I have been cooking and baking for as long as I can remember. When I still lived at home, my mother taught me.. but unfortunately she wasn't the best cook. Everything she made had a tendancy to be bland or cooked in the microwave, so I did not learn a whole lot from her. It wasn't until I met my husband that I REALLY started to learn! He really encourages me to try new things and to not be scared in the kitchen. Cookies, cookies and more cookies!!! It's what I'm best at and what I've been cooking for the longest. Getting an A in my Foods class back in high school! I know, I know.. that's not a *real* triumph. I guess my biggest triumph would be that I have never compeltely ruined a dish before.. I've always been able to salvage it no matter how bad things look! Lumpy mashed potatoes... every single time :( sigh! One of these days I will perfect the mashed potato...