Cooking is an important skill to have. I know cooking is not for everyone, some people are just not fond of the kitchen. That’s fine! However it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn to do the basics in the kitchen. Here are a few reasons why I believe you should learn to cook:
1. It’s 
I know it can be a hassle sometimes, and everyone won’t agree with me but cooking can be very fun. Yes there are some basic guidelines to follow based on what you are making but there is a lot of freedom in cooking. You can take something and literally turn it into anything. You can try anything in the kitchen, though not everything will turn out as good as you imagined it would be. But don’t let that bother you, you get a chance to laugh at how horrible the food tastes and know that you can always make it again, and there is always a chance to “perfect it”. Take it from someone who has tried everything in the kitchen. I mean “peanut butter chicken” everything- It tasted great by the way! If you have children get them involved, they will love it, and they are more likely to eat it because they made it. In the kitchen you have the opportunity to try different cuisines at your own pace, and explore the food of the different cultures around the world. Getting your kids involved in Mexican night or Japanese night gives you the chance to teach them about other cultures in a fun and interactive way. I enjoy sushi, and for me it was fun and exciting to recreate something I had eaten in a restaurant. It was also great learning the techniques and flavors to keep it authentic, but still make it something my family members would eat.
2. It Saves Money!
Cooking saves you money! It really does, you can spend $20 in one sitting on food in a restaurant and get a meal and more by cooking at home. I have nothing against eating out, I love when I get to go out. As much as I love to cook, I also enjoy a break every now and then. However if you are trying to save an extra dollar a month
for whatever the reason, make lunch and put the $10 toward your goal. Cooking at home can quickly free up money to do other things, especially if you have a family. I will say to the high school students getting ready to go to college. If you want to save your money, learn how to cook! Your savings can disappear so quickly all because of food, especially if you go away to college. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks can quickly add up. If your college campus is isolated with not many services around, you will probably have to deal with increased prices, so save where you can. If you desire to have a family and you don’t want to be spending $60 a day on take-out/ fast food… Learn to cook!
3. You Know What You Eat
This is so important! There are so many things that I will not eat unless I cook it at home or I trust the cook. Recently in Jamaica they had the story of the Chinese killing donkeys and serving it in their restaurants. I have nothing against the Chinese or their culture but I wouldn’t want to eat donkey meat. There are so many other stories of hormones, and genetically engineered salmon etc. the fact of the matter is, you don’t know what you are being served. I recently saw another story about rats being served as boneless chicken wings in the U.S. As of today the list of things that I will eat outside of my house is being reduced yet again. Besides the questionable meat, there is a list of added preservatives and chemical ingredients that may be added to your food for various reason including flavor that are unhealthy for you to consume. The take-out may not be of the highest order and the quality of the ingredients used may not be the best, therefore if you want the assurance of knowing what you eat, and the quality of what you are eating you should learn to cook.
4. You Will Make People Happy
Oh the joys of making food that taste so good that they can’t help but smile. Good food make people happy. Then you say “but what if it tastes bad?” You get laughs from that too, because the jokes will never end on how bad the meal turned out. There is joy in effort. Cooking takes time, and when people know that you were willing to take the time to cook for them it makes a difference. So even your food doesn’t taste like Gordon Ramsay’s, the effort will make a difference <<<< Husbands and husbands to be please note. Also children, you will make your parents happy by taking the time to make dinner. After a long day at work, being able to come home and just relax is a great thing, so don’t be afraid to whip something up in the kitchen (even if it’s just macaroni and cheese). You will feel great about your effort and so will your parents. Your friends will also love you for spending the time to make dinner when you get together, and again you will also be proud of your efforts.
5. It Brings People Together
If you have never been in a kitchen full of people working toward the common goal of getting food out on the table, you need to find one. It is such a great space to be in. Stories are being shared, laughs are being had and the house smells great. Families learn to work together in the kitchen. Friends come together in the kitchen (you know how it is after a sleep over or when you have a get together). One place you learn how group work is, is in the kitchen. Yes! I know….there will always be that group member who does absolutely nothing, and tries to take some credit.
Family bonding is important and the kitchen is a great place for that to happen. Grandparents, parents and other relatives can pass on recipes and nuggets of wisdom to the next generation.
6. Keep Your Diet on Track
It is the worst thing when you are trying to eat healthier and you go to a restaurant. Carbs! Carbs! And more Carbs! If you want the healthy thing on the menu it is going to cost you 
money. You have to pay more for it. If you want to have that balanced meal for an affordable price, learn to cook. To my college students, or soon to be college students, if you don’t want to get stuck paying $10 at the salad for kale and quinoa; or you don’t want to get stuck eating pizza every day because it is the cheapest thing your school has on the menu; learn to cook! You will be able to have that balanced diet, and control your portions. Fight to prevent that freshman 15 (if you so desire) by learning to cook. At home you have the option of making healthier meals with healthier ingredients.
7. Convenience
Food prep is amazing when you know your week is going to be packed, and you will have absolutely no time. It will take time to prep everything but once all the food is cooked all you have to do is grab and go. You won’t have to worry about lunch or even dinner. Buy yourself a slow cooker, throw what you plan to eat for lunch in before you got to bed, and when you wake up lunch is ready. You will have snacks ready and available for breaks, and you won’t have to spend 10-15 minutes purchasing and paying for food, so that is extra time at lunch to do whatever your heart desires.
8. Taste
The food tastes so much better! I remember the first time I made pizza at home, I could not believe how easy it was and how good it tasted. It was so much better than what we get from the restaurant. With cooking you can use whatever you want to get the taste you want, you have no restrictions. In restaurants sometimes, though the food looks good on paper, it doesn’t taste good. At home you make your food, so you can get the taste you want.
9. Independence 
This is huge for me! Because as I said before when I cook at home I am not restricted. I can add whatever I want, I can mix whatever I want, and I can make whatever I want. Being able to cook also builds self-confidence, because you don’t have to rely on anyone to eat a meal. You have the assurance of the skill. You have the choice of eating out or cooking dinner. To those in college or going to college, especially those living on campus; this is important, because if you don’t like what they cook or the options they have available you don’t have to rely on the college to eat. Besides it’s great when someone tastes your food, enjoys it, and you get to brush your shoulders off and say “I made that!”?
10. If You Love to Eat
Cooking is a necessity for people who love to eat.
Again I will direct you to point number
two (2), it will save you money. People who love to eat multiple times for the day, need to learn how to cook. When you cook, you can eat as much as you want to, when you want to. It’s not feasible to spend money five times a day on food, or more money to add extra food. You know how it is when you want extra chicken in your burrito.
Your pocket will cry!
You will have a greater variety if you cook, and the money you saved by not buying lunch during the week, can be used to buy food at that new restaurant you wanted to try out but never had the money to visit.
Home cooked meals are simply the best. When I eat at restaurants I am looking for that great flavor and that taste of home. You don’t have to be a chef in the kitchen, all you have to do is try. Don’t quit if you make a mess of it all the first time around. In fact I will tell you, that there was a point in my life where I got labeled the “Bun up Queen” by my brother, and no you are not allowed to call me that. I would be making dinner and I would go off and do something and not take the necessary precautions to prevent charred food. It happened a few times before I decided that I really had to do better. Now it’s just another fun story to share, and another lesson learned in life. Don’t quit! Take your time! Be patient!⇐⇐ another lesson you will learn. I assure you that it will be worth it in the end when you learn to cook. #AshleyfollowerofJesusChrist
