Feeding Your Family - Week 7: But I Can't Cook

One of the biggest reasons people do not take the time to plan or prepare a meal is they think they cannot cook well, or cannot cook at all.  I am here to tell you that you can cook!

I never went to cooking school.  The only home economics class I took was the forced quarter in 7th grade where we maybe learned to cook three things.  My mom didn't cook much from scratch.  And while other women around me (grandma, aunt) did cook from scratch I never actually paid any attention to them doing it.  

Now I try new recipes almost weekly, and even give pointers to friends and blog readers.  Wow!  

So how does someone with no cooking experience or training learn to cook?? Here are my pointers.

1. Follow a recipe:  I rarely invent my own recipe.  I wish sometimes that I was more adventurous when it came to mixing seasonings and ingredients to come up with a masterpiece, but I'm not.  Almost everything I ever make is from someone else's website, blog, magazine, recipe box.  No need for creativity.  So when  recipe is gross.  I blame it on the recipe itself - not me!  

2. Google it:  If you don't know what the terms "cream" "whisk" "saute" "broil" "poach" mean in a recipe, Google it.  Literally.  Go to google.com and type "How do I poach an egg."  I guarantee you will find what you need.  You may not be able to master the art of poaching right away, but with practice you will get better.

3. Text a friend: Does someone you know enjoy cooking?  Ask them questions!  They can be your greatest asset to learning to cook.  Most people who love looking will love sharing their hobby with you.  

4. Practice makes pretty good: You may not be the next Paula Deen or Rachael Ray, but the more you cook the better you will get!  You will figure out how long it takes to completely cook through that chicken breast on your grill.  You will learn that your oven cooks faster than most recommended recipes.  You will find what seasonings your family loves (or hates!).  side-note: I met someone who hates cilantro!!!! Who on earth hates cilantro?!?!

5. Start Small: Don't plan on making 3 course meals from day one.  Make a main dish and just add frozen veggies as a side.  You don't want to burn yourself out with extensive and exhausting recipes.  You don't need to make everything from scratch.  Make enchiladas that have store bough tortillas, grated cheese, cream cheese, salsa, and green chilies.  You didn't have to make anything and you threw them together to make a delicious dish.  Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade books are perfect for someone just starting to experiment in the kitchen!

That concludes this series!! For the rest of the Feeding Your Family series head here!  I also hope to post next week some answers to any questions you may have.  If you have questions you want me to address please leave a comment on the blog, or facebook, or email me at lcvalleymom@me.com!