Anyone can cook.

So, I've officially made four bread recipes now, and I'm proud to announce that I haven't screwed up any of them! That means if any of you are considering making your own bread, too, you can take heart in the fact that it's easy enough even for me. Said by the girl whose mom did not allow her within 10 feet of the kitchen. Said by the girl who never made a single grilled cheese sandwich until she was 15.

(Hear that? It's the sound of everyone's egos growing a few inches taller. I heart self-esteem! Whoo!)

But let's be serious now. A lot of people think making your own food is hard. Well, I am here to tell you it is NOT. It is, however:

Time-consuming.

Fun.

Rewarding.

Healthier.

Scary (sometimes).

A good teaching tool.

Yes, some aspects of food preparation are more difficult than others. For instance, I do not know how to make a roux. But I bet I could learn, because anyone can follow a simple recipe. And do you know what we have today that our mothers didn't have?

GOOGLE. Teh Internetz.

So awesome! I can open Google, type "how to make a roux" and this will come up:

Melt 1/2 cup (unless a specific amount is called for) of butter, shortening, oil, or other fat in a heavy skillet over very low heat.

Gradually sprinkle the hot melted fat with the same proportion of flour and immediately begin stirring.

Stir the mixture constantly until it reaches the desired color, which may take from 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and continue stirring until it has cooled down a bit and there's no risk of burning.

Add herbs, vegetables, or whatever your recipe calls for or store roux tightly covered in the refrigerator for later use.

And you see, kids? That is why cooking is not hard. Because if a girl who could barely boil water when she got married can crank out fresh loaves of whole wheat bread simply by following a recipe, then so can you! (Or a cavewoman!)

All you need to be able to do is read, which I am going to rightfully assume you all can. Since this is a blog.

As the great (fictional) Chef Gusteau said in the freaking cute Pixar movie Ratatouille ...

"Anyone can cook."