I have 5 children, my husbands 19 yr. old, 9,7,6, and 20 months. Busy, busy, busy! They are my life, my husband too, I just want to take care of them the way they deserve. I love to bake, my favorites are Peanut butter cookies, cakes, cheesecake, I rarely bake the same thing twice, I am always trying something new and different. I like to cook with fresh vegetables, my garden is my bliss come Spring and Summer! We have so much bounty, I am always looking for new ways to use it. I really never grew up with any, just my grandparents at the holidays, ham on xmas, etc. I am making my own though~! New years eve is a fabulous Stuffed Shells Dinner, and we make caramel corn for a snack, along with many others we switch up! Kids get to pick their own birthday dinner, and the cake variety. I bake the entire month of December practically. I rocked some venison chops that I did with Italian Dressing in the broiler, I think the most tender venison I have ever managed, the deer does get some of that credit though! I made my own cannoli, shells and all, I was very proud of those! I am getting really adept at menu planning and cooking for a crowd. My last party ran so smoothly, I had chosen things I could prep the night before and early in the morning so I basically had to only pop things in the oven every so often! Oh my hubby will never let me forget the first muffins I made from scratch, they were picture perfect! Beautiful! But I had some confusion over Baking Powder and/or Baking soda and may have omitted one and doubled the other, I can't recall now, it was 16 years ago! I had my own kitchen at 18 armed only with knowledge of scrambling eggs. I had a working mother so I was capable of Campbells soup, pouring cereal, boxed mac n cheese, frozen pot pies, etc.etc. Everything else I learned working as a waitress in many styles of restaurants, and by experimenting! I was lucky enough to have some wonderful influences in my Mother in law and a very dear neighbor, both are with us no longer, but luckily their recipes are.<3