While growing up, I watched my mom and dad cook. I didn't really start baking and cooking much myself until I was about 24 or 25 years old. I never did realize how much I actually picked up from watching my parents make dinner, but I know it was my dad's "creativity" that passed on to me. I started off by following recipes that I would find, and learning what types of spices and foods went with others. Once I had prepared a few meals, I started adding/substituting/mixing, etc. other things with a recipe I knew, and was lucky enough to come up with some really good meals! Now, I tend to look at a new recipe, then I embellish it with different spices, etc., or add other ingredients to make it a bit more interesting. Now that I've been cooking for 20+ years, I am very comfortable just throwing things together and coming up with great tasting meals. My husband and children are not afraid when they hear that I am creating something new. I am now in my 40's; a wife, and a mother of two. I love to bake - cookies, bars, deserts, etc. It is expected that I bring the baked snacks and deserts for every family get-together. Another favorite of mine is to make mexican and italian dishes - from mexican supper dip to lasagna. When my husband and I first started dating, I invited him over for dinner. As it was very early in our relationship, I had no idea what he liked and did not like as far as food was concerned. So, I made a big wok full of chicken stir fry, and included vegetables such as brocolli, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, celery, onion, carrots, fresh mushrooms, baby corn, green beans, pea pods, etc. It was so good, and he seemed to like it also, and ate a whole bowl full. About 2 months later, he confessed to me that until then, he never ate any other vegetables other than corn and green beans because he didn't like them. He only ate my stir-fry because he didn't want me to feel bad. But, he realized after trying it, that he really did like the different veggies. Now that we are married, I haven't changed my cooking style, and my husband loves onions, mushrooms, and pretty much every other vegetable. My kids do too.