Did you know that cooking at home can actually improve your mental health?  It allows an expression of creativity, connects us with food and the people we cook with/for, and evokes a feeling of accomplishment. “7 Emotional Benefits of Cooking” on bustle.com breaks down ways that cooking at home can lift your mood and brighten your mental outlook. We’ve put together a few resources to help encourage the home chef in all of us!

Cooking at Home in the Time of Coronavirus

The staff at Bon Appetit magazine have put together several collections of recipes and cooking resources to help get you through home quarantine time. These include:

  • 89 Recipes With 5 Ingredients or Fewer
  • 37 Recipes that Freeze really well
  • Meal Prep Big-Batch Recipes and Eat Well All Week
  • Leftover-Friendly Recipes
  • Cooking Projects to Keep You Busy and Extremely Well Fed
  • Soup, Tea, and Other Nourishing Recipes to Help You Feel Well

 Meals Made from Pantry Staples

Trips to the grocery store are few and far between these days, but there are lots of ways to get creative using items found in your pantry.  And if you are ready to make a trip for more groceries, here’s a helpful list of items to stock up on!

Get the Family Involved

Cooking with Kids is an organization that educates and empowers children and families to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning with fresh, affordable foods.  Recipes, How-To videos and free activities for kids help the whole family get engaged.  They also provide free downloadable Tasting Lessons. Each lesson includes:

  • Lesson plans, farmer letters, food history, nutrition information
  • English & Spanish student materials
  • Aligned with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards

Cooking and eating together is an opportunity to put a pause on some of the fear and anxiety you might be feeling right now and really use that opportunity to have fun together. – Erica Weisman, Seattle Chef and owner of Seattle Cucina Cooking School

The Food Network also offers a section on their website dedicated to family friendly recipes, articles and videos. And if your family and friends can’t cook with you in person, here is a great article from the Today Show’s Food Editor about how her family is staying connected by cooking together virtually.

Online Cooking Classes

Ready to take your culinary skills one step further? Chefs and lifestyle experts from around the world are offering free online cooking and baking lessons to help you make the most of your time at home. Here is a collection of 12 Free Online Cooking Classes form Popsugar.com.

We hope these resources provide you with a bit of inspiration. Now grab your apron and enjoy creating in the kitchen!  And feel free to share any recipes you’ve tried, or recommend in the comments. Bon Appétit!