When I was young, I loved participating in my Mom's annual Christmas bake. We'd make hundreds of cookies (at least five different types) and package them up as pretty as possible for our nearest and dearest. Now I have my own Christmas bake every year :) I was around 20 years old when I pulled off my first Thanksgiving dinner by myself ... I've since spent countless hours in the kitchen but those 12 hours are the ones I'm most proud of. I once attempted a cheesecake "atkins style" for my favorite Aunt's birthday. It was flavored with crystal light ... and it turned out BRIGHT orange! It was absolutely inedible, but she took a bite and smiled anyway. I've since made leaps and bounds in my culinary abilities, but that smile is what cooking and baking are all about - no matter what level you're at.