When I Learned To Cook

I was inspired today by two things.  One is my friend Lynn (who blogs at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures) and my the massive cooking day I did today (more to come on that later).  Lynn asked when we learned to cook and whether it was something we loved or hated....hmmmm.  I'd never really thought about WHEN I learned to cook, probably because I feel like I'm still learning....a lot!

All that aside, I think I have been interested in cooking for quite a while.  The first time I remember really cooking was when I was  Freshman in high school.  I begged my mom to let me plan a dinner party for my grandparents, mom, sister, and our old neighbor who lived by himself.  I was obviously interested in cooking enough to even have this idea.  I made EVERYTHING from scratch and by myself (also planned the menu on my own).  I don't remember everything, but I do remember that I made a batch of rolls, some kind of chicken dish, a fresh salad, and a side of some sort.

It was so much fun and I really enjoyed it!  This was probably my earliest memory of enjoying cooking and, of course, was for a "crowd".  I still love to do that!  I love cooking for a lot of people...church fellowships, small group fellowships, birthdays, etc.  Now cooking for myself or my hubby and I...not so much.  That is an area where I am definitely still learning to have joy.  In high school I did a lot of cooking for myself.  I went through a phase where I was vegetarian, where I was working multiple jobs, and where I was just plain tired of only eating food my mom had either purchased from a restaurant or could make in the microwave.  Mostly this was one dish meals, casseroles, or even frozen skillet meals.  I also remember eating quite a bit chicken and hamburger helper.  It was a necessary chore and one I didn't particularly care for.

***Disclaimer:  To be fair, my mother did used to cook wonderful meals almost every night!  Pork chops, steak, burgers, pizza, etc.  That was when she was a stay-at-home mom (while I was in 4th through 8th grades).  After that she was divorced and fell into a horrible depression.  That is where the microwave meals became her friend.    I wish I had been old enough (or smart enough) to really remember the wonderful meals she made for us, but unfortunately for far too long all I remembered were the microwave meals--something I still joke around with her about.

If you care to join in...please let me know when you discovered a love for cooking or whether you're still praying to find joy in that area (as I am).