I'm 30 and grew up helping Mom in the kitchen. I consider myself a beginner/intermediate cook because I don't do it every day, and I tend to cook the same dishes over and over...but I can follow a recipe. I like to experiment with recipes and am learning how to tweak things to better suit my family needs. Each day I learn and grow! I enjoy baking cakes and pies... I think it helps that I am a dessert-a-holic/ choco-holic! Every year at Thanksgiving, my mom, sister and I prepare a variety of pies...each one of us makes a different filling (I get the pecan, my sister does the pumpkin, and Mom makes the apple). Mom, ever the crust expert, crafts the perfect shell to contain our yummies! (I am learning to work crust and have gotten close, but not perfect yet!) This past year I made THE perfect pecan pie filling! Best EVER! Meatloaf is one item I cook reliably with out a recipe...unfortunately, in the recent past I made one that even I had trouble finishing (I think I threw some of it out)!