Dear readers,
These are the hardest words I will ever have to write. My husband, Tim Ketchum, died suddenly last week of what was first thought to be an abdominal aneurysm. Doctors now think he may have had a genetic connective tissue disorder that weakened the structure of his aorta.
He was my partner in every sense of the word. He was my best friend, my confidante, my safe place. And oh, he was such an amazing father. He shared the burden of raising our three children with gusto, being present in a way that most dads will never be.
Everyone who ever met Tim loved him. Even people who only met him in passing were charmed by him. Warm, compassionate, loving, thoughtful. And funny as hell! I fell in love with him because he made me laugh. And even as life became more complicated and serious, we never lost that connection, that goofiness and silliness that made every situation easier to bear.
I feel compelled to share here because I am not quite sure what the future looks like. Certainly for the near term, I will be scaling back my time on All Day I Dream About Food so I can focus on my family and my grief. You will still see posts and recipes from me, but I don’t quite know with what frequency. I will be taking the easy route, updating older posts and sharing simple recipes. I have a backlog of some already that I can share over the next few weeks. I also have help with my social media and I am every so grateful to Stephanie, who has taken over my Facebook page completely for now.
Then again, I may decide to lose myself in the process of baking and create some amazing keto cakes. I honestly don’t know what I want or what I need right now. But I ask that you give me grace for not answering your questions in a timely fashion.
How you can help
I am so fortunate to have created an amazing community of readers and followers, some of whom have been with me for over a decade. I know many of you will want to help in some way. And I am grateful for your thoughts and your kindness.
The best thing you can do is keep coming to my website, reading my posts (both new and old), and sharing my posts on social media. Share to groups, share with friends, and pin my recipes to your Pinterest boards. This website has been my family’s source of income for many years now and views will generate much needed ad revenue. I know that ads can be cumbersome, but I ask that you take time to scroll through each post a little bit.
Another great way to help me is to purchase my cookbooks. In particular, pre-order my upcoming book, The Protein Advantage. I will not have much time to promote it now, but it’s something I worked so hard on. I would love to see it succeed and pre-orders make a huge difference to the overall sales of the book. It helps retailers decide how many copies they want to keep on their shelves. And I can assure you, it’s a book worthy of your time.
Thank you for reading. If you are a spiritual person, please send up some thoughts for the wonderful Tim Ketchum. He was a light in the world and touched so many people. I can say confidently that if you had met him, you would have loved him.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I am so sorry for your loss. May God bless you and your children and hold you close in this time of grief and uncertainty.
Praying for you and your family.
My heart breaks for you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Big hugs
I can’t express my most heartfelt condolences enough to you. I have been using your recipes for many many years and have unconditional trust that if you shared it, it was good. period. And you have never let me down. When I lost my father and best friend both in the same month in 2018, my old habits of burying my emorions in food was strong. YOUR recipes helped me through. You in all sense there for me in the hardest time of my life. Please know I, and I am sure many others are here for you. If you ever feel you need to express how you are feeling or just need a shoulder please let me/all of us know. You have created a community and you never let us down and we will not let you down. If you need a break, we will not turn on you. If supporting you means going to your site or page while you take some time, KET US KNOW. Big warm hugs for you from Canada.
My sincere condolences, my almost 24yo nephew and ‘extra child’ died suddenly last September. My heart is with you 💜 Also, thank you so much for all of your recipes!!!
So sorry. My condolences.
My family and I have enjoyed hundreds of your healthy recipes over the years. Sending our condolences to you and your family.
Oh no, it was so sad to hear this news! I am so sorry for your loss of your husband, best friend, and father of your kids. You are my #1 favorite go to for all my recipes and I will continue to do so! You take all the time you need! Sending love and hugs from Olds, Alberta, Canada 🥰
Carolyn,
I am extremely sorry to hear of Tim’s recent death. Life is so precious. What a jarring loss. I am praying for you and your children as you grieve and seek to go on with life. Sending much love, sympathy and concern. (I have used your recipes since March 1, 2024 when we changed our diet to deal with a cancer diagnosis. Thank you for sharing your diligent food experimentation, which continues to bless us. I have recommended your site to many, and will continue to do so.)
I have been following you since 2019 and have enjoyed every post, every recipe and every video. With deepest sympathy for your loss, please, just take all the time you need for yourself and your family. I will stay with you no matter what as I am sure everyone else will as well. Much love and no carbs 🙂
Tom and your family are in my prayers. I was an office manager of an obesity practice and your blog was my number 1 recommendation. I am devastated for you. Good Bless.
Dear Carolyn, I am shocked and saddened to hear this. Love coming in for you and the kids and Tim’s family and friends. As others have said, take all the time you need to grieve and heal. I venture to say that ALL of us who love what you do will be here waiting for you. Peace.
Vicki, Indiana
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for your excruciating loss. My heart goes out to you and your family. Take your time and come back when you’re ready. I appreciate all the hard work you do on your site and emails. I use so many of your recipes. Hang in there and know that we all feel for you.
Dearest Carolyn,
My sincerest condolences go out to you and your family. I’m sure Tim was an awesome husband, partner and father.
I, too, suddenly lost my husband 6 years ago. I know your heartache, disbelief and confusion. I will pray for you and your family. God bless you at this difficult time. 🪻🌷
Dear Carolyn, I am so, so sorry for the terrible loss of your darling Husband, Tim. Grief is your new Partner that will accompany your everywhere and anywhere and is so hard to deal with every single day and night. Please do take really good care of yourself because your partnership with Grief is a very difficult journey. Again I am so, so sorry for you and your darling children. Beyond Sorrow, Pat
I’m so sorry for this huge loss. I just happened upon your page today. I’m praying for you and your family, and looking forward to poring through your recipes. Sending you love during this difficult time.