I wouldn't say I'm an amazing cook or baker by any means. But I can follow a recipe, and no one in my house is going to starve (most days).
I really do enjoy spending time in my kitchen. Aesthetically, it's perfect to me - the white cabinets, the neutral counters, the dark wooden floors, the white tiled ceiling, the light blue walls, stainless steel appliances...I love how it turned out! Having a pretty place with oodles of counter space makes working in the kitchen a dream! So...I have that going for me. ;)
Then, of course, the art of creating in the kitchen comes into play. I LOVE to create, and I LOVE to eat, so cooking and baking work out pretty well for me!
I forget that not everyone enjoys cooking, and not everyone knows how. My sister-in-law joked about how my little brother can't even boil noodles...Sorry, Bro. I might have failed you in the kitchen because I was off to college by the time you were old enough to start cooking...but I was a terrific editor...your essays were da' bomb, weren't they? Okay...so how did I learn to cook...
My Mom
I am not a self-taught kitchenaire. My mom might not realize it, but she taught me so much about cooking. When I was younger, she was a stay-at-home mom, and she would make "dinner" (because growing up, we had breakfast, dinner, and supper - not breakfast, lunch and dinner...) for my family, including my grandpa if he was at the farm. That just seemed to stand out to me...that my mom would cook for my dad's dad...that my grandpa would eat lunch with us. Maybe this didn't happen as often as I think it did, but she would make all kinds of comfort food...lasagna, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy...I didn't know what "carbs" were then. I just knew good food. And then, when she went back to work, and I was in school, I remember coming home after practice to an amazing "supper"...I would watch her cook, and at some point, I started helping some. "Can you flip the chicken?"...she'd make this "special to me" chicken in her electric skillet (not because it was special to me, but I just really liked it, and I don't know what to call it). It was so good.
I remember trying to bake cookies for the first time by myself with my best friend. We got all of the ingredients out, and instead of following the directions, we just started adding all of the ingredients into the bowl as they were listed in the ingredients list. My mom came in and let us know that you weren't supposed to do that, that you should have two bowls, yada yada yada...but she helped us finish the mess we had made....the cookies ended up being the best chocolate chip cookies ever. So delicious. I learned that you should read ahead when cooking or baking, and sometimes your mistakes taste amazing.
My Grandma
My Grandma Swanson is amazing in the kitchen, too....her Flat as a Pancake but as Big as the Plate Pancakes, Chocolate Malts, Swedish Meatballs, Strawberry Pie, Potato Salad...just spending time in the kitchen with her, and just watching taught me a lot! There was always dessert, too...with Cool Whip and a maraschino cherry on top. I loved growing up with those retro meals.
Semi-Homemade
And what I didn't learn from them, I learned from Martha Stewart and The Food Network. You can learn so much from other cooks - their tips, shortcuts, food science. I talk a lot about Martha, but another gal I can appreciate is Sandra Lee from Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. She is a beautiful cheerful lady who apparently entertains a lot. On her show, she'd have a food theme, a signature cocktail, and a tablescape to go along with it. She found creative ways to use store-bought / ready-made items with fresh ingredients. I would say her ideas have definitely influenced the way I cook today. It was all right up my alley. If there's a way to save some time and energy, and still get that "made in my kitchen" feeling, I'm game. I'm a busy gal, and I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Some of my favorite shortcuts:
Box Cake Mix (add an extra egg, use milk instead of water, add pudding mix and BOOM...deliciouso)
Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting (or any other Whipped Betty Crocker Frosting...just add more powdered sugar to it, and beat it...I use it ALL of the time...homemade Snow White Buttercream frosting is the best, but this is so much easier!)
Chopped Frozen Vegetables (I'm not going to chop up fresh broccoli or cauliflower if I'm going to cook it. Nope)
Frozen Zucchini Noodles (I'm not going to spiral my own zucchini if it's going to already be done, and I just have to stick a bag in the microwave....a terrific alternative to regular pasta, by the way)
Guacamole (I know. Fresh is best, but finding an avocado that's perfectly ripe can be a pain in the rear. If I can just go to the Fresh Produce section at Hy-Vee and find the guacamole they have already made...I'm going that route.)
