Simple Cooking

We mostly cook from scratch at our house. We usually eat meals twice (and pretty much all of our food is "leftover," because I prep it in advance). We like more complex cooking, but when time is tight and stress is high, we fall back on basics and just go simple. Simple cooking is definitely a skill in our tool box. Here are some reasons why it works for us:

1) Simple cooking saves money. We keep can shop for sales on the things we eat regularly and stock up, knowing we will use them.

2) Simple cooking reduces waste. The less we have in the house, the more we use up what we have. Fewer things get pushed to the back of the cupboard, fridge or freezer (though they still do!). 

3) Simple cooking reduces decision fatigue. We pick a staple and go. We don't have to go searching for ways to use up random ingredients we bought for special recipes.

4) Simple cooking gives me more time to focus on a few "fun" items, like baking challenges, food holidays, making gifts for others, etc.

5) Simple cooking makes the special more special. Our taste buds recognize when things are more complex. We enjoy splurge purchases. Going out to eat is a treat.

Every meal could be gourmet (depending on resources), but it's not at our house. We often choose simple cooking. It's best for our and our priorities, right now, and overall. Maybe it's a skill to add to your toolbox, too. Consider our reasons and see if it is worth a try.