Finding Joy in the Kitchen

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Food has always been something that I love to eat, but have no idea how to make. My parents and my siblings were always wizards in the kitchen, but that was just never me. When we were younger we used to pretend we were on Chopped, and our parents would judge us, but I would always, and I mean ALWAYS come in last place. It just wasn’t my strong suit.

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When I came to college, I didn’t expect that to change. For the first two years of my college experience I lived on campus where cooking wasn’t really an option, and dining hall food was inevitable. I left those meals always feeling unsatisfied and craving home cooked meals that made my body feel good and energized, instead of wanting to crawl back in bed.

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Then finally my Junior year came around and I got to move off campus into a house with a real kitchen, where cooking those homemade meals was possible. Before moving in I turned to my sister for some recipe and cooking advice and she gave me a recipe for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. After moving in I went to the grocery store, gathered all of the ingredients and made the recipe that night. It was amazing. So easy but so filling and delicious it puts P.F. Chang’s to shame. Finally a cooking experience that went well, that I did by myself. Then I began doing more research and finding more recipes and cooking regularly most nights, and I actually really enjoyed it.

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Now don’t get me wrong, some of these meals turned out horribly, but that only made me want to perfect them more. Cooking turned from something that made me miserable to something that helped me forget about everything else happening in the world and be able to breathe and feed myself something that feels good.

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When walking, journaling, or watching tv just isn’t cutting it anymore, maybe try picking up a spatula…This may just be the de-stressing activity that you have always needed :)

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