I wish...

Well, I wish a lot of things. But lately, I have been thinking that any talent in the kitchen would be nice. I am kickass at following a recipe but in the arena of just "tossing a few things together"... well, I don't end up with a gourmet meal. In fact, discerning what belongs on a dinner plate and in a trash bag is not always so easy. sigh.

Does anyone know... is there any way to get better at it without sacrificing large amounts of defenseless meat and produce?