My mother always cooked home-cooked meals when I lived at home, so when I moved out I made it my goal to cook as great as she does. I certainly have caught up with her in just a year of living by myself! (Heaven only knows I couldn't have done it with out her!) I reference her and my Joy of Cooking cookbook (which has everything, except slow cooker recipes!) and my meals always turn out delicious! I crave strawberry cake with cream cheese icing, so I make that a lot (granted, it's boxed cake) Soups of all kinds! I also like to experiment with yummy reductions over roasts My grandfather always used to make the best biscuits. His french bread recipe is published in Southern Living cookbook, and he's taught me how to make my own hot sauce and jelly. Oh gosh, I always call my mom when I cook something I love - chicken and dumplings, seafood gumbo, cream of cheddar soup, all sorts of roasts, chocolate and peppermint mousse cake, raspberry cheese cake, dieter's downfall (aka 7 layer magic bars), Teriyaki and ginger steak, chicken and rice casserole, king ranch chicken casserole, beef stew, biscuits and gravy...etc. My first time trying to make fried okra and eggplant, we burned the oil. The smoke filled my entire house and our next door neighbors came running over to make sure our duplex wasn't burning to the ground!