I love family. I'm from a family of 12 siblings. I'm married w/two adults children, work full-time and long for the day when I can retire and enjoy my four grandkids (hopefully soon.) I enjoy cooking and sewing, but don't always have the time to devote to them the way I wish. I want to relish the moments of being creative in these two areas,not just doing them out of necessary. The outcome is so different when treated as an 'art' and not rushed. My grandkids are so special to me. Even when I am dogged-tired, if they want to cook something and I have the ingredients,I get motivated and plunge in to create something fun and hopefully something good. This has also influenced my oldest grandchild, age 14, who helped bake over a 1,000 cookies for our church youth rally. I was out of town but upon my return she highly praised among the rally leaders. Growing up, large meals had to be well-thought out and mom did not have a lot of patience or money for us to 'trial and error'. Dinner f Cookies,all types but especially oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip. I also love making macaroni and cheese and lasagna. Stir-fry vegetables are always a good, quick and wholesome meal. Lately, I've been taken to the George Foreman grill to reduce my fat intake, fish, chicken to go with the side vegetables. My grandkids love my quesadillas, beats fast food and is healthier. Did I mention an occasional southern,hearty breakfast w/grits, potatoes,corn pudding, turkey sausage and bacon, biscuits, vegetable quiche. All this reflection on food is making me hungry. I love to prepare the favorites that my family loves and add them to the meals that another member hosts. Sweet potato pie and pecan pie, garlic/cheese/bacon mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and greens - collard, mustard, turnips. Sometimes when I attempt all my favorites and I am the host, I feel overwhelmed and anxious and it shows after my family arrives. I can't seem to break this habit, even though they always seem to enjoy everything I prepared. To have my daughter-in-law's family for our first Christmas dinner together and her mother commented that 'everything was good' and even wanted some of the recipes. Roast, turkey/dressing, yams, and other trimmings and desserts. To have a casserole dish, loaded w/delicious lasagna crack. To never have mastered my mother's chicken and dressing(stuffing) recipe before she passed away March, 2003. To have my son's favorite cake, German Chocolate Cake that I'd always made for his birthday not turn out right when I tried to double the recipe and bake in 12" springform pans. He got sick and didn't make it over for dinner and dessert. I put it in the fridge for days. He never asked and I didn't mention the flop and nobody tasted it but me. All that chocolate, pecans, butter and coconut...what a waste!