Whatcha got cookin?

As a self proclaimed 'baker', it's difficult to admit that I don't know the first thing about cooking.  I'm not sure what it is about the basics or the feel for cooking, but I've just never really grasped the concept.

With baking, it's very precise. Almost scientific if you will.  But cooking? Man.  I guess it's more about knowing what you're doing from the get go.  Feeling out when to turn the heat up or down.  Sensing what spices to throw in the mix.

Even talking about cooking feels unnatural to me.  But I'd like to learn.

I'd like to be able to really cook.  Know some sweet recipes and have people envious of my meals.  Because that's how I feel half the time. Envious.  So in order to remedy this, I'm embarking on a challenge of my own to learn how to make some sweet meals for myself.

I fully expect to have failures.  I mean, come on, this is the girl who burns rice on occasion.  I wouldn't even qualify what I do as cooking per se.  Moreso....heating things up.

For example, tonights meal shows where I'm really starting from.  I made...wait for it...

Rice pilaf with smoked turkey sausage.

Unimpressed.


Honestly? It was decent. Simple enough. (heat heat heat!) And there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I'm going to the grocery store.  I'm going to buy the fixings for meat loaf, turkey goulash, and (cross your fingers) chicken parmesan.  All of it sounds easy enough, right?  So maybe I'll be able to really cook something impressive by the end of this whole ordeal.  Perhaps I'll find an appreciation for the art of meal making.  Really, I'd settle for not burning half the things I make.