We live in rural West Texas with our 5 dogs, 2 horses and many cats! I love to bake and since it's just hubby me and the puppies, I do a lot of dog biscuits! Do love it around the Holidays when I can really bake up a storm! Love sharing all my goodies with those that just can't or just don't have the time for homebakes goodies. My Mom was a great cook and I learned from the best! Cake, pie and Cookies are the most fun! I also like to have variety in everyday meals, so I'm always looking at recipes and trying new ways to cook old stand-by's. Love the idea of my slow cooker. It makes the house smell so welcoming! It's got to be cooking holiday goodies. A good time of year to stay inside and bake! Always plenty of ways to share the bounty! To me, every meal that tastes great is a triumph. One year when my daughter was very young and we didn't have much money, I was able to make Christmas memorable by selling cheesecakes and candy to people in my office. I made over 75 cheesecakes that year and that was quite a challenge! I guess that is my biggest triumph. Too many to mention!! They range from the classic burnt garlic bread to just plain didn't taset good. But being able to experiment is what makes your cooking come into it's own! Look at mistakes as a learning experience. You just learn not to experiment too much when the outcome matters most. Practice on an understanding family. They will learn that the rewards of a few 'mistakes' will be great tasting meals!