I'm a recently married, recent college grad who's begging to explore and expand my repetoire in the kitchen as I learn to keep up my own home. Though most of the time my cooking is a hit, once in a while I can tell that my guinea pigs (aka my in-laws) are wishing they hadn't created a 'Family Sunday Dinner' night. I'm horrible with meats and grilling of any sort, but I can rock a crock pot and make some awesome pulled pork. My favorite things to cook are any dishes with a sauce. My love for sauces has required me to become a hardcore gym addict in order to support my cooking habits. My family's recipes are rooted in the 'make it stretch' kind of recipes that my great grandparents created in their less fortunate times in rural Maine. My grandmother of french-canadian descent grew up during the depression in the 1920's and 30's, and from her I learned how to make some wicked mashed potatoes, and how to boil every other sort of food into a stew. She also taught me how to make a mean batch of peanut butter fudge, which was always her favorite treat. From the other side of my family, I learned how to cook very simple meals and meat pies. Perhaps that blandness is what drove me to the sauces. Living on the coast of Maine (as well as a stint in the florida keys) also allowed me to enjoy a wide variety of seafood -- though I wish I had developed more of a taste for shellfish.