I started cooking out of necessity when I was married 3.5 years ago and actually enjoy it now, though not nearly as much as I enjoy baking. :) My husband and I have very simple tastes (mainly it's a texture thing) and don't like a lot of foods so I see coming up with new meals that we all (including my 3 sons) like as a fun challenge. We live in an apartment with a great kitchen...for an apartment. My three sons are Rimmy (2 and a half years), Seton (1 and a half years), and Ransom (2 and a half months); which again, makes cooking/baking a bit of a challenge (time constraints and such). Also, I really love to crochet, and as I am learning to knit and crochet wasn't an option on the list, I clicked on knit. Really, any of those old time "womanly" crafts are right up my ally, and I'm at least willing to try any of them before dismissing. My dream is to own my own sheep so I can make my own wool. lol Yeah, right here in the middle of Newark, NJ. Can't you just see it? I never thought I'd say this, but, meat loaf is up there right now; I love baking, especially cookies; my sister and I enjoy decorating cakes (Wilton stuff mostly, characters for the kids birthdays); baked Italian meals; scones (it's the Irish/English/Scottish in me; things that are tasty :) Ever year around Christmas we bake a ton of chocolate chip cookies. It's not fancy, but it sure is fun and delicious. For all of mine and my sister's kids' birthdays we bake a big character cake and stay up till 3 in the morning decorating it. I'm looking to incorporate more of my families' cultural foods into my cooking, especially holiday traditions (Irish/English/Scottish/German (from my husband). I got my husband to love meat loaf by ditching the store bought seasoning packet and adding Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and bacon. He doesn't even think about pouring catsup all over it anymore. :) Real Irish soda bread: not spotted dick or cake. My husband needed some ethnic food for something at work and as we are of the Celtic persuasion it was all I could think of to make. While we liked it, most of the non-Irish folks with whom he works politely choked it down and complemented me on even trying to bake with having two little ones at home and being pregnant. lol