How a Political Journalist Learned to Cook and Eat Healthy

A 20-something single woman, I'm a writer/editor by day. By night and on weekends, I like to cook for myself, family and friends. But it wasn't always a favorite hobby. I used to be all thumbs in the kitchen.

Learning to cook became a necessity after college when I couldn't afford to eat out all the time in the big cities where I lived. Plus I wanted to eat without digesting all that sugar, salt and fat that made me feel guilty (not to mention sluggish). My friends and colleagues in the political journalism world looked at me askance, until they savored the food I cooked for potlucks or at my place.

I've picked up a lot of tricks-of-the-cooking trade from my mom, magazines, and cookbooks since my days in the dorm at Penn State. I even landed an internship with "Good Morning America" on ABC News, where I managed the recipes webpage and sent out weekly recipe e-newsletters. All these sources also helped me learn a thing or two about prepared foods and ways to save money and calories eating out.

My last roommate once half-jokingly nicknamed me "food expert" because I answered her burning questions with authority. Now, while I'm hardly a bona fide expert, in this space with my friend Alison (who is a bona fide dietitian), I am looking forward to more adventures with food and sharing old and new tips with young, single types like us who also want to eat healthy on a budget.