I am a full-time Mom to two beautiful children ages 5 and 3 1/2. I also do the bookkeeping for my husband's dental practice. Five years ago I was an aircraft maintenance officer in the U.S. Air Force. My family roots are German (Frankenmuth, MI), but I grew up in a small town in Southern Illinois. I enjoy creative cooking and wish to create a cookbook of all my favorite recipes--once I have discovered all of them. I enjoy cooking dishes that have been favorites in our family and that I learned from my Mom. I also enjoy cooking to a theme (Fourth of July, all one color, dishes with strawberries, etc.) My newest passion is cake decorating. My Mother has passed on several good recipes that go over great at potlucks and when entertaining casually in the home. Her chicken tetrazini, snowscene soup, and dinner rolls never fail to please. My German Grandmother has also passed along her recipes for butterhorns, pretzels, donuts, and cookies. I have enjoyed great success cooking dishes for our church potlucks and often am asked for my recipes. Most are not my original recipes, just interesting recipes I have made my own through substitutions and fun presentation. My signature creations is a sandcastle bundt cake. When my children were allergic to wheat, milk, and eggs I had to learn a whole new way to cook and bake for awhile. The birthday cake I made for my daughter's 4th birthday was hard as a rock and tasted like one too. Luckily she didn't seem to mind as the icing was yummy.