I’ve never been much of a Betty Crocker… or Julia Child… or Rachael Ray. My first years cooking on my own consisted of a lot of boxed pasta with jars of sauce, eating out or basically skipping meals altogether. When I became a single parent, I didn’t add too much to my family menu, but started eating and serving my daughter a lot more fresh foods. After getting married 2 and a half years ago, one thing that took some adjusting was planning and cooking meals EVERY day (with the exception of an occasional leftover night). I then even had to start to love cooking (ah!).

Not me just yet… Photo via The Organic Prepper

How To Begin To Love Cooking

I took to my new task of nourishing an entire family of five (and soon after, a family of six) much in the way I take on a new writing assignment. I outlined menu options, researched sales, got the goods and executed the meals I had planned. While I found some satisfaction in feeding my kids, husband and self, it wouldn’t say I looked forward to doing it. A few months in, my husband insisted that he help out by grilling out at least a few times per week, despite my insistence that I had it all under control, because he actually likes to cook and knows I don’t.

Just before the start of the school year, my husband and I made the decision to start eating “clean.” We cut out processed foods, refined flours and sugars, and basically started making all (most) of our food from scratch. I was amazed at all the yummy recipes I found online and all the new tricks I was learning when it came to eating more naturally. To my surprise, my husband and kids loved the recipes I tried. It became fun for me to scour Pinterest and other websites for delicious recipes I could make with my newly-stocked kitchen full of “clean” eating essentials. By understanding more about what I consume, and what really goes into it, I’ve finally found some happiness in kitchen creations.

For the first time, cooking for my family is something that brings me joy and is not just another chore on a list alongside scrubbing the toilet or decluttering the living room. We don’t always stick strictly to our clean eating and I’m sure with the holidays on the way, we will stray a little bit. But I’m already looking forward to trying new recipes and stretching my cooking and baking prowess. I’m grateful that I now love cooking– and I know my family is too.

What are you grateful for this year?

 

While you are here, check out these posts:

Sweet potato casserole deliciousness

Healthy foods for babies and toddlers

What running has taught me

Can’t-miss Christmas cookie recipes

Category: Life Changes

Tags: baking