I am a 53 year old church secretary, married for 33 years. I'm a mother and grandmother and I love to cook. I have two sons and one is a chef by profession, the other loves to cook as well. I've held cooking demos for some of our youth and fear that cooking may be a lost art for our young working middle-class. I would love for young people to understand that preparing meals does not have to be complicated or intimidating, and it's a lot less expensive than eating out! I enjoy cooking, period! My favorite thing to cook is anything I've never cooked before. I love preparing new recipes and I enjoy using ingredients I've never used before. Lately I've been trying Asian cooking and have fallen in love with the flavors and healthy choices offered. I also LOVE to bake and traditionally bring desserts to all family gatherings (by request). For 25 years my mother has had a 'pumpkin carving' at her home the Sunday before Halloween. Everyone brings something to eat and she prepares a HUGE pot of Santa Fe Soup. This tradition began specifically for grandchildren, and now is attended by great grandchildren. We carve pumpkins, light them with candles and celebrate the cooler weather. It is a wonderful beginning to the holiday season! My #1 cooking triumph hasn't yet occurred. It will be preparing a pan of lasagna that my husband tastes and says, "This is as good as your mother's!" I keep trying but still have not mastered her special flavor! Certainly the more you cook the more mistakes you make, and I've made many. The worst happened about 20 years ago while making my grandmother's chop suey. I accidentally grabbed the baking soda instead of the corn starch. It was SO bad that the dog wouldn't even eat it!