[Photo Credit: Sodahead]

You know, there are those things that some people won’t do if they don’t have to. For example, if I can avoid sports, I will. You don’t want to see me on any court or field. I think that cooking is a lot easier than sports. I have thought about why people don’t cook and I think I have a couple of ways to help you become more in tune with your inner chef:

1. Make a list of what you like to eat and then make your own version. If you have been following my previous blog, The Mermaid Chef, you will know that I have made my own version of Salsarita’s. I also have another post coming up in the near future that you will enjoy (I think)! Think about what goes into your favorite dish and then buy those ingredients or ones similar and get cooking!

2. Start out small. A lot of people don’t like to cook because it causes a lot of dirty pots, pans, dishes, etc. around the kitchen. However, you can always start off with snacks. Making good choices with snacks can really change the way you eat. Snacks are usually small and you can always make a large quantity and save it for later. For example, a really simple snack is buying yogurt and fruit and cutting the fruit so the fruit is 100% fresh. Clearly, there was no cooking involved but there are steps like washing the fruit, cutting it, and packing it away. Next, you can step up and make some spaghetti because it doesn’t involve too much thought if you are buying ready-to-go ingredients. You boil water, cook the noodles, drain, then you mix the noodles with spaghetti sauce and in another pot or pan heat up some meatballs. After all of that you can get more creative and make your own spaghetti sauce. All of these are baby steps to equal a new step to a bigger and better receipe.

[Photo Credit: Peatmoss]

3. Be creatively inspired. This might be a little too out there but if you look at something like the sunset falling from sight and those bright orange, yellow, pink tones that light up the sky before descending into darkness…how can you be inspired by that? I actually think of a fruit salad or a bell pepper stir fry. What about a rustic little area of town that has a charm to it? I would think Italian if it had cobblestone, warm candle lights, people walking up and down with not a care in the world. Trees in the sky with chirping birds? A salad with fresh nuts. I just made those up, but can you imagine it? I think that it is marvelous to be inspired by your environment.

4. Make your kitchen your own safe place. There is nothing worse than trying your best only to get knocked down by people. So, if you are someone who is willing to take criticism and adapt it to your next meal, have a couple of family/friends over. You want to be able to trust their opinion without taking offense. My family is the group of people who I can give them food and know that they will give me honest criticism that can help me in the future. Also, make the kitchen a reflection of you. If you are a mug hoarder, maybe display a couple on the wall. Love fruit? Try placing porcelain tiles above your sink for a colorful touch when you wash the dishes.

-The Mermaid Network