I'm single during the weeks, when I often cook for friends, or just for myself and hand out leftovers. On the weekends I have a seven-year-old picky eater who doesn't like much beyond chicken nuggets but loves fresh vegetables of all kinds. Nothing beats a great slow cooker recipe, coming in the house from a long day at the office and gym and having the aroma of a delicious meal already waiting for you. I also love to make fancy desserts and cakes, but as I have no sweet tooth, I take one bite and leave the rest for others' enjoyment. My mother is of Polish heritage and prefers her own cooking to going to a restaurant; she taught me that a meal consists of a protein, carb and vegetable and I still have trouble looking at an unbalanced plate! My dad brought the Norwegian pancakes to the family recipe box - really another name for crepes. Being east coast people, there are a million things we can do with fresh seafood! Back when I was married we used to host twelve-hour open houses with lunch and dinner served throughout. I'd cook and bake for weeks, stuffing freezers, and had some pretty awesome dessert spreads. I was especially proud of the goose I cooked when I was 23. But really, any occasion when someone asks for a recipe or requests repeats is a triumph. When I was about eleven, I messed up Kool Aid. My friend's mom had bought two packets of each flavor and, without thinking, I assumed that one pitcher required two packets. Since then I've tried to pay strict attention to the recipes and keep the disasters to a minimum. But I still hold my breath each time I peel hard-boiled eggs to be sure they're neither overdone nor underdone.