Why Crow Moon Kitchen?
The Crow Moon is the name of the last full moon of winter. It is a symbol of rebirth, growth, and beginnings. It is a welcomed event each year, because it is the sign that the frost is melting, green is coming back to the land, and warmer days are ahead. This name is a reminder to myself that we are all constantly given opportunities to start and evolve and grow.
My goal is to provide a creative and holistic approach to cooking that empowers people to establish for themselves a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
My Story and Why I Started the CMK
When my son was born I knew I needed to make a change. I was nearly 400 pounds, wearing a 5XL shirt, and I was sweating in that cold hospital room. I looked down at him on the warming table, and I knew I wasn’t the role model I wanted to be. I was ashamed by my weight, avoided pictures of the pride I felt being a father, and it was a struggle to get up off that hospital chair while holding my infant son. He was my motivation to change and my motivation to keep striving for the best me I can be.
I worked on my habits by abandoning some and developing others. I cooked more at home, I learned new recipes and techniques, and I began making health conscious food choices. I am a food addict, a binge eater, and it’s an addiction that you can’t simply quit. So, I changed my mindset about food. Instead of treating it like a drug and abusing it, I treat it like a cure by giving it value. I purposefully plate every meal I eat, because taking those few extra minutes gives me time to get into a good mindset. I take pictures of nearly everything I cook and bake, because in doing so I’m showing myself that what I’m about to eat is important enough to document. Satisfaction with your food takes place in the mind as well as the stomach. What I lacked for so long was that healthy relationship with eating.
My goal is to promote hope, strategies, tips, and recipes to those who need it. My food is plant based because that’s how I’ve learned my body feels best. I enjoy creating new recipes and rethinking old ones. This blog is a way for me to share what I’ve learned and the recipes that I’ve created. I am not a chef. I don’t work for a health company. I promote what I actually use. The food pictures you see are the meals that I actually eat. I don’t have a background in nutrition. I am a father who decided to make a change, and I’ve developed habits that work for me.
You too can be healthier if you embrace what motivates you and choose to make a change in your life. Be open to inspiration and new ways of thinking. Your methods and motivation have to be your own in order to sustain the change you’re looking for.
Television and News Appearances
I’m am honored to have shared my weight loss and health journey on TV, the local news, and other social media accounts. LoseIt not only saved my life, but they were the first to share my story and give me the confidence to be public about what I’ve learned. I’m truly grateful that people have believed in me enough to find my story worthy of sharing.
The Today Show!
That’s Hoda’s hand on my shoulder!
TMJ 4
A segment featuring my fitness and weight loss story with Julia Fello.
Today.com
A comprehensive story about my weight loss story.
Kenosha News
Local newspaper article
WISN 12
My first TV appearance. Andy Choi was so nice and up-lifting.
LittleThings.com
This is the first article written about my weight loss journey. Ann-Sophie Kaemmerle, the writer, did a great job of helping me feel good about my journey. Her article showed me that everything I’ve learned on my weight loss journey has been worth it.
Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, Completed (March, 2021), T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell