Every week, I am becoming more and more educated on health matters that affect those of my family and me. That obviously directly relates to my cooking. I love the simple truth of this quote, “What goes into your food – goes into you.” I try to use all-natural foods and avoid any chemical additives, use all stainless steel or glass cookware, and never use transfats (also called “Frankenstein fats” as they were created in a lab.) Feel free to look up my recipe reviews for some healthier alteration suggestions. Well, I love the achievement of making luxurious, detailed meals for my husband and me. But what is it about men that when I strive and sweat to create a meal better than any restaurant we can afford, I don’t get the same accolades as when I whip up 20 minutes burritos? ;) Therefore, I usually focus my weekday efforts on easy yet tempting casseroles and slow cooker dishes. I also try to cut steps to make the most use of my time. For instance, I always double my lasagna recipe, cook one then and freeze the other for later. Also, I like buying my hamburger in the 5 lb. containers and cooking it all in a big pan with onions and maybe taco seasoning for later use. After it is cool, break it up into 1 lb freezer bags and freeze it until you need it. It is great to have on hand for casseroles, chili, or that all time guy favorite – burritos. I was recently married in the summer of ’06, so I am still enjoying creating my family cooking traditions. From fall to winter, my house continually smells of simmering spiced apple cider. We can’t get enough of that all natural goodness! Along with typical holiday fare, I also enjoy making spiced and sugared almonds for gifts. Cooking triumphs? I'd say being able to work a full time job, do the laundry, dishes, cleaning, and cooking all homemade food for my husband and me is a big triumph! Extra Kudos for moms who do that with a full house! Well,there is the old trick of turning off the oven timer for those cookies that need "just one more minute" and realizing your mistake only after they are darkened bits of dough… Through that and any kitchen error, I’ve tried to teach myself to make changes so that I don’t waste my time and effort in the future.