I approach cooking like a student approaches a chemistry experiment. Eyeballing amounts is just something I'm not comfortable with. I am always impressed with people who literally throw a meal together without using a single measuring cup or recipe. Some day I'll be that good! I'm not a total slave to the recipe though as I frequently add things to boost the flavor. I love to bake probably because I have a horrible sweet tooth. Cookies, pies, cakes. Yum! My grandma is my inspiration. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Tuesday... you name it she had the best meals ever, whenever. The day my husband told me my meatloaf was better than his mom's. YES!!! My first pecan pie was more like pecan goo. My dad, who was probably just humoring me, told me it tasted great, but the consistency was off. :)