A Day in the Life of a Chef Wife – October 2014

Every month on the 10th day, I grab my camera and capture my day with 10 pictures.

I was debating whether or not to even post the pictures today . . . wondering if it went along with my purpose for this blog.

I write about trying to combine restaurant and family life.  (Or maybe I should say fighting to combine restaurant and family life.  It’s so hard!!)

Yet again, my chef/husband went to work early and got home late.  So he is not in any of the pictures.  🙁

So should I share my day?

I decided yes.  (Obviously.)

As a chef wife, I have a lot of time by myself (and by myself, I mean with 3 children.)  That is the reality of being married to a chef who works 60, 70, 80+ hours a week.  So if I leave this day out, I’m leaving out reality.  This is my life as a chef wife.

My chef/husband has been working from the minute he wakes up to the minute his head hits the pillow for what seems like forever.  It’s been a long stretch without much time off.

He drove away as we were walking to the bus stop this morning and said, “You’re not going to take my picture, are you?”  So no picture of him in his car driving away.

I guess we’ll start at the bus stop . . . (more…)

The Lonely Chef Wife

My loneliness as a chef wife seems to come and go.

My chef/husband can work 80 hours one week and 80 hours the next, but one week I’m fine and the next I’m not.

Why is that?

Right now I’m sitting here in a quiet home with candles lit, looking at pictures from the day. (Ok, actually I’m typing this post right now.  But right before that, I was looking at pictures.)

It was a great day, full of projects and time with friends.  But through it all, and now in the peace and quiet, I think of my husband and miss him.  I wish my day had been full of time with him.  It’s been a long time since we’ve had an entire day together. (more…)

Tips for Talking to a Chef’s Wife

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Chefwives, you know the conversation.  You’ve just met someone and you’re making small talk about your family, the number of kids you have, where you work, where you live etc.

You know the question is coming.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

“What does your husband do for a living?”

“My husband is a chef,” you say timidly, knowing one of the statements or questions that will most likely be coming next.

  • You are so lucky!!  I would love to be married to a chef!
  • You must eat so well at home.
  • Holidays must be AMAZING at your house.
  • What’s your husband’s favorite food to make?
  • He should be on Top Chef!
  • How is it that you don’t weigh a ton?
  • What’s your favorite food that that he cooks for you?
  • What restaurant does he work at?  (Insert restaurant name here.)  Oh I love that place!

 Then when people know you a little better, the comments tend to change. (more…)

Surviving on the One Income of a Chef

Surviving on the one income of a chefA family of 5 living on one income, the income of a chef . . . I would guess you’re either thinking, “How in the world do you do that?  You must be crazy!”  Or ,“We’re doing that too and I know you’re crazy!”  (Or I guess you could be thinking, “Wow!  Her chef/husband must be a Food Network star.”  He’s not.)

I say that jokingly, but really, I do feel like we are a bit crazy.

In the series, A Chef, a Wife and a Child, one of the questions I asked was, “What has been the hardest part for you and your chef/husband with the addition of a little one to your family?”

The #1 thing for us, without a doubt, was adjusting to living on one income.  This is by far too big of an issue to get buried in another post.  So here we are! (more…)

Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy – A Chef, A Wife and a Child

A chef a wife and a child - miscarriage and ectopic pregnancyHave you ever noticed that many people have gone through the same struggles as you have, but you never knew it until you started to talk about it?  This happens to me all the time.

I had no idea how many women had miscarriages until I had one.

After the initial excitement of finding out that my chef/husband and I were going to have our first child, my thoughts and fears headed straight toward miscarriage.

I know now that many women have miscarriages, but my Mom had 14.  Yes you read that right. 14.  I am an only child and she was on bed rest the majority of her pregnancy with me.  I am like my Mom in many ways, but would this be one way I was like her as well?  I of course had no way of knowing.  So as we started to pray for our unborn child, we prayed that if it was God’s will, I would carry him/her full term. (more…)