I grew up in Minnesota and South Dakota, moved on to New York City and Atlantic City, New Jersey and Baltimore, Md. Worked in restaurants in Wisconsin and Minnesota on the beautiful St. Croix River where I learned many things about steak, seafood, chicken and CHEESE CURDS!!! YUMMY!!! I've had to semi-retire from professional cooking for reasons, but at home I'm always in the kitchen. I should put a cot in it! My mom and grandma were superb cooks, but their recipes were in their heads, so I only have a few on paper(bummer!). My favorite passion is Harley-Davidson motorcycles, been to Sturgis, South Dakota 5 times. Miss it now that I'm on the west coast. Been to Laughlin, Nevada's run. Too boring for what I've done and seen in Sturgis. Meatloaf, potato salad, kielbasa with red beans and rice, chicken parmesan, gourmet pizza, casseroles, stir fry, banana bread. Growing up on a farm in South Dakota I learned how to milk a cow, sheer a sheep, slaughter a pig, and pluck and clean chickens. So there's not much I can't do. Heck! I can even wrench on a car and fix stuff at home. My grandma's potato salad and banana bread; quiche, mexican fare, spaghetti sauce, and chili. gravy; in 9th grade I tried refrigerated cookie dough cookies and they caught on fire, burnt my mom's favorite cookie sheet and scorched the oven, all while she was at work. Boy, did I have some explaining to do!! As an adult, I made Thanksgiving dinner, made some cinnamon biscuits and put in nutmeg instead, yuck!