How to Boil Water: Three Years

It's hard to believe that it's been three years since I decided that I wanted to learn to cook. It's been three this post.


years (plus one day) since I wrote

I knew nothing then. Actually I knew less than nothing. I could put a frozen pizza in the oven. I could make box macaroni and cheese.

If we're being honest, I could barely boil water.

But it's been three years and I have learned a lot. I have come very far from where I was.

To be honest, I'm not even sure how to talk about the last three years. There is just so much that I have learned. There is so much that I have achieved. There is so much that I have done. I have challenged myself in so many ways. I have attempted so many recipes. I have tried so many new foods. The girl who was the pickiest eater is open to so many more foods all thanks to cooking.

I don't even know what to say about the last three years. It has been an amazing experience. I have learned a lot, not just about food but about myself. I have been able to take pride in something. I have learned to love it. I have learned to love food. I have learned to thrive from the challenge.

So in honor of three years here's a few things I have learned:

+ Read the entire direction on your recipe. In fact I recommend doing that the night before or at least a few hours before that way you know if it will take hours. Sometimes the time limit at the top of the recipe isn't always completely correct and it actually takes long than you think. So definitely do your reading.

+ Learn how to properly hold a knife. And get a good set of knives. It's definitely worth it and will make a world of difference.

+ Don't go crazy with turning meat. In almost all cases, you put the meat/chicken/fish/whatever in the skillet or grill and leave it. You give it time to cook on that side then flip it to cook on the other side. Don't go crazy with flipping it. It won't help it cook any better or faster, and you'll likely to just under-cook it.

+ Don't be afraid to fail. It will happen. Sometimes it's your fault and sometimes it's the recipe. But it's okay. Every single time you cook it's a learning experience and you should use that for the next time you cook.

+ Plan out meals. I do it a week at a time and I try to make sure I reuse ingredients. If I need to buy something random or a fresh item that I know I wouldn't use all of then try to find another recipe to use up the rest so that nothing gets wasted. You can plan out however you want, but I find a week at a time works well. I only go to the grocery store once a week, which is the best with a toddler and when it comes to buying fresh produce. I sometimes have an idea what we are eating throughout the month when it comes to eating out but since we eat out so rarely that's pretty easy to plan.

So there's a few things that I have found useful when it comes to cooking. I have definitely learned a lot when it comes to recipes and techniques as well. But there is also so much I haven't learned yet. Things I want to still do, so I have been working on a list of things I want to achieve in the next year of How to Boil Water.

+ Make homemade pasta noodles.

+ Make everyday white bread

+ Make homemade pasta sauce

+ Make homemade ice cream

+ Stop being afraid of the broiler - conquer the dang thing!

So I end with this:

My advice to those who want to learn to cook is to just start cooking. The only way to get better is through practice. And there will be recipes that turn out to be a complete disaster. There will be just horrible recipes that you don't like when you dare to try something new. And slowly you will get better. It might take time. But you have to start somewhere.

Learning to cook has truly been an amazing experience. I am proud of everything I have done. And I'm proud that I can provide healthy dinners for my family every night.