I am a retired/disabled Law Enforcement Officer, injured in the line of duty. I am married to a rock who has been my care giver from the day of my injury. He is my best friend, my support, my cheer leader, and is FINALLY learning to cook. We have one son, a wonderful daughter-in-law who is the daughter I always wanted, who has given us 3 precious angel/devil grandchildren. Both my husband and son were career military until combat injuries forced them both to be discharged. Husband was injured in Vietnam, son injured in Iraq. I am just so stinkin' proud of both, as I am all military. I love to make huge pots of various soups and freeze them, and baking cookies for anything! Being a born and raised Appalachian kid, my favorite foods to cook, and eat is those wonderful comfort foods where the "know how" was passed through generations by "show and tell". So many traditions have fallen to the way side because of today's fast paced life style, and families splitting and moving miles and miles apart, but my favorite tradition was Sunday dinner at Grandma's. after church everyone would gather, and it was like a family reunion every week,. My other favorite tradition, was, or lack of, Chris tmas dinner. My mother was a wonderful cook, and boy Holiday meals were unreal. However, my Dad didn't allow Mom to cook dinner for Christmas. He said it was unfair for everyone to enjoy the day while Mom was stuck in the kitchen all day. So, we had pies, assorted side dishes salad and sandwich fixins that were all made a day or so of time, then everyone ate what and when they wanted to...using paper plates etc. That tradition is still alive and well in our families. LOL and I LOVE it!! This one is easy one. Several years ago, with the help of a few friends, (God love them) we baked enough cookies that everyone, sailors and Marines, serving on the ship US Shrevesport each received 1 dozen homemade cookies for Christmas. So many through the years. When I was 10 or 11 I baked cupcakes that the tops looked likely to fall off so I stuck toothpicks in them. I forgot to tell anyone, and Dad bit into one running a toothpick into the roof of his mouth. Nope, never did THAT again. Also, once I was making sausage gravy with freshly ground sausage. As I was browning it, I noticed it didn't smell right. I tasted it and found it was unseasoned, and I always use sage sausage. Not to worry, I just added rubbed sage to the roux flour along with my salt and pepper. Well! Imagine my surprise when I started adding the milk and it turned a very unappetizing shade of green. As I said, my husband is really special. He tasted it, and said it tasted good, just looked awful, and was "too good" to throw out. I finished supper, put in on the table, called Hubby, and we sat dow to eat. At that, he put on, and handed me, a pair of, super dark sun glasses, sighed a deep sigh, and said, "There! That's So much better!"