Sitting on the couch drinking my morning tea. It’s early and the streets are quiet, the skies dark. I had a full day of work yesterday and am fortunate enough to be cooking for the same clients today and tomorrow. As we often do at this time of year, I’m finding a moment *amidst the fast paced nature of these few days* to pause and reflect. To notice what arises in the stillness.

Something has shifted over the past few months. Not too long ago, I was convinced I was going to close the doors on certain aspects of my business. As a private chef, my offerings vary but are mainly comprised of private dining experiences and retreat cheffing. About six weeks back, someone contacted me about meal prep. I have a few clients I’ve meal prepped for since my business started in September of 2023, but it’s not something I advertise. When she contacted me, I felt enough alignment between what they were looking for and what I offer as a chef to say yes. I started working for her a month ago.

It’s funny how the smallest shifts can open doors. I remember leaving her house after the first full day of meal prep and noticing how energized I felt. This is something I pay attention to – in business, in friendship, in partnership… how do I feel after leaving the exchange? Do I feel depleted? Do I feel like I want to go home and curl up on the couch… or do I feel like there’s more of me?

Over the past sixteen months, I’ve cheffed for 100+ clients. I’ve cooked for high net worth individuals in several million dollar homes. I’ve cooked under the stars at a National Park for nature-based retreats. I’ve cheffed for a 96 year old former MLB pitcher who played with Mickey Mantle & Babe Ruth (true story!). I’ve cooked private dinners for countless celebrations, chopping away while listening to people’s families toast their marriage, birthday, anniversary, etc.

It took me a while to move through the stress & excitement of owning and operating a private cheffing business to start to pay attention to the quality of my energy after leaving an event. Now, it’s one of the first things I assess after a private dining experience or simply phone call with a potential client. And funny enough, I realized that meal prep was incredibly energizing to me.

Why? Because at the end of the day, this private chef simply LOVES cooking. I love cooking, I LOVE nourishing people, I love knowing that my organic/local/seasonal ingredients are the best quality one can source. I love getting salad greens at James Ranch and knowing that I’m feeding people the nutrients their bodies crave. I love the velvety texture of the salad greens which can’t be experienced in any winter conventional lettuce. I love the deep nourishment that is feeding people.

As I step into 2025, I have no doubt there will be more unexpected discoveries. To be clear, I’m not pivoting my business to meal prep (lol). Rather, realizing how much I love meal prepping for clients where there’s aligned orientation on *food as medicine* has helped me remember why I started Adventure through Food in the first place. It’s helped me sift through layers of uncertainty and reconnect to the living, breathing intention of my business: Adventure through Food is about sourcing the highest quality ingredients to nourish people from the inside out.

And to have fun doing it! So here’s to finding work that feels like play, to relationships that are energizing, to being open to dancing with the unexpected. Here’s to healthier soils and more equitable food systems. To slow meals with loved ones that honor the farmers and ranchers that make food possible.