Our cooking community is made up of home cooks just like you. From challenges and successes, these Kitchen Heroes have discovered cooking tips and tricks to help you in the kitchen!
Find Your Dinner Community
We believe that cooking is way more fun when you have an amazing group of people cheering you on (and possibly a glass of wine by your side). That’s why we created the Cook Smarts Kitchen Heroes Facebook Group – a place to go when you have questions about ingredient substitutes, special meal suggestions, specific diets, cooking instructions, kitchen tools, and more.
By joining our meal plan service, you’ll get the opportunity to enjoy the positive company of thousands of Kitchen Heroes, who are excited to give you a virtual hug, high-five, fist bump, or emoji for doing the extraordinary — finding room for a home-cooked meal when busy schedules don’t make it easy!
There are thousands of home cooks from all walks of life in our cooking community. Some started off as experienced cooks, who just needed some new dinner ideas. Others are busy folks who are trying to save time but still want to enjoy a nice, home-cooked meal. And there are also those who want to learn how to cook and eat healthier. Although they may have joined for delicious recipes and time-saving tools, they quickly found a place of supportive home cooks like them.
So come on over to our cooking community! You don’t need to be subscribed to our meal plans to reap the benefits of a helpful cooking community; a free sign-up will get you into the private Facebook Group.
Tips to Make Healthy Cooking a Success
Here we have compiled some of our community’s wisdom (all learned from trial and error!) to help you stress less, cook more, and live healthier in the kitchen!
Try new things. If I don’t like something no one's forcing me to make it again, but I might find something that I had no idea was delicious.
Amanda
Make cooking an activity that you can enjoy, and bring your kids into the fun. Let them see that you are proud of the results.
Dunagan
Laugh at your mistakes, don’t take cooking too seriously, and always read the ENTIRE recipe before starting!
Allison
Tupperware. Plenty of it! It helps prepping when you actually have time, so when it’s time to cook, you’re all ready to go!
Helen
Do not think that the dish has to be perfect. If it doesn’t look perfect, call it “rustic” and learn from your mistakes.
Artie
Always follow the recipe as is first, then tweak it. Once you get more comfortable, and don’t give up, then start experimenting!
January
Cook during the time of day that you’re most relaxed and energized, and use a method that works for you.
Jessica
Give yourself 15 to 20 minutes more time than the recipe suggests. This helps me remain calm and keeps my kitchen experience stress-free.
Nicole
Having the right tools makes everything easier! For us, having good knives and plenty of storage containers for foods we’ve prepped is key.
Adam & Christina
Don’t be afraid to layer flavors and increase servings so that the dish can work for you.
Sarah
Trust your senses and don't sweat the failures. You’ll know if something doesn’t look / smell / taste right, so don’t ignore that feeling.
Tara
Keep trying to get better. I’ve found cooking to be like many other tasks / hobbies / activities: repetition and practice are crucial.
Greg
Try not to see cooking as a chore that needs to be done, but because you enjoy it. It can bring a great feeling of happiness.
Nora
Prep ahead of time if you're crunched for time in the evenings. Don't feel like you need to cook every night (leftovers can still be tasty)!
Jessica
Take the time to read through all of the instructions beforehand.If things get dicey while cooking, slow down and take your time if you can.
Joanna & David