My first time cooking ever

How Three Days Alone Turned Me from a Takeout Regular to a Proud Home Cook

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hello to my future readers

a couple of weeks ago I had all the signs of the world forcing me to cook for myself and boy oh boy it was an experience and a half so what I’m going to talk about is all the circumstances that led to this moment then the experience itself and what happened in it and at the end I will talk about how it changed a lot about my view on cooking and food in general

Alone in the House

My whole family went on vacation, except for me and my older brother due to personal and work commitments. It’s a long story, but in the end, it was just me and my brother in the house alone for 3 days.

On Day 1, we ordered some food for lunch, and it was enjoyable and all.
On Day 2, we ordered food again for lunch, but it was less enjoyable due to the amount of money I spent during this period. I also started to miss my family a bit.
On Day 3, I said to myself, "I have to cut my losses here and find a way to enjoy myself without spending money." I had been preparing myself for the idea of cooking, knowing I was going to be alone with my brother for 3 days. Mentally, I was ready. Now I needed to be physically ready. I was a bit lazy, but I had a meal in mind that I really wanted to try. So, when I pitched the idea of cooking to my brother, he said he wanted to cook too because he didn’t want to order food either. However, he wanted to cook a different meal than mine.

That encouraged me a lot, and here’s why: my brother, unlike me, isn’t useless in the kitchen. Actually, he can cook really well. He makes the best burger I’ve ever had and does steaks really well too. So, I had a mentor to accompany me on this experience. At least I knew I wouldn’t burn the kitchen down! I’m not terrible in the kitchen, just inexperienced. Now, on to the cooking part.

Here’s the revised second chapter with grammar corrections:

The Cooking Begins

I wanted to cook something similar to chicken fajita: chicken breasts cut with some onion and green pepper. I also planned to make rice with carrots and peas. I have a belief when it comes to cooking: if I’m going to cook for myself, I have to make it special by adding my own touch. So, let’s dive into cooking, and I’ll tell you about my "touch" when the time comes.

Now, set the scene: the stove in front of me is clean (because nobody had used it in the last two days), the pans are ready, the YouTube tutorial on how to make the meal is ready, and the spotlight is on me. Let’s start cooking.

I started watching the tutorial, and my brother helped me with some keynotes and advice. The joy you feel when you see progress with the meal you’re cooking is very, very good. By the end, I had to add my personal touch, which was more, more, and more lemon! I think I ended up using double, maybe triple the amount of lemon my mum would have put on a similar meal. Then, I turned off the stove to taste it, and damn, was it good! It was very, very good.

You may have noticed that I haven’t talked about the rice. Well, all I’m going to say is that the rice sucked, and it sucked hard. It was inedible until my mum came back from vacation and worked her magic to fix it. Afterward, it was alright and edible. I was impressed, and I said, “I made this.” My inner voice quickly replied, “No, your mum fixed your bad food—don’t get it twisted.”

After eating, I think I passed out. I slept for more than 10 hours after the meal; I was so tired. This leads me to the next chapter.

A New Perspective on Cooking

This whole process changed my perspective on cooking and food in general. It made me appreciate food more because now I understand the effort that goes into making a meal. In the end, I gained a lot of appreciation for all the work my mum does every day—it’s a lot when you really think about it.

I also felt proud that I was able to cook this meal, and how good it turned out. In fact, it was so good that my mum asked me to make it again a week ago. I think she really liked it... or maybe she just didn’t want to make lunch! I’ll take the first reason only.

In the end, I hope you enjoyed this journey with me. This also marks my first-ever sponsored post, so please check it out to help me keep going—it's a big moment for me! I’m also waiting for your feedback in the comments or through my email at [email protected].

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