

A Cook Can Make All The Difference
Annual savings for cooking dinner at home:
- $12,804.20 - for cooking at home for dinner for four versus going out to eat
- 182 hours - for cooking dinner at home instead of eating out
- 134,685 calories- for ONE person for cooking at home for dinner versus eating out
Love your space!
- Big, non-slip cutting board
- Sharp knives, peelers
- Elbow room
- Mixing bowls
- Utensils: spoons, spatulas
- Clean refrigerator and freezer
- Spices and herbs, oils (spray or drizzle)
- Variety of pots/pans
- Elbow room
- Utensils: spoons, spatulas
- Clean stove and oven
- Oven mitts
- Apron
- Room to land for dirty items
- Great scrubbing brushes
- Adequate detergents
- Elbow room
- Drying rack
And a note about the refrigerator:
- Won’t ever use it? Throw it out!
- Messy = #1 stifler for “what do I make”
- Too packed = can’t find anything
- Make soup to use items up once a week
- Consider zip lock bags to save space
- Have a place to land to “chill it quick”
- Prep ahead, store it in the refrigerator
- Planned leftovers, store in the freezer
Love Your Equipment:
- Pannini maker – quesadillas, grilled sandwiches, garlic toast
- Bread machine – pizza, calzone, breadsticks - our bread machine saves a ton of money because we use it to make pizza dough once a week
- Popcorn popper – hot air popcorn (whole grain)
- Blender – smoothies, cream soups
- Food processor – salsa, sauce, desserts
- Griddle – volume pancakes, omelettes
- Timer – never burn; take it with you to other rooms of the house when cooking and baking
- Rice cooker – many grains!
- Two microwaves – steamed veggies, beverages, leftovers
- Crock pot - an absolute must for cooking dried beans, chili and soup
Love Your Time: Cook it once, serve it twice ideas
- Stir fry
- Chili
- Aroz con pollo
- Soup
- Taco
- Salad
- Fajitas
- Soup
- Chili
- Stir fry
- Salad
- Soup
- Chili
- Tacos
- Quesadillas
- Salads
- Chicken, vegetables, potatoes
- Oven stew
- Casseroles
- Lasagna
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Pasta/toppings
- Potatoes/toppings
- Tostadas
Love Your Budget
Finally, don't forget to love your plate:

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Art, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, 2 art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography studio where her love is creating fun recipes.
Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest in nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.