I adore cooking meals that are quick, easy, and comforting. Lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli, any kind of pasta you can think of, casseroles, soups, mac and cheese. I also love baking cookies and cakes. Cooking with my mother on Thanksgiving morning is definitely my favorite family cooking tradition. Peeling and preparing the potatoes, helping with the pies, basting the turkey and ham....my mother and I would work hard together to make the perfect meal. I still love waking up at 7 a.m. and dragging myself out of bed to help with these tasks. Another cooking tradition of note: preparing the Christmas cookies!