I'm a baker by nature and cook because ... well, we have to eat! I must say that all my kudos go to those of you who have the gift of creating recipes and I'm so glad you share them! We lean toward things that are considered "down home" although I've finally gotten my husband to eat Mexican dishes so we're getting a little spicy in our lives now. Cookies, Breads and Soups are my favorites. Of course the things I enjoy most are those dishes that make my family happy. Ever since I can remember our family has gone overboard on Christmas cookies. They look so pretty on a plate that they make a perfect gift for all the special people in our lives - friends, family, teachers, etc. I've found over 20 main courses that my entire family will eat. YAHOO! My newest thing is making homemade bread. The Amish White Bread recipe here is a GREAT starter recipe that you can change to suit your tastes. My other accomplishment is canning. My cousin, Shanna, got me hooked on making jam about 10 years ago (serious -- it's easy and there are usually just 3-4 ingredients) and then Nora got me gigged about canning salsa. It is SOOO much better than what you can buy in the stores! As a teenager I decided that I was going to make chocolate cake from scratch. A good idea, but then I created my own recipe. Bless my mom for putting up with it, because I think I did this a couple times ... and every time it was disgusting.