I Want To Be a Better Cook

God created taste buds, the sense of smell and the eye that is drawn to beautiful things. He created the crunchy green pepper, the hairy peach, juicy watermelon, sour lemons and sweet potatoes!


Edith Shaeffer says in The Hidden Art of Homemaking, "Cooking should not be thought of as a drudgery, but as an art. Just as it is good to get one's fingers into the soil and plant seeds, so it is good to get one's fingers and fists into bread dough to knead and punch it. There is something very positive in being involved in the creativity which is so basic to life itself. Home-made bread, home-made cakes and pies, home-made vegetable soup from home-grown vegetables or from vegetable market purchases, home-made jams and jellies, home-made relishes and pickles - these are almost lost arts in many homes."

Let me be honest - the above list does not represent the cooking in my home and I want to be a better cook. That is why after 59 weeks of Tasty Tuesdays, I handed the baton to Janelle from Comfy in the Kitchen. I have a lot to learn in this area and as I share her recipes I am trying them. My family loved her Bow Tie Pasta with Italian Sausage and Vegetables and her Baked Caramel Apples. If you look back at some of my Tasty Tuesday's you will often hear me say - this is my sister's recipe, my mom's recipe or a friend's recipe. Very rarely had I discovered or created my own recipe. I tend to be a quick, easy, low fat cook...(meaning grilled or baked meat with a baked or steamed veggie and a boring carb of rice, noodles, or rolls!)


This week's challenge is an area I am working on!

Week #5 Challenge: Focus on the kitchen, the heart of the home. Cook things with pleasant aromas. Pick a meal the family can cook together - include everyone in a task and take pictures so everyone can remember moments in the kitchen together - test tasting, being creative, laughing and loving. Remove discontentment with your home or family and give thanks to God.


First - let's focus on the spiritual side. Give thanks! In Luke 11:3, Jesus says to pray like this "Give us each day our daily bread." Do we pray and ask God for our daily bread? In America - we are so blessed we rarely have to ask. We should be abundantly thankful for the food we have! Give thanks! Give thanks for your food and give thanks for your family you share it with.

One of my favorite kitchen memories was a time when my mom had everyone in the family including our boyfriends make our own pizzas! Each couple made their own unique pizza and we laughed a lot that night! The kitchen is a place of connection!


So as I challenge you my reader and friend - I am challenging myself. And I know that for many of you - you have far surpassed me in your cooking skills - so this is not even a challenge. But for those like me, who need to spend a little more time in the kitchen experimenting and creating - this is a challenge.

The first thing on my list to make this week is Janelle's homemade Hot Cocoa in a crock pot! I have always used Swiss Miss packets (*blush* I am embarrassing myself a little here in hopes that some of you relate...). I know my family will love this!

Work hard this week to make meals appealing. Pull out those cloth napkins and china - just for your own family (this part of homemaking I love - I love making beautiful tablescapes for my boring food lol!). You don't need to have guests to pull those things out!

Edith Shaeffer says "Food cannot take care of the spiritual, psychological and emotional problems, but the feeling of being loved and cared for, the actual comfort of the beauty and flavour of food, the increase of blood sugar and physical well-being, help one to go on during the next hours better equipped to meet the problems."

Oh ladies, let's bless our families this week with special surprises from our kitchen!
If you are participating in this challenge leave a comment below with how it's going - if you are a blogger copy this button into your blog post, write about how it's going and link up below!


Thanks for the accountability and Walk with the King!

I am linking up here :