My husband and I have lived in Hawaii for 10 years. We have 3 daughters, and I homeschool.
My favorite things to cook
I have been getting back into breadmaking, and am really enjoying myself. I love the art of kneading the dough, and, of course, there is nothing better than the smell of baking bread. My kids love to help knead, and make rolls in all sorts of shapes- ladybugs, snakes, birthday cakes, swirls, knots, braids, etc. My littlest calls hers "slugs".
My favorite family cooking traditions
My favorite cooking traditions involve all the memories of my family meals, and those foods that made them special. I hope to create those memories for my kids, too. We make sugar cookies for all major holidays, and find cutters for the holidays at thrift stores, or sales.
My cooking triumphs
I always love to create birthday cakes that my kids love- I made an "Angel Surprise Cake with Raspberry Fluff Frosting" and "Max's Earthworm Cake" from the Max and Ruby series for my middle daughters 3rd birthday, and an "atom" cake, with M&M protons, neutrons, and electrons for my oldest daughters 7th birthday. The baby got a duck shaped cake on her birthday, which tasted great, but only half of it came out of the cake mold!
My cooking tragedies
The Thanksgiving pumpkin pie that fell, filling side down, on the floor as I took it out of the oven. The time all of the toppings slid off my homemade pizza, onto the bottom of the oven. The Christmas Eve clam chowder I renamed "Campfire clam chowder". And, my oldest daughter will never forget the oven mitt I caught on fire, while I was wearing it.