A little background for you...

Here's a little background for you. I'm not a trained chef by any means, and have never set foot in a cooking class. In fact, I just got started really cooking about 2 years ago. But I do come from a long line of wonderful cooks!

I sort of cooked before... shake and bake, hamburger helper, canned beans with rice. But since I really didn't know what I was doing, I got frustrated when the few things I did try, turned out edible, but not great. I stocked up on cookbooks with every intention of learning to cook, but I stagnated and usually resorted to take-out.

When I finally realized how much I was spending on food, however, I figured I better start learning to cook. It was a little overwhelming, but I tried a couple of very easy things from the mounds of cookbooks I had, and was surprised at how easy it was, how good it was... and how FUN it was.

That was the first hurdle I had to overcome. See, as a child, I was turned off to cooking. I thought it was a chore, something women were forced to do after they got married. I can't speak for everyone, but for me, cooking is not work-- it's PLAY.

The second hurdle I had to overcome, is to understand that cooking is NOT hard. You don't have to make it hard. And the only way you get good at it, is to DO it. You're going to make mistakes; the key is to figure out what to do next time. And the more you do it, the easier it gets. That's why grandma's cooking is so good-- because she's done it for so many years!

The third hurdle I had to overcome, was realizing that using the right tool for the job, eliminates 90% of the frustration. Use a whisk to mix ingredients; Use a spatula to scrape out batter; Use non-stick spray and sharp knives; And most importantly, use cast iron and NOT cheap aluminum!