Get Cooking! There's a lot of benefits to doing it yourself.

If you're like most adults, by the time it is time for dinner you've already had a long day at work, and if you have kids you're twice as worn out. It seems so easy to just grab fast food on your way home. Cooking a meal at home seems like a lot of effort. In the long run, however, it will pay off.

What's really in that special sauce, anyway? If you buy your food in its most basic form, you know where your food came from. You'll know how healthy it is, and how fresh it it. You may be shocked the first time it really sinks in what that filling in the middle of an Oreo REALLY is*.

Does your family have issues with allergies? By making your own foods, you'll know what ingredients are being used, and you'll never have that nagging "what if" worry.

You'll be able to sit down at your table, and have a relaxing dinner with your family. If you want candles, add them for ambiance. If you like to have the lights nice and bright so you can see the food, you can do that too. It's been a long time since that big burger chain told you to "have it your way". When you cook at home, you really CAN have it your way!

One of the best "side effects" of home cooking is that with planning, you'll have leftovers for lunches and for dinners later in the week. You'll be able to make double and freeze one for later. You can save time, money, and energy, and have a great dinner already pre-made!

I hope I've shown you that cooking your own meals doesn't have to be a chore. There are so many benefits to home cooked meals, and you might not have realized this as you zip through your busy life. Fire up the oven, plug in the crock pot, and spend evenings with the family!

*Oh...and that Oreo? It's stuffed with Crisco and powdered sugar. BLEAH.

Your own sloppy joes: Quick, cheap, and tasty!