Watch out Betty Crocker!

Somehow I did not inherit the family cooking gene. My great grandmother on my mom's side was a fabulous cook. Back then cooking shows didn't exist on TV. Instead, cooking competitions showcased talented cooks. My great grandmother, Anna Beasley, won countless ribbons for her original recipes and hosted elaborate dinner parties at her house for years. She even printed her own cookbook title "Coast and Cactus Cookbook." My mother has always had a knack for cooking and my sister, Emily, works at a fancy French restaurant in Houston as a waitress and manager. Have I mentioned she cooks full meals from scratch and has a vocabulary for expensive wine like no other 21 year old I know? Yup, I got the short end of the stick.

However, I would like to think that I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of what could be an excitement for cooking. Thanks to Luke, I finally have someone to cook for on a more regular basis and I'm actually thrilled to do so. I guess that is part of loving a man and knowing that the way to his heart is through his stomach, ha! Someday I will be his wife and I'm hoping to have an plethora of options for meals once we're married. I guess I better get moving!

Alright, you're not allowed to laugh at me, ok? I'm going to tell you about what I cooked tonight and I need you to affirm me on my trek to becoming a good cook. I know this was a pretty simple meal and nothing was actually made from scratch (I'll get there, I promise!), but Luke loves it and that is all that matters. My girlfriend, Sarah Kubala, told me about this little "on the side of the box" recipe that her mom makes every so often. Sarah has also cooked this for her fiance, Andrew, and he's a big fan. So, I attempted this meal once and it was a big hit with my boy. He asked for the same meal again tonight, and with those blue eyes, how could I say no? So, without further ado, here is a little jambalaya!

{This is the jambalaya mix I used}

{While the 2.5 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil boiled, I cut up an entire link of turkey sausage. This is not all of it, obviously}

{After the water began to boil, I added the spices, rice, and sausage. After this had boiled for a little longer, I set the stove on low and let the mixture cook for 25 minutes}

{While the jambalaya cooked, I made some cornbread}

{All this took was 2/3 cup of milk, 1 egg, and the mix}

{I love making cornbread cupcakes!}

{Kind of far away, but here is the finished product!}

{Cutie patootie}

{This is a funny picture for a couple of reasons. Don't be fooled, we didn't eat at the table. Project Runway was on, DUH! But I wanted to show off my cute new yellow place mats my momma bought me today:) And I had just started a load in the dishwasher, so please excuse my paper/plastic ware}

{And of course, the evening wouldn't be complete without Brooky Bear begging for some jambalaya}

Alright, so maybe I'm not Betty Crocker, but I think it's a start! I have a couple of cookbooks that haven't been opened yet, but I just may have built of enough courage to crack one open and see what I'm working with. I'll keep you posted. But for now, I'm proud of myself.

Do you like to cook? Would your family or friends say you're a "good" cook? What is your favorite thing to cook? Please share!