When it comes to eating healthier and saving money on food, we’ve established time and time again that few strategies are more effective than cooking at home. Making meals in your own kitchen gives you total control over nutrition, flavor, ingredient quality, and expenditures, among other things. Plus, making a mess with flour is fun. Still, for many, home cooking is nigh inconceivable. Maybe you work 80 hours a week, and can’t find 20 minutes to make a sandwich. Maybe you live in New York’s East Village, where your apartment galley doubles as your bathroom and your bedroom. Maybe you never learned to cook, and are afraid of blowing $10 on a chicken, then charring it beyond recognition.

This week, it's a little bit of childhood obesity burnout, a very good Mother's Day question, and a video you will love to pieces.

1) Chow: But Mom...
I would argue that Mother’s Day might not be the time to expand your mom’s palate, but this is still a fabulous question: How do you pry your parents away from the same ol’ restaurants? 


2) Culinate: Culling in the Kitchen - Does He Really Need Six Loaf Pans?
In which an ardent cook resolves to chuck the extras in his kitchen, and finds them somewhat intimidating. Hey, we’ve all bin there. Except me, I mean. (*Runs to conceal all seven of her French White Corningware casserole dishes*)

3) The Kitchn: Best Recipes for a Healthy Potluck
Potlucks and healthy recipes. This is my kind of comment thread.

4) Washington Post: Why Being a Foodie Isn't Elitist
Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser pens a longish essay on why giving a flying you-know-what about food shouldn't be looked upon as fascist. (Yes, fascist. The guy's been called a fascist for daring to suggest that our meat supply may not be the safest.) Caring is a good thing.