If you haven't already noticed, my kitchen is my happy place.. It's where I can really get in my grove and be alone in my happy place and just do my thing!
However, I know cooking and being in the kitchen doesn't come this naturally to everyone.. So here are my Top Tips On How To Have More Fun In The Kitchen and essentially make cooking more enjoyable.
1. Kitchen Essentials:
First up, I love to have my kitchen stocked up on all of my basic ESSENTIALS.. So that when I'm ready to cook, I know I have all of my ingredients on hand. Some of my favourite essentials are:
- Stocks & Sauces
- Dried Herbs/ Ground Spices
- Canned Tomatoes/ Tomato Paste/ Tomato Sauce
- Grains
- Canned Goods
- PB & Nut Butters
- Eggs
- Fresh Vegetables
- Milk
- Fresh Herbs
- Meat/Fish/Poultry
- Fruit
2. Meal Prep & Plan Ahead
If you're a member of our amazing BARE Guide community, you'll know that I am obsessed with meal prepping and using our BARE Guide meal planners to plan my weeks ahead of time. Typically I'll plan out my meals for the week ahead on a Saturday morning, head to the shops with Mitch and buy everything I'll need.. Then I'll meal prep all of my meals on a Sunday morning to help me stay on track and save time throughout the week! If you don't already meal prep, I strongly recommend this.. It's saved me so much time, effort, energy and MONEY during the week!
PS. If you're a part of the BARE Guide community.. Use the meal planners because they're lifesavers!
3. Get In The Zone
Now for some people this might be having fun in the kitchen with your partner, family member or friend.. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for me.. Haha, I LOVE to be in the kitchen alone.. By myself and getting my grove on! I LOVE getting in the zone by listening to a good episode of Dr. Phil or Judge Judy on YouTube.. I mean how soothing does that sound in the background. Now, I know this won't work for some people.. So you could try some nice music or a playlist in the background.. OR if you're old school like my mum, you can have the 6pm news playing in the background, whatever makes you happy!
4. In & Out
I'm not referring to In-N-Out Burger in California, however, I like to keep my dinners SHORT and be in and out of the kitchen within 30 minutes.. Especially after a long day at work. Make sure you're picking meals that don't take FOREVER and that you can enjoyable whip up quickly. Trust me, it's a good feeling when you can smash out a quick dinner and enjoy the rest of your night to yourself!
5. My Personal Favourite - EXPERIMENT
The one and only motto I live my life by.. Is EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT.. I couldn't express this enough. It's important you trial and error in the kitchen and try new things that will expand your cooking horizons. Don't be scared of making mistakes.. They're a good thing, because they'll help you grow as a cook. I mean.. I still burn toast to this day haha! The more you experiment, the more fun and freedom you will have in the kitchen.. Trust me, this is the BEST part about cooking! Don't be afraid to add your touch to a recipe or two.
I hope you guys loved these tips and they help you have more FUN in the kitchen! If you have any other recommendations, I'd love to hear them, so please reach out.
Leah x
