Wait… I Still Need to Cook?!

I am shocked that the semester is coming to a close already! It feels very surreal to be wrapping up this learning project. I have learned so much, but I also have so much more that I want to learn!

Weekly Takeaways

Week 1 – Turning up the Heat

In my introduction post, I discussed my habits of avoiding cooking and falling back on girl dinners most nights of the week. I am excited to say that throughout this learning project, I found myself excited to cook multiple times a week, and found myself cooking and trying new things even when my weekly posts were completed.

Week 2 – Cajun Chicken Pasta

I started off my cooking journey with a simple one-pot recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta on a blog called Good Food. During this week, I was finding my footing looking for digital resources, and I stuck to a new recipe that was still within my comfort zone. Week 2 got me excited to keep finding new online sources to learn from, and experimenting with cooking.

Week 3 – Creamy Orzo Pasta

During week 3, I found a recipe for Creamy Orzo Pasta on Instagram. I also experimented with filming a timelapse and editing it on iMovie to document my learning this week! Week 3 was a great week for me to reflect on how my future students can use technology to document and showcase their learning in the classroom.

Week 4 – Honey Garlic Salmon Bites

This week I moved away from pasta and found a recipe for Honey Garlic Salmon Bites on a blog called Kitchen Substitute. During week 4, my interest in finding unique and useful blogs to amplify my learning experience began. I found it enjoyable to learn from real people sharing their love for cooking.

Week 5 – Creamy Dill Pickle Soup

During week 5, I experimented with making cream based soups through a recipe for Creamy Dill Pickle Soup found on a blog called Clara Quick Dinners. I remember making this soup during a cold and blizzardy week. I found a sense of calm during my cooking process, and this is when I started to truly enjoy the cooking process. During this week, I recognized the importance of using online resources as a guideline, but to still experiment and discover in real life as well.

Week 6 – My First Homemade Lasagna 

This week I tried two things I have never tried before. First, I made my very first homemade lasagna following a recipe on Natasha’s Kitchen. Secondly, I made my first recipe following a YouTube Video. This was a very rewarding week for me because I tried something new and learned it from a new digital source!

Week 7 – Experimenting with Chicken Fajitas 

This week I challenged myself to use a cooking app to learn. I found a recipe for Chicken Fajitas on an app called Kitchen Stories. Prior to this week, my online resources were found through Pinterest and were predominantly online blogs. Therefore, it was fun to find a new way to learn digitally!

Week 8 – Doubling my Learning

In week 8, I decided to challenge myself by learning two new recipes in for one meal. First, I followed a recipe for Maple Dijon Salad Dressing on a blog called Salads for Lunch. Secondly, I found a recipe for Greek Lemon Rice on a blog called Charm Recipes. It was very rewarding to challenge myself and push my learning forward.

Week 9 – Making Pad Woon Sen

This week I wanted to look for a blog that shared recipes from a different culture. I came across a blog called I Heart Umami which showcases various Asian cuisines including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese food. There was so many delicious looking recipes on the blog, but I chose to make a Thai stir-fry called, Pad Woon Sen. It was fun to try cooking a new type of cuisine, and is something I want to continue to experiment more with!

Week 10 – Spring Cleaning my Cabinets 

Throughout my learning project, I noticed my pantry getting full of left over ingredients from various recipes. Therefore, I chose to find a recipe that would help use up some of my left over ingredients. I found a recipe for Orzo Pasta with Mushrooms on a Molly’s Home Guide. Because I was using ingredients I have already worked with, I decided to challenge myself in a different way for the last week. I chose to experiment with filming my cooking process and editing into a TikTok video. Throughout this process, I was not very thrilled with the idea of filming myself. However, I am proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone in the final week and trying something new!

Reflection of my Learning Project

I have found my learning project to be very rewarding on a personal, social, and professional level. I have experienced immense self growth with my cooking skills, and my desire to continue to experiment in the kitchen. Throughout the learning project, the kitchen became a more social place for me. I spent more time slowing down, chatting with family, and enjoying food together. As well, throughout my learning project, I was able to discover the importance of using the digital space as a way to learn and explore new skills and ideas. This project will help me support future students in their own learning and representations of learning in digital spaces.

What Next?

Well… since I need to prepare food in order to fuel my body, I plan to continue to try at least one new recipe a week. I am looking forward to continuing to try new recipes! As well, I am also looking forward to setting my phone aside and enjoying tech free evenings: free from documentation and uploading! Cheers to continuing to learn and trying new things!