My mom has ADD and doesn't have the patience for cooking. The meals she made were usually fast but not very tasty! When I got married in 1993 to my high school sweetheart, the only things I could cook were Sweedish Meatballs (from mix) or Hamburger Helper. Once I started expirmenting a little, I discovered that I realy love to cook and I am pretty good at creating my own recipes. When my grandma passed away I told the family that I only wanted her collection of cookbooks; I have since added many, many, more to the collection. I LOVE to read cookbooks and look at the pictures to get ideas but usually make my own versions once I get in the kitchen. I love to "wing it" and "eyeball" ingredients. Thats why I'm a better cook than a baker. My husband now brags about my cooking to all his friends and family. I'm glad he hung in there!! I was born and raised in Arizona so almost anything I make has a southwestern flair. Mexican food is my specialty, even though it is not my heritage. I'm actually Irish and I enjoy making Irish dishes but give me green chilies and cheese and I'm in heavin. My specialty is Chicken enchiladas and homemade salsa ... I LOVE SPICY!! I've had to create most of my own tradtions because my mom isn't a great cook - like I mentioned. But I am teaching my 14-year old son to cook, in case his wife can only make Hamburger Helper and Sweedish Meatballs. My three-year old son likes to help in the kitchen too. I'd love to cook with my daughter, who is five, but she doesn't seem interested. Steak on the grill. Patience is the key to a perfectly cooked steak. If the fire is to hot, the outside will burn and inside will be raw. I sear it on each side for a minute with the BBQ on high then turn it down to medium and wait. It's also important to turn it as few times as possible, NEVER, NEVER, poke or peirce the meat, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. One of the early days in my marriage, I burned the sweedish meatballs - one of two things I knew how to cook - and set off the fire alarm in our apartment! I was preganant and in tears so my husband took me out to dinner.