1. Equal parts saving money; a desire to have full knowledge of what I am feeding my family; feeling unpleasant after eating takeout/prepared food; relaxation;

1. Equal parts saving money; a desire to have full knowledge of what I am feeding my family; feeling unpleasant after eating takeout/prepared food; relaxation; the intrinsic pleasure in practicing a developing skill. 2. In my head when I'm shopping. This is good because it's easy, but doesn't do much for expanding my repertoire. 3. Generally meals prepared stove-top in one or at most two pans. 4. Nope. 5. If you're making up dishes, less is more. Don't add a huge variety of ingredients just because you have them. Pay more attention to temperature and timing than quantities of ingredients. If you over-salt a sauce, dump in two halves of a raw potato. Don't buy store-ground beef; instead, pick up a london broil cut and grind it at home.