I'm a stay at home mom to Jessica 4 1/2 years old, and love to cook up good dinners for us to share as a family, especially dinners that make great lunch leftovers. Holiday baking is my specialty, but I love to make casseroles, one dish type of meals, also salads, soups and anything my daughter helps me to whip up. My parents passed when I was young, so making the dishes they made for me as a child is very special to me, like my Mom's shrimp macaroni salad, her hamburger casserole, and my Dad's Manhattan clamchowder and his special pancakes. My mom was also a great holiday baker, I do her butter cookies every year! My hand painted holiday chocolates, including a X-mas tree chocolate puzzle...my meatloaf ( recipe adapted from one on this site) and cheese onion enchiladas. My one attempt at making bread, the yeast was expired, which I noticed when the bread was done and it was brick like in taste, texture and weight!