I am married to a 1hothippiedude! We have 5 children and 2 dogs. We are new to homesteading, but have raised a garden all but 1 year of our married life. (way preggers sick with 1st child!) Last year we raised our 1st totally organic garden and this year will do the same. We plan to add chickens, a cow and a goat to our piece o'hippieheaven this spring. We enjoy preserving our always bountiful harvests. Maybe we'll try wine this year! I like to cook just about anything! I always love a challenge. I started this year making everything for which I could find a recipe. Allrecipes is a great resource. I have started a blog, http://naturallylivinglife.blogspot.com We hope to share with other like-minded people our small scale farming "adventures." My family fries everything! I mean everything! Even cabbage. *shudder* My mother has her specialties, like potato salad and my aunt has hers, such as cole slaw and hummingbird cake. Those things I leave to the pros. Everything else, I will try. Pasta and homemade marinara. We started making our own pasta using organic, unbleached flour. We have been making our sauce for a few years. You know, it perplexes me that organic, unbleached flour is more costly than "regular old flour." There's no chemicals, no bleaching, no "enriching." I just don't get it. Well, it's time to admit that I just can't make good mashed potatoes. They're dry. No matter what I do. :(