Life Change

So during the summer, knowing I was quitting soon and knowing my responsibilities as a mother were going to change, I figured I better start learning to cook. For any of you who really know me know I can't cook at all and I ask almost every last detail of making it before hand. I seriously screwed up spaghetti 2 times in a row. When I say I cant cook I mean it. So the summer was super slow for me at the salon. Summer is slow anyway and I think because people knew I as quitting they started to go somewhere else fast. So I had a lot of time on my hands. And I swear this all happened for a reason and some divine intervention was on my side. I know that may sound silly but Im serious. I happened to turn the Food Network on and I started watching. I was immediately hooked. I remember being so enamored with Giada. I watched all of her shows they had that day. So the next day I started recording all her shows and loved every single one of them. I thought, "I can make this, my family would actually eat this" Well Jer was going on a campout that weekend. So it was just Mike and I. The day before Giada had an episode where she made this fancy dinner for just her and her husband. I thought I can do that, that looks so good!! So I made it that weekend and it turned out so fantastic.  (Its the 2 chickens in the pan)  from then on out I recorded all the shows from the Chefs I thought I could relate to and watched and learned and watched and cooked...thats all I did. Giada was for sure my favorite and taught me the most. I think the way her layout of the show was was just perfect for me. She and I are a lot a like. Very neat and organized.  She made one thing at a time and really explained herself that I could really see it and remake it with ease. I really attribute being able to cook to her...And then Kelsey. About a month into leaning and watching I found the cooking channel. I didn't know it was there, and I saw this cutest blonde girl ever. I watched a few of her shows and fell in love with her. Her style of cooking, easy homemade meals that seem so gourmet. I started recording all of her shows and making all her meals. Everything always turned out so dang good! I had a feeling she was mormon, she just had that sweetness about her. She mentioned she lived in NYC, so I texted my niece Whitney to see if she happened to know her, she said she met her once and was dear friends with her sister, they were in the same ward!! I knew she had a connection somehow!  Its kind of a joke in our house now, Jer will say 'is this Giada, or the mormon chick" Its always one of the two. I truly am grateful for the shows that were aired that summer, they spoke to me and helped me make this transition into cooking so easy and not frustrating at all. I actually  love it so much and can't believe I never did this before. I just really never had the time when I worked. And to top it all off, my sweet husband bought me so much of the best of the best, high end cooking stuff I wanted (LeCreuset and AllClad) to make it easier and that much more fun for me. This stuff aint cheap but it sure makes the experience so fun. I thought if they have it on the show I have to have it. I have all the same pieces as Ina, Kelsey and Trisha. Trisha is one of my favs too. Ina taught me how to bake. She is good and easy. It has truly been the best summer and the best transition. I got my house all in order, decorated and organized. It has truly been the best to stay home.

Here are a few of the first things I made