You know those people, like Jamie Oliver, turning a great meal out of anything they have at home, spicing it with a little bit of passion for cooking? Yeah, well, that’s not me! If I’d have to describe my cooking skills, I’d go with Bridget Jones and her blue soup disaster.
Luckily, I figured with the help of a few tricks you can trick yourself into loving cooking even if you’d just prefer to eat out instead or binge on snacks. Though I didn’t have an aversion towards the kitchen itself I can’t say I enjoyed it much either, and the dining room almost got out of use completely since as a family we used to eat by the TV.
Dress Like a Cook!
The first trick used was cooking as a family, so the room I used to view as mere utility turned into the ideal and most unexpected bonding place. Getting trendy and stylish waist aprons and kids aprons in the same indigo denim colour for every member was part of the mission, and having the names embroidered certainly was the detail that made us all look like a professional team of cooks ready to get down to business.
You can take it a step further and pair the kids and waist aprons with chef hats; the more enjoyable the space turns to be, and an activity you can do as a family, with equal participation of everyone, the more you’d like cooking as much as you like eating. Most importantly, prior to the cooking, clean out all the clutter together to start fresh.
Cooking Ambiance On!
The ambiance matters too, so apart from making it bright, either with the help of natural light or LEDs, play some music to get you in the cooking mood. Look up for cook music on YouTube and you’d feel in the middle of Italy or France in your very own kitchen, preparing some of their savoury traditional dishes and listening to their traditional tunes.
On the plus side too, it would give you the confidence needed to mix up ingredients, without being afraid to make mistakes or be creative improvising recipes, feeling like you’re running your own cooking show. The fun is in experimenting!
Stay Healthy!
It’s surprising how knowing something is healthy can motivate you into preparing it. Whether it’s a simple dish or something you’ve never done before, as long as it’s healthy and the ingredients are fresh, you can be sure it’s going to be a treat for the whole family. To be on the safe side, keep an eye on cookbook recipes, and even if you don’t know how to go about a certain step, that’s what the internet is for – google it!
Not only do I like cooking now, it’s my family’s favourite activity, and apart from working on our chef skills together, we get to save money too!
