I love cooking for friends and family. I'm no chef but I'm known in my family to be a pretty good cook. I've exposed my son to many different kinds of food since he was able to eat solid foods. He's 8 years old now and I'm glad I started him young. He's not a picky eater and he's probably my biggest fan! My son saw that I choose Intermediate cook. He told me that to him he think I'm a expert! What a sweetheart! As you will see from reading all my enteries. My Spanish grandmother was a HUGE influence on me and my life. Started "training" me to be domesticated at a very young age. From cooking, to teaching me how to sew using her scrap material she used to save for me, to learning how to iron in preschool (supervised of course) practicing how to iron small things like my underwear and cloth napkins. She was the greatest and I miss her dearly. I do want to learn how to cook healthier dishes as I am losing weight. I'm known in my family to be the only one who can cook my Spanish grandmothers recipe for Spanish Rice. I hooked a few of my friends by cooking that for them. A few of my guy friends have asked me to teach there girlfriends how to cook. I was honored to do so. I also like to cook stir fry as I am also part Japanese. Our thanksgiving bird. Although I'm not Portuguese, our family marinates the bird in a portugese style. AWESOME, MOIST, and makes what I think to be the best gravy!!! Hey that's how my Spanish Grandma did it. Can't change a good thing. After my Spanish grandmother passed away. Maybe 3 years later.... We had a family party/gathering at my house. I was asked to make Grammy's Spanish Rice. I did.... I knew I was getting somewhere with that recipe when my Uncle started crying infront over everyone and said to all his brothers and sisters, " This taste like Mommy's Spanish Rice" ... That was the first time, other then my grandma's funeral that I EVER saw my uncle cry. I was very proud of myself that day and every touched. I hear this is more common that I thought.... but my first cooking tragedy was when I cooked my first turkey when I was about 19. I thought you only had to pull that bag out from indide the cavity of the bird. I looked and looked for that other bag that had all the giblets. needless to say it never dawned on me to look in the neck area I just thought the packers at the "TURKEY PLANT" messed up and didn't put that bag in there. Well long story short the turkey it self was good. But I felt stupid when that bag was found. during the carving of the bird. Mom was nice about it thou she never said anything to anyone. Just told me next time check the NECK!!! :-p