I have been married almost 28 years and have two children. I love to cook and read murder/mysteries. Our family is very active at church and all sporting events (soccer, basketball, baseball, softball and football). My favorite holiday is Christmas with Thanksgiving being a close second. I enjoy cooking casseroles of any type since they are easy to make ahead of time and cook when needed. Also, I love to bake cakes and other desserts. I love trying new recipes and have been using the All-Recipes site for several years. I finally decided to join recently. Every Christmas, we host a Christmas party with all different kinds of appetizers. Also, I do a lot of Christmas baking and candy-making in the weeks before the holiday just like my mother still does. My daughter is already following in my footsteps with this tradition. I guess my cooking triumphs would be hosting my in-laws at Easter and Thanksgiving and having everything turn out good. Sometimes, hosting these holiday meals can get crazy what with working full-time and having a husband who is great but can't boil water! I have a cooking tragedy everytime I try to make gravy. I can cook anything (no matter how difficult) in the world except for gravy. It's either too thin or too thick or lumpy.