Learning to cook is more about just being able to keep ourselves alive.
It has a deeper meaning to it, it can be therapeutic.
While some life skills and traits are more important than others in many different perspectives, there are a few that are objectively seen as super necessary.
One of those life skills is the ability to cook.
Being able to put food on a plate for yourself and those around you has more effects than what face value provides.
Some people are able to prepare meals better than others.
You probably know an amazing chef that can create three-course meals, and friends who can barely boil water.
What matters is that they can prepare healthy meals that are nutritious and fulfilling so that we can go about our day properly.
Here are a few more reasons as to why learning to cook makes us all feel so much better.
Learn about nutrition while cooking
A lot of people get away with eating whatever they want.
They go through live shoveling junk down their throats and manage to live close to one-hundred years.
However, it is not good for their overall health.
Most folks need to know about what’s good and what’s not good.
Learning to cook teaches people about eating smarter and the value of different ingredients.
That is the whole reason I started this blog – I wanted to eat better without giving up my favorite comfort foods.
You may not become a complete nutritionist, but you’ll know a lot more than if you didn’t bother.
Becoming independent
Being able to keep ourselves alive in our own homes is pretty vital, especially during this pandemic.
Cooking is just another aspect of living independently.
If you know how to cook, then you’ll be able to do all kinds of things, and you’ll be better off for it.
You’ll become a natural at living what was always seen as quite a confusing, scary, and difficult life.
Sooner or later, it becomes a case of simply turning on the BEST ZOJIRUSHI RICE COOKER you have at your disposal and easily providing meals for yourself and those around you.
People like people who can cook
It’s by no means the most important factor, but it does play a big part in life.
We don’t need the validation from others, but positive attention while feeling more attractive and magnetic just feels very nice overall.
Performing an act for another human being, like cooking for them, is a form of altruism.
And altruism can make people feel happy and more connected to others.
Cooking for others is nurturing, it is sustenance, it is helping keep them alive.
And participating in an activity like that “can help to encourage a sense of trust, community, meaning, purpose, belonging, closeness, and intimacy. ― all of which have been linked to things like increased happiness, decreased depression, and greater/more positive overall wellbeing,” says Matthew Riccio, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
Elevates self-esteem
Not only does cooking for yourself help you eat more healthily because you’re not eating out, but it also sends yourself a message that you are important.
When you successfully prepare a meal for yourself or others, it raises your self-esteem and confidence.
Cooking helps us practice mindfulness.
And cooking is one of those tasks which can encourage you to really focus, or you could burn something.
So if you’re cooking mindfully, it can be extremely therapeutic.
If you look at all the psychological benefits, there’s a cumulative effect: it’s self-care, it’s taking care of others, it’s physical care, it’s mindfulness, and it hits on meeting basic needs for yourself and others.
Cooking brings us together, and it continues to create communities ― and with community comes feelings of connection and happiness.
Now all you have to do is find the time to incorporate cooking into your busy life, but at least you have all the motivation you’ll ever need.
Bachelor Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen chopped onions
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup beef broth
- 8 ounces baby carrots
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Minute tapioca
- 3 Bay leaves
- 3 pounds beef steak tips
- 1 lbs. frozen French fries - of your choosing
- Optional: 1 cup of frozen peas
Instructions
- Set up the slow cooker.
- Microwave onions, tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon oil, garlic powder, and thyme in a bowl for about 5 minutes. Stirring every 2 minutes, until onions are tender. Pour into the slow cooker.
- Stir into slow cooker; chicken broth, beef broth, carrots, soy sauce, tapioca, and bay leaves.
- Season beef tips with salt and pepper.
- Add meat to the slow cooker, making sure all meat is submerged into the sauce.
- Cover and cook until beef is tender; 1st hour on high; then turn to low for 6 - 7 hours.
- After 6 - 7 hours, test the tenderness of beef by picking up one tip with a fork, if it will easily break apart, the meat is done.
- Transfer all the beef tips to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces.
- Let remaining stew in slow-cooker settle for about 5 minutes; then using a large spoon, remove the fat from the surface of the stew.
- Discard the bay leaves.
- Microwave the frozen French fries with the remaining Tablespoon of oil, in a bowl, stirring occasionally until thawed and warm, about 6 minutes.
- Stir warm potatoes into the stew. Stir in shredded beef. Stir in optional frozen peas.
- Allow to heat through for about 5 minutes.
- If stew is too thick for your liking, you can gradually add beef broth as needed.
- Turn off the crock pot and serve.
