Recipes for Appetizers

Hi all! I was hoping to get rocking and rolling on cooking up some appetizers last week; however, I had the flu. Not only did I not feel like cooking, I don't think anyone would want to eat anything I cooked. I did, however, make a list of appetizers to make and a list of ingredients needed.

My main source for recipes was Pinterest! If you've never used Pinterest before, I highly recommend it. You can save recipes, workouts, etc. on different boards for future use. I created a board specifically for this project in order to store potential recipes for future use.

The first recipe I found was for Loaded Deviled Eggs. Deviled eggs are something I've always wanted to learn to make, so I definitely wanted to include them in my project. The recipe can be found on the website link: SixSistersStuff.

My next recipe can be found on the Baking Fairy's page. I think queso is simple, but really tasty. It is always a hit a parties and I'm hoping to learn to make it.

Holly from Spendingwithpennies posted a recipe for honey garlic wings that I am really looking forward to trying. I know it sounds crazy, but I am a complete newbie to cooking! I've only ever used chicken breast, so cooking wings will be an adventure for me. I'm hoping that by using her recipe, I'll be able to cook some tasty wings for parties in the future.

My next recipe is for a taco pizza. This is a little heartier of an appetizer, but I think it would be good for potlucks, etc. I found the recipe on a website called Living Well Mom, and it promises to be a crowd pleaser!

Because I have quite a few friends who are vegetarian, I wanted to do something similar to the taco pizza, but with a vegetarian option. I found a recipe for a caprese flatbread on a website named Carrie's Experimental Kitchen, from a fellow blogger named Carrie. I'm excited to try this new recipe because it looks delicious!

I'm excited to start cooking this week! I'm hoping I feel better soon so I can start ASAP! Cheers to starting my learning experience!

Learning to Cook a Four-Course Meal

Goals

     My goal is to be able to cook each portion of a four-course meal successfully. I will learn to make multiple different dishes in each category. In order to gauge whether or not my food is “successful”, I will be doing a taste-test with at least three other people, plus myself. I will have each person rate the meal on a scale of 1-5. If they rate it at least a 4, it will be considered a good food item.
     I hope by doing this project, I will learn more about cooking. At the current moment, my meals usually consist of pre-made food items. I want to be able to make tasty food from scratch.
Write a paragraph or two stating what you hope to learn over the course of your Major Project. Please include detailed learning objective in this space.
     My learning objective is that I will be able to cook a four-course meal that is considered successful (4 out of 5 rating). I would like to be able to learn multiple appetizers and desserts to bring to family get-togethers and functions. I would also like to be able to make good soups and salads for my own benefit and also to share with others. I think that being able to cook multiple different entrees will be useful in my future.

Resources and Learning Materials

     I plan to utilize multiple different resources. My major source for information is the internet. I plan to use the internet to choose the food that I cook. I may use videos, in order to learn how to do different things that are necessary for cooking. I also plan to use my older sister, who I consider to be a good cook.

Documentation of Progress

     I will document the learning process in a notebook, which I will then transfer to a blog. I will post to my blog and share it on twitter to make it available to multiple different people. I will document every step of the learning process (grocery lists, recipes, pictures of food, etc.). I plan to use my blog to write about how I feel, what I’m learning, to post pictures, and to post videos.
     I will pre-assess myself by writing how I currently feel about cooking on my blog. I will also ask others about my cooking and post that on my blog to gauge how they feel about anything I have cooked/made in the past. For a post-assessment, I will do the same.

Planned Timeline

     I will break this project up into multiple steps. I plan to grocery shop and cook each week. I will also have to do research on the items I choose each week.
     During the first week, I will focus on appetizers. During the second week, my focus will be on soups and salads. During the third and fourth weeks, I will focus on entrees. For the fifth week, I will focus on desserts. On the second to last week, I plan to cook a four-course meal for a group of family and friends. For the last week, I will reflect on the learning process. I will also create a general post with all the recipes used and the ratings.

Possible Challenges

     I honestly don’t have a clue how to cook anything other than eggs. So this will definitely present a challenge to me. I’m fairly certain that some of my recipes will not turn out well, which could also be a setback for me. This is a learning process for me, so I don’t intend to become an expert chef in a few weeks.

Critical Friend

     I have multiple people that have agreed to help me through the learning process. My sister has agreed to help me cook/ give me tips if needed. My family and friends have also agreed to taste and rate my food.