My parents, both decent cooks, insisted that their children be able to prepare an entire meal by themselves by the age of 12. So I have been an avid cook nearly all my life. My cooking style has changed since my marriage, focusing more on healthy choices and easy to prepare meals. However, my favorite things to cook will always be holiday desserts and cookies. That is where I flex my creativity the most. My mother is an expert baker, as was her mother and her grandmother. My favorite cooking tradition is beginning our holiday baking in October. We start with Fudge, which can be stored months ahead of time. We finish with pies on Christmas Eve. Last year, as my mother and grandmother were both out of town, I was in charge of Thanksgiving Dinner. Instead of Turkey I decided to try my Great-Grandmother's Country French Chicken recipe. I included Bread Machine Cheesy Rolls and corn and topped it off with a Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie From Scratch. The meal turned out beautifully. I refuse to bake with alcohol. I have tried Rum Cake and Bourbon Balls in the past and they have both turned out disastrous. I don't care for the taste of alcohol myself so I am a poor judge on flavor when using alcohol in recipes.