Ask any chef wife or significant other whose chef has been working in the kitchen for a while about their chef’s injuries and well . . . you better grab a cup of coffee and a chair because you might be there for a while.
Over the past 19 years we’ve dealt with cuts, burns, a broken back and torn ligaments, just to name a few.
Now it’s not totally fair to put all the blame on the career. When my chef/husband makes eating healthy and working out a priority, he can physically handle the job easier. However, when things get really busy as work, those are the things that tend to be pushed to the side. (This happens with many of us, not just chefs, right?)
However, no matter how good of shape you are in, sometimes injuries happen.
Right now, my chef/husband is sporting a lovely black cast on his left arm. (I would show you a picture, but decided to skip asking him if I could take one as I know he hates it when I take his picture. You can take a peek at it in this Facebook post from New Year’s Eve.) He’s left handed. He doesn’t have any broken bones, but has torn ligaments in his elbow from repetitive movements (chopping, working the sauté station, etc.) Even with the cast on, he’s in a lot of pain. (more…)
You know how your chef comes home too exhausted to really do anything, but you want to spend time together? What do you do besides sit around and stare at each other or the TV?
Earlier this week I received the following question from a reader on another blog post.
“What activities can we do that are not too exhausting for him, are not on a precise date, and can be done after 5 pm (his morning shift ends and I can afford to get off work)?”
Every time I look at the calendar, I am amazed that we’re in a new year. 2014 just flew by for our family.
Somehow in the midst of the craziness I started blogging. I had no idea how much I would enjoy writing and really wasn’t prepared for all the comments and emails I would get from so many people around the world that could relate to my life!
Today I thought I’d share my 5 most visited blog posts/pages from 2014 and also my 5 personal favorite posts.
You Know Your Dad’s a Chef When . . . Part 2 – Our kindergartner wrote Modernist Cuisine on her homework and I tweeted about it. Modernist Cuisine tweeted back and my site went crazy with visitors! Woohoo!!
Stitch Fix – This has absolutely nothing to do with raising a family with a chef, but all about me falling in love with this company. Who doesn’t love having great clothes show up in a box at your doorstep? I tweeted about this page. Stitch Fix pinned in on Pinterest and people visited. I doubt any of them were chef wives, but you never know. 🙂
My 5 favorite posts from 2014:
Letter to a Young Chef Wife – I loved putting together a list of things I wish I knew 19 years ago when my husband first started working in a professional kitchen.
The Hands of a Chef – I asked for pictures of chef’s hands on Facebook and received such a great response. 🙂 (more…)
Looking back on the 25 years I’ve been married to a chef, there are so many things I wish I knew about his career and the different positions he would have in the kitchen.
I’ve always tried my best to support him, but sometimes it’s hard to do that when you’ve never worked in a restaurant and this “restaurant life” seems so foreign to you.
Below are a few FREE RESOURCES for you, just in case you have ever felt that same way.
Click on the picture to download the PDF.
This ebook is all about the things I’ve learned while trying to support my chef/husband from home. I’ve made so many mistakes over the years and have learned so much from them. I hope that my mistakes and ideas will be helpful to you in some way!
Warning/disclaimer (or whatever you want to call it): This book is very one-sided. While it’s written for a spouse or significant other of a chef, it’s not about how your chef’s career choice is making your life difficult. I know being married to or dating a chef is hard!! I’m living it. If you are struggling with the ups and downs of a relationship with a chef, read my blog. This book is all about your chef’s career and how you can support them along the way.
Here are some tips that will hopefully help you survive dating a chef. I know it’s not easy! Don’t give up! Click on the picture to download the book.
I’ve asked it before, “Is the restaurant killing the chef?”
