So I am a :::cough cough::: middle aged woman and I’m just now taking an interest in cooking.  Don’t get me wrong, at a very early age I learned how to make basic meals and dishes, however, I never really expanded past that other than the occasional recipe or two that I picked up along the way.  Cooking never really excited me.  There was no passion involved with cooking and it felt more like a chore.

Now that I’m getting older, I’ll be honest – I’m sick and tired of the same ole, same ole.  Who knows, perhaps my taste buds just aren’t what they used to be and need a little excitement occasionally.  They do say, after all, that variety is the spice of life.  In the past when I wanted a taste of something new, I just hopped in the car and drove to the nearest restaurant with a friend or family member.  However, in this economy that just isn’t really practical and it certainly isn’t cost efficient.

So, I guess you could say that I have been forced to begin cooking more at home.  At first, I definitely dreaded it more than than you could ever know.  I had more important things to do than stand over a stove, sweating out what little bit of energy I had left after a long day at work.  On the weekends, cooking was the last thing that I wanted to do as well.  However, once I began experimenting a little I quickly realized that I could actually make dishes that tasted as good as those at a restaurant.  In fact, some were probably even better because I knew exactly what it consisted of and was able to control the ingredients that aren’t healthy.  Once I began cooking more at home and with more variety, I have found myself wanting to eat out less and less for the above reasons and because cooking at home saves a bundle of “dough”.  Buying in bulk has saved my family even more money.

Do I still consider it a chore and dread it like the plague?  Yeah, sometimes but the more techniques, shortcuts and recipes I learn the more I want to learn and I am continuing to find great joy in the art of cooking.