One of the most relevant examples in my life of the saying "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" is home cooking. Every time I come back home and have dinner with my family, the deliciousness that I've been missing out on becomes clear. At my school, the food is by no means horrible, you just come to anticipate the cycle of dishes served, each time seeming blander than the last, and you grow to miss your favorites that only your family can perfect. That's why I always say a few words of appreciation in my head whenever I get home and eat the food I realize I've been craving for months. Here are just some of the extravagant thoughts that go through my mind during these times. (My apologies for providing such hunger-inducing photos, I just couldn't help myself.)

Oh homemade mac and cheese, how I've missed the way I can taste all four cheeses that create a punch of flavor and the crispy, salty breadcrumbs that give just a hint of a crunch. My friend at school once said the mac and cheese there tasted like "hot water" and I thought this was a pretty accurate analysis. Thank you for helping me see that mac and cheese doesn't have to be this way.

Oh how I love you homemade pizza, with your soft crust that doesn't resemble cardboard at all.

Home-roasted chicken, thank you for remaining tender and delicious and never failing to be packed with flavor. And when the potatoes are lumpy in the best way and the vegetables are crisp and flavorful, the meal is made. There's nothing like a Thanksgiving-level homemade dinner just because.

Sweet hamburgers, cooked to perfection on the grill on the back porch, I never forgot about you. You clearly aren't tough, frozen hamburger patties, but fresh, hand-rolled burgers grilled to order. The un-wilted lettuce and the good cheese from the local deli don't hurt either.

Blessed homemade eggs, thank you for not having the consistency of plastic, and for always being hot out of the pan, instead of room-temperature-ish out of the pan. Breakfast is one of the things I miss most about home cooking, with home fries that have just the right amount of seasoning and pancakes that are made with love. Not to mention an entire cabinet filled with the cereal of your choice, in unlimited supply, for 24 hours. I truly never knew the luxury I had until it was gone.

And those homemade chocolate chip cookies, you are the light of my life. They certainly don't stop me from eating all the mediocre cookies served after dinner in the dining hall, (it takes a lot for me to turn away a cookie of any kind,) but the thought of cookies baked fresh from the oven at home keep me in perspective when it comes to the hierarchy of dessert.