Stand and Shine Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 31

Because I regret not making time to get in the kitchen with my mom growing up, I make sure my little girl gets in there with me as much as possible for some hands-on learning experience. She loves helping me and I love spending time with her. I want to share a few tips with you that I have found super helpful as I have learned to cook. Hopefully these will be helpful to you as you discover how fun being in the kitchen can be! 1 It’s okay to mess up! Perfecting a recipe happens like anything in life, with practice. Practice makes perfect. Don’t let a flopped recipe discourage you. Keep with it! You’ll get it right soon enough! —> 2 Start practicing NOW. I wish I would have started practicing while still living under my parents roof, it would have made college and married life that much easier. By starting now, you will be that much more ready to live on your own one day. Pick a day and have your mom or dad walk you through a recipe. If they don’t cook, find a good cooking show on TV that you like. Don’t forget the internet is a great resource as well. the recipe Get hese yummy for t s & more cookie ki’s blog! on Nik 3 4 5 6 7 Slow cookers are fantastic for busy days and don’t require hardly any effort! It is hands down my favorite kitchen appliance. For best results when making baked goods it is always a good idea to let your butter and eggs get to room temperature first where possible - unless otherwise specified in a recipe. Melting the butter too much in the microwave can produce different results. When making cookies or similar baked goods, use parchment paper on your cookie sheet. It makes clean up that much easier. Clean up as you go. It makes life so much easier. The last thing anyone wants to do is spend an hour in the kitchen trying to clean up after spending so much time and effort on preparing a meal. Plan weekly menus. It helps reduce grocery costs and the stress of asking, “What’s for dinner?!” 31