Difficulty: 2/10

I mean… it’s grilled cheese… I’d be in trouble if I couldn’t heat up some bread with cheese on it.

My family’s opinion: 3.5 stars out of 5

Difficulty: 4/10

Pasta’s pretty hard to mess up, but somehow I found a way! Turns out you need to drain the pasta before putting sauce on it… oops.

My family’s opinion: 3.6 stars out of 5

Difficulty: 5/10

“Wait, I was only supposed to cook it for 10 minutes?” – me, after realizing the beef might be a bit overdone. Before the beef, which probably could’ve been classified as jerky by the time I took it off the stove, I actually felt fairly competent for this one – a short feeling, but a good one nonetheless.

My family’s opinion: 4.3 stars out of 5

Difficulty: 7/10

On one hand, I know how to use a grill now. On the other hand, I made my mom tell me exactly what to do so I didn’t end up losing a hand. The salmon may have been a bit raw, but sushi is pretty good, so what’s the big deal?

My family’s opinion: 4.8 stars out of 5

Difficulty: 8/10

The hardest part of this recipe was following it. Yes, there were step-by-step instructions, but the steps said things like “dredge the chicken” and “saute garlic, then deglaze”- meaning I spent almost as much time trying to figure out what any of that meant as I did cooking. So far, nobody in my family has gotten salmonella which means I’m the best chef that’s ever lived.

My family’s opinion: 3.8 stars out of 5