Gift Ideas for a Chef

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Top picks for 2019 – things my chef and I have fallen in love with, still love from the past and some of which have really surprised us.

  • Protalus insoles – Wish I would have known about these when my chef/husband was on his feet for 16 hours a day and had neuropathy/tingling and numb toes!  I was having severe neuropathy in my feet and these insoles have pretty much taken all the pain away.  They offer a 90 day money back guarantee and this link will get you $20 off your first pair!
  • Air Fryer – My husband bought this because he was curious about the technology and wanted to try it out at the home level to consider a commercial one for the restaurants.  WE LOVE IT!  My goodness….this is a keeper!!
  • ChefSteps Joule Sous Vide – Can I just say that this is the most amazing thing I have ever seen!!!  (See this blog post for more details.)  FYI – My husband bought the Instant Pot Immersion Circulator to see if it would work for small volume in the restaurant because it’s not controlled by a cell phone…don’t buy it.  It’s not powerful enough and your chef will be disappointed.
  • InstantPot – This counter top pressure cooker is AMAZING and my husband and I use it all the time!
  • AeroGarden – We bought this for my husband for his birthday in September!!  It’s amazing and we highly recommend it!!
  • Samsung Note 9 – What about a cell phone update…one with a stylus, so they don’t need to carry around a little note pad to take notes?  We love the Samsung Note 9!
  • Surface Pro 6 – If your chef does a lot of computer work for the restaurant or if they are in a corporate position, this computer is AMAZING.  My husband can’t live without it (and neither can I).
  • Massage Chair – We just bought this and it works really well for the price!!

 

I don’t know about your chef, but when I ask my chef/husband for gift ideas for a holiday he usually doesn’t have many ideas, if any. He always says he doesn’t need anything and really doesn’t have time for much. But of course we still want to get him something. Unfortunately I usually draw a blank when it comes to gift ideas for him.

If you google, “Gifts for a Chef,” you’ll get a bunch of foodie gifts, most of which, chefs would think are rather stupid. Most of them don’t want kitchen “gadgets” as a gift.  (However, they do seem to want cool things for their home kitchens that they use in the restaurant.)

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Do you Ever Feel Like You Are Living Separate Lives?

Why yes I do.  Thanks for asking.

Sometimes I feel like I have my life here at home with the girls and my husband has his life at work and then here at home.  The things we each do in a day are so different from each other.  Our two lives come together for a few minutes a day and then we go our separate ways.

The majority of the year he does get 2 days off a week.  During those weeks, he doesn’t seem like a stranger.  There is time to talk (even if it’s chaotic with kids running around), meals together as a family, etc.  However, there are times, like day 11 of a 14 day stretch with no days off.  This doesn’t happen often, but occasionally it does.  I really miss him during those times.

11 long days of work in a row.  Has anyone seen my husband?  (Just kidding.)  Oh look, the restaurant just posted a picture of him on Twitter.  (Seriously, this has happened before and I laughed and said to myself, “Oh look, that’s what my husband is up to right now.” (more…)




Reflections on Being Married to a Chef or Dating a Chef on Valentine’s Day

It’s almost here.  The day we’ve all be waiting for.  The day we celebrate our love for each other . . . oh wait . . . the person we love is a chef and is working that night (and all the days around Valentine’s Day).

So what does Valentine’s Day mean to many chef wives and significant others?

A night alone.

Yep.  That pretty much sums it up.  It stinks.  I know. (more…)

Today Might Not Be My Day . . .

It’s 10 pm on Valentine’s Day.  The house is clean and quiet, and as I sit here thinking back on our day, I wonder how my husband’s day went in the restaurant.  We talked once before the dinner rush started at 4 pm and I look forward to the call from him saying he’s on his way home and that the night went well.

Emulsified Family

While many holidays are difficult for me being married to a chef, Valentine’s Day is not one of them.  Valentine’s Day is CRAZY BUSY in the restaurant, so the thought of going out that evening is not appealing.  So if my husband was off, we would be home, choosing to celebrate on another evening.  But since that will never happen (at least I hope not as that would probably mean he was unemployed), here I sit in a quiet house by myself (with 3 sleeping children). (more…)