A few months ago, I started watching Gilmore Girls. I love Lorelai’s love for coffee and I personally relate to every thing Rory says and does, but who I truly want to be is Sookie St. James. because I think that is the only way I will survive in an apartment next semester.

I decided to channel my inner Sookie by baking two desserts she mentions in the show: strawberry shortcake and chocolate praline cookies. This is what I learned in the process:

1. Following a recipe is extremely important.

Gilmore Girls

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You may be in awe of those wonderful, magical creatures who can whip up cookies from their imagination (aka Sookie), but these people evolved into their kind with a lot of practice. So start small and read a recipe or maybe two.

2. Patience is a virtue.

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Seriously. I do not think I am a horrible millennial, but I do love instant gratification, and baking does not give me that. However, when I waited for that strawberry shortcake to finally be ready to eat, it tasted even better.

3. Do not eat the ingredients!

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I know how delicious cookie dough is, but don’t be surprised if your batch of cookies is a lot smaller than you thought.

4. Cooking is powerful.

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Luke may have the coffee, and bless him for that, but Sookie has all of the food. You will love cooking when you do not have to rely on the Domino’s delivery guy for dinner on a Tuesday night.

5. It is okay to be overwhelmed.

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I do not know if I have stressed this enough, but cooking of any kind is not natural for me. Television does glamorize everything, but I guarantee you that Sookie was also scared the first time her cookie batter was not as smooth as it should have been, and it is totally okay.

6. Your mom will be proud.

Gilmore Girls

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Send her a picture, and let her be glad that you are surviving on your own (and without her cooking).

Now all of my suite-mates believe in my cooking abilities, and that I won’t starve. I’m so thankful for Netflix for introducing me to Rory, Lorelai, Sookie and the art of baking.