A Vision, a Mission and a Dream

My new friend Kerilyn over at MarriedtoaChef.com recently asked me what my mission and dream was for this blog.  I figured after 6 months of blogging (where has that time gone?), I should look back at my original mission statement and make sure I was still on track.

My mission or goal for Emulsified Family is really two fold.  #1 – To connect with others who are married to or dating a chef, a line cook, a general manager, etc. and to encourage them with the Word of God and through what He has taught me and continues to teach me on a daily basis.  (And since we have kids, many of the posts will be about raising a family with a chef, because that’s my life and what I do all day long.) And #2 –  To give a glimpse of how restaurant and family life come together to those in the “outside world” (aka not in the restaurant industry.) (more…)

Please Don’t Yell Daddy Across the Restaurant

Chef and Daughter 2Please stop laughing.

Really.

I know you think it’s cute and funny, but every time we head into my chef/husband’s restaurant (well, it’s not actually his, but you know what I mean) we have to have a conversation about not yelling, “Daddy” across the restaurant!

It’s stressful enough just worrying about the behavior of the girls when we go to a fine dining restaurant, but the thought of them calling out to him across a fine dining restaurant . . . oh my . . . that’s a negative comment card or email from someone just waiting to happen.  (Well, hopefully not, but you never know.)

Let me set the scene for you in case you’re having trouble picturing it in your head. (more…)

If I am Living my Dream Life, Why am I so Depressed?

{This post contains affiliate links.}

Before I start getting phone calls and frantic e-mails from family and friends, let me just say that I am fine.  No need to check on me.  (Although I’m always happy to receive phone calls, emails, text messages and even a surprise vanilla latte, Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets in the mail or even a Vitamix from people, just to say they are thinking about me.)  I’m fine.  Really.

However, this question was word for word what came out of my chef/husband’s mouth one day a few years ago and I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately as I’ve been struggling with a few things here at home. (more…)

The Glamorous . . . and not-so-Glamorous Life of a Chef and his Family

The other day I was thinking about how truly amazing and glamorous it is to be married to a chef… all those fabulous meals he prepares for us at home each night, the romantic date nights visiting local restaurants with friends, our children being exposed to so many different types of food that they happily eat anything we place before them, the wonderful recipes and cookbooks I have access to, never having to pay for a meal when we go out to eat, owning the top of the line cookware and kitchen appliances… the list could go on and on…

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But I’ll stop there.

I’ll stop there because it’s not true. There might be some truth behind a few of those statements, but for the most part, for the majority of chefs and their families, they are pure fantasy.

I guess there is a part of me that understands this glamorous life of a chef that has somehow been portrayed to our society as truth. The fact that someone can create something so wonderful out of food, and do so for a large amount of people in a short period of time, is truly amazing. I get that. For some reason there just seems to be something glamorous, intriguing and mysterious about a man (or woman) in a chef coat. (more…)

I Never Knew How Hard Mother’s Day was for So Many Women

Until I lost my mother to cancer 12 years ago, I never knew Mother’s Day was a hard day for anyone.  For me, it was a fun day to celebrate my Mom and my Mother-In-Law.  While my chef/husband was always working, (hello busiest day of the year – no Mom wants to cook) we just chose another day to celebrate and that was that.

I have no idea why it never occurred to me that this would be a very hard day for so many women.  My Mom lost her mother to cancer when I was 9 months old and my Dad lost his mother when I was 7.  I’m sure all those Mother’s Days after they died were hard.  But either I was oblivious and didn’t notice, or they did a pretty good job of hiding it from me. (more…)