The Jensen's: Outside of the Box
Jennifer admittedly can’t cook. It’s not that she doesn’t have a desire to cook. But her parents didn’t cook and so she never learned.
As an adult and now a mother of three, Jennifer realizes the importance of home cooked meals. She doesn’t want her children to grow up eating restaurant fare and boxed, processed food. She wants to feed her kids, her husband, and herself real food. She wants to pass down loving food memories from the comfort of their kitchen at home.
So rather than sit on the sidelines. Jennifer decided to take control and she’s involving the entire family: Josh her husband and her beautiful kids, David, Bella, and Sarah. She discovered the free cooking classes offered at Chuck’s Produce & Street Market and decided to give the classes a try.
I had the pleasure of having them for their first ever cooking class a couple of Sunday’s ago. What a delight it was to have them. The kids added real spunk to the class. Bella is the cook of the the family and she was just too cute. After class they hung out a little longer than most of the crowd. They purchased a copy of my cookbook, we chatted, took photos and away they went. Or so I thought…They showed up again this past Friday for my Soup & Sandwich class. It was such a surprise to see them all because this class was during the mid-day. Typically the kids would have been at school, but they so happened to have a half-day. They could have been anywhere, but they were spending their afternoon with me. Learning how to cook. Heavy, heavy sigh. The pure joy of what I do!
I barely know Jennifer, but I am very proud of her for stepping OUTSIDE of the Box, taking control of her family’s health, and ultimately passing down the art of cooking to her children. I’m confident that you’ll be whipping up meals at home in no time, Jennifer.
The Jensen’s are OFFICIALLY Outside of the Box!
Chrisetta Mosley
I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!