Grew up in a family of 10 kids, had 2 of my own. Southern foods in large portions were my Mom's specialty along with her outstanding knack for baking. She catered for some people who knew of her talents in this area and I picked up a few tips from her as I grew up. Traditionally, I bake cookies in abundance at Christmas time but I do enjoy hosting dinner parties with healthy, lite cooking that satisfies but not stuffs my guests with focus on good vegetable recipes. Pairing a good wine with my dinners seems to make all the gatherings a success! My Mothers' recipes are a treasured family tradition and we all try to bake one or 2 for the Holiday gatherings. Although she was generous with lard and salt, we are able to cut that back and still have a delicious and healthy dish! The first meal I cooked for my husband as an adult on my own, I attempted to make the perfect mashed potatoes with real potatoes, milk, butter and salt and they were the smoothest, tastiest ones I'd ever had! He loved my cooking thereafter! Hosted a dinner for my family as my birthday gift to myself but cooked chicken, forgetting that my father raised them and won't eat it! To top it off, in my panic to get a substitute cooked for him, I burned the biscuits to a crisp, Threw them in the back yard under the pines and my brother found them, giving the entire family a great laugh at my expense!