One of the greatest thing about the Cleveland culinary scene is the solidarity amongst the chefs.  That solidarity was evident last night when I and about 50 other people got to witness three local chef’s rock themselves silly behind the mike at Rock & Roll Wine Project: Karoke Edition.  That’s right friends, I said KARAOKE.

First off we had Chef Steve Schimoler rock out The Door’s classic Light My Fire:

Following Steve, Chef Rocco Whalen came out for Brooklyn, Biggie Small style.  (Needless to say this was one of my all time favorite performances of the evening).

And last but never least, the man I like to call the Chef (along with myself and the BC crew) ended the night with a booooootiful version of Don’t Stop Believing.  And we didn’t stop believing.  All night long.

Head on over HERE to view more of the awesome insanity of Chef Karaoke!  Muchos Muchos Gracias Genna & Chris for the being the most badass MC’s ever.

Wow you guys…

Yesterday was inspiring.

After writing about my nanny standup I received so many comments and email from all of you offering up fantastic advice, helpful hints, and even referring some people who are local.  Awesome.  You guys rock hardcore.  Like Iggy.

I have since cancelled my reschedule.  I knew all along that I shouldn’t have rescheduled but I was just so nervous that I am not going to find anyone.  But after yesterday I have a plan.  I have calls out to JCU and UC and have been trolling (sounds seedy) Sitter City.  A few of you even sent me to real people who I am so excited to get into contact with.  So thank you.  Much needed and much appreciated.

Farm to Plate @ the Cleveland Botanical Gardens

I am also inspired by all of the readers that I meet out and about in Cleveland.  I wasn’t going to write about it but it has been happening more frequently and I wanted to give all you fine ladies (and man) out there a shout out!  Last night I attended the Farm to Plate event at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and was happily stunned when Widow reader Anita came over to the Chef’s table and introduced herself.  It was such a cool moment.  It made my night.  You guys inspire me daily!   Molto Grazie!

Not that I got all that out time for some fun!

To thank you for reading and commenting and make my life a little bit cooler I would like to give one of you a gift. The lucky winner shall receive this:

A bottle of C.G Di Arie Sinfandel 2005!!!!

All you have to do is leave me a comment with your absolute favorite food and/or recipe.  Biggie Smalls will pick one lucky commenter randomly this Saturday and I will announce the winner on Labor Day.  Please leave me your email or link with your comment so I can notify you of your mega win;)

Bonne Chance!!  (My French CD’s are actually working!!!!)

I have been a Stay at Home Mamma for 3 1/2 years and I don’t regret a day of it.  My decision to stay home with Catcher at first stemmed from the fact that I didn’t want to do day care.  Nor did I want to pay for it.  The fact was when Catcher was born my salary in NYC was next to nothing and day care would have taken it all.  The cost of a nanny ($100,000/yr) was out of the question.

I have thoroughly enjoyed staying home with my kids.  It has MADE my life!  Everyday I see something new in each of them and I everyday I am taught something new by each of them.  It is like university all over again minus the vodka and zannies.  I love having the freedom to educate my children and take them to places most kids have yet to see.  I am proud of the fact that I can do the parenting thing on my own.  I can pack up the Prius with 2 kids, their double stroller, and head downtown to spend the day at the Science Center.  I can take both kids grocery shopping and be out in under an hour.  I somehow manage to get Biggie Smalls bathed & fed & in bed every night by 8.  Each night I lay the boy down by 9 and I find myself reading 30 book straight until 10.  And I am happy. So so happy.

My days can be stressful, my days can be perfect.  But at the end of said day all I need to do is look at there way to cute faces and know I made the right choice.

But sometimes choices are taken away.  Sometimes the choice is no longer an option.  Sometimes your choice leads to a bigger choice.  When the Chef & I moved from Brooklyn to Cleveland we knew we were going to open a restaurant.  And we knew that I was going to work in it.  The Greenhouse Tavern project has been moving forward weekly and I need to get involved.  I need to play a more active role with the rest of the time.  Starting next week I will attend the weekly project meetings on Tuesdays as well as take a 4 week class about LEED on Wednesday night.  I am also writing this blog, updating the Chef’s blog,  and writing for About.com and Cleveland.com on a weekly basis.  And I am trying to shed some FAT before Paris so I have decided that I am going to sign up for a hellacious class called Boot Camp.  Apparently it is designed like the actual Boot Camp one goes to if they sign up for the war.  Doesn’t sound fun but sounds very effective.  Did I forget to mention that  also have two kids under 3, one super allergic to everything pitbull, and one pug who loves to sneak under the fence and run away at the most inopportune times?

So yeah.  That’s my crazy life.  And to help out with my vida loca the Chef & I have decided to hire some help.  We started looking for a grad student/nanny/mother’s helper last week to help us out every Tuesday.  I have gotten a few responses and even set up an interview this morning.  The girl who responded sounded great, her resume rocked and she even offered up a background check.  The problem…she no showed and no called.  Until now.

