I am a college student majoring in English and Japanese with a developing interest in literary translation. I went on a baking frenzy last summer, utilizing all the seasonal fresh fruit and lots of recipes from this site. Since moving out of the dorms to an apartment this year, I have enjoyed experimenting with cooking (with which I am less comfortable) in addition to baking (with which I am more comfortable). I have been hosting weekly dinner parties for my friends and sometimes cook for just myself and my boyfriend several nights a week. I love baking because it's something that my sisters and I do every year at Christmas when we stay with my grandmother. When trying something new I always freak out a little bit about how it will turn out, so it's a treat when my friends (all poor college students) thank me for the homecooked meal, or when my boyfriend quickly cleans his plate and grabs seconds, teasing me for worrying so much. Actually it was my boyfriend's birthday the other day, and although I am not usually confident, I consider myself a decent amateur baker, and thus was surprised when the birthday cake I was making for him first came out 1) under baked, and then 2) would not come out of the pan.