How to Enjoy Cooking

Learn How to Enjoy Cooking to save you time, money, and stress. Because cooking doesn't have to be a chore.

Almost daily, I hear at least one of these comments...

• "I hate cooking"
• "it's impossible to cook for one"
• "going to the grocery store pains me"
• "it's too expensive to cook at home when I usually end up throwing out ingredients before I can even use them"
• "there's no way I could make and follow a meal plan"

The list goes on, but you get the picture. People have a lot of objections to cooking for themselves.

Grabbing a bite to eat somewhere else seems like a much better idea. Less effort, less time, less stress, and easier.

But here's a secret: Cooking doesn't have to be stressful, wasteful, or time-consuming.

You can actually enjoy cooking and save time, money & stress!

Here are 5 of my favorite tips for how to actually enjoy cooking:

How to Enjoy Cooking

Set up your kitchen

Have the right tools so your kitchen is set up for success. A good knife, a solid cutting board, and a sturdy skillet or pot are the three basic things you must have. I recently posted about a few favorite kitchen utensils that I love, and pantry staples are great to have!

Skip the self-criticism

Mistakes in the kitchen are bound to happen. Try to learn something from them.

Maybe you tried to bake brownies in a 9-inch pan instead of an 8-inch pan and they were overcooked. Or maybe you got a little heavy-handed with the salt because you thought you totally didn't need to measure out ½ teaspoon... you could guess it, right? 😉 Then your food was a wee bit too salty. It happens to everyone!

Remember, no need to be a gourmet cook. You're not expected to make elaborate meals a week after you start cooking (or ever).

Know the basics

Knowing a few basic cooking methods will make your life infinitely easier. If you know how to roast a chicken, make the perfect rice, sauté vegetables, and make a vinaigrette then you've got multiple meals you can make already in the bag.

Pick favorites

Do you have any favorite meals or recipes? Keep those in the weekly rotation. Don't make them every single week, but having a few stand-by favorites is extremely helpful when it comes to planning your meals.

Some of my favorites are broccoli slaw spaghetti, taco soup, lentils with sausage & kale, fried quinoa, and easy peanutty pasta.

Experiment

Try something new! New vegetables or different cooking methods. Vary your cooking methods: steam, sauté, bake, roast, broil, poach, etc. Vary flavorings and sides; try different herbs & spices, and look for new vegetables to try.

However, be sure to have something familiar on your plate in case you don't love the new food. Do remember to keep an open mind.

Meme

What are your favorite tips to enjoy cooking?