An aroma of spices and casual conversation flows through the kitchen while Sandy Sheahan shares the recipe to relieving stress at her cooking party.

Denton Record-Chronicle/Barron Ludlum

At her home in Aubrey, Sandy Sheahan prepares vegetarian lasagna for a customer. Sheahan is known as The Freckled Chef, also the name of her business. She caters events but also offers private culinary classes and cooking parties.

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“I always say, ‘Don’t stick with the same old pot roast.’ I decided, you know, this is something I could do and do well,” Sheahan said.

“Plus, I had to show my daughter changing up your lifestyle was OK and that anyone could do it.”

Three years ago, Sheahan decided she wanted a change of pace from being a corporate wife. She pursued her aspirations of becoming a chef and moved from Houston to Aubrey.

“I’m just trying to live the dream and it’s never too late,” said Sheahan, who started an Aubrey-based catering business called The Freckled Chef. “When I was younger, people teased me about my freckles, and now I embrace them, so people call me the freckled chef.”

After 23 years of hosting parties and organizing menus for church and Boy Scout meetings, Sheahan said she chose to attend culinary school to perfect her skills.

Her business offers services beyond catering. Sheahan adds flavor to her business with cooking parties and classes, including private lessons for couples.

“It’s all about boxes and cans right now, and some people really take cooking for granted and they just throw something on the table every day. I show them the value in relaxing and bring them back to the natural self,” she said.

Lynda Verhoef, who attended one of The Freckled Chef’s recent cooking parties, said the experience makes dinner less of a chore.

“It’s true, sometimes I don’t want to cook, but with Sandy’s idea of promoting couples, cooking is so much more enjoyable. And during a time like today, it’s always cheaper to cook at home and eat better,” Verhoef said.

For couples, cooking together is a good venue for couples to communication, she added.

“Normally, I would say my husband does anything he can to stay out of the kitchen, but that night, it was so nice,” Verhoef said.

Sheahan said she feels working in the kitchen together can renew a couple’s relationship.

“Cooking together is something I always wanted when I was married,” Sheahan said.

A couple weeks ago, Tracy Board and her husband took part in couples cooking with Sheahan.

“Sandy has a passion for cooking, and you have to have passion to be able to make people happy through their stomachs,” Board said.

ARLINDA ARRIAGA can be reached at 940-566-6897. Her e-mail address is aarriaga@dentonrc.com .