As a novice cook your new best friend will be a crockpot. A great way to prepare healthy meals without slaving over a hot stove and a wonderful time saver. Another good kitchen aide is a panini grill. Grilled chicken breast/thighs in four minutes, healthy grilled seasonal veggies, and of course grilled cheese sandwiches using 5 grain bread and fontina cheese! Congrats on your decision to cook more at home. With the money you'll save you could buy a new pair of Manalo's at the Nordstrom Semi Annual sale twice a year!

Can't go wrong with a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. My kids loved this in the winter.
Another favorite was eggs/pancakes and bacon for dinner. We never found the time in the morning to enjoy a big breakfast, so we would have it in the evening.
Another favorite was using a crock pot. There are plenty of easy recipes online.

Take out is expensive and not always a quicker option. In the time it takes to order a pizza and wait for it to be delivered, I can boil pasta on a stove top. Jarred sauce + frozen veggies + cheese = dinner.

You might also consider making a large pot of something on the weekend (chili, soups) and freezing a few servings so you can defrost as needed during the week. That way you build up a backlog of meals you can pull out if you get busy.

I have to say, frozen vegetables are my favorite shortcut. They're precut and prewashed. And you don't even have to wash another pot, if you buy varieties that "steam in the bag" in the microwave ... Plus they are usually frozen at the peak of freshness so they're really nutritious. I'm always throwing frozen spinach into omelets or soup or pasta.

Now that my youngest is returning to the nest to go to college locally, I am resolved to eat out with my husband - just the 2 of us - at least twice a month.

A rice steamer would be your best friend. You can steam everything including vegetables, fish and meat. It's the healthy way to go.