In her day job, Jessie is a professor of professional writing & rhetoric and directs the Center for Engaged Learning, an international research center at Elon University. She enjoys cooking as a counterpoint to work and travels frequently to share her research on engaged learning. She does her best to make time for non-work travel adventures, too. Jessie does not have any formal culinary training, but she loves to cook. It’s how she unwinds at the end of the day. While recipes sometimes serve as starting points, she likes to experiment and often adapts recipes depending on what’s in season or in her kitchen. She also loves to try new restaurants when she travels, and those meals often inspire creativity in her own kitchen.

Now retired, Sylvia enjoyed a long career in nutrition and dietetics and medical education before transitioning to leadership roles in higher education. Sylvia enjoys helping people translate the science of nutrition into day to day food choices. Cooking and baking have been part of Sylvia’s life since she joined 4-H when she was ten. She still enjoys planning and shopping for food to feed her family and friends, and she enjoys the camaraderie of cooking with others. Sylvia is committed to buying local and minimizing food waste. She is willing to adapt or create new recipes to match what is readily available. Sylvia thinks good food should be part of pleasurable eating that supports a healthy and active lifestyle.  

About Moore Realistic

Moore Realistic grows out of our love of cooking and a belief that healthy eating shouldn’t cost a fortune or be labor intensive. We share some of our favorite recipes, along with short summaries of recent research on diet and exercise. We also explain how we’ve made our recipes healthier and share current research on the health benefits of specific ingredients. Occasionally we share recipes that require a bit more prep but are worth it for celebratory meals or a weekend gathering at the dinner table.

Why are we “Moore Realistic”? We’ve tried recipes that look delicious but require special (and sometimes spendy) ingredients or an exorbitant amount of prep time. We know what it’s like to budget our money – and time – as working professionals trying to prioritize healthy meals. So we’re sharing recipes and strategies that have been Moore Realistic for us across our life and career stages. We also categorize our recipes as cheap eats, quick meals, feeds a crew, longer-prep weekend options, etc., so you can find recipes that are Moore Realistic for you.