4. No, though I've been trying to reduce fat and cholesterol with low/no fat versions or substitutions (greek yogurt instead of sour cream, ground turkey, etc)
5. Mise en place (prepare everything before turning anything on). Experiment; tweak the recipes and try new things. Don't go cheap on essential equipment (knives, pots&pans). Try doing things without countertop appliances (fresh ravioli with a rolling pin and knife, hand kneed breads, mince with a knife instead of using a food processor, etc) to learn what to look for. Have fun cooking so you do it more often and it's a positive thing :)
2. Not really. I plan special dishes once every couple of weeks, but have enough stuff on my 'normal' weekly grocery list that I can do a fair variety
3. Beef stroganoff, lo mein, stromboli, spaghetti, fajitas, tabbouleh, sushi rolls, steak&baked potatoes, etc
4. No, though I've been trying to reduce fat and cholesterol with low/no fat versions or substitutions (greek yogurt instead of sour cream, ground turkey, etc)
5. Mise en place (prepare everything before turning anything on). Experiment; tweak the recipes and try new things. Don't go cheap on essential equipment (knives, pots&pans). Try doing things without countertop appliances (fresh ravioli with a rolling pin and knife, hand kneed breads, mince with a knife instead of using a food processor, etc) to learn what to look for. Have fun cooking so you do it more often and it's a positive thing :)