Recently married for the first time at 40+, and have always enjoyed entertaining family and friends. Hubby and I just bought a new home big enough to host family get-togethers. I love experimenting with new recipes I find on-line, even when entertaining. Family = test group. Brunch: Baked dishes prepared the night before. Dinner: Grilled fish, beef, chicken; pasta dishes and fresh veggies with everything! Comfort foods like meatloaf are a favorite of my Dad and my Aunt, both of whom join us for dinner often. I enjoy cooking what others enjoying eating!! My mom isn't much of a cook. With 5 children, she cooked more out of necessity. Now my parents enjoy dinner at my home, and I always make sure to send left overs home with them. It's my turn to "take care" of them, and most of the time they are open to my new recipes! My cooking triumph started out as a tragedy. I was baking a cake at midnight for a party the following day when the oven shut off and we discovered smoke in the basement! I sent the half baked cake with my 'then fiance' to finish baking at his parents' house at 2am. The cake turned out delicious and looked so good people thought I'd bought it at a bakery! Had just moved into a new apartment and had invited my family over for breakfast. In the midst of preparing it I discovered my oven/stove did not work!!! No problem, we went out to breakfast instead.