Hello! If this is your first time here and we are just meeting, my name is Karen! Welcome! And if you are returning, possibly expecting to check in and see The Pandemic Passport, welcome back! And do we have some changes! I’m thrilled to be back, glad you are here for our newbies and excited that my loyal followers have returned for more. A lot has gone down in the last few months so let’s hop right in!
It’s been a minute since I’ve been on here and/or posted anything new. As I mentioned, a lot has gone down in the past few months. My last post was right around Easter. Literally, right after that I sustained a personal injury that took me out of commission for almost two months. Physical therapy was needed and it knocked me back pretty well. Thankfully now, aside from small residual issues, I’m cleared by my doctors and am on a full road to recovery. Also in the midst of that going on, Randy and I moved into together to a new home! We are both thrilled and love the house and new neighborhood so much! So to top off an injury, we had to put both houses on the market, pack and move all of our belongings and make settlement. Our new home is a flip, so we still have a LOT of work to do. Our family room doesn’t have walls. There’s no toilet right now in our guest bathroom. And the biggest shock to the system, there is NO kitchen.
That’s right… NO KITCHEN. I’ve been living without one for over a month and a half. Honestly it just feels like one giant Top Chef challenge. What can you make with an air fryer, a microwave, a pressure cooker and a hot plate? So you can see why there hasn’t been a lot of new recipes lately. But never fear, the kitchen floor has been laid down and some of the cabinets are up! After this weekend, all of the cabinets should be up! Fingers crossed!
So between all of that and the pandemic thankfully and finally wearing down, I started to think about the future of the blog and what that might hold. I adore teaching people about food and knew that wasn’t going to go anywhere. But I wanted to show off some of my own recipes that maybe didn’t pair up to a specific country or place. I wanted to show you all the house work we’ve been doing and let you see the amazing work Randy does. Bottom line: I wanted to open up more about me. And that’s where Simply Chef Karen came into play. It won’t just be food. It won’t just be travel. It’ll be both and then more. I’m a Culinary Educator and Free Lance Food Stylist, I want you to see that world. I’m a makeup addict and skincare lover. Come learn my recommendations. I’m an avid WW member. I’m 38 and not a size 2. I’m human and want you to come along with me for all of the adventures life has, in and out of the kitchen.
So if you are new, again, welcome! Check out my About Me page for a little more info about myself. You’ll learn even more if you stick around. And if you have been a long for the journey so far, I’m so happy you are still here! I hope everyone will learn still and enjoy the new road we are going to go down together. It’s simply me. No catches. No gimmicks. No themes. Just… me.
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