the hang of it and be on our way to better nutrition.

The call to Chef Christine Butler resulted in a comprehensive interview about our food preferences, allergies, dislikes, really likes, and instructions from the doctor. With this information Chef Christine created a two week menu for our consideration. We had not heard of some of the dishes she recommended, but were excited to try something new and healthy.

On the agreed upon date, Chef arrived at our home with rolling carts filled with pans, utensils, seasonings, cooling racks, and food. She set up and allowed us to watch and ask questions while giving instructions on why and how preparing certain foods is healthy. Upon completion of 10 dinner meals for two weeks, Chef labeled the meals, sealed them in containers and placed them in the refrigerator and freezer, left reheat instructions, and cleaned the kitchen. The delicious aromas filling the house were the only evidence she had been in our kitchen.

On my next doctor’s visit when my primary care physician reviewed my lab results, his comment was, “Keep doing whatever you are doing.” I try to exercise with some regularity, but there is no doubt in my mind that Chef’s meals were a major factor in those lab results. I am eating dishes that are good for me but that I refused to eat before now. A case in point is salmon. I wouldn’t touch it. Now I eat a lot of salmon. The key is in Chef’s seasoning and preparation.

In addition to the health benefits, Chef saves us hours of planning meals, shopping, and cooking. This reduces stress, and for this we are thankful. Chef Christine is a passionate professional whose culinary training while at Fayetteville Technical Community College is evident in her conscientious detail in preparation and satisfying final products. Chef’s very reasonable pricing allows us to keep her on as a long-term health and time management investment. Besides that, we love supporting local small business owners.

As the holidays approach and you consider some healthy lifestyle changes (perhaps you will start after the Christmas meal), we confidently and enthusiastically recommend Chef Christine Butler.

• Visit Chef Christine’s website to see all services. Click on this link:

www.christinesculinarycreations.com

• Call Chef at 910-489-6527