It amazes me how often I hear an adult woman tell me that. With all the public school funding it seems that Home Eco. is the first to go, many women (and men) today can play a sport well but have no idea how to sew on a button or make a meal from scratch. The ability to cook translates into savings on geroceries and overall health, you will have to eat something 3 times a day for the rest of your life, in fact you will probably be responsible to feed others 3 times a day also, if you can't cook it's time to learn.
1. Buy some decent kitchen equipment, have you ever tried to make pancakes and they turned into a burned, doughy mess? You probably weren't using the right pan. Some of my favorite everyday cookware is Revere-wear. I have found some at yard sales, it's got a heavy copper bottom so things don't burn easily. I also love my cast iron skillet and my enamel over cast iron Le Cuisinart. It's expensive new...however most of my pieces I inherited form my Mother in Law, she purchased them in the 1960's that tells you how well they hold up. I have one cast iron skillet from the 1940's that I use everyday. I personally believe that Teflon coated pans are toxic and got rid of mine a long time ago, I urge you to research Teflon for yourself.
2. Start by using a lot of frozen and packaged sauces and work your way up. Frozen and packages is still better then drive thru. Some of my favorite things are rotisserie chicken, frozen biscuits, frozen raw fruit and meatballs.
3. Learn techniques, once you know how to make a pan sauce or a reduction it opens up the possibilities of what can be done with a pork or chicken cutlet. If you don't have anyone to teach you I would look into a adult edu. class, a lot of those skills must be taught in person you can only learn so much from a TV show or book.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I was really ignorant about most homemaking skills when I got married. Now, 6 and a half years later, I actually get a lot of compliments on my cooking. It still amazes and amuses me when I realiz several people in our church consider me a good cook and are excited about what I bring to functions. What helped me was just jumping right it. Experience is a great teacher. I asked my hubby what he liked and found recipes for those things or swallowed my pride and asked his mom. I've tried MANY recipes that were total flops but eventually got better at picking out recipes that would work for us. It took me about 3 yrs. to have any confidence in my cooking at all. As someone who was an adult woman with no idea how to cook, I felt really inadequate and just plain bad about not having a clue. I knew I should know; just never had an opportunity to learn.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that having a few nice pots and a nice skillet is helpful. I was blessed with some pampered cheif things as wedding gifts and I think they were an assett to me as I learned. Having the right tools for anything makes the experience easier and funner.
I also think I did a good thing by subscribing to Taste of Home's Cooking for Two. Taste of Home is a great resource for dependable recipes, as are moms and mothers in law. =)
Good post... it is sad how arts of homemaking are dying off in our country. I hope my daughters are better prepared than I was.
I have loved teaching my daughter who is 17 how to cook, and she loves it! I think if given the opportunity, many girls would love the creativity of the kitchen. Loved the encouragement you gave!-Laurie Whitehouse
ReplyDelete