Beginners Cooking Advice

Here is a list of some cooking supplies that I highly recommend. The links I've attached to the list below is only for reference purposes. You will need to pick out what you like and whatever matches your needs and preferences. Some of these items are nice, but costly, while others there are better brands available. Again they are just for examples.

·         This Quick and Healthy Recipe book and her other volumes.

·         Standard pot set (Something like this set)

o   Skillet pan with a lid

o   Sauce pan (Recommend at least 2 of different sizes, but as you cook you can get more as you need them)

 

o   Tall pot for pastas, stews, and large quantities of food

·         9 x 13 Baking dish Glass

·         8x8 Baking dish Glass

·         Colander / Strainer

·         Mixing bowls - at least 2 different sizes (Adjust as necessary and get what you need)

·         Microwave bowls - few different sizes

·         Wooden spoons - at least 4

·         Wire Whisk

·         Turner x 2 and different styles

·         Cutting Board (At least a Medium)

·         Set of Kitchen knives

·         Can opener (I like one of each kind, so I can strain the juice or keep the caps for storage for another day (Outside open, Inside Open), but get what you works for you)

·         Cookie Sheet

·         Crock pot

·         Everything else you pick up is optional to help you out in the kitchen.

o   Spoon rest

o   Storage place/container for your spoons/pots/pans, etc

o   Other cookbooks

o   Food Storage containers

o   Anything else you feel like that can help you out. ( I like the idea less is better, I don’t like clutter)

 

 

Ok, so first I want to point out that cookbooks are a very important part to cooking when you’re starting out. When my husband and I were just 17 years old and just trying to make it, we frequently would just eat the freeze and heat meals, even the pre packed meals in a box and a whole lot of cereal. Not the best of diet, but when you’re starting out, it worked. Years later, when we were 23 ish~ years old and we just had our kids, we put on a ton of weight. We quickly realized that our habits were not the best and with the economy falling apart, our budget was limited. So we began our research of how to improve. I found this book (Quick and Healthy Recipes V. 1) online and decided to give it a try. It had a grocery shopping list, and a menu already made up for us! We just turned the page to the recipe and cooked each night! Saved us so much time on trying to figure out where to begin with this cooking stuff. Some recipes we didn’t like, and many we did. It showed us what was out there. What we were missing out on in a sense. So I now recommend this book to anyone who was stuck in that same rut we were when we were kids. I have volume 2 now and when we are bored with those recipes, I’ll pick up volume 3.

That cookbook is not the only one of that kind out there, and I encourage you to seek other recipes and ideas! This way you do not get bored. I just like her teaching techniques so I could build new habits for cooking. This will help you develop good habits yourself too.

When you plan your meals, look at all the recipes and scrounge through your cupboards.  You might have those ingredients already. (I randomly pick out the recipes I want to try from the books, in case there were some my family didn’t like). Then compile your grocery list. Plan the day before, in case your menu has something that needs to be thawed out or may be a crock pot recipe.

When it’s time to put on the “apron” (figuratively speaking, unless you really want to wear an apron) pull out your cookbook and all the ingredients listed in the recipe(s). Pull out the pots and pans and baking dishes required by the recipe. Heat the oven or the burner or both.

Now follow your recipe cooking directions and not just your recipe ingredient list. My father-in-law tends to just put all the ingredients in one pot and calls it good. (And he wonders why he doesn’t cook well). Most good recipes, if they are written write, will tell you what to do with your ingredients. Some things you add at the end, where no heat is required, while others you have to cook separate before you mix it together.

Now I realize all of this seems like a lot, but once you begin the whole cooking ordeal and practice a few times, it will become easier and easier. Now you have an idea of where to begin, get in the kitchen and make yourself, or someone honest about your cooking something amazing! When you feel ready to really test your cooking, Making something for a child, they are usually very picky and honest if it’s good or not J .  Happy Cooking and good luck!

Summer Projects

So the kids are out of school, mom is on leave, dad's at work, and grandpa is playing on the internet! Kids are bouncing off the walls. Mom is cooking, cleaning, bouncing marbles around in her head and inventing new ideas to preoccupy this nest.

I got it! Lets make doll clothes! We found some left over fabric in my sewing box. Girls picked out which dolls they want clothes for and what kind of fabric they wanted to see. I asked them what kind of clothing they wanted and they said dresses! So guess what, They got dresses.

My two little helpers (5 and 6 years old) were following me around as I gathered old doll clothes for patterns, ironing the fabric and measuring my cut patterns. I used the same fabric that I used to make their dresses. So when they want to dress up. Their dolls will match them too! (Kids love that kind of thing)

These two dresses took me about 8 hours to make between the cooking and cleaning, but will last my kids for years!

 _________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Next on our agenda...

 

Kids got to paint bird houses.

 

I found these bird houses on sale at Wal-Mart for $1 and change each. What a bargain for my little busy bodies! So I bought some paint (One wanted purple, one wanted pink, naturally, lol) for just over a $1 and some change each. Tada instant project for the kids to do for less than $5.

 

I admit the decorations cost $10 at Ben Franklins Crafts but that required hot glue, which my little ones are quite old enough to try yet. (Waiting for their elementary school class to help them master Elmer's glue first) 

 

But none the less this was entertaining to the kids, and they now have a new decoration that they "made" in their rooms

 

 

 

We had to let the houses dry before we could decorate them.

 

End results...

 

Jadenn's creation

 

Ashlyn's Creation (Below)

 _________________________________________________________________________________

 

Ok.... What to do now...

 

 

Ashlyn: Mom? I don't want bunk beds anymore

Mom: Uhhhhh...... okay :)

 

Tada! It's a good thing my husband built their bunk beds. He designed them so that we could separate their beds when we wanted to, or stack them when we need the space!

 

Their room before these photos was very plain. I have to admit I was not very proactive about redecorating their room until now. Mostly because I was gone in Iraq for some time when we moved here. But I'm home now and darn it we are going to make an adorable little girls room.


I bought the flower wall paper stickers at Target for $10 (Score!) Then while I was at Ben Franklin crafts picking up the birds for the bird houses, I saw they were having a %50 sale on Spring items! (Double Score) So I bought the girls some hanging Butterflies for their ceilings! We are going to spring in this room!

So far we decorated it with spring flowers and hung the butterflies. I'm waiting to pick up these adorable Curtains off Amazon to drape above their bed. To give a canopy effect.

 

Then since we are moving back to Washington next year, I'm going to get some energy efficient curtains and hang over their window. We live in Hawaii so blocking the cold is not the problem, but blocking the sun and heat. (Trust me the power bill for the A/C is just as bad as the power bill for the Heater).

So when that project is complete! I'll show you the updates! Comments and other ideas to share for their room would be amazing!