As one of five children, my mom, a full time nurse, always had her hands full...it seems that I have been in the kitchen my entire life, and that's where I want to be! I love to try new things. My husband is a "meat & potatoes" kind of guy, so currently I am experimenting with different vegetables, and various sides. He also spent 8 years in the NAVY and occasionally enjoys other cuisine, so I'm always looking for something I haven't yet tried! I have been cooking since I could walk!! My parents firmly believed that all five of their children, three boys & two girls, should be able to take care of themselves...we all have a love of cooking. As the second youngest, I had many "teachers", including the chef of a five star hotel restaurant!! Sit-down dinners were a daily occurance in my home - no melamine dinnerware either, and there was always enough for whoever else may drop by. Holidays were a special time, and now...in my own home, I share this time with family. Any meal that is essentially thrown together without much planning and given rave reviews is a triumph. I remember baking a cake when I was about 7, and I failed to add any oil. It came out like a pancake!! I learned very young to not double the salt when making scrambled eggs - my mom choked them down, with love!!