Let’s start with this. Covid kicked my ass. You may have noticed that the page has gone a little quiet over the last few months and it is directly related to the mental drag that the pandemic brought with it. We’ve spent so much time as parents trying to keep our kids from suffering that I’m guessing I’m not the only one who had to fight through the fog.
Not all was bad, though. After the first few months of having takeout on a daily basis, I decided to use my newfound home time to learn how to make actual meals for my family. It was also necessary to help battle the…roundness I was developing. That said, I still enjoy the occasional slice of bacon every now and then…
After posting a few of my culinary attempts on social media, I received an email from the amazing folks at Cuisipro, asking if I needed some new cookware to help with my adventures in the kitchen. Now, I don’t want to lead you to thinking that I’m now a Gordon Ramsey close because that’s far from the case.
What I’m talking about is upgrading from grilled cheese to fajitas with fresh chicken and all the colours of the rainbow. Even that felt like a gauntlet I wasn’t prior to the lockdowns and now it’s a regular staple of our weekly diet. Having the dual Cuisipro frying pans setup has definitely helped make things a lot easier when putting together meals with multiple components.
When we’re not getting our healthy on, we still like to engage in a little pizza night action here and there. I haven’t had a chance to try the Cuisipro pizza cutter yet because the kids keep stealing it from me before I get a chance to play with it but I’ll find my opportunity soon! Maybe a personal pizza party while they are at school!!
All in all I am loving the new recipes I’m learning and now that I have the proper cookware I am planning on expanding my cooking horizons, whether the kids want to eat it or not hahaha.
Just to reiterate, I am the opposite of someone who ever thought I could make a good family meal and while I’m far from a professional chef, I am proud of the things I’ve learned to do. If you’re thinking of getting started in the kitchen but are scared, I highly encourage you to start small and work your way up to more ambitious things. It’s okay if it doesn’t turn out perfect the first time. You just have to keep tweaking things until you get it right! Happy cooking!!!
*This post was sponsored by Cuisipro and I received some of the items pictured within it. That said, I am getting so much better at cooking and it’s totally worth the effort!*
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it is indeed very motivating to make great meals, when you have new and functional tools to work with!!
I’ve been doing a lot more baking and having the right tools makes a huge difference to me.
My husband would be all over this!
I think cooking is all about growth. We start with something we know and we add and experiment and slowly we change our taste and increase our skill. It is fun to buy new cookware and you can never go wrong with Cuisipro. Often new items will actually inspire new growth as a cook. I am sure you will keep growing and learn new techniques.
I’m happy you are finding your way out of the “fog”. I experimented a lot in the kitchen during pandemic, some good, some not so good.
Happy new pans and many years of successful cooking to you. Welcome back!!!
Love it good points and ideas
That pizza cutter looks like a game changer. I have an old school roller and it’s hard to clean and hard (dangerous?) for the kids to use.
New cookware always helps to inspire for sure. I love the pizza cutter, pretty awesome! I could even convince my teens to cook with that 🙂
That pizza cutter is very cool I want that !
We have learned to bake bread during the pandemic who would have though , And it tastes so good !
Love cooking and baking at home. I make most of my recipes as they are but sometimes change them up to make them more interesting. Since the pandemic I don’t want to go out to eat anymore.
Glad you’re getting over the effects of Covid. Cooking for a family is hard enough when you’re feeling well!
We are all about the home cooked meals here. So many wonderful recipes can be found online
Love this!! ❤️
While I don’t enjoy cooking myself, I do enjoy home-cooked meals prepared by my wife. And she loves cooking too. (We are a perfect match!). We’ve been enjoying home-cooked meals a lot since Covid started.
Learning and acquiring new skills is always fun, especially when it involves food. I need a fajita right now after you mentioning one. Lol the roundness, pretty sure gaining the covid 19 (on par with that freshman 15 in terms :P) happened to a lot of peeps.
The upside of the pandemic has been having more time to enjoy trying new meal/baking recipes.
Great family meals that you have made are not only healthier and easier on the bank account than takeout but are often quicker as well. It can also boost your confidence with all the chef accolades you will receive from the rest of the family. I’ve always been impressed by the quality of Cuisipro products and am eyeing that Cuisipro Pizza Cutter for my next purchase.
I’ve been spending more time in the kitchen over the last two years and I can’t quite say I enjoy cooking yet, but I do enjoy feeling more self-sufficient. I don’t buy pre-made food anymore; I just try to make it myself and I like that.
