My name is Amy. I started cooking about 5 years ago. I started dating Matt, who is now my fiance, and realized that he loved food so much I better learn how to cook!! My mom is a great cook. She doesn't cook anything out of the ordinary, just great homecooked meals. Matt's mom is Italian and makes great Italian food. I have been lucky enough to be able to learn from both of them! Now I've been cooking long enough that my mom and mother in law to be ask me for cooking advice! When I decided to learn how to cook I started small. First, I would see an easy recipe from, say, Betty Crocker with not a lot of ingredients. I would try to make it and practiced with different easy recipes until I felt comfortable. I kept trying more challenging recipes until I eventually felt really comfortable in the kitchen. I was so excited when I got Julia Child's "the Art of French Cooking" last year for Christmas. When I made her Boeuf Bourginnone, I was really proud of myself! I love using my slow cooker! I have a few recipes that I always make: Chicken Parmesan, Engagement Chicken, Chicken Piccatta, Lasagna, Beef Stew, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Meatloaf, Chicken Pot Pie. Just exchanging recipes with my mom, mother in law, all the women in my family. making Thanksgiving dinner The first time I made Chicken Marsala, the oil got too hot and I burned all the cutlets to a crisp!