Hello again everyone! I hope you all are having a smashing day so far. The word ‘smash’ is making me think of guacamole. Oh yum, any other guac fans?!

Today I’ll be sharing a bit about my journey of cooking and grocery shopping, and my past insecurities in these areas. Time to get real!

I have struggled throughout my life having confidence with cooking. Baking I enjoyed more, (I had to learn to make cookie dough because, ya know, this sweet tooth of mine) but when it came to making meals I felt utterly short on skills. I was just never one to jump at cooking dinner while growing up. To be honest it was something I dreaded at times.

Flash back to a few months ago – I was engaged to marry the love of my life! As we eagerly decided on wedding colors and what kind of wedding cake we would have, niggling in the back of my mind was the troubling thought of how well I would be able to cook for my soon-to-be husband.

“Will you be okay with hot-dogs, macaroni, and spaghetti our whole lives?” I joked to Zach nervously before our upcoming wedding.

“Sure!” He lovingly replied.

He is so sweet. But I knew we’d eventually get tired of those types of meals. I wondered how we would cope. The other major issue related to this was: I did not like grocery shopping. Not only did I tend to dread cooking, but grocery shopping was an even bigger drag to me. Two hugely important tasks, and I felt hopelessly un-savvy with them.

Well, we got back from our sweet two-week honeymoon delighted to begin our new life together in our little upstairs apartment with sun-dappling windows. It was with perhaps with slightly tearful eyes that I kissed Zach good-bye on his first day back to work, but I was also excited to begin my new domestic engineering role. One of my first tasks was indeed the dreaded: grocery shopping.

I bravely marched out to my car and soon found myself at Meijer eager to get the job done and over-with. You won’t be surprised to hear that the meals I cooked that week (and even the first few weeks honestly), were very simple. Hot-dogs and mac ‘n cheese were definitely on the menu, as well as that spaghetti, and even grilled cheese made the list. Oh and don’t forget frozen pizza. I tentatively branched into baked chicken legs and rice which sadly were a bit of a flop – I hadn’t bought any sauces for the rice, and the chicken was sinewy and chewy.

I tried not to get discouraged. While I was not super confident yet, I desired to get better. And through everything, Zach was sweet and appreciative. Makes my throat tighten a bit just thinking of his encouragement. (Yes I’m in love. Hehe!)

As time went on, something amazing began to happen: I realized I was beginning to have fun creating shopping lists. And my previous dread of parking my car at Meijer had faded into almost excitement! Between my sweet husband’s encouragement, trying out cooking advice from friends and family, and time passing (time is a great healer! Hehe) my negative attitude towards planning and preparing meals was starting to change!

But I think my real break-through happened about 2 weeks ago. I decided to make baked stuffed peppers (highly recommended by one of my sisters). I’d never attempted such an exotic sounding recipe, but I figured if my younger sister could do it, maybe I could as well.

All I can say is, I had a feeling hit me while I made those peppers that I’ve never had before. As my shiny sharp knife sliced through fresh onions and juicy tomato, I felt my heart flutter with joy. The vegetables were so fragrant and beautiful! Best of all was when I diced up a crunchy garlic clove. The soothing smell…the wonder of cooking a meal with something so raw and delicious! I mixed it all together with ground beef and rice, cheese, and spices, and into the oven it went. (I will acknowledge I made quite a mess, but I hear all good chef’s do.)

Finally, the moment of truth came, EATING THE FINISHED MEAL.

In short, it was SO delicious. And hubby approved!

That was just a great day. Of course, I thank God for blessing the ingredients and guiding my inexperienced hands. It was encouraging. The feeling I had after preparing and eating that meal was similar to how I feel when I create a new drawing – and that is saying a LOT for Chlo-chlo! I have so much more to learn, but I’m excited to have tapped into that bubbling fountain of cooking joy. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again! Hehe!

Thanks for tuning in to another coffee chat with me and hearing a bit about my culinary journey so far. I hope the rest of your day is enhanced by delicious food and of course, fabulous coffee!