I'm a mom of three girls, ages 20, 9 and 5 (yeah, I know... I was pacing myself). I really got interested in cooking about 13 years ago, not long after I got together with my husband - I decided I was going to be a GREAT wife! Well, he's gone, but I still love the kitchen. I don't always have the time to try new recipes or cook as much as I would like, but do as often as I can! I tend to come back to several favorites: Mexican food, Italian food and a few favorite desserts (like Margarita Pie, which I make with a little tequila - EVERYONE loves me for that one!). My grandma is Icelandic, and I've only attempted her famous vinarterta ONCE, but it was really great! It's a seven-layered cake/cookie alternated with thick prune filling stack of deliciousness that's usually reserved for special occasions - Christmas, in my family. She would also make an Icelandic twisted-knot doughnut with plenty of cardamom called kleinur every once in a while. So good! More everyday was Icelandic pancakes, basically crepes, rolled up with a tiny bit of sugar inside. Lots of childhood memories wrapped up in those three foods. Big triumphs, I would say a full Thanksgiving dinner for in-laws AND my family. I have the photos of me sacked out on the couch afterwards to prove it! Another was an Easter ham with Champagne & vanilla bean glaze. The in-laws were still commenting on that one 5 years later! Small triumphs - my girls telling me dinner is yummy, or watching co-workers' faces light up every time they see me hauling Margarita Pie to the freezer, or cookies to the kitchen. I don't know if it qualifies as a tragedy, but it's what comes to mind: not long after I'd really gotten into cooking, I was tearing fresh basil for some overly complicated recipe; my husband got a strange expression on his face, started looking around and sniffing, then announced, "I think that cat has been peeing in here!". Um, no. That would be your dinner. Also, my pie crusts suck. BAD.