7 Kitchen Tips That I Learned the Hard Way

I will be the first to admit that my prowess in the kitchen is sadly lacking. 

My husband would be the second. (He has never once complained and gladly eats what I cook and helps with the dishes.) Good man!

Unfortunately he seems to have married a wife without many talents in the kitchen. I think over the past 10 years my cooking has actually improved a little bit, but I will never be anywhere close to a culinary genius. 

If I had to give myself a grade in the kitchen, it would be a C-. Just barely passing. The underachiever in the back of the class.

Grace thinks I'm an excellent cook!

Luckily, I've learned some important lessons in the kitchen over the years, and I'm happy to share them! Hopefully you can avoid some of the mistakes I've made:

1. Don't cook microwavable rice without adding water

It will burn, melt the dish and smell really bad.

2. Saving leftovers you don't really intend to eat is a bad idea
You will find them weeks later in the back of the fridge and have to call the Hazmat team for proper and safe disposal. 

3. Always keep fresh garlic and wine on hand

They can turn any dinner into something mostly edible.

Pasta Making Class- Let's be honest, I was there for the wine!

4. Cereal or PBJ are perfectly acceptable meals
Unless you don't have cereal, milk, peanut butter, jelly or bread. Then take-out is perfectly acceptable, too. 

5. Clean your sink

Grimy dried up food stuck in your sink is gross. 

6. Assume that your creation will never look like the one on Pinterest

Pinterest fails are basically the story of my life, but I still love Pinterest and have found many delicious and easy recipes and craft ideas. 

7. Master some go-to recipes that you're not afraid to feed guests or take to parties

I don't have many dinner parties, because I have a two-year old with the table manners of a gorilla, but when we do have people over, I always cook something that I've made successfully in the past. There's nothing worse than a failed new recipe and hungry guests! My favorites are Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Taco Chicken Bowls. I also feel like a really scrumptious dessert makes up for a so-so dinner. Can you say Chocolate Molten Lava Cake!? That will make me forget about a nasty dinner. 

BONUS
8. Put a piece of bread in a tupperware with your brown sugar to keep it soft
My mom taught me this one.

Well, there you have it. 8 Kitchen tips from yours truly. You can tell 'em you learned from one of the worst.

What are you best kitchen tips? I'd love to hear them.

...no seriously, tell me how you do it!

7 kitchen tips based on mistakes you have made in the past.