I’ve been getting several questions lately about my experience with blogging and cooking, so I wanted to take a moment to answer some of the most common ones.
1. Are you a professional cook? Do you have formal training?
The name of the blog, “Mommy Hates Cooking,” says a lot. I never claimed to be a professional—I started this site as a way to learn, experiment, and share the ups and downs of trying new recipes. My focus is on simple, practical meals for busy people or anyone who, like me, doesn’t enjoy spending hours in the kitchen. Early posts often relied on premade or frozen items; if you look back you’ll see that evolution. Over time I’ve moved toward cooking from scratch or at least getting close to it, and I rarely buy premade meals now. I’ve learned a great deal since I began, but I’m still not an expert—just someone learning and sharing the process.
2. Why are some recipes not strictly traditional?
Because I’m learning. Many recipes on the site represent my first attempt at a particular dish. Unless I note that a recipe is a longtime favorite, it’s often a first try I’m sharing with readers. I welcome feedback and tweaks from readers—those tips help me improve and refine the dishes I post.
3. Do you write your own recipes?
Yes—most of the recipes you see here are my own. When a recipe comes from another source I always note that: I show a photo of my result, explain any changes I made, and link to the original recipe so you can see the source. Creating and adapting recipes is one of the most rewarding parts of this blog; experimenting keeps me engaged and eager to learn more.
4. How do readers benefit from your recipes?
The main benefit is accessibility: I aim to keep recipes simple and approachable. If an inexperienced cook like me can make them, chances are you can too. Since I started this blog and committed to cooking regularly, I’ve found that making meals from scratch can be cheaper, healthier, and often faster than relying on convenience foods. I hope my readers pick up the same lessons and find the recipes here useful and easy to follow. I also try to save readers time by doing recipe research and sharing straightforward instructions and photos.
5. Are you starting to love cooking?
Love is a strong word—I’d say I’m learning to enjoy it. I’m still in a bit of a love/hate relationship with cooking, but increasingly I look forward to creating, photographing, and posting recipes. Reader feedback motivates me and helps me improve. Since starting the blog I’ve done more cooking and recipe research than ever before; what used to be spare time is now spent testing new ideas and techniques. In the past few months I’ve cooked more than I had in years—often daily, sometimes preparing multiple dishes and baking as well. I draw inspiration from other food bloggers and hope to grow my own skills to a higher level over time.
Thank you for the questions — I plan to add more FAQ posts in the future.
For more background about me and the blog, see these posts:
Stay Tuned
Mommy Hates Cooking