I have been in the kitchen since I was a kid and have always had a special fondness of baking. Something about working with a nice dough just makes me feel good. I love making all the great goodies mom would make around the Holidays especially the old Norwegian traditions like Julakaga (christmas bread) and lefse. escerole and beans, garlic parmesan brussel sprouts (the only way I can stand to eat brussel sprouts), and my newest baked invention - snow day chocolate chip cookies (inspired by mexican hot chocolate - some chili powder and cinnamon give these cookies something extra good for those cold snowy days) soooo many. the worst have been since moving to CO and having to re-learn to bake at 5000 ft. the first cake i tried here was a disaster. I used one of my favorite recipes and could not figure out what I had done wrong - the top sunk, was tough and sugary. the whole cake seemed too sweet and the texture was just not quite right. I owe my eternal gratitude to the chef instructors at Culinary School of the Rockies and the author of "Pie in the Sky".