{"entry":[{"id":"27142937","hash":"9d12190227ada9395c9bd137615d6654","requestHash":"carblightliving","profileUrl":"http:\/\/gravatar.com\/carblightliving","preferredUsername":"carblightliving","thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9d12190227ada9395c9bd137615d6654","photos":[{"value":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9d12190227ada9395c9bd137615d6654","type":"thumbnail"},{"value":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/userimage\/27142937\/b55062bfe09f204371dc89d8d7e2b20b"}],"name":{"givenName":"Joann","familyName":"Mercer","formatted":"Joann Mercer"},"displayName":"carblightliving","aboutMe":"We have an obesity epidemic in America, even among our children.  We have soaring rates of heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes.  I am committed to making America healthier and thus happier.   I am committed to keeping America strong!\nI always had the same two passions: food and writing.  I am also family-focused and always found ways to cultivate and integrate these passions into my life.  I started as the family cook, making meals from recipes from one single cookbook we owned.  I was tired of pot roast, hot dogs, and pork chops \u2013 all standard meals of the 60s.  My husband will tell you that my \u201cstuffed pork chops\u201d were so savory that he knew he couldn\u2019t live without me!\nAs an undergrad at West Chester University (WCU), I worked as a prep cook for Crestmont Caterers in Downingtown.  This is where I learned to prepare large amounts of food for all types of affairs, including weddings, and my personal favorite, the luaus.  Shortly thereafter, I graduated with a B.S. degree in Secondary Education from WCU.\nAs a young mother in the early 80s, I became interested in the tofu revolution, and solicited the help of my husband to create \u201ctofu burgers.\u201d  We experimented for weeks but they just didn\u2019t taste good.  Finally, I came up with a Lentil Burger and that became a family staple for years. It was at this time that we made a decision to eliminate red meat from our diet, and our two children, ages 3 and 5 at the time, had to adjust to the meatless meal plans \u2013 no more Steak Diane, a family favorite.    I started some serious writing at this time.  Gary and I successfully made the NY Times Best Sellers List for 2 books on Television Trivia.  It was one of those lucky moments for me when a book proposal that I submitted found its way to an editor who liked my style and hired me for a different project.  A few years later, I enrolled in Villanova University grad school to further my writing skills.  Nothing much materialized, primarily due to the increasing demands on my time with my son\u2019s active sports life and my daughter\u2019s cheerleading schedules.\nIn my forties and up until age 55, I had a fabulous job at a global pharmaceutical company, working with upbeat, positive, and forward thinkers in the creation and management of the business skills curriculum.  My kids were in their twenties and my food interests moved onto the Raw Food Diet, and then to the Macrobiotic Way.  I took dozens of lessons in both and have an extensive repertoire of wonderful recipes.  \nIn addition to my love for food and writing, I have an obsession with staying thin and keeping physically fit.  In or","currentLocation":"West Chester, PA","urls":[]}]}