Why I Love to Cook at Home

This evening we had homemade vegan enchiladas for dinner (I was going to take a picture to go with this post but while the enchiladas tasted great, they weren't very photogenic!).  Even though we live in the land of great restaurants, I still much prefer to cook at home because...

• It's cheaper.  For a few dollars we had a big meal for two (with leftovers).
• Leftovers.  I like having a complete meal already made and waiting in the fridge which means leftovers fit the bill!
• It's healthier.  Restaurants tend to pour loads of fat, salt, and sugar into their food to up the taste, but while the food tastes great, a 2000 calorie meal is really unhealthy.  At home you know exactly what you are getting in your food and can customize it yourself (lower fat, no salt, etc).
• It's good practice.  You get good at cooking by practicing (a lot).  The more you cook, the better you will get at it (usually).
• You get to make exactly what you want.  Many restaurant meals are a big hunk of meal with a couple of tiny sides.  I prefer to skip the meat and love sides so when I cook it is usually a tiny piece of meat for hubby and a half dozen sides.
• It can be quick.  I go to a restaurant to eat but some places want to stretch out the meal for ages, at home I can cook a complete meal in under 10 minutes if necessary.
• It can be an artistic endeavor too.  While I don't have an artistic bone in my body, I can whip up some fabulous cakes and pastries.  Baking is my kind of art.
• You can try new things.  Most restaurants serve standard generic food but if you shop at good grocery stores you can try a dozen different kinds of lettuce, pick up heirloom tomatoes at a farmer's market, and try a dragon fruit or durien for dessert.
• It's more sanitary.  I worked in restaurants during high school and college and cleanliness wasn't high on anyone's priority list.  You can't imagine what happens to your food before it gets to your table (our nightly news has a 'Dirty Dining' segment and it will make you never want to eat out again!).