Adventures in Cooking

I used to be the worst cook ever.

I was the person who burned toast, put too much milk in the cereal, and messed up Easy Mac. That's right, I messed up EASY Mac. I was the typical college student...microwaving noodles when Gano was just too bad.

Then I became an adult. I started living on my own. And selling Pampered Chef. My job required me to learn how to cook. And my friend, Kristen asked me to help cook for the Victorian Tea Party. I mean, she KNEW me and asked me to help. I think she was (is) crazy. Then there were all these events and church potlucks that I was expected to cook for. It was inevitable. I had to become decent at this.

In the beginning I used a recipe for EVERYTHING. Hamburgers needed a recipe to follow. Mashed potatoes needed a recipe. I had no "cooking common sense." But it grows on you. And starting small and easy is where it's at. Most people fail at cooking because they get something really complicated and hard to understand.

There were a few blunders. Like, the baking soda/baking powder scone fiasco. The recipe called for one, I put the other, and we had sour scones. Or the shortbread cookie roast. I have had the misfortune for having 2 ovens WITHOUT timers. Thankfully, shortbread isn't flammable and just turns to coal after being in the oven for 3 hours.

Fortunately there were more successes than failures. For that, I need to thank Kristen and Leah for passing on good (and easy) recipes, inviting me to dinner, and just giving me advice. They are the cooking queens and I've learned a lot from them. I should also thank allrecipes.com. They've got a TON of recipes and they're all rated and have reviews from other people. They also have cooking tips. I can also thank Pampered Chef. They have some good recipes. Some are odd (Banana Caramel Ravioli?), but delicious all the same.

I've grown to the point now where I can venture out on my own. I don't need a recipe for most things I make around the house. I started making my own types of chili, and baked chicken, and hamburger steaks. I am, however, still perplexed by fish.

And it's come to the point where people ask me about cooking. It blows my mind. What blows my mind even more is that I know what to say to them. I can plan a meal and make it in 45 minutes (I've done it at least 5 times....:-/)...and while I don't recommend that, it is attainable.

Not that I'll ever be a cooking guru. I don't really enjoy trying new recipes. I won't be posting recipes on my blog (unless you really want a recipe for hamburger steak). I have friends who love cooking and are super at it. I'm just fine with being decent.

Because of this new found skill, I feel like I've become more of a Proverbs 31 woman. I could provide healthy sustenance for my family (if I had one). I can make food for the hungry or needy. I just found another way to serve God and those around me.