I ain’t scurred of the kitchen no more. Word.

It’s true, I used to hate the kitchen. I hated being in it, I hated cleaning it (sometimes I still harbor this feeling), and I hated hated HATED making anything. I hated grocery shopping. I hated planning what’s for dinner. For the longest time the only talent I had in the kitchen was popping a Lean Cuisine in the microwave, making a cake out of a box, boiling noodles and making coffee.
Since I was scared as hell to turn on the oven, we ate out a ton or my husband would throw something together. My favorite meal he made was “Crock-Pot Chicken.” Keep on reading for the recipe. I remember him making this every Sunday when we lived in Philadelphia. We would cheer on the Steelers (tough to do around Eagles fans) while enjoying a nice, home cooked meal. Home cooked meals where few and far between back then.
When I went to school to study nutrition, I took baby steps and got back in the kitchen. My sister bought me a stylish apron. I bought a sharp scary knife. I began reading cookbooks. I started stalking Andrea Beaman’s website. I started exploring recipes. I began to enjoy cooking. I also realized how food influenced the rest of my life. When I eat well, I have more energy, I get more shit done, I am a better mama… the list goes on and on my friends.

For me, my biggest fear in the kitchen was a fear of failure. What if I spend all this time and it sucks? What if no one wants to eat it including Charli, our dog? Also related was the fear of making mistakes, the fear of difficulty, the fear of it taking too long, and the fear of work. It took practice. Sure, I messed up a few meals but they were still edible. I took one day at a time.
If I ask you to name a few cooking fears there’s probably a handful of common ones that would be on your list. One that I hear often is the fear of making someone sick. This fear takes a number of different forms: there’s the fear of undercooking, the fear of bacteria, the fear of contamination, and the fear of spoilage. If one of these fears becomes a reality, someone may even get sick, but not likely. Knock on wood. I haven’t made anyone sick yet!
Fear is a wall—a wall that can prevent us from reaching our goals or achieving our objectives—a wall that can prevent us from even making a simple meal.
I challenge you to explore your fears of cooking. Get in there, face your fears and do it anyway. You deserve it!
Brian’s Simple Crock-Pot Chicken
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 green pepper, sliced and diced
1 onion, sliced and diced
1 large can or stewed tomatoes
Directions:
Plop it all in a Crock-Pot and cook on low all damn day. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. Yum!
What is your biggest fear in the kitchen? What prevents you from cooking more?