Learn to Cook. And Do your own dishes!

Cooking is one of the most important skills anyone can have. Being able to take some simple ingredients and turn them into something delicious for the people you care about is special. Growing up, we had lots of pot luck dinners at church. And, as any good Southern Baptist knows, nobody cooks like them little ol’ church ladies. It was great to see all of those casserole dishes and crock pots lined up in our fellowship hall. And, while there might have been a dish or two that wasn’t the best thing I’d ever tasted, you could tell that it was all made with love. Cooking lies somewhere between a craft and an art. Any of us can learn the basics and be serviceable, but some are chosen to be truly gifted. Don’t get frustrated if you burn a few dinners. It will probably happen. But find some things you love, look up a recipe or two and give it a shot. If you can find an old church cookbook or two, you’ve struck gold! Cook with your kids. Cook with your partner. Just start cooking. It’s cheaper than eating out. Healthier too. And do your dishes while you cook. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. My mother would always say that it looked like a bomb had gone off in her kitchen when I’d cook growing up. Even as an adult, it was a challenge to clean and cook at the same time. My wife is fantastic at it; while I am learning to be better. And if you need a recipe for tomato-bacon casserole, you know where to find me.