This is part of our 100 Things in 2015 challenge. Here’s the full list.

I’ve been wanting to improve my knife skills for years, since we first got decent knives in our kitchen. When we came up with the idea to add personal-improvement items to our Hundred Things this year, this was the first thing that came to mind.

I knew a place in our neighborhood that offered a knife skills class, so I signed up.

And I got a lot better. It just took a couple hours of practice and some tips from an expert coach to push me to the next level.

And then I spent $5 on a peeler. And it’s the most glorious peeler I’ve ever come across. For the first time in my life, I’m volunteering to prep the carrots.

I’ll keep practicing, of course, but already I’m feeling a lot more confident and effective in the kitchen. Highly recommended.