I have been married since 1966 to a wonderful man and we have 3 children and 12 grandchildren, now come the great-grandchildren 8 and counting. The family is just getting bigger and I love it. Unfortunately we are spread out (as far north as Alaska and as far south as Ecuador and many points in between) so we don't have the opportunity to all get together at one time. My mother taught me to cook when I was young, she is a great cook. I have loads of recipes I am trying to get organized, some old and some new, all good. I love to cook, all types of cooking. I prefer to make it from scratch, bake it from scratch, start with basic ingredients and see what I can come up with. I am planning a big garden for this year so I can try some new things. I have a few seed catalogs and they are full of delights I want to put on the table. I love to cook for my family, especially a full meal, ie turkey and all the trimmings or a big ham with...well, everything. I also love to make desserts using rhubarb or berries or fruits. Summer (and winter) grilling is a great way to cook a steak. Mostly I prefer good solid home cooking but I love experimenting with new recipes, new cuisine. My favorite is turkey and all the trimmings or a big ham with, well, everything. But an afternoon of visiting and grilling can't be beat. I think the best traditions involve eating any good food and enjoying good wholesome association with family and friends. Years ago when my children were young I decided to bake a chocolate cake from scratch. I grabbed the salt instead of the sugar. Needless to say that one went in the trash.