Why Learning to Cook Is One of the Best Things You’ll Ever Do
Have you ever stared at your empty fridge and wondered what do you have to eat, you’re not alone. Cooking can feel intimidating at first — all those recipes, measurements, and tools — but once you get started, it’s actually fun and empowering.
When I was growing up my mother never let us cook much in her kitchen. She let my sister and I learn some cooking skills from going to 4-H, and dear Mrs. Jeppeson taught us how to make homemade bread and raisin filled cookies. She taught us how to read a recipe and it helped my sister and I earn blue ribbons at the fair.
But believe me there is a lot more to cooking than what she taught us. When I first got married it was a disaster when I tried to cook. So basically I taught myself and that is how my career in life was cooking. I cooked many places from Retirement Places, schools, and nursing homes and I loved it.
Whether you’re moving out for the first time, trying to eat healthier, or just want to stop spending so much on takeout, learning to cook is one of the best skills you can develop.
You don’t need a fancy kitchen or expensive tools. A few essentials like a good knife, a cutting board, a pan, and a pot will take you far.
Begin with simple recipes — scrambled eggs, pasta, stir-fry, or soup. These teach you basic skills like boiling, sautéing, and seasoning.
There’s something deeply comforting about standing in your kitchen with a cutting board, a good playlist, and the smell of garlic sizzling in butter. Cooking isn’t just about feeding yourself — it’s about creating little moments of joy, connection, and confidence.
Recipes are like roadmaps — they tell you what to do, but you still need to pay attention to the details.
Read the whole recipe before you start cooking. Make sure you have all the ingredients and understand each step. It sounds obvious, but skipping this step is how most kitchen disasters happen!
You’re going to make mistakes — everyone does. Burnt rice, undercooked chicken, too much salt — it’s all part of the process.
Each meal teaches you something new, and before you know it, you’ll be cooking without needing to check a recipe every two minutes.
Whether you’re whipping up your first scrambled eggs or mastering homemade pasta, learning to cook can change your life in ways that go far beyond the dinner table.
Learning to cook is just a really useful life skill. When you know how to cook, you don’t have to rely on takeout or someone else to feed you — you can make what you want, when you want it. It’s usually cheaper than eating out, and it’s way healthier since you can control what goes into your food.
Plus, cooking can actually be fun. You get to experiment with recipes, try new flavors, and maybe even impress your friends or family. It’s also super satisfying to eat something you made yourself. Overall, cooking gives you independence, saves money, and makes life a little tastier.
Learning to cook isn’t just about making food — it’s about independence, creativity, and confidence. Start simple, be patient, and celebrate the small victories. Before long, you’ll realize cooking isn’t something to fear — it’s something to love.
If you think you can’t cook, trust me — you can. I was the same way. But once I learned a few simple skills (and stopped being afraid of the stove), everything changed.
Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and it might just become your new favorite hobby.
