When I was 7-years-old I loved to watch my mom cook in the kitchen. I would pull a chair up to the stove to get a better look at her amazing fudge frosting. I would exclaim, "it's snowing!" as she added the powdered sugar. It was the best with freshly baked sugar cookies and sprinkles, and I looked forward to the holiday season when we would make them with great anticipation. Since that time, (more than a couple years ago) I've made my own recipes and embarked on my own cooking adventures. Now my own family looks forward to the holidays like I did as a child. Cooking brings us closer together as we prepare meals and special treats while chattering about the events of our days. I love to make the recipes my family and I have created ourselves the most. Some of these include: BBQ and honey pork chops, cheese and broccoli chicken rolls, tater-tot casserole, Italian chicken & noodles casserole, raspberry pie, pumpkin rolls, many various salads, and peanut butter no-bake cookies. Every since I was a little girl growing up in eastern Washington, my family and I have made raspberry pies and pumpkin rolls for Thanksgiving. It's my favorite tradition. Even now that we're all growing up and moving on with our own lives and families, we still make time to bake these delicious desserts for the holidays. Any day I can get lunch and dinner finished ontime, looking great, and tasting yummy is a triumph for me! Several years ago, I tried a new recipe for a double layer chocolate cake topped with maraschino cherries for a birthday party. I attempted to rush the cooking time and frosted and topped it hot out of the oven. Needless to say, the cake fell in the middle and the frosting turned to liquid. I showed up empty handed and almost an hour late. One of the most embarrassing tragedies to date. Luckily I went to culinary school the following summer and have learned to be better prepared! Thank you mise en place!