Why should we cook?

     Last week, I discussed the reasons why we don't cook.  I didn't even come close to all of the excuses that people make as to why they don't cook.  I could have literally written more than three entries just as long about every last excuse I've ever heard.  Some of them are funny; some of them are exasperating, and some of them are just plain dumb.  There are so many excuses of why people don't or won't cook, that you start to wonder, why should I cook?
     For me, that's easily answered, but for those who don't have a reason to cook or haven't been given one, it isn't.  If you're used to buying your food already made or really close to it, you probably need some good reasons to get up and cook for yourself and your family every night.  Here are a few reasons that are 100% true that might inspire you to do the same.

1.  You know what's in it.
     I grabbed a box of Hamburger Helper off my shelf to make this point.  Yes, I have Hamburger Helper in my pantry.  We got some when it was a dollar a box 6 months ago and they're still sitting there for a night we have nothing else to cook.  Moving on from what embarrassing convenience foods I've given into, let's look at the ingredients and think about it for a second:

Hamburger Helper
Double Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients:  Enriched macaroni, corn starch, salt, enriched flour, maltodextrin, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, ricotta cheese, monosodium glutamate, cheddar cheese, monoglycerides, corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, colors  (Yellow, Red), Whey, disodium guanyate, disodium inosinate, yeast extract, silicon dioxide, egg, soy flour.

     You may know what some things in there are, but there are several problems with others.  For example, I can't think for a moment why macaroni, cornstarch, and salt are inherently bad ingredients, because they aren't.  However, let's look at the rest of the label.  I'll skip over my rant about soybean oil and flour for now, but let's just say I don't want them in my body.  Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, can cause serious problems for people who have a sensitivity to it as well as being a rant I'm going to save.  Corn syrup?!?  Can you imagine why you need corn syrup in your dinner?  Not to mention the fact that you know that everything in here is dry and corn syrup's not supposed to.  Speaking of things that aren't supposed to be dry and powdered, I refer you to the ricotta cheese and the cheddar cheese.  These things have had all their water removed and reduced to a powder that's no longer a recognizable version of the original.  Then the company adds colors to the sauce base to make the dish more palatable to our eyes.  Have I mentioned that many red food dyes are made from ground up bugs?  Because they totally are.
     Are all of these things you want to be in your family's bodies?  How about yours?  Have you ever thought about it?  Tomorrow, my war on convenience food is going to be Hamburger Helper.  In my recipe, I know exactly what's in it.  I know it's something worth putting in my body and something that's good for my daughter.

2.  It's inexpensive
     That's the whole reason I started this blog.  I'd heard so many people complain about how expensive cooking is that I was ready to lose my mind.  With very few exceptions, you can't convince me that you can eat pre-made food any better than McDonald's $1 cheeseburgers for less expensive than you can cook it.  There are very few things that might cost you a little more to make, but they're higher in quality when you make them yourself too.

3.  It's fresh
     Ever compared the experience of eating a fast food hamburger to that of eating a hot-off-the grill hamburger?  Which one was better?  The homemade one, I guarantee it.  Fast food hamburgers sit under heat lamps for up to four hours at a time while they wait for you to order them.  During that time, they lose their natural moisture and half their taste.  Heck, a cold ham sandwich I just made is more gratifying than fast food.
    Try it.  The next time you order fast food, really think about how it tastes, what the texture feels like, and how you feel eating it.  Then cook a meal or make a sandwich and do the same.  Is the experience different?  It's possible that it's the first time you've taken time to really taste your food.

4.  I like new things
     We all have brains that appreciate novelty.  Though you may think that your routine of getting a meatloaf dinner from the freezer every Tuesday night is reassuring, trying something new might be invigorating.  The thing about trying new things is that we're often afraid to do it.  What if I don't like it?  What if I do like it and I can't afford to have it more often?
     Buying just enough to try something in a recipe never hurt anyone.  Especially if you can just get enough for a serving or a meal.  That's how I discovered that I adore cous cous.  If you hate it, you don't have extra hanging around your house.  That results in you not wanting to use it because you hate it and not wanting to throw it away because you spent money on it.  I have a store down the road that sells potato macaroni in bulk that I'm dying to try, but I'll only buy enough to make a meal.  If we love it, we'll get more. If we hate it, we'll try something else.  What's the harm in trying?
     Make a list of foods you've heard of but never tried.  Look for their recipes or ask me to find one.  You never know, you could find your new favorite food.

5.  I'm in control
     In a world where you're at the mercy of your bills, your work hours, and your kids' school needs, wouldn't it be nice to be completely in control of something?  That's cooking (after a little practice).  To be in the kitchen with the flavors of the world at your fingertips.  You're in control of your ingredients, your diet, and your flavors.
     That's why I love cooking.  It's so relaxing to be in control and creating something beautiful.  Well, that and, in my opinion, there are very few things that are better than having people savor something you created with your own hands.

I hope that helps you decide to cook.  If it doesn't, well, I can't help that, and I can't figure out why you're reading my blog.  I like that you read it anyway.

Why do you decide to cook?  What's your favorite thing?  Comments?  Questions?  Tweet to @cookingcheap