Hi everyone, my name is Karen and I am the very proud mother of a beautiful 9 year old daughter, CK, who has inherited my love of cooking. I have hopes of teaching CK to cook in the same ways that my mother and grandmother taught me, by using what you have in the cupboard or what was on sale. With the economy the way it is right now, what a perfect time! I work full time so some of our recipes will reflect more on time saving then just cost saving. I hope you enjoy our recipes. Every holiday is a special occasion to cook. The traditions that I have started with my family are: Cornish Game hens with mushroom dressing, roasted sweet potatoes, buttermilk oatmeal dinner rolls, chocolate covered strawberries and mini cream puffs, all by candle light at a table set up next to the Christmas tree - every Christmas Eve. New Years Eve is just as fun! 10 – 12 hor’dourvs, our favorite white wine, from a local vineyard (sparkling grape juice for CK) and hot tub at midnight, listening to the church bells and watching fireworks. Our most requested dish for family and friends are; smoked pork loin with pineapple salsa and wood fired pizza. Building a 9' x 12' x 8', 7 ton, Italian Brick Oven in our back yard. With all that concrete drying just in time to cook our Thanksgiving Turkey, in the middle of a blizzard. I have the best husband in the world!! How many men would start the fire the night before, get up at 3:00am to keep the fire going, add more wood - all day long, in almost zero temps, 30+ mph winds, blowing snow, and not be able to eat the turkey until 6:00pm that night? Our little part of Tuscany in the middle of Southwest Michigan!! BTW - The turkey was incredible!!! Everyone still talks about it years later. I tease my husband when we have a winter storm warning, that it's time to cook a turkey.