May the Forks Be with You
Why should you learn to cook?
Learning to cook is one of the most important skills that you can learn. You are going to be eating several meals a day for the rest of your life. Plus there is a very good possibility that you are going to be responsible for feeding your own children one day. Or maybe you will want to throw a dinner party. Everyone will be much happier if you can feel them a lovely meal rather than something that has to be choked down.
Think of all the money you can save!
Many people spend a great deal of money eating out. Eating out isn’t a bad thing. We love to eat out! But you also need to be aware of how much it is costing you and what percentage of your budget it is consuming. The average American is eating out about five times a week at a cost of $2,000-$3,000 a year! If they just cut back two meals a week, they could save around $1,000.
A great time to learn
Now is a great time to learn this skill. You aren’t fully out on your own yet with a family depending on you to provide yummy meals. If you haven’t begin cooking yet, you can start with some simple recipes and gradually learn the more complicated ones. By the time you graduate, you will be will prepared for life on your own. If you are already cooking, use this challenge as an opportunity to up your game! You can be a great help to your family by cooking a meal on occasion. Not only is it great practice, but your parents will love the help!
How to start…
Don’t feel like you have to start off with a complicated recipe. It’s okay to start with something simple. If you have no cooking experience at all, a cake or brownie mix can be a great first recipe. Simple can still be very tasty. Your parents might also be a good resource for this one. Tell them that you are wanting to start cooking. Ask them to help you brainstorm a family recipe that you like that would be an easy one to try. If they don’t have any suggestions, go to a website like allrecipes.com. Search for beginner or easy in the search bar. Look for recipes that have lots of good ratings. Make sure you read through the recipe before you start. Check to see that you have all the ingredients before starting. Don’t get upset if you have a cooking fail. It happens. I’ve been cooking for years and sometimes I still mess things up. It’s a learning process, and the more you do it the more yummy successes you will have.
Here are some easy recipes that are very popular at our house.
Some other easy options:
There are so many great free resources to help you learn to cook. Check some cookbooks out from the library, watch some cooking videos online or ask a friend or family member that loves to cook to teach you. If you find a recipe you like, make sure you print it out. (Trust me, there’s a good chance you won’t remember where you found it.) Then you can make your own recipe binder to have when you move out on your own.
Your turn.
Print out this list of cooking tips. Find a new recipe that looks good to you. Make sure you have all the ingredients and understand the cooking techniques required. Cook some delicious food! Save all your favorite recipes in a binder, and you will have an awesome cookbook when you move out on your own.
Don’t forget to take pics and post on social media so you can be entered into the gift card drawing! See FAQs for details.
Have you missed any of the previous challenges? If so, you can find them here.