Thank you Canadian Dad and Cuisipro for this article
Always open to new Gadgets/Recipes: Gotta keep life fun and innovative
and here all the time I’ve been using regular old scissors to cut my pizza when there was this genius tool? Amazing! Happy cooking!
I did a lot more baking during the pandemic. Had to be cautious using flour though as it was in short supply! Enjoy your new cooking tools. I’m sure they will inspire lots of great food creations!
Many things need updates over the years, not just kitchen utensils!
I tried out baking bread during the pandemic and made sure that we ate as a family (since we were stuck together 24/7, it wasn’t so hard). It was actually really nice not to have the hectic go-go schedule of competitive hockey, after school sports, early morning rehearsals etc…Came up with some new recipes and my 4 kids developed new kitchen skills out of necessity (I said I was tired of the grazing and all the food disappearing). All I can hope is that they are as self-sufficient as possible later in life.
The last few years have definitely been…something lol. We seem to fall into ruts with cooking. Lots of delicious meals at home and then all of a sudden it’s like, poof, we’ve forgotten how to cook so we lean into taking out. Getting back into the cooking at home routine always feels harder than it should. I didn’t know pizza scissors were a thing, but I do a fantastic job of mangling our pizza with a knife!! I hope things start looking up and we see you around more. Take care!
congratulations on your changes to ensure you’re healthy in the long-run. lots of great advice here. thanks
I always had a go to couple of meals I made as a single person, but after I got some Hello Fresh meals during the pandemic, I started to realize I was selling myself short and am experimenting more now. So much deliciousness out there to be had!
This post is so similar to my covid food experience too! I really had to start coming up with some better, but still basic (in progression!), cooking skills while spending so much more time at home with the family. We’re on a much better meal path now, and I keep learning and getting better. 🙂
I was completely useless in the kitchen before covid started. Trying new recipes out really helped with the boredom. Now I’m ready to tackle any recipe!
New kitchen accessories and small appliances sure make the process easier, more energy efficient and less clean up!
The pandemic has definitely improved my cooking skills! I am no Gordon Ramsey either, but I did get an air fryer and made an AMAZING roasted (fried???) chicken, so crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth tender meat…I will never cook it any other way again! The pandemic also encouraged my 17 year old to take on his own cooking challenges, one thing he learned, is not to use moms food cookware and not to cook everything on high….and to open the windows when the house fills up with smoke! Ugggg!
That’s awesome. Good on you for getting creative and out of your comfort zone. I’ve recently started cooking more at home. Not only are meals healthier they are way more cost effective.
Been doing a lot more cooking at home to save money.
I already do most of the cooking and all of the baking in our home.
motivating to make great meals
Still not fond of cooking, but having the right tools does at least make it easier.
Thank you, Canadian Dad and Cuisipro. Stay safe. I am glad you are getting over the effects of Covid pandemic, which has changed peoples lives. I like your pizza cutter, it looks GREAT.
I have always done the cooking in our home and always end up screenshoting recipes I’d like to try. The challenge I’m finding is the cost of groceries. Now I’m always hunting for meal ideas that cost less
As a nurse, I have worked through the pandemic. Cooking on the few days i have had off, was a mental break for me. My equipment is old, but i have a ton of garden preserves and a cold room full of root vegetables to help make nutritious meals. We are so fortunate now to be able to just google recipes, instead of pouring over many cookbooks.
Want one of those pizza cutters!
I am making the effort of getting my kid to help with the cooking, so that they learn how to prepare dishes from a young age. I find they are more likely to eat it / taste it that way, too. But we don’t do this every night; sometimes it’s faster if I just do it myself, lol.
Good article! So glad you took the time to learn how to make meals.
good tools make most jobs easier, you still need the knowledge but a good tool adds a lot to the experience
That pizza-cutter thing look so neat! I like how it has a base. Yeah, I’m suffering from getting rounder during Covid, too….I finally stepped on the scale a couple days ago, and didn’t like what I saw. Time for more home cooking, for sure. The pans look nice. I’ve always had odds and ends for cookware, should think about upgrading.
Hi Chris,
Hope you’re feeling better after COVID and the fog is dissipating.
It’s inspiring to watch someone explore new recipes for their family.
? Bacon always tastes great in a Club ? Sandwich with a side dish of coleslaw and ? fries.
