Let’s get one thing straight: I don’t know how to cook. I mean, I can’t follow a recipe to save my life, and I’m pretty sure I’ve set off the smoke alarm more times than I care to admit. But that doesn’t stop me from pretending to cook for my family. In fact, I’m really good at it. How? Well, I’m a master at dumping things together and making meals magically appear. Call it “creative cooking,” “food improvisation,” or “making it work,” but it’s what I do, and it works… most of the time.
The Power of Social Media
If you ask me where I get my “recipes,” the answer is simple: TikTok, Instagram, and blogs. I’ll be scrolling through my feed, and I’ll see a tasty-looking dish with a caption like, “This is so easy!” and I’ll say, “Great! That’s my dinner for tonight!” In truth, I’ve never followed a recipe to the letter, but I sure know how to adapt, swap, and “make it my own.”
For example, I once saw a delicious-sounding TikTok pasta recipe involving just a few ingredients and a bunch of cheese. Naturally, I threw in some frozen spinach, added a can of diced tomatoes, and swapped the pasta for whatever was in the pantry. Voilà—dinner was served, and my toddler didn’t even notice the spinach. (That’s a win in my book.)
Trader Joe’s: My Secret Weapon
Now, let’s talk about the real hero of my “pretend cooking” journey—Trader Joe’s. I don’t think I’ve ever made a meal without at least one item from there. I love how TJ’s has everything I need to assemble a semi-decent meal with minimal effort: frozen veggies, pre-cooked grains, sauces, and snacks that I can throw into any dish and call it gourmet. Honestly, I couldn’t get by without their frozen meals for the days when I’m feeling too lazy to even pretend to cook.
A Day in the Life of My Kitchen
A typical “meal prep” day for me looks like this:
- Morning Scrolling: I start my day by scrolling through Instagram or TikTok to find easy dinner ideas. Bonus points if the meal includes five ingredients or fewer.
- Trader Joe’s Haul: Armed with my phone and a shopping list based on a viral recipe I just found, I head to Trader Joe’s (I’ve memorized the aisles at this point).
- The “Cooking” Process: Once home, I dump all my ingredients together—no measuring, no complicated steps—just a “let’s see how this turns out” attitude. The key is to look like I know what I’m doing, even if it’s just reheating frozen veggies and adding them to pasta.
- The Taste Test: If it tastes good, I congratulate myself. If not, I promise myself that next time, I’ll stick closer to the recipe. (But who are we kidding? I’ll be back to experimenting in no time.)
Why I Love This Approach
I’m all about making meals that are fast, easy, and flavorful, with a little help from social media and my trusty Trader Joe’s haul. Sure, it may not be “gourmet,” but my family always gets fed, and everyone is happy—especially my toddler, who thinks I’m a magician when I somehow manage to serve up something different every night without burning down the kitchen.
Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, it’s about finding shortcuts, embracing the beauty of frozen foods, and having fun along the way. Sure, I may not be a chef, but I’m a pro at pretending, and that’s good enough for me.
So, if you’re like me—looking for a way to get a meal on the table without all the fancy cooking techniques—stick around. I’ll share the meals that I “pretend” to make, plus all the shortcuts and inspiration I get from social media. And trust me, if I can do it, you can do it too.