Outside of skill, money, and time, I find that confidence is the biggest barrier between new cooks and putting dinner on the table. Confidence in cooking is more than just having the right equipment and necessary ingredients for a recipe. What are the steps you can take to trusting yourself in the kitchen?

The obvious answer to gain confidence at anything is just to do it more, but I’ve never found that advice particularly encouraging or helpful. Here are a few small, practical things you can put into practice in the next couple weeks that will improve your confidence in the kitchen and help you fall in love with cooking even more.

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I don’t often write about muffins or even make them at home because, to be honest, I just don’t like most muffins! The typical coffee shop fare tends to have big, domed tops and are often too sweet for my taste. I’m drawn to those dense hippie muffins that are packed with a good bit of whole grain flour and interesting flavors and textures — which is exactly the kind of muffin I’m sharing today.

These holiday-ready gingerbread muffins boast really subtle warm spices and just the right amount of dark sweetness. Let’s be honest: these provide a really good excuse to eat gingerbread for breakfast (in case you needed one).

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You probably don’t realize just how often you reach for these handy gadgets when you’re cooking. And that’s exactly what makes them great gifts! From an oil mister to a spice grinder to the best mandoline on the market these 11 actually great gadgets are about to make someone’s life ten times easier.

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