Welcome

Welcome to my cooking blog!

I decided to make a blog devoted to my adventures and lessons as I learn to cook.

A little about me:

I'm a wife and a mom to an almost 2 year old. Prior to getting married 3 years ago, I'd never really cooked. I like baking and I can follow a recipe well, but I don't know really how to cook without a recipe or a cookbook.

Aside from a few times looking at recipes with my mom, I never was shown how to cook growing up.  All my experiences with family was that they either followed a recipe or they 'just knew' by tossing a little of this or a little of that.  But never did any of that knowledge get imparted my way.  So, short of hiring a personal cook or instructor, how does one really learn to cook?

I've spent the last 2-3 years buying cookbooks, watching shows/videos and reading online sites and blogs about cooking. But I still feel like many of my questions about cooking have gone unanswered.

I want to know things like...how do I look at my pantry/fridge/freezer and make a meal - without a recipe? How do I balance sweet/savory with meats/veggies/bread? What goes with what?
How does cooking with aluminum pans differ from using non-stick?
How can I fry/grill/broil indoors without setting off the fire alarms (our house's alarms are very sensitive. I can't even use the self-cleaning feature on my oven because it sets them off).
What is '____' ingredient, where do I get it and what does it taste like? - This is for stuff I've never even heard of. What sense does it make for me to cook with something unknown?

I've heard of meal planning but really - do I need to do it? What can I do to make it flexible enough for my family?

Plus as I learn this and more, I'd like to record it.  I want to document these things mainly for my own personal knowledge but also to pass down to my kid(s). If it helps anyone else out there, mores the better!

Here's to learning!