It's been a tough year! Things go from bad to worse, but can only get better. But, my boyfriend and I can get in a better mood when we have some good food in our stomachs.. The orange chicken from this site and italian, italian, italian!! I also like to 'just throw stuff together' as my boyfriend calls it. Just about anything can be good with anything else if the spices are right. It wouldn't be called a tradition, but I love to watch my Mom cook! She grew up on a farm with 13 brothers and sisters and, being the eldest girl, she had a lot of responsibility. She doesn't measure ANYTHING and everything turns out perfectly. Anything from Chicken Wild Rice Soup to Huevos Rancheros! I am one of the few people I know that can actually complain about it not being as good as my Mom's! One of the italian recipes I make really well is manicotti formaggio! My cousin likes it so much that when she's trying to impress a boyfriend she has me come over to make it and then passes it off as her own! I don't mind at all! Quite a compliment, actually! When I was very young I was trying to make a meal for my grandmother and other family members. It was my Mom's hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes. Little did I know at the time that you actually had to simmer the gravy for awhile to cook the flour! It was horrible, but my grandma still tried to eat some of it, just to be nice!