1. The more you do it, the cheaper/easier it gets! When you start cooking, each trip to the grocery store is a huge ordeal. You don't know where to find anything, and your grocery bill ends up being three times higher than usual because of the spices and kitchen utensils that you have to buy. Trips to the grocery store are an adventure, but an adventure isn't really what you're looking for when you just need dinner on the table in the middle of a work week! This has stopped happening for us. Our grocery bill has fallen back to what it was before, when we ate all processed ready-made food. When I go to the grocery store now, I usually just need to get the perishable items (produce) and special items (cuts of meat, types of pasta) that are needed for the recipe. For baking, we barely need to buy anything. I keep canisters of flour, sugar, and salt on the counter now, we keep eggs, butter, crisco, and vegetable oil on hand, and I even have meringue powder, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa powder in the cabinet. This weekend I made mini-Bundt cream cheese brownies before our weekly trip to the grocery store!
2. That magical "ccchhhsssssssss" sound. I LOVE this sound. The sound it makes when you drop onions and bell peppers into vegetable oil warmed over medium heat. The sound it makes when you pour the sauce into pad thai or the chicken broth into a skillet of risotto-in-the-making. I hear it, and the stress of my day disappears. I really don't know what else to say about it. I just love that sound!
3. It makes me feel healthy and good. Although you don't notice this while it is happening, eating processed food all the time makes you feel like shit. When you start eating meals where you know exactly what went into them, it changes the way you eat. It changes the amount that you eat (for example, you may stop short of a bowl of something you now know was made with heavy cream). I changes WHAT you eat. If you are making homemade food, the chances that you will eat pizza or spaghetti every night are slim. Both of those are pretty labor-intensive compared to what I usually make. My stomach thanks me. I also feel good about feeding my fiance. Left to his own devices, he will survive on Chef Boyardee and frozen pizza. He doesn't mind it, but I would much rather provide him meals that include more of the food groups!
In short, I heart cooking. There is something magic about it. Something about putting work into something that will nourish your body and taste good, but also something that will not end the world if you don't do a good job of it. It's not like college transcripts, your resume, or the MCAT. The results do not go on your permanent record. You either end up with a recipe you want to repeat, or it ends up in the trash and it's forgotten about tomorrow. I never thought this would happen, but I guess I inherited it from Chef Momma!
