Cooking can be a joy when everything turns out right. There really is nothing more satisfying than preparing the perfect meal then slowly savoring every last bite. Then again sometimes it can be frustrating when everything seems to go wrong. The truth is not every meal can be the perfect meal. And it’s never fun when you step away from the kitchen for a few minutes only to realize later that you have lost track of time and burned the dish you worked so hard to prepare. Or when you try as hard as you can to prepare a dish to perfection but it still doesn’t come out quite like you had hoped it would. Even though you can’t make the perfect meal every time you cook, that’s no reason why you can’t have fun doing it. So here are some tips to help make your cooking experience more fun.
Try not to be such a perfectionist in the kitchen. If you worry so much about doing everything perfectly, cooking will become stressful for you. And if it’s stressful you won’t enjoy cooking anymore. Not everybody can be perfect in everything they do all the time. So don’t try to be so perfect. Do the things you do well and be proud of that. For the things you don’t do so well, simply practice at it so that you get better. But don’t let it get you down or stress you out when you make mistakes. Whether you are just beginning or you’re a master chef, everybody makes mistakes in cooking. Trial and error really is an important part of the cooking experience. You learn from your mistakes. If it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to be on the first try, you can always try again some other time.
It’s always fun to get the kids or your spouse involved in the kitchen. You don’t need to worry if they make a mess or don’t know where anything is or how to correctly use the utensils. This is a way for you all to bond together as a family. That is far more important than doing everything right. Besides they will learn over time and improve their cooking skills as you do this more often. Make this fun for the kids so as they get older they would learn to love being in the kitchen and cooking. After all, cooking is an important life skill that your kids would need to know later on in adulthood. This can also serve as a way for you to talk to your family about food. Do some taste testing and learn what they like and don’t like along the way. Through this you will make memories that you all can cherish your whole life.
Don’t worry about making a mess when you’re cooking. It’s normal for it to get a bit messy when you are flinging flour this way and that, pealing vegetables, cracking eggs, chopping garnish, and boiling various liquids. Every kitchen gets messy in the process. This will be especially true when you let your kids or spouse get involved. They probably lack the coordination and steady hands that you do since they haven’t spent as much time in the kitchen as you have. But that’s OK. That’s what mops and wash rags are for. And if the kids or your spouse are helping you make a mess in the kitchen, they can also help you clean it up too.
It may be hard to get motivated to clean the kitchen sometimes, but if you think about it, having a dirty kitchen is a lot worse than actually cleaning the kitchen. There is really nothing more discouraging than walking into a dirty kitchen in the morning. It just reminds you of what you should have done yesterday and yet another thing you will have to get done today. So try to always take some time to clean the kitchen towards the end of the day. You can call in the reinforcements with the family to help with the cleaning. After all the family helps to make the mess too. And if you share the responsibility, it will get done quickly. Coming into a clean kitchen in the morning gives you a fresh start for the new day.
If you have learned anything in all of this, it should be that cooking is not a burden. It is something you can and should enjoy. Whether you are by yourself or with those you care about, there is no greater joy that you can share than a good meal. Now get in the kitchen and have some fun cooking today.