[amcnett]

I cook ~80% of my meals. Generally speaking I try to eat out infrequently, and when I do I seek out items I would not typically cook for myself (or lack the expertise and equipment to attempt).

1. I love cooking, especially for other people. It's also far less expensive for me to cook delicious, healthful food than it is to eat out constantly, even with time spent taken into consideration. Throw in a partner with special dietary needs and there is further reinforcement.

2. I do if I have a special event on the horizon (holiday, dinner party, that kind of thing) or I am going to pack food for travel. Otherwise I just make a mental plan based on what I have and what is available/in season.

3. I grill a lot of spice-rubbed meats, bake muffins and scones using almond and coconut flours, bake fish, roast vegetables, make slow cooker soups, and the list goes on. My girlfriend and I also make homemade yogurt using one of these (http://www.amazon.com/Yogourmet-104-Electric-Yogurt-Maker/dp...), cooking the yogurt for ~36 hours until it has a custard-like consistency. Delicious.

4. My girlfriend has to follow the FODMAP diet (basically eliminating all fermentable substances...of which there are so many) due to a medical condition. She used to follow something slightly less restrictive called the specific carbohydrate diet, and with selective exceptions (I don't have any medical restrictions) I still do. Think little to no processed foods, no refined sugars, no grains of any kind, no starchy vegetables - lots of greens and meat and cheese and homemade yogurt. I throw in rice and some other non-SCD carbohydrates (rice, etc.) so that I can participate in endurance sports.

5. I plan to make leftovers. I try to think of meals in three stages: their original composition, how they'll taste as leftovers, and how they could become an ingredient in a quick third dish (like an omelette).