Thanks for this opportunity. Have a wonderful day.
That pizza cutter is amazing, like a funky kind of scissor. I bet you could cut lots of other things with that tool too, fresh herbs and other things! I always find it easier to eat healthier in the spring/summer when we can grow some of our own veggies and get fresh delicious local fruit from the stores too. Thanks for the post! 😀
Our family prefers to cook at home and make delicious meals for the entire family.
Hope you and the family have a long string bout of healthy to come. We love bacon. Especially breakfast for supper, it’s always a winner.
Mmmmm Bacon
Homemade food is always the best! And I love bacon!!
That Pizza scissors is genius. I enjoy the occasional slice of bacon as well.
I am intrigued by the pizza cutter. This would be a handy tool for my kitchen.
Deciding what to cook and then actually doing it are exceptionally daunting at times. But it sure feels good when it works out. I like to make a list of meals that worked well so I can refer back when I need a little inspiration for what to make!
This is great Chris! Lots of awesome accessories to help in the kitchen!!
Good for you reconnecting in the kitchen, we also spent a lot of money on takeout. You are inspiring me to get back to home cooking. We have always used scissors to cut our pizza, but never had ones that were dedicated to the job. going to check them out. Glad to see you back blogging.
Cooking is essentially like making crafts, but with food – and it’s always more fun if you have cool gadgets to work with!
The Cuisipro pizza cutter looks pretty cool. My kids would enjoy using it.
We do a ton of cooking and baking together as a family. Pinterest is amazing for finding great recipes. We love to make our own pizza because I can add as many pineapples to individual pieces as we like. I like them all, load them up!
I love the pizza scissors! Such a great idea. Thanks for the reminder to get back to cooking homemade meals!
So good to be appreciated.
I would really like to try using that pizza cutter. It looks very convenient.
New to your unique and well designed site. Yes, this is the best way to cook yummy bacon. Thanks for the useful kitchen tips.
Nice that you are learning more and adding to your cooking repertoire.
I need to focus more on the cooking, less on the eating. Covid has really challenged all of us.
I didn’t know there was such a thing as a pizza cutter! You learn something new every day!
I started cooking more when Covid hit, but is has wained off. I do plan on baking more bread. Glad you are doing well.
Great article Chris! See the pandemic did bring out some positive inituitives for people.
oh my goodness I am SOOO hungry now. It all looks so delicious. Especially that bacon. looks like im on my way to the kitchen to make some myself 🙂 Thank you for sharing
I learned as you are, one recipe at a time. I was given a cookbook and worked my way through every ground beef recipe!! Over time one can develop quite a repertoire!! Love your blog, thanks for the chance!
I love that Cuisipro pizza cutter!
I have always found that cooking the same meals on a regular basis makes cooking more like a chore for me. Once you master the basics it’s fun to try new recipes and substitute ingredients to make the dish your own creation. There are such great resources online to learn skills and gain confidence in cooking and baking. It looks like you have mastered those skills and will be able to continue to expand your world of food. The Cuisipro pans and tools you received are a real help. Making a meal you are happy with that your family also enjoys is very satisfying.
I think I need that pizza cutter and some pizza!
love those scissors you use on the pizza,
I have been doing different recipes every night.
Pinterest is great for them.
I definitely want one of those pizza cutters.
Such a positive post; good for you taking the positive way with great results.
I love that pizza cutter
What cool gadgets and some good recipe ideas too!
Love great home cooked food ! Everything looks amazing!
I too tried to cook more at home during the last two years. We tried making homemade pizza a few times …it would’ve been so handy if we had a Cuisipro pizza cutter – so neat!
Cooking can be so therapeutic! Plus healthier – and cheaper – than eating out all the time. The right tools are key!
I love cooking for my family!!!
That pizza cutter looks great. Having good tools does help motivate me in the kitchen.
That pizza cutter though! Good to get out of a funk with some home cooking with great cooking utensils!
We love pizza and eat it weekly m!
love the pizza cutter
I got hammered by Covid as well. I also have degenerative RA in my hands and those cooking shears look like amazing tools. Thanks for the chance to win. I love your new format/ site, looks great.
I’m on day 16 of covid myself and holy it’s kicked my butt ! Haven’t cooked a meal in days but I’m sure looking forward to cooking a big tasty meal for the family as soon as I’m feeling back to normal . Love a good homemade pizza !