Fantastic post! I agree whole-heartedly. I like your writing style, too! Hello from a fellow foodie-blogger.
I grew up with my grandma, who also cooked nearly everything from scratch...and man oh man, did it taste good. Like the way you were brought up, there was meat, vegetables, and a "starch" (oh you hardly ever hear that word anymore!) and most days, there was a salad, too. She was very intentional with what she ate, and while I started off kind of rough as an adult, I have become the same way. Thanks for the encouragement!