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Do you think you're a bad cook? Have a hard time making instant pudding? Do you think preparing Hamburger Helper is the best you can do? Think again.

In my last column I talked about my education in culinary arts. Before my formal education, I watched Julia Child on public television and read cookbooks. I didn't have the knives, the stove or the pots and pans Julia had.

I was your run-of-the mill mother of three who learned to cook from my mother, using mixes, prepackaged foods and instant anything. My only experience with cooking from scratch was what I learned from my mom. A decent spaghetti sauce was about all I could do. I didn't make bad food - I made mediocre food.

During the recession of the 1970s and '80s, I went on welfare. Forced to feed my family on a strict budget and government cheese, I began reading cookbooks again, watching cooking shows and asking my mom for my grandmother's recipes. My food slowly began to change for the better.

Many people with disabilities and the elderly are familiar with the high expense of quick-fix food. I had a mere $300 in food stamps to feed five people every month. I supplemented with foods from the Women Infants and Children program, a low-income food program for pregnant women and children. I had to make every food dollar count by cooking from scratch.

I was determined not to be one of those people who lived on rice and beans for the last week of every month. I learned how good homemade macaroni and cheese tasted. I began making my own bread and canning seasonal fruits.

The big surprise was how easy it was, once I got started. I had a small set of pots and pans and began scouring thrift stores and flea markets for others. I saved my pennies - literally - by using coupons so I could buy a crockpot and a decent mixer.

My biggest lesson was how much of a difference the equipment you use can make in the taste of the foods you eat. I just bought my first gas range last month. I saved for nearly three years to get it, but it was worth it. I thought I was a good cook after I graduated from school. But when I prepared some of my favorite meals on my new range, I knew why those cooking shows encourage buying good equipment.

Many good things happened because I was poor. I learned how to cook healthfully with fresh foods that were a lot cheaper than mixes. I lost weight and lowered my cholesterol, because I wasn't eating chemicals. I taught my children that different foods are to be tasted at least once.

Living on a tight food budget doesn't mean you have to eat tuna and white bread. Cooking from scratch can be easy - and a lot more fun.