Welcome to my kitchen where I will teach you how to cook everyday with simple ingredients and methods that will save you time and money while making delicious home cooked meals and snacks for your family.
I cook from scratch for my family everyday. It’s definitely a lifestyle. Over time I’ve become very efficient at whipping something up, but that isn’t how it started.
When I began learning how to cook from scratch it was an arduous task and preparing meals took me a lot longer than it does now.
I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned over the years to help you streamline your time in the kitchen so it doesn’t feel like all you do is cook and clean up just in time to prepare the next meal.
Set Yourself Up For Success
I’m just going to say it. I hate cleaning the kitchen. Cooking from scratch and cleaning the kitchen go together like soft butter on toast. If there was a way to avoid this, let me tell you, I would’ve figured it out by now. You just have to know going into this lifestyle that you are going to spend a lot more time cleaning your kitchen.
I am not a great housekeeper. I’m good at maintaining a level of order just shy of chaos, but my kitchen needs to be ready for me, and cooking in a messy kitchen will be overwhelming every time.
If my kitchen is clean and tidy, my dishwasher is empty, and I have a good stack of clean kitchen towels, cooking and then cleaning up from doing so won’t be such a chore.
If my dishwasher is full or nearly full, chances are good that some of the utensils or cookware I want to use to prepare the meal are dirty, so before I can even start cooking I’m pulling dirty dishes out of the dishwasher to wash by hand so I can make some food.
If my sink is full of dirty dishes that are waiting to be hand washed, I’m now washing the stuff I want to use over a full sink. I’m splashing water all over, my apron is wet and I haven’t even started cooking. I’m already over it. It’s not a good mindset, and the opposite of enjoyable.
So that’s number one. Be kind to your future self and stay on top of the kitchen mess.
Necessary Equipment
I don’t like to be the kind of person to say there are things you have to buy or you won’t be successful, but there are some things that will make your life easier as an everyday cook and it’s worth the money if you can afford it.
1. Parchment Paper
I spent so many years as an everyday cook not even knowing that parchment paper existed. It has saved me from many kitchen meltdowns. This stuff is like magic. You can line cookie sheets with parchment paper and it will withstand the heat of your oven. It will keep your cookies, breads, and whatever else you want to bake from burning. It’s non-stick. Your baked goods will lift right off of the parchment paper and when you’re done baking-you just throw it away. No more scrubbing, scraping, or soaking to clean your cookie sheets.
2. Baking Soda
Chances are you already have this in your cupboard for baking. I keep a little jar of it under my sink and use it to soak off baked-on foods in minutes.
Casseroles, homemade cheesy pastas, basically anything that needs to soak gets a sprinkle of baking soda and I’m telling you this stuff breaks down baked-on foods quickly, even melted cheese. I just fill whatever the dish is with some warm water, stir in a little baking soda, and let it sit while I clean and tidy the kitchen. Most of the time I’m able to wash that dish within that kitchen session and I don’t normally need to soak things overnight.
3. SOS Pads, Scraper, and Steel Scrubbers
If you haven’t noticed by now, the key to my kitchen success is spending less time cleaning and more time eating. SOS pads make scrubbing pots and pans so easy. There is no way my stainless steel pots would shine like this without them. I make sure I have a stocked supply at all times, and I keep the one I’m using in a small dish under my sink. I squeeze it out really well before I put it away to prolong its life, and when it gets rusty I thoroughly scrub my sink with it and then throw it away. A super shiny sink AND a new steel wool pad ready to go. That’s a good day.
A firm plastic scraper is so helpful when cleaning casserole dishes and cast iron. I know, go ahead and tell me I shouldn’t get my cast iron wet, but I’m still going to do it. I scrape my cast iron, scrub it with a stainless steel scrubber, and rinse it off. It’s what I do, and have always done. Once it’s clean I heat it up on the stove top to make sure it’s completely dry, rub it with some oil, and it’s ready to go for the next meal.
Prep and Plan
Meal planning is important to your workflow. It doesn’t have to be a solid plan, and you don’t have to meticulously map out every meal for every day. Have some meat thawed or thawing and plan some meals around what you have on hand and what your schedule looks like. If you have a busy day coming up, prep the ingredients for a crockpot meal so you can dump it in there that morning and forget about it. Clean and chop fresh vegetables ahead of time and store them in the fridge for the week. When it’s time to throw a meal together, you dump some in a pan and get cooking.
Mix up some spice rubs, mixes, or marinades to store so they’re ready when you want to use them.
Peppers, onions, and garlic add so much flavor to many meals, and they freeze very well. Find a pocket of time to chop up a bunch and throw them in some freezer bags for later.
Fast food can come from your kitchen if you prepare and plan ahead.
Create a Pleasant Atmosphere
When you cook from scratch as much as I do, you have to learn to enjoy the process because it’s true-food someone else makes always tastes better because you aren’t scorned by the preparation and time it took you to cook a delicious meal. Creating the atmosphere I want to spend time in helps me focus on why I cook everyday.
Starting with a clean space is key, and layering elements of joy make me happy to be here in my kitchen. I like to turn on music, but any background noise will work. Turn on your favorite show, a funny movie you like that won’t require your undivided attention, listen to a podcast, an audiobook, or some stand-up comedy. Light a candle, and make a snack or cocktail/mocktail to enjoy while you’re cooking.
Sometimes I make this simple Homemade Latte:
- Start with a half a mug of hot milk.
- Fill the rest of the way with some strong coffee.
- Stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Top with some lightly sweetened heavy whipping cream.
Learning how to cook everyday is more than just cooking. This is a lifestyle, and the right mindset will make you a successful everyday cook. Stick around and I will teach you how to cook everyday and enjoy spending time in your kitchen. What are you cooking today? I’d love to hear about it! Tell me in the comments below, and if you’re feeling stuck in a cooking rut, scroll through to see what everyone else is making for some inspiration.
