I am 45 years old and was born and raised in the wonderful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I lived in Seattle for about 12 years but I wanted to raise my son in the safety of the U.P. so I moved back home. My husband of 20 years was happy to relocate with me. I've been disabled for 10 years with diabetes among other problems. One of the few things I can still do is cook and bake. I love to find recipes for new ideas and I try to stick with the recipe but usually end up adding things. I have had great success converting sweet recipes to sugar-free with the help of Splenda. I have a great son who is 25 and lives in Laughlin, NV. He works as a pitboss in a large casino. If I could work again, I would go back to school and become a chef or a pastry chef. I am also a sugar freak. Thank god for Splenda! Since I first wrote this my husband of 21 years passed away from cancer. It has been very difficult trying to go on without him as he was my best friend as well as the love of my life. My absolute favorites are spaghetti, lasagna, cheesecake and pretty much all sweets. All of the stuff that is not good for me. I love chicken, tacos, soups, and salads too, which are more healthful. My ex-husband was Vietnamese and I learned great asian recipes which I hope to share in the near future. My favorite cooking traditions are basics like always cooking a traditional feast for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is very important to me no matter how many people are around the dinner table. With just the two of us, I always end up with a lot of leftovers. I love to bake during the holidays and this year I hope to send baked stuff to my son and his girlfriend. They don't have much time to cook with their busy work schedules. I have had a lot of triumphs and not so good experiences. I guess my best triumph is a wonderful potato salad that I make. Everyone asks me to make it for special occasions. It is a dill potato salad instead of the usual sweet ones found in the supermarkets. I will try to make up a recipe next time I make it. I usually use about 5 lbs of potatoes and my husband and son used to devour it in a couple of days. Unfortunately, this happens too much. Mostly because I can't stand or be on my feet very long. My pain gets bad and I have to lay down which sometimes causes my food to burn. I am getting better though. I just have to get through sometimes.