I am a happy homemaker with two children (one boy, one girl) and a husband who makes me so happy I can fly. He has two grown children who I adore, one of which made me a grandma on July 30, 2010. I love to cook and bake - it is my time to breathe. It's one of the very few things in a person's every day life that you can see a beginning and a direct result in the end. Satisfaction every day! I love the ease of casseroles, one pot meals and crock pot cooking as well as stews/soups and grilling. Lately I've taken an interest in cheesecakes after baking a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. I'm anxious to try many varities. We have homemade pizza night when I put tons of toppings on the table and every one gets to dress their own pizza (flattened refrigerated biscuits). We have also implemented a monthly snack/movie night when everyone in the family picks a favorite snack-type food and we get to enjoy a little of everything while watching a movie together. Some favorites are pickle rolls w/ ham and cream cheese, pinwheels, mexi dip, little smokies, sausage stuffed jalapeno halves and homemade movie style popcorn. Oh, don't forget the root beer floats! I feel most successful when I get a WOW from my husband and/or kids. I still remember how it felt when my step-son told me my spaghetti sauce was better than his grandma's. We all know grandma's are the best cooks! I attempted my first homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving 2007. We were traveling to Nebraska from Minnesota so I was in charge of the desserts. I wanted the pie to look perfect so I avoided checking the filling and boy was that a mistake! Outer done - inner NOT done. One mistake I will never make again! Checking if the pie is done and the marks it leaves is why whipped topping was invented, right?