I like to eat but I have never really liked to cook. When I was growing up I remember my dad enjoying the art of cooking. (His food was delicious but he would leave the kitchen a MESS and yes – one of us children would have to clean the kitchen – LOL!) Anyway, he thought I needed to learn how to cook so he would call me into the kitchen when he was preparing food so he could give me “cooking lessons”. He would be “into his zone” and I really wasn’t very interested. For me, cooking just took up too much time prepping and then you would have to watch the food so it wouldn’t burn, or stir something so it wouldn’t stick, etc. So, while he was getting all into the cooking thing, I would eventually slide back out of the kitchen and go into the den to watch TV or to my bedroom to read.

Actually, I did learn a thing or two but cooking just never really became a “thing” for me. Fast forward a few years and I became a wife! Thank God, I married a man who didn’t mind sharing the responsibilities of cooking. As a matter of fact, most of my friends and family know that my husband is the one who does most of the cooking in our home, so they don’t even expect it from me. At work when there is a birthday potluck I’m the one who quickly signs up to bring “chips and salsa”.

Although I don’t like to cook I’m very conscious about what I eat and how food is prepared. Over the years I have told myself and my husband that I was going to start cooking more because I wanted to eat a certain way and eat more whole foods and less commercially processed foods. Man, I have soooooo many cookbooks you would think I was some kind of gourmet chef- Hahaha!

Well, I guess the good Lord decided to help me out so I could make use of some of these cookbooks and give my husband, Terrence, a break from cooking after 31 years of marriage. My birthday was a couple of months ago and one of my gifts from some co-workers was an apron! (Yeah, my family laughed when they saw me model it for them.) Shortly after that a friend and mentor of mine announced that she was hosting an online cooking class. Her recipes are plant-based and that is how I try to eat. So I signed up for Donna Green-Goodman’s “Cooking Up Good Health” cooking class.

The first class session was more of an introduction to the class, some basic nutrition principles, and some healthful tips. A special feature included live interviews with two of the doctors who were featured in the Netflix documentary, “What the Health”. We cooked during the second class (well, actually they cooked and I just watched because I had not gone to the store to get all of the ingredients I needed). For the third session I made sure to have all the ingredients for the dishes (and I prepared the dishes for the second class prior to the third class). I was pumped and ready for the session so I could cook with my class but I was having technical difficulties getting into the link. It was a little frustrating and I almost gave up but then I decided to just go ahead and prepare the recipe, after all I CAN read, I thought. I finally connected with the class. We were preparing a vegan quiche recipe and were encouraged to share pictures of our finished dishes with the group. I was excited about mine until I saw pictures of the others! THEIRS LOOKED BETTER THAN MINE TO ME! LOL! I was almost embarrassed to post my pics but I did it anyway.

(My second quiche looked better than the first one but they both tasted good.)

For the last class we made Hawaiian rolls. I was trying to follow along with the class but then she told us to “sift” the flour. Hahaha–I’m like- shoot I don’t even have a sifter, so I just shook my flour around– I had to laugh at my self. I still don’t know if the yeast did what it was supposed do but I guess it didn’t completely because again, my food didn’t look like my instructor’s or my classmates.

(My rolls were a little on the flat side but my husband and son said they tasted good- they ate them up.)

My class is completed now and I’m doing a LITTLE more cooking than previously. The class was actually fun. I learned to not become discouraged and feel bad about my progress when I remembered that I was comparing my results to my instructor’s and she has been cooking AND teaching cooking classes for many years. She has had a lot of practice working out the kinks and was in a position to help us develop our skills. The more I practice the easier it will become.

It’s the same way with making changes to transform your lifestyle to create good health habits. Sometimes your efforts may seem clumsy and you may feel like you haven’t progressed as far along as the next person. However, the more you practice and stick with it the easier it becomes. Also, it is helpful to have appropriate support and direction along your journey. As my mentor and coach says; “Start now, Improve later!” I encourage you to go ahead and start now making changes for a healthy lifestyle and continue to improve as you move forward. Don’t be afraid to get the assistance and support that you need.

My mission with CROWN TO SOLE Wellness is to encourage, empower, and equip individuals to take control of their health and create lives of joy, abundance, and holistic wellness. If you are struggling with obesity, or a chronic illness like hypertension, diabetes, or arthritis and know that you need dedicated support and guidance through your lifestyle transformation, I’m inviting you to invest in yourself and receive 1-on-1 private mentoring and coaching with me. Please CLICK HERE to schedule a free 30 minute Discovery call to determine if this 12 Week Lifestyle Transformation Personal Coaching/Mentoring Program is just what you need! CLICK HERE NOW!
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