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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Hi Carolyn, I was sitting here thinking about you and your family. A scripture came to mind.
2 Corinthians 1:3 -Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
~Sincerely~
I’m so very sorry for your loss. I will pray for you and your family. I preordered and received your new book. God bless you all
So sorry to hear about your loss Carolyn. I recently lost my Dad to cancer and grief is not the same for anyone. Breathe and weep when you need to. Hug your children close and see your husband in them and a love that lives on.
Love and hugs to you and your whole family
I just read this so my apologies I just wanted to tell you I am so sorry about your loss as well as your children’s loss.
I can’t imagine going through life with your best friend, partner, soul mate for him to be taken way to young.
I know that I’m a stranger ( I’ve been following you for years. ) but I would like to “hug” you.
I will think of you & your family.
Carolyn,
The new book, Protein Advantage, is wonderful. What a change it has made for us!
I have two questions:
Do you offer the recipe for your collagen cappuccino? And, will you be labeling new recipes as Protein Advantage? The recipes have helped so much to show how to get healthy protein without large volumes of food.
Carolyn, I just revisited your site as I always do when I need a reliable keto recipe. I am so saddened to learn of your husband’s passing. Words are never adequate to assuage such a loss. My family and I have followed you and have enjoyed your recipes for years as well as recommending them to my patients in our quest for improving health. Thank you for all that you do and have done for the keto community. I wish you peace and comfort now and in the days ahead. Carl W McCord, MD
May you always be reminded of the love and care your husband gave you throughout the years. So very sorry for your loss 💙
So sorry to hear this news. I send my heartfelt condolences🙏🏼
My husband and I LOVE your recipes. I started looking for keto recipes because my husband is diabetic. Your recipes are the BEST!! We especially like your blueberry jamboree. Thx.
You and your family will be in my prayers.
oh no !! I’m so sorry Carolyn. I had no idea . My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your CHILDREN. I love your books and recipes. I have followed you fir many years and at the time I found out I was diabetic your recipes saved me ! My heart is broken 💔 😢
Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry for the loss of your husband. Saying prayers for you and your family. God be with you and bless you.
many prayers for you and your family take your time and spend time with yourself , God is with you ,I know it’s hard but one day at a time it gets better always praying
I know exactly where you’re at. I lost my husband February 1 to stage four lung cancer. We were married 38 years and five months. The days ahead will be hard. Nobody can tell you how bad it sucks. It’s the absolute worst, but you will start to heal extremely slowly, but youwill. The grief will never go away. Missing him will never go away. I don’t know how spiritual you are, but I leaned on God and I leaned into my grief. See if you have a local church that participates in Grief Share. It’s a wonderful organization. God bless you and let me know if I can help in anyway. I found out I’m stronger than I knew. And I know you are.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry for your loss. You don’t worry about us; you do you. Grief is different for everyone and you need to take the time to grieve your way in your timing. Sending prayers for peace & comfort for you and your family.
I only found this out, I’m so sorry to hear this awful news. My thoughts are with you, do what you need to do for yourself and family. Condolences to you and the family from an Aussie
I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that though we don’t “know” you, we love you & Jesus’ loves you most.
Take all the time you need!
Know that you & the kids are in my prayers.
Big hugs & lotsa love!