How Can Dishes by Design Help You?
A Personal Chef service is a custom meal service for busy families, active couples/singles, or special diet/food allergy clients who wish to eat in a healthy manner and are tired of take-out and delivery or relying on unhealthy meals on the run.
If you would like to give your family the most precious gift you have….your time, then Karen's Dishes By Design will help you do just that. I provide your family with delicious, healthy meals to their specific taste in the convenience of your own home. I offer a wide array of services designed to take the stress out of your everyday dining or special entertaining.
Food has become a way of life and my idea is to use fresh and local ingredients whenever possible, hormone-free beef and poultry and sustainable seafood. The least amount of processed foods we can eat leads to a healthier body and in return it will resonate to your mind and spirit.
As a personal chef I can help save you around an average of 10-16 hours per week. We will work together to provide meal planning for you or your families needs and tastes, grocery shopping, preparing meals, packaging for ease of use and cleaning up which can be precious time for you. With this extra time you can spend it with family or enjoy doing what’s important to you. The best part is that the "What’s for dinner?" syndrome will be taken care of leaving you to be more productive at work or to just enjoy your family.
About My Family
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am a married to the most perfect husband anyone could ever have and the mother of three beautiful children who are affectionately called "Cherubs". My husband Frank is the strong and supportive rock of the family. My oldest is my lovely daughter Nicole, who is married a very wonderful man named Jeb. My middle child is a charming young man named Anthony but Tony to everyone else except his mother. His is married to the sweetest young lady named Theona. They have a son Anthony; he will just win you over with his beautiful eyes and infectious smile. My youngest is a precious gift of a young man named F.J, the designer of this web site.
My Passions in Life
As you can see Cooking and Family are my passions. Previously I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation as a New Products Planner, where attention to detail was of the utmost importance. My husband took over his family business, we had children and decided to be a team. I stayed home with my children and ran the office for his business. This has worked out well and after 30 years we are still going strong. Between being PTO President, the "Kool-Aid Mom" and the CEO for a very active social life of three children I am excited to be in this next phase of my life. My children have taken on the next stages of their lives and with the recent death of my parents, I decided to combine my passion and entertaining skills for other people to enjoy.
Keeping up with Cooking
I have been cooking and entertaining since I can remember. I am always searching for the perfect recipe, the dish to serve it on and how it will be presented. Continually reading cookbooks, entertaining books and taking Continuing Education Classes especially from other chefs I strive for excellence making sure that every attention to detail is taken care of. I have had two recipes published. In June 2005 Barbara Houle; food editor for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette choose my recipe for her Summer Take-Along Contest. The recipe was for a Mediterranean Side Dish with the main ingredients being Chickpeas and Feta Cheese. Country Woman Christmas 2008, a division of Taste of Home and Reiman Media Group, has included my recipe for Glazed Green Beans. I am a recipe tester for America's Test Kitchens providing a critique on recipes submitted. I am ServeSafe Certified by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and a proud member of the United States Personal Chefs Association..