I'm an engineer. My dad has always gardened, so I developed an appreciation at a young age for growing my own vegetables. I wouldn't say I'm good at gardening, but I love preparing a dish and saying "I grew that." I love to bake cookies and quick breads. Thanksgiving Day. My family has a very strict idea of what is supposed to be on the menu. Each year we try to add something new or drop something, but everybody has their favorite and doesn't like change. I started helping out when I was young and have taken over now that I'm an adult. I won my local newspaper's annual cooking contest in the cookies category. It was my grandma's recipe, but everyone loved them. The first meal I prepared for my now husband was fried chicken strips. They were supposed to be italian flavored, but I burnt them and that meal is now remembered as "blackened chicken."