I don't list cooking as one of my hobbies or favorite things to do, but once in a while, I get in the kitchen and have fun. Baking and desserts are my favorite things to make, since I was a kid. I like cooking Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas cookies! I get rave reviews every year, since I found "Ma Lipo's Turkey Dinner" on allrecipes.com several years ago. -It's fabulous! I love to bake sugar cookies, gingerbreac cookies, and others for Christmas, and I like to make coconut chews and, my own twist on peanut butter cookies - chocolate chip/peanut butter cookies. - My kids BEG me to make them! YUM!!! I make shamrock sugar cookies with green, vanilla frosting - that I add a bit of almond extract to - for St. Patrick's Day, and I like to make Christmas cookies, and I'm trying to start a tradition of making homemade mincemeat with fab. recipe I found on this site. It's not like so-called "mincemeat" from the store; it's YUMMY!!! I'm trying to grow my own pie pumpkins (they didn't grow this year :o( ) every year for pumpking pie. I grew them a couple of years ago, and they made the BEST pumpking pie ever!!! SO much better than store boughten pumpkin in a can! My husband is SO thankful when I stand by the stove, when cooking grilled cheese sandwiches, and remember to turn them - not burn them. :oD MY ADVICE TO THE YOUNG: I started cooking by following recipes EXACTLY. Once you get the hang of that, then buy some jars of dried herbs to experiment with - the basics: oregano, basil, bay leaves, cumin, sage, olive oil; also: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg; and don't forget to use: garlic, onion, and bell peppers (green or red). You'll learn what tastes good with what. You'll be better than me in no time! :o) -every time I've burned the simple things, trying to do something besides cooking at the same time.