In any girl's (and boy's) life, there comes a moment where they finally move out from home and start standing on their own two feet. Whilst going to college or starting the first job can be challenging enough, there is often the “added” challenge of having to provide your own meals.

SOUNDS SIMPLE – but is it really?

I often consider the invention of convenience food a curse AND a blessing at the same time. A blessing because the pre-packed meals can be god-sent after a stressful day when the last you want to do is to stand in your kitchen for another hour to get your dinner ready. A curse because more and more the people start relying on convenience food rather than doing their own cooking. This has lead to a situation where many more people wish they could cook, but are intimidated or frustrated by cooking. But cooking at home doesn't have to be difficult or a challenge. Especially with all the great recipe books that are available nowadays.

If you want to learn how to make tasty meals that are both easy and quick, there are several ways to getting started:

1. Get a good, easy starters-cookbook or ask your mom, granny or a friend that likes to cook.
   Moms and grannies often are a priceless source of recipes and cooking tips. Remember: Every mistake you think can only happen to you has been made by generations of women in a similar situation. A good way to get started might be to ask your mom to make your favourite dish while you watch her. While she cooks, ask ANY question that comes to mind and don't be afraid of taking notes of everything. The more you write down, the less you will have to remember. If the luxury of “learning from previous generations” is not an option for you, then the second-best solution is a good, basic cookbook. Just flick through the pages and pick whatever recipe is appealing to you. The more you look forward to eating, the more enthusiastic you will be cooking it.
2. A basic shopping-list for your kitchen-equipment:
   Starting to cook does not mean that you run out and buy every small appliance known to man and invest in pricey cookware. For starters, you will only need the following kitchen utensils: 1 – 2 measuring cups in different sizes, a mixing bowl, some pots and pans, a few different storage containers for dry ingredients and to store any leftovers, a set of good-quality knives Any good department-store in your neighborhood will offer a range of cheap cooking-utensils . Again, if you are not sure what you will need, ask your mom or a friend for advice.
3. Take it nice and easy
   For your first try, two thing a vitally important. For one, make sure that you are not under any time-pressure. Maybe you can plan a Saturday for your cooking experiment. In the morning, take your cookbook with you to breakfast and choose the dish you want to make. While you enjoy your first cup of coffee, read through the different recipes and find one that appeals to you. Write your shopping list and do your shopping when you have finished your breakfast. Don't allow yourself to be rushed by your kids or your husband. Just take your time and take it easy.
4. The easier, the better
   For your first dish, choose whatever is easy to make. Don't let your ambitions get the better of you – it will more than likely only end in disappointment and you would be back to “square one”. Rice or pasta with different sauces are excellent to start-off on. When choosing either rice or pasta,just follow the instructions on the packet until they are done. There you are, your first step towards a “home-cooked” meal is done. Now you only have to figure out, what you want to serve with the pasta. For that, please refer back to the second step of our short guide and follow the instructions in your recipe. Other easy dishes include: casseroles, salads and easy chicken dishes.
5. Follow the recipe, at least in the beginning:
   Resist the temptation to add or substitute ANY ingredients from your recipe. When you you first get started cooking, remember to follow the recipe exactly (at least the first couple of times) That way, you will get an idea of what it should taste like and how it’s prepared. Once you have achieved that, you can get ab bit more adventurous and start making small changes. Rather than changing ingredients, a good way of experimenting is to play with herbs and spices. But DON'T OVERDO it – always remember what the original dish tasted like and try to play along with the basic flavor. If your basic dish is something like Spaghetti Bolognese, try different Italian spices like Oregano, Basil, Sage etc. and play with the different tastes.

We hope, you have enjoyed reading through our short How-to guide and find the information useful. If you have any comments or would like to share your own experience with our readers, please let us know or leave a comment below.