I am happily married with 2 cats and 2 fish. I enjoy cooking but working full time limits my free time. Because of this I love quick, simple but flavorful meals. I enjoy gardening and am looking forward to my first garden--I just bought my first home--next summer (2008)so I can have fresh ingredients. Anything with garlic. I looooove garlic! In regards to my childhood, we had none. My mom's cooking while I was growing up was very bland and disgusting. It wasn't until I met my husband that I truly discovered the world of spices and food. My cooking traditions in my home now are making salsa and making pumpkin pies and pumpkin rolls in the fall. Also a killer cranberry apple crunch pie as well. Making Thanksgiving Dinner in 2003. Crab cakes...oh what a disaster they were. It all started with using imitation crab meat and ended with an oily disgusting mess. What I learned from it was that although CRAB MEAT is in the title, the word IMITATION is also very important information.