I am the matriarch of my family. With three married children and 6 grandchildren, their wives and kids, we are growing into quite a clan. I love to have them over for special meals. We usually gather on the holidays and everyone brings a dish. Otherwise, I like to cook healthy food that is also pleasing to the palate. I love to cook southern and Cajun dishes that are healthy and delicious. Sometimes the healthy part has to give to the southern/Cajun part. I am a great dessert cook, but I only cook desserts occasionally because I don't want to have leftovers around the house to tempt me. There is nothing quite like turkey and tamale dressing or cornbread and crawfish dressing. My family always has to have a gelatin salad made with cinnamon candies, applesauce and lemon jello with a cream cheese swirl. And for dessert, they like pecan pie and German Chocolate Cake. I compiled a Family Cookbook for my children and grandchildren of all the recipes they they grew up eating and I continue to add new ones as I try them. I once cooked spaghetti in milk instead of water. I had seen my Mom cook elbow macaroni with a milk and butter sauce. I suppose that I missed the first part where you have to boil the pasta in water or chicken stock first. My sweet new husband ate it anyway, but I was humiliated. I decided that day, that I would become a good cook.