Did you ever think about becoming a chef when you were younger, or at some point in your life?  As a mother I’m always preparing meals for my family, and having two children under the age of three I’m constantly trying to find new and exciting ways to prepare the meals in a healthy way so my children will get the nutrition they need to thrive.  I’m a Food Network watcher too – not quite a junkie, but a watcher.  When I watch the professional chefs on the programs I realize that what I do is probably more akin to being a short order cook.  In order to excel in their profession I’m sure that many of the chefs on television had to attend schools like the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona.  Their website address is http://www.chefs.edu/ if you are interested in learning more about their programs.

I will say this, however.  I think that you can learn quite a bit from the cooking shows you watch on television, even if you have no intention of recreating their meals.  For example – I forgot to buy poultry seasoning for my Thanksgiving meal.  I use it in my stuffing.  I sent my husband out to the store early in the morning (the only grocery store open in the area) to pick up some and they were completely sold out.  I told him to buy some sausage instead, that I would use that to flavor the stuffing.  I have made sausage stuffing in the past so it’s really no big deal to me.  I told him to purchase the pan sausage (not in casings), but that was also completely sold out.  He came home with some large links of hot sausage.  Having watched several seasons of Top Chef I remember seeing the contestants make sausage and put it into the casing.  If you can make it, then it can’t be too hard to take it out of the casings.  I did that and the stuffing was a success.