The familiar sizzle of the chicken breasts hitting the hot surface greeted me as I lowered the slippery devils into the heated pan, releasing steam that threatened to fog up my glasses if leaned in too close. One after the other, I flipped the two in the pan and lowered the third slice of salt and pepper coated meat into the pan. I flipped them all one more time, just for good measure, and put the lid on. I turned around to look up at my friend, and couldn't help but giggle at the expression of wonderment that clearly marked his face.
"Wait... that's it? That's it for 'the juiciest grilled chicken breasts'?"
"Yep. That's it. Ten minutes covered on the heat, ten minutes covered off the heat."
"If I'd known cooking was so easy, I'd have learned to do it sooner."
I laughed. Cooking was far from simple; but then again, I was thinking of the fancy gourmet five course meals and the buttercream coated cakes that resembled floral bouquets I liked to whip up in my spare time.
"You have no Idea how to core a cabbage, do you?" I asked as I rinsed my hands off at the sink.
"You have to core the cabbage?"
I had my work cut out for me.
I'd thought teaching my clueless-in-all-areas-related-to-cuisine best friend to cook would be a good idea: cooking is, after all, a basic survival skill, especially for a soon-to-be college student. But maybe I wasn't expecting so much work. It was fun, though; my experience, his A+ efforts, and his general cluelessness when it came to all things culinary was a foolproof formula for laughter. My klutziness helped, no doubt. From chicken breasts that tried to pick up and leave to cabbage leaves that insisted on taking suicidal leaps, we never stopped laughing. And it all reminded me of one thing: there is so much joy in life, and especially in learning.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of learning we so often forget as students is the joy in it. No, I'm not talking about the homework, the tests or the exams, nor the pressure to take AP's. What I'm talking about is enjoying the process of learning. True, there are times when you hit a rocky spot or have to chase the dog to get your chicken breast back and it seems like the end of the world: but maybe it's time to look at the silver lining. Learn from your mistakes, laugh at those minor blunders, and move on. Complaining and crying never helped anyone; grasp the opportunity and revel in the joy of learning something new. It's never too early or too late. Whether you feel miserable through out the process or whether you enjoy it, it's your choice. It all lies in whether or not you choose joy. You may have to drop a few cabbage leaves or burn your hand along the way, but maybe you'll learn something new and create great memories to revel in years from now.
"Wait... that's it? That's it for 'the juiciest grilled chicken breasts'?"
"Yep. That's it. Ten minutes covered on the heat, ten minutes covered off the heat."
"If I'd known cooking was so easy, I'd have learned to do it sooner."
I laughed. Cooking was far from simple; but then again, I was thinking of the fancy gourmet five course meals and the buttercream coated cakes that resembled floral bouquets I liked to whip up in my spare time.
"You have no Idea how to core a cabbage, do you?" I asked as I rinsed my hands off at the sink.
"You have to core the cabbage?"
I had my work cut out for me.
I'd thought teaching my clueless-in-all-areas-related-to-cuisine best friend to cook would be a good idea: cooking is, after all, a basic survival skill, especially for a soon-to-be college student. But maybe I wasn't expecting so much work. It was fun, though; my experience, his A+ efforts, and his general cluelessness when it came to all things culinary was a foolproof formula for laughter. My klutziness helped, no doubt. From chicken breasts that tried to pick up and leave to cabbage leaves that insisted on taking suicidal leaps, we never stopped laughing. And it all reminded me of one thing: there is so much joy in life, and especially in learning.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of learning we so often forget as students is the joy in it. No, I'm not talking about the homework, the tests or the exams, nor the pressure to take AP's. What I'm talking about is enjoying the process of learning. True, there are times when you hit a rocky spot or have to chase the dog to get your chicken breast back and it seems like the end of the world: but maybe it's time to look at the silver lining. Learn from your mistakes, laugh at those minor blunders, and move on. Complaining and crying never helped anyone; grasp the opportunity and revel in the joy of learning something new. It's never too early or too late. Whether you feel miserable through out the process or whether you enjoy it, it's your choice. It all lies in whether or not you choose joy. You may have to drop a few cabbage leaves or burn your hand along the way, but maybe you'll learn something new and create great memories to revel in years from now.