I’m pretty sure I set off the smoke alarm at least three times this morning. I decided that I would treat my friends to a home-cooked breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage, homemade hashbrowns and biscuits.

Now I am pretty confident to say that I can bake with the best of them, but cooking homemade meals sometimes makes me wonder if I should try out for that new show, “America’s Worst Cooks.”

Today’s breakfast turned out pretty good, but the cooking fiasco made me come to a decision.

I will learn how to become a gourmet cook. Okay, okay. I will learn how to become a better cook. After browsing cooking blogs, recipe sites and all things “foodie,” I have been inspired. I have always wanted to be one of those people who can enter a kitchen and throw together something that tastes like heaven on a plate. Well, there is no time like the present.

I will blanch, braise and butterfly. I will grate, grill and grind. I will mash, mince and marinate. I will… well, I’m sure you get the picture.

I have decided my first cooking endeavor will be braised short ribs with mushrooms. According to Food Network, this recipe is on an intermediate level. Starting at beginners? That’s for losers.

Check back next week for the results of round one of my cooking transformation or a news report about the crazy woman who burned down her apartment complex with a burning pan of beef.

Bon Appetit!