A life skill is defined as a skill that is necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. Well, as I am quickly finding out, cooking is one of those skills...
Throughout college, I was blessed to live in the Chi O house for all three years after freshman year...it was definitely full of fun and lots of memories, however, cooking was rarely one of those memories. I never had many opportunities to cook and experiment with making things in the kitchen. I had a small fridge under my bed that I would keep "stocked" with turkey meat, apples, grapes, and small snack items I could take to school for my lunches during student teaching. My main meal of choice was always a smoothie, one because I love them and I always say I could live off of them (probably because it's the one thing I can make haha!), but also because they didn't take many ingredients and were quick, easy, and refreshing!
Well...a few months after graduation and moving into my first apartment at the Forge, I realized that during the day lunch and dinner would come along and I didn't have anything to put on my plate, or pour into my bowl, or heat up on the stove...I started looking around and realizing other people were creating and cooking things and using ingredients that I had only seen on the Food Channel. My friend and roommate Anne used a myriad of spices that would always fill the whole apartment with such an inviting and scrumptious smell.
I told her I really wanted to start learning how to cook, partly because I would love to make good meals, partly because I know my husband one day probably won’t want to eat turkey meat and apple slices as much as I do, and also partly because I love hosting and think hospitality is a gift that the Lord has blessed me with, but I feel like cooking would make it more fun and so easy to serve in that way the rest of my life. Anne challenged me to pick a life skill and work on it for a year…in that year, dedicate time to learning about it, practicing it, talking to others and seeking mentors. At the end of the year, she proposed that you would probably be more proficient at that than if you spent five years on it with ten other skills you’re working on at the same time. So this year, I want to dedicate time to learning about cooking. Not just watching the Food Channel like I love to do, but actually taking time to learn and practice.
I started asking people what their favorite meals are to cook, seeking out recipes, and going to the grocery store with more intention on what I’m going to make that day/week. It makes me excited to think about starting to learn something that can not only benefit myself and my family, but something that can be applied and practiced in a gift that the Lord has given me.
So…I’m on the lookout for good recipes and any cooking tips. ☺ And here's to a year of learning and experimenting in the kitchen and hopefully a lifetime of good meals and healthy eating!
Throughout college, I was blessed to live in the Chi O house for all three years after freshman year...it was definitely full of fun and lots of memories, however, cooking was rarely one of those memories. I never had many opportunities to cook and experiment with making things in the kitchen. I had a small fridge under my bed that I would keep "stocked" with turkey meat, apples, grapes, and small snack items I could take to school for my lunches during student teaching. My main meal of choice was always a smoothie, one because I love them and I always say I could live off of them (probably because it's the one thing I can make haha!), but also because they didn't take many ingredients and were quick, easy, and refreshing!
Well...a few months after graduation and moving into my first apartment at the Forge, I realized that during the day lunch and dinner would come along and I didn't have anything to put on my plate, or pour into my bowl, or heat up on the stove...I started looking around and realizing other people were creating and cooking things and using ingredients that I had only seen on the Food Channel. My friend and roommate Anne used a myriad of spices that would always fill the whole apartment with such an inviting and scrumptious smell.
I told her I really wanted to start learning how to cook, partly because I would love to make good meals, partly because I know my husband one day probably won’t want to eat turkey meat and apple slices as much as I do, and also partly because I love hosting and think hospitality is a gift that the Lord has blessed me with, but I feel like cooking would make it more fun and so easy to serve in that way the rest of my life. Anne challenged me to pick a life skill and work on it for a year…in that year, dedicate time to learning about it, practicing it, talking to others and seeking mentors. At the end of the year, she proposed that you would probably be more proficient at that than if you spent five years on it with ten other skills you’re working on at the same time. So this year, I want to dedicate time to learning about cooking. Not just watching the Food Channel like I love to do, but actually taking time to learn and practice.
I started asking people what their favorite meals are to cook, seeking out recipes, and going to the grocery store with more intention on what I’m going to make that day/week. It makes me excited to think about starting to learn something that can not only benefit myself and my family, but something that can be applied and practiced in a gift that the Lord has given me.
So…I’m on the lookout for good recipes and any cooking tips. ☺ And here's to a year of learning and experimenting in the kitchen and hopefully a lifetime of good meals and healthy eating!
