Summer goals

[collegeblonde]

Hi Guys,
Long time reader first time poster...! From reading some of the posts so far there is some serious support and motivation on this forum!... Therefore I have a question... I soon to be graduating college and out in the big bad world. Unfortunely along the way I never learnt to cook, am a chain smoker and generally a fat slob in a skinny girls body. My lifestyle's is a mess and after a recent break up, I've decided to get back on track!

So... does anyone have any suggestions on how I should go about learning to cook? I don't know where to start! My normal meal consists of basically plain pasta and cheese or a pre packaged pizza! That is the extend of my cooking skills and my mother is not much better. I would really like to learn to cook healthy as then I start off on the right track. Any ideas?

Also giving up smoking... It has to be done... anyone read the alan carr book? Is it any good? Or is there another way other than cold turkey (I am very weak willed).

I would really appreciate any help. Financially my lifestyle is breaking me and physically I feel about 50 at 22.

[macfanatic]

You say you're weak willed but to have these summer goals in your mind shows you have a real idea of where you want to go. All you need to do is get started!

You definitely need to start cooking, don't be afraid of it, once you get the hang of it you'll love it and really enjoy your dinners a whole lot more. Try a few easy things to start with like stirfries, takes about 20 minutes and are delich! all you need to do is chop whatever veg you fancy, cook your chicken first and throw in the veg (things that take the longest go in first) add noodles or rice when you're finished and add soya sauce and some sweet chilli sauce. Another easy thing to try is fajitas: put chicken in the pan, add some veg again and then add a packet of fajita powder, place in wraps and voila, tasty dinner in less than 20 mins.

I've heard the alan carr book is great, my uncle read it and he's off cigarettes for 5 years.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[collegeblonde]

Thanks for replying... I really appreciate it. I'll give it a go and hope for the best any particular cookbooks/chefs that I should look at? The cookbook section of the book store is a jungle!

[macfanatic]

Rachel Allen does some lovely recipes, and Nigella, but maybe give the internet a browse before you commit to a book, you can find anything you need on google. Another great easy cooking website is Rachaelray.com, she hosts an american talk show and her meals are fab and super easy to make!

[collegeblonde]

Thanks a mill

[litlemisswonders]

I find the BBC website is quite good for recipes - and you can bring it up on your phone so no need to be buying books / printing off reams of paper!

I was the same as you about two years ago re cooking, but then for health reasons I had to lose weight! So I started branching out and trying the easy things. An omlette is probably going to be the easiest dinner you will ever make, eggs, dash of milk and whatever fillings you want in it. Dinner in less than ten minutes. Just try out different things - pasta, mexican, roasts etc and in no time you'll be making amazing dishes

[sweetie1]

Good for you setting good goals!
My mam and aunt both used the Alan Carr book and it worked for them, they're off the smokes over 12 years and they loved their cigs!
Re cooking - another advocate for the BBC good food website, it's great. And I'm totally with macfantastic on the stir fries, even spag bol using whole wheat pasta and stirfrying lots of veg in with the meat (minced beef or turkey).
If you want to invest in a cookbook - or request one as a gift, Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food is great. Good step by step instructions, plenty of pictures and lots of great basics and some variations on basic recipies then. I can't recommend this book enough. Really aimed at beginner cooks but load in it to keep you going for years.
Best of luck with the goals, keep us posted on your progress.

[majella500]

Best of luck. Can't give you any tips on cooking, I never learned.....

All the best with giving up smoking. Reward yourself. If you stick the money that you would have spent on cigs in a jar every day, you'll have enough to buy your self something nice at the end of the month. You always find the money for cigs... so find it for you month end treat jar. I gave up 12 years ago, cold turkey. It was a nightmare, but so worth it. At one stage I had a photo of myself, with a cigarette and kept it to remind me how silly I looked with that thing hanging out of my mouth.