My mom is a great chef from main courses to baked goods-(the woman's never bought a cake mix)so I learned alot from her and have always been interested in cooking and recipe development...my first job was at a bagel shop and I have been working with food ever since. My Hubby comes from a long line of chefs/restauranteurs/hoteliers and his father owns restaurants and we run one of them. We have 2 kids, Madison (2) and Jackson (5 months)and I can't wait to teach them to cook too! Because I have 2 young kids, I like to cook things that are quick and easy-my crock-pot gets a TON of use, but I also like to take on more challenging recipes as well when I have the time...I love to BBQ, Bake, and I like to cook mexican food...I make some killer enchiladas. We tend to try and go for the light healthy dishes though, like a stir-fry with lots of veggies, lean meats,fish, rotissire baked chicken, etc...I am always looking for something new to try, which is why I am SO glad I found this site!! My mom used to make some amazing stuff, but by far my favorite was the birthday cakes...as a kid, I had THE most elaborate cakes...my friends (and their parents) were always wowed by how great my mom's cakes looked and tasted...I want to do the same for my kids- I just did a castle cake for my daughters 2nd birthday...used the wilton kit...turned out great! People kept asking me where we bought it!! My husband's family has some great traditions as well...they are Lebonese, but have always lived in the south, and his grandmother makes some killer middle eastern dishes with a southern twist...Awesome!! I really want to start some traditions of my own with my kids and hubby...like build your own belgian waffles on Christmas morning ( I thought of that one recently, but my kids are a bit young still), or making Valentines day treats to give to loved ones. Basically, I just can't wait to teach my kids to cook! Well, I have to say the castle cake was probably the biggest baking undertaking that I have attempted...but the first thing that I remember really cooking by myself was a cheese souffle when I was 9. It was perfect, and it made me want to learn to cook challenging items. I also developed an awesome enchilada verde lasanga with homemade tomatillo salsa, roasted garlic and poblanos, as well as my own healthier twist on baked ziti (I use fat free ground turkey, skim or fat free ricotta, and lots of veggies)Yum Yum!! The first time I made a pot roast it was a total disaster...I did'nt use my crock-pot.It was one of the worst meals my hubby and I had ever had! The only good thing that came out of that meal was that I was determined to make a good pot roast, so I googled it and I found this website!