Bagged Lettuce (Seriously. Why wouldn't you?)
Canned Chicken (Don't make that face. I add it to spaghetti sauce with cream cheese, and it is SO good over pasta.)
Some of my most popular recipes are of the "open" and "dump" variety. You don't have to get fancy in the kitchen to get amazing results. ;)
Carbs...
I wish someone would have told me about carbohydrates, net carbs, carb counts, blood sugar, etc when I was 12. I think that would have helped a girl out.
I developed Gestational Diabetes during both of my pregnancies...I've never been overweight so people seemed surprised, but diabetes runs on both sides of my family, so apparently a family history of the disease plays a big factor...
Oddly enough, it was actually a blessing for me. Instead of eating all of the Skittles in the world and overindulging over the holidays while growing two humans, I was on a very healthy diet. Instead of gaining more baby weight than I would ever be able to lose, I gained just the right amount of "baby weight" while probably losing some of "my own"...When it comes to the health and well-being of your baby, you'll practice any amount of willpower. "Only half of a cupcake for me, please." ;) Fortunately, it all worked out for me, and I managed the diabetes by watching my diet...no pills or injections...just lots of finger pricks and healthy choices.
I had dealt with low blood sugar for years prior to getting pregnant, but never really understood what was happening. I've been able to manage it so much better now. And knowing what I know now, I can teach our daughters a healthier way to eat, too...it was a surprisingly good life lesson.
I learned that you need to pair your carbs with protein and complex carbs...you need to slow that sugar down! And that was part of my issue growing up. I wasn't eating the right foods (I honestly didn't even know what a carb really was...I just thought it was sugar...like in sugar form) in the right combinations, and my body was digesting and releasing the sugar into my blood stream much too quickly. And where there's a spike, there will soon be a crash...the key is keeping it steady. Eat smaller meals more often. Anyway, I've learned a lot.
I try to eat every 2 hours (or so) - I don't actually eat breakfast right away because it makes me nauseous, but I do have a mid morning snack, then lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and occasionally (probably more than occasionally ;) ) an evening snack.
I watch my carbs (somedays...I'm literally watching them go into my mouth, but MOST of the time I'm better behaved)...I know that sounds boring and painful, but it's not. I eat a LOT of food. Just not a lot of carbs. I try to keep my breakfast and snacks to 1 Carb Count (12-15 net carbs), and lunch and dinner around 2 Carb Counts (24-30 net carbs).
I have found so many low carb food options...but I do try to stay away from "diet" foods in general, and especially any that contain whey protein, soy, artificial sweeteners, or sugar alcohols. I'm a salad girl. Always have been. There are so many salad kits and ready made salads anymore...it's so easy and relatively inexpensive. Beef sticks, nuts, popcorn, cheese, cottage cheese, Mission's Carb Balance tortillas are other favs...and if I am going to have a sandwich or burger, I might take one half of the bun off or skip the bun all together. You'd be surprised how you really don't miss the bread if you're eating something loaded with veggies and condiments. ;) Cooked vegetables can take the place of pasta, potatoes and rice in a lot of dishes...there are SO many options.
Another thing I haven't been SO great about but should is making sure that I incorporate physical activity into my daily routine. I thought just the incidental exercise I got throughout the day was good enough...sure I go up and down the stairs several times a day, but that probably isn't enough. Did you know, that if you exercise after you eat, you can lower your blood sugar? So if you happen to eat a higher carb meal, a walk can keep things on the level! I've been trying to be better about the dreaded "E" word. After dinner, I've been using our elliptical machine (I read while I do it! It's actually pretty perfect...I found a series of books to read, so it keeps me motivated! And I'm happy I can kill two birds with one stone!)...
In Closing
My goal of trying one new recipe a week got my wheels spinning a little. What type of recipes do I want to try? Will they be main dishes, side dishes, desserts? Will I try to keep them healthy? Will I try new cooking techniques? Then I thought about cooking in general and some of the things that I do that others might not and vice versa, and then thought "Why don't I share a little of my cooking background and current inspiration? You know...let others know where I'm coming from." :) We all have different kitchen experiences, and it's always good to learn from others!
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