A Letter from Chef Tracey

Hi, I'm Tracey Somerford.

Cooking has been my life-long passion.

 When I was growing up, my mother had to work. So I was a “latch-key kid”. During this time I became interested in food and cooking.

I’ll admit, my family wasn’t always enthusiastic about my efforts. But the more I tried, the better I got…and the more they liked what I cooked.

By the time I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a chef.

I started out with a degree in Pastry Arts. My first job was as Executive Assistant Pastry Chef at a Houston area country club. It was a great opportunity…but nine months later the long hours and eating too many sweets convinced me I needed a change.

For a few years I worked as an airline flight attendant. The travel was wonderful and I got to experience a lot of different cuisines…but I missed being in the kitchen.

I went back to school to study Culinary Arts. This allowed me to combine my two great loves: cooking and wellness. I learned about nutrition and how important food is to different cultures.

I began to work as a personal chef…but something was still missing. I enjoyed cooking for others, but I wanted to share more of my passion for food with my clients and teach them how to integrate nutrition and wellness into their lives.

At the same time, I became a mother of a beautiful little girl…who needed most of my time. My busy schedule, travel and constant eating out took a toll on my health. I gained weight and missed the nutritious meals I knew I could prepare.

Something had to give! I learned how to plan and prepare healthy meals for me and my family. I also learned how to prepare meals ahead of time…so “what’s for dinner?” turned into “Let’s pick out dinner!. Less stress and more “me” time.

Now my passion is to help others take the stress out of meal planning and preparation. Whether you want help with recipes or would rather let me do the heavy lifting, I’m here for you!