As I began to type this post I was angry.  The Chef & I wasted all morning waiting around for our potential sitter and she no showed.  I had set up the appointment for 10.30am.  By 12.30pm we knew that we probably were’nt going to see her.  Then about half way through this post, she called.  It was 1pm.  She said that she got stuck at the doctore’s with her son and didn’t have my phone number to call.  We chatted for a few minutes and we rescheduled for Wednesday.  My question is this.  Should I have evn bothered to reschedule?  Is her not showing up a sign of things to come?  How did you find help for your own families?  I could use all the advice I could get.  I am so NERVOUS about leaving them in someone’s care but I have to do it.  I have to be able to leave them.  It’s just a matter of time before GHT is open and I am putting 25 hours in.

Here Ye Here Ye my Loyal Readers….

This blog, Chef’s Widow has been nominated for a plethora (god I LOVE that word) of Blogger’s Choice Awards.  If you vote for me I may very well win ONE MILLION DOLLARS….JK JK

No many but a step up in the blogosphere.  Which is way more important than ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

So vote once vote twice vote 100 times!!!

HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE or you can check out my sidebar and click on the little Award balloons!!

Cheers Cheers

BTW I only have one vote on each (compliments of moi) so vote that shit up!!!

At Lola celebrating MIL’s birthday I discovered that my daughter had a fondness for the pig.  Actually the pig’s ear.  Before I could think twice Biggie Smalls had gnawed the ear to the bone cartilage?  Looks like my girl is going to steer clear of the vegan path.

I may have given myself an ulcer yesterday. It really was one of the most nerve wrecking days in my life (besides my wedding and the results of Catcher’s kidney diagnosis). The am found the Chef & I at the Idea Center in downtown Cleveland for an On Air interview on NPR. As I sat in the green room with Chef I totally started psyching myself out. It’s hard not to. Everything is so dead silent in a radio station and you don’t know what questions you are going to be asked…I was a mess (inside my head). The interview went off without a hitch and Dee Perry made us feel so at HOME. Plus her voice is by far the most soothing voice I have ever heard, besides this man.

To hear the interview in it’s entirety click HERE.

After NPR I headed home to hang out with Biggie Smalls and CatcherCrazyFace.  We lounged outside, washed my car, and saw the next dog we are going get.  In a few years of course.

How enormous do my ladies look?  I look like this chick. Insane.

I had to go back downtown by 7pm to meet the Chef (who had been in the kitchen since 8am) for the Dinner Impossible Premiere party.  The Chef & David Lowe (the other Sous Chef on DI) recreated the menu that the DI boys served on Alcatraz.  It was DELISH.  The place was packed and everybody was up and arms at every break.  I, of course, got a bit emotional when it all started.  I am total cheese.  Mr. Kyle Roth aka Chef Paparazzo took some ridiculously fantastic photographs and you should totally check them out!  Here’s a taste:

By the end of the show my belly was busting out of my denim skirt and I was ready to grab the chef, take him home, and watch the show all over again (amongst other things that we don’t talk about here:).  In a perfect world. After I ate the soap I begrudgingly left the Chef and went to my ‘rents to get my babies.

This morning I awoke to a naked 3 year old.  After I got him presentable for the outside world I packed up my car and headed downtown again.  This time the Chef & I would be doing an interview (on camera) with a TV station.  We headed to the new place and we were thrust into the interview.  It went OK and of course once I saw it I swore that I would NEVER again go on TV.  And I pretty much stand by that. Or at least until I lose a couple lb’s…

It’s been a whirlwind and it’s been fun and it’s been crazy.  It’s a stressful and busy life that the Widow family lives but nights like last night shared with such supportive people make all the insanity totally doable.  Much love people.  Much love.

Apparently there is a chance that the Chef may appear on an episode of Cops.  That’s right, I said Cops. But not because he is a white trash sister sleeping with baby stealer…

Last night at the restaurant a PCP addict quietly walked in the doors and started freaking the fuck out.  The Chef & bar manager extraordinaire MF called 911 (who usually never responds) and 2 minutes later the Cops film crew should up.  The Chef & MF had to go all high school wrestling on the dude and forcibly remove him.

Looks like I am going to be TIVO’ing Cops.  Never thought those words would come out of these lips…

In honor of the Cops, I leave you with my favorite COPS:

These two super ridiculously cute crazies turn my frown upside everyday no matter what.  And that’s why I am one lucky mamma!

I have been searching and searching for the most awesomest pair of boots for my Paris trip in October.  I think I may have found them.  What do you think?

Mike Symon & friends (including my Chef) find themselves at Alcatraz for this week’s Dinner Impossible premiere. Wednesday night @ 10pm is the beginning of the brand new season of Dinner Impossible hosted by Cleveland’s own Michael Symon.

When Mike asked my Chef to accompany him on his Impossible journey we had no idea what he would be in for. He was super excited to travel all over the country and be tested at his skill. In three short months Chef Symon, Chef Sawyer, Chef Lowe, Chef Bando, and Chef MacLaren, traveled all over the country attempting the impossible. They went east, west, north, and south. They flew to the undisclosed location the eve before set, then they filmed on location for 15 hours straight and flew back the next morning. Insane. The Chef filmed 5 episodes and I know that they kicked his ass. I can’t even imagine how Symon managed to do 20 some episodes in three short months. He is a total maniac (in a good way). Although I am pretty sure he just took a week off for some much needed relaxation (aka Golf) time.

Make sure to tune in or join the Chef & I for this:

In honor of the premiere of DI, the Chef’s restaurant is having a bash where he & David Lowe (the other chef from the show) will recreate the menu that the DI boys made while doing time on The